The World of Autograph Collecting

Pleasures & Pitfalls

I, like so many other collectors, feel a certain sense of pleasure in obtaining a new autograph, or piece of memorabilia to add to my collection. That being said, there are a number of potential pitfalls that collectors should be aware of to avoid disappointment.

Autograph collecting is a long established hobby, every signature being a unique sweep of a pen that a famous person is able to give to a fan. Not only that, as the basic requirements are only a pen and a piece of paper, it can generally be created at the time of the encounter in response to a specific request, thereby being a lasting memento of that particular meeting. Occasionally these meetings are by chance, but more often they are the result of patient hours waiting at stage doors, hotels and sports stadia by fans hoping that they get that opportunity to ask for the autograph that they are chasing. It is little wonder that the these patient and determined individuals are called autograph hunters! I know, I've been there; in fact I still go there!

As time has gone by, and more people have become interested in starting collections of their own the demand for autographs has increased and has for some time exceeded supply. This has created a buoyant market for selling autographs and prices have risen rapidly for a number of years (see the figures from Fraser's 100 Autograph Index below). Sadly, for a whole host of reasons access to famous people has become more restricted, and autographs have generally become more difficult to obtain. This has resulted in a number of other methods being used to reproduce the signatures of celebrities. Such methods include printed and stamped copies in addition to secretarial and autopen signatures which can often be difficult to separate from the genuine article other than by an experienced individual.

Celebrities are becoming increasingly aware of the market that exists for their autographs and many are somewhat reluctant to sign autographs for anyone who is not a genuine fan. A significant driver of this reaction has been the prominent growth of internet auction sites which have provided an easy to use marketplace for this purpose. This resistance of certain stars to sign has further increased the ratio of buyers to sellers and has actually increased demand pressures, thereby pushing up prices. Indeed the result has generally meant that genuine fans have had to pay more to obtain a genuine autograph of their hero/heroine, and has often been in contrast to the apparent intentions of the celebrities themselves.

A number of stars are now beginning to sell their autographs either from their own websites, or from certain licensed outlets. It is hoped that this will help to provide a more honest and reputable market place.

It is a sad consequence of the increase in prices that we currently have a proliferation in the number of forgeries on the market. This is particularly true on the internet and in the type of auctions run by eBay where buying and selling is performed with a limited number of rules and regulations. A number of articles have suggested that around 75%-80% of the entire internet auction market are likely to be forgeries.

Certificates of Authenticity are also no guarantee of a genuine item. There are instances of traders offering dozens of Beckham, Henry, Rooney signed football shirts, in addition to Schumacher signed helmets on a weekly basis. A useful way to evaluate a trader is by looking at the range of items, and celebrities, that are being sold. It is simply not possible to obtain an endless supply of the biggest names in movies, sport or any other genre without being able to offer cast iron verification, such as the details of the source.

It is an unfortunate fact that many people just do not seem to care enough to research their purchase before parting with their hard earned cash. Many make their purchase from the cheapest source and just make an assumption that an item is 100% genuine on the basis that it is supplied with a certificate of authenticity.

For most people the deceit is discovered when the purchaser attempts to sell the item to another person, or takes it to a dealer for valuation. What previously looked like an investment at a bargain price turns out to be nothing more than a worthless disappointment.

Unfortunately, for the unscrupulous, forging autographs has become a lucrative source of a side income. In reality most of the forgeries are low quality and fairly easy to identify, however there are a number of checks that can be performed to avoid being ripped off. Ask the seller where the items originated, how did they acquire it, and do they have any history to support their assertions? Examine what else they are selling, what were the sources of their other items? Are they willing to give an address, and/or a phone number? How long have they been trading?

Investing in Autographs

Fraser's, a division of the Stanley Gibbons Group of Companies, has analysed the top 100 most sought-after autographs for the Fraser's 100 Autograph Index and have compared their retail price in 1997 to today's market value. The resultant investment index gives an average of the percentage growth in value over the period, it also shows the range of themes which are popular collecting fields such as royalty, art, pop, sport, historic figures, film and space travel.

The increase over the past five years as shown by Fraser's 100 Autograph Index is an amazing 170%. This equates to an average of 24% per annum.

Investing in the right autograph at the right time can be even better. From 1997 - 2004 a typical Paul McCartney signed photo rose an astonishing 660% from £125 to £950.

The key requirement is to ensure that you purchase a genuine article from a trustworthy dealer who can supply the source and history of the autograph concerned. Of course, as is said about the stock market, historical performance is no guarantee for the future.

Internet Auctions

There have been many articles in the press that have made reference to the substantial level of fake and forged memorabilia that is traded on various internet auctions. Levels of 75%-80% seems to be the general view of the experts.

The question is do you want to pay a reasonable price to own a genuine article that is both a source of pleasure for years to come, and an investment too, or are you willing to allow an unscrupulous individual to rip you off by selling you nothing more than a fake?

Based on the levels of fake and forged items expressed by the experts, three or four purchasers are collectively paying more in total for their fake items, than one wise buyer is paying for the real thing.

Things to be wary of:

Getting Refunds
When fakes have been acquired through an internet auction site, it can sometimes be difficult to obtain a refund.

Number of 'Hard to Acquire' Items
Beware when a seller offers large numbers of hard to acquire autographs. Also be wary when they sell only hard to acquire autographs or the most sort after items without any of the slightly lesser known signatures. Multiple signatures from most of the major stars are almost impossible to obtain without prior arrangements, or the right contacts.

Private Bidders
Where an item is being auctioned where the bidder's name is kept private, ask the seller the reason behind this. There are many different reasons given for this, most of which don't bear up to scrutiny. Private auctions can be used to stop a bidder being warned that an item is not what it seems, or to enable a third party to contact them to determine whether an item is genuine. Perhaps more worryingly, they also enable an associate of the seller to constantly bid the price up higher than it would be in a fair market.

Feedback with Private Item Numbers
Auctions where the details of previous items sold has been made private - this is often due to the seller selling so many copies of hard to acquire autographs or items of memorabilia that showing the details of previously sold articles would give the game away. Check the feedback of the seller, and if the item number has been replaced by the word private make your own mind up as to the reason it is being done.

Feedback Score
This represents the number of other members (e.g. on eBay) that have been satisfied doing business with a particular member. Despite this, there still appear to be numerous sellers on eBay with hundreds of positive feedback who continue ripping off the general public with mass produced autographed photos, shirts and other items. Be aware that purchasers are often deterred from leaving negative feedback due to the threat of tit-for-tat negative feedback. I know from personal experience as the only time I received negative feedback was after receiving rude and unacceptable emails from a seller. After careful consideration I decided that I needed to leave negative feedback to alert other possible purchasers, however he responded in kind as he felt a need to get even with me even though I had acted respectfully at all times.