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Who should I collect for the long term??

That was a question posed to me abt 25 years ago...and The article was published in The Autograph collectors magazine abt 20 years ago.

I stated this...Walk down 5th Ave New York and ask 10 people who will still be remembered 200 years from now ?.....The answers will vary but A.Einstein,Thos Edison,Abraham Lincoln,Neil Armstrong,Charles Lindbergh,Elvis Presley,Hitler ect will surely be among the names they will give you.

Madonna,M Jordan,Prince,Michael Jackson ect....will long be forgotton

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Permalink Reply by James on April 29, 2015 at 12:28pm

I am a big fan of those four you mentioned. I have said though that I think Jordan prices will eventually fall big time. First though, 200 years is a long time. Even Elvis, who did not even write his own songs, is not Beethoven or Mozart. The latter two will live on forever.

But I think you are very wrong in dismissing Michael Jackson and Madonna. They were and have been transformative. Michael has been called the greatest entertainer of all-time. Madonna is the greatest female pop artist of all-time and the biggest in terms of sales. She is the female pop equivalent of George Washington in some way. He was the first President, while she was the first (and best) truly international female pop culture icon. And firsts tend live on for many years even after they're gone. So Michael and Madonna will continue in popularity for decades to come, if not 200 years.

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Permalink Reply by James on April 29, 2015 at 12:36pm

For basketball, think Wilt Chamberlain. He no longer signs anymore (for reasons beyond his control), unlike Jordan who is only in his early-50s and has flooded the market through his relationship with UDA.

Plus Wilt holds the NBA records for having the.most records. It's not even close. No one has ever dominated a sport like Wilt did basketball, other than the Babe in baseball. And it WASN'T because of height alone. There were actually several players close to his height when he played. If height made that big of a difference, then 7'6" Shawn Bradley who towered over his competition would be called the greatest. Well, poor Shawn just didn't dominate anyone!

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C on April 29, 2015 at 4:21pm

Wilt doesn't sign any more because he's been dead for 16 years :)

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Permalink Reply by James on April 29, 2015 at 8:09pm

Yes, I remember when the news came over the radio on October 12, 1999 that he had passed on. I had just had him sign a basketball for me only 4 months before his death.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on May 4, 2015 at 7:06pm

I clearly remember that day as well. It was my birthday and two years to the day earlier, John Denver passed away. October 12th 1997 and 1999. Not good birthdays for me, two of my favorites.

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Permalink Reply by Lofty on April 29, 2015 at 4:38pm

"No one has ever dominated a sport like Wilt did basketball, other than the Babe in baseball."
Sorry, but I beg to differ, James. Neither of those come close to one Sir Donald Bradman in cricket - who, incidentally, met the 'Sultan ofSwat' on a tour to the USA in the 1930s.

I won't bore non-cricket fans with statistics, but Bradman was that far ahead of his sport, that almost 70 years after his retirement, he still stands peerless. This has been acknowledged by countless scientific studies which have assessed 'the greatest sportsman' - he comes out on top.

Unlike Jordan et al., Bradman did not charge for his signature, yet he responded to the very many requests for his autograph over the years by spendings many hours a week in his study penning replies. There are many thousands - if not millions - of his signatures out there. As such, his longevity (92 when he passed), combined with his willingness to sign, has resulted in the price of his autograph being relatively low (certainly compared to other sports) and stable.

Sorry for the long response, but I couldn't let that one slide. :)

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Permalink Reply by James on April 29, 2015 at 8:15pm

Lofty, thank you very much for that awesome reply. I'm seriously glad you did. It wasn't too long at all. While I can't claim to know much about cricket, I am a sports enthusiast, and I enjoy learning new things. I plan on reading more about Mr. Bradman. That's what this forum is for - enlightenment, in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on April 30, 2015 at 6:37pm

Agree lofty about Bradman.

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Permalink Reply by AJ Jones on April 29, 2015 at 12:30pm

I beg to differ also....there hasnt been a SINGLE artist to have the impact that madonna and michael has/had.....and its been over 30 years since their debut. Impact like that will never be forgotten, and possibly never repeated.