In this modern world we would imagine that a fan who queues up to meet us would prefer a selfie or a picture rather than our autograph. A name jotted on a piece of paper does however still seems of extremely great interest to fans and followers and businesses specializing in autographs for sale are still very valuable and profitable businesses. I think it will always be this way. Whether this be attending Comicon and wanting autographs from all of the famous actors and as a souvenir of your day or a child attending a theatre production, the power of the autograph is still strong.
The autograph will bear your name and the name of the artist who you love all in the same space. Drawn and bound together on the white paper this could well become your prized possession. Couple this with those names appearing on your favorite novel or the music album that changed your life and you do begin to see the importance of the autograph. This is the proof that the person who sang, wrote or created this part of history has also touched it and had a small conversation with you. The proof of this is that their autograph now appears on the sleeve or the inside cover. If they happened to sneeze on it and leave their DNA there in the process, then it may even be more holy than with just the autograph!
The value of these autographs is priceless to you, of course, but they are also heirlooms. The major things that make them valuable are as follows
- It goes without saying that the value increases due to the importance of the signee. Presidents and dead influential stars, who had long lived and very successful careers are popular and thus can fetch a lot of money.
- What they are signed in is also important; they are often bought to pass down to others and to make money when you sell them on. Therefore, they must be robust enough to stand the test of time.
- The material that the signature is done on can also add to or detract from the value. Documents and letters are one of the most sought after as they also give away a little of the persons character and life as well as containing the signature.
- Other things that can add to value are the usual things that will affect how much something is worth, these include the condition of the signature and the material it is on, how many of them there are in circulation or for sale. For example, in these multimedia and promotion times some celebrities will do many signings thus reducing the demand and therefore the value of their signature.
There are concerns that forgeries have destroyed the market but all autographs from reputable companies will include authentication by an expert and this should therefore allay any fears that you may have in this respect.