Would you like to find valuable signed memorabilia (and some of it can be very valuable)?
And maybe sell or trade in signed collectibles too?
This is a potentially rewarding passion.
But the first advice I would give is to let passion be your guide.
I was reading an expert stamp collector the other day and something stood out to me.
He, by his own account, was a born collector.
He said his favourite childhood game was putting things that he found around the house together in categorised collections of “treasures”.
It’s easy to see how he became a respected philatelist.
Collections can become valuable investments.
We know that the very wealthy often put some of their money into collectibles.
But these “passion investments” - an excellent diversification tool the financial experts tell us - are driven first by interest.
And rarely exceed more than 5% of personal investment.
And that’s my advice to you .
Collect what you love.
In a manageable way - passion rather than obsession - that won't negatively impact your personal finances.
Signed and autographed memorabilia
Once you’ve decided the general shape of any memorabilia collection you’ll soon want to add autographs to it.
Sports, entertainment, historic figures... they all demand the human dimension.
The personal connection one gets from an autographed piece can’t really be matched.
You know that a document, photograph or artefact has been held in the hands of your hero.
So whether you’re focused on Hollywood or Centre Court at Wimbledon you’ll be close to them.
Nothing could be more appropriate and desirable than JFK's name on a nuclear test ban treaty document.
Signed memorabilia is usually worth more than unsigned memorabilia.
And autographs on memorabilia (that has its own collectible value) is often more valuable than a straight forward signed paper.
If it ticks the right boxes. And is handled in the right way.
Proof is vital
When it comes to valuing an autograph its provenance is one of the most important factors.
That will include any evidence of the autograph being signed - a photograph say.
And any further evidence of sales adds to the picture.
(Always keep documentation associated with your autographed memorabilia.)
You may be offered certificated autographs.
Or you may wish to use a certification service yourself.
We guarantee the authenticity of everything we sell with a certificate of authenticity that you can use should you ever sell it on.
It’s backed with a money-back guarantee.
Tiger Woods' autograph is rare, but on a golf club alongside his caddy's signature it becomes super rare.
You can also do a fair amount of online research yourself.
Fakes may be made by con artists in order to make cash.
Some are less cynically produced by staff in order to save the time of someone with a high-demand signature and to avoid disappointing countless fans.
When these are done by human hand they’re called “secretarial signatures”.
And some are done by handstamps.
Known secretarial signatures can usually be identified with research.
Most famously, several known faked variants of Beatles signatures are known.
Handstamps will look superficially exactly like the real signature.
To spot them you’ll need to examine the signature and the medium closely. A truly written signature has some variation in ink coverage and pressure.
Finally, some non-genuine autographs are created with autopens.
These can be very hard to spot - as they are designed to be.
Sometimes they appear too good to be true.
Or can be identified from reference copies - all autopen signatures should have exactly the same dimensions, something that is very rare in a real signature.
What did they sign?
Signed memorabilia is probably less easily faked than a straight forward autograph.
You can’t use a stamp or autopen on a tennis ball, for example.
The medium may add value to your signature.
If it’s particularly illustrative of the star’s life and work all the better.
An actor’s signed script.
A musician’s autographed guitar.
A cricketer’s signed bat.
Pele's name belongs on this boot.
And so on.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio on a baseball?
Absolutely perfect - hundreds of thousands of dollars of perfect. For comparison a double autograph of the couple with a photograph made around $10,000 in 2020.
The temptation for a forger, of course, is to take advantage of this added value and the possibility of a less-than-perfect signature on a difficult medium to cash in nefariously.
Provenance and your own good sense should guide you in making such purchases.
Buying from reputable dealers and sellers with high review scores is a must.
Going to the source
There is a final option beyond buying through traders if you want to get signed memorabilia.
Go and get your own autographs!
Stars, sports people, politicians, authors… they all sign, hell, they even hold specially advertised events to do it.
And you can write to many stars with your own requests.
If you’re a trader you may find yourself dealing with a few dirty looks.
I recall attending a book signing where an author and illustrator come close to refusing to sign items that were fairly clearly being signed to increase their value.
If a signing is arranged around the sale of a particular title you may find yourself restricted to that title.
I’d advise directing too obviously, but anything you can politely do to get your star to sign an interesting, relevant document in a clear, confident way that is nicely placed on the paper or item…, well, do your best.
A work document like this signed Neil Armstrong Apollo 11 log book has provenance and resonance.
If you’re looking for value though this is a long-term, legacy project. Autographs that can be relatively easily sourced aren’t rare enough to offer much real value - yet.
It can be great fun though. And, if you really are collecting your passion, you’ll relish meeting people you admire.
Of course, you should do what you can to prove that your signatures are genuine as you collect them - a picture is the absolute best proof.
Selling signed memorabilia
Selling autographs and signed memorabilia isn’t a science.
But there’s lots of information out there to help you.
Most of what we have told you about buying applies to selling.
Proof of authenticity is vital.
You should store your signed memorabilia carefully.
And present it in the best possible way as you sell it.
An auction site will take some of the stress out of setting a price.
But it’s very chaotic.
Survey the market as well as you can when you price items.
And take advantage of anniversaries, movie, book or music releases or any other publicity that puts your signer in the media spotlight and may increase the value of their autograph.
And, if in doubt, seek out expert advice.
Selling to a dealer will probably get you a lower price.
And selling through a dealer will cost you a commission.
But that might be a price you consider worth paying.
Signed memorabilia to buy and sell now
If you’re looking to sell signed memorabilia then by all means get in touch with us now.
And we’re never short of signed memorabilia for sale. I’m really proud of these items and I'm sure you'll love them.
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Thank you for reading.
