So now that you have successfully started your celebrity autograph collection, it's time to figure out just what your collection is worth – or not worth (don’t be fooled by forged signatures!).  In my final post in the Snagging Signatures blog series, I am going to give you a few pointers about learning the value of your collection, spotting a fake autograph, and protecting your collection.  

VALUING YOUR AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION

When valuing your autograph collection, it’s best to begin by considering what it is that makes an autograph valuable.  Here are some of the criteria that must taken into account when valuing an autograph:

*  The Item Autographed – The item that is actually signed brings more value to the autograph as a whole.  For example, if you have an autograph on a plain index card, it is going to be less valuable than a signed photograph of the celebrity.  If the photo is preserved by being matted and framed, it is worth even more.  Note:  photographs are one of the most valuable things to have signed by a celebrity (a photo of the actual celebrity that has signed it).

*  Condition – You must keep your autographs in good condition to ensure that they hold their value.  No one is going to want to purchase a crumpled up, coffee/food stained photo of Marilyn Monroe to add to their collection.  Later in this post, I will go into more detail about preserving and protecting your autograph collection.

*  Context – Autographs, as with any collectible, have more value if they have an interesting and relevant story to go along with them.  For example, if you have a winning game ball signed by Babe Ruth, it is going to be worth more than a standard baseball with his signature.

*  The Signature Itself – Ironically, signatures that are not personalized hold more value.  If you are keeping the signature and have no intentions of selling it, then a signature made out to you will be the most valuable kind – but ONLY to you.  You can sell a plain old signature for way more than you can a personalized autograph.  This is for obvious reasons – John is not going to want to purchase and display an autograph in his home that is made out to Bob.

*  Rarity – The less the amount of a celebrity's autograph in circulation, the higher the value of your celebrity's autograph.  Also, if you choose a theme for your collection such as NFL Hall of Famers or Grammy winners and only collect autographs that fit into that specific category, the value of your collection is greatly increased.

*  Market Value – You always have to figure in the fair market value of your autograph or autograph collection.  Try iTaggit’s ValueRange iT tool to get an accurate picture of what your autographs are worth in today’s market.

SPOTTING AN ARTIFICIAL AUTOGRAPH

The market for knock-offs is a big one and unfortunately, it can be pretty easy to do when it comes to autographs.  This especially rings true when you are shopping for autographs online.  Be wary of these online vendors that list their items as authentic.  Ask them if you have the option to send it back for a refund so that you have the opportunity to analyze the autograph in person.  

It is always good to have a skeptical eye when shopping for signature.  Here are a few things to look out for:


*  Facsimile and Scanned Autographs – I’m going to bet there is more than one autograph collector out there that has paid a pretty penny for a photograph of a signed photograph.  Oftentimes, celebrities will fax their signature out to accommodate their large numbers of fans.  Scanning an original signed photograph to sell is also a tool of the trade for many scammers. Clive Farahar, an Antiques Roadshow expert, suggests that you “run your thumb over the signature on the photograph.  If the writing feels flat against the surface, it could be a facsimile. You need to feel the texture of the ink on top of the photograph to know it has been added afterwards.”  This is also a good way to detect if the autograph has been printed on top of your photo.  It will be as smmoth as the paper if it has been printed from a printer.

*  Professionally Printed Fake Autographs – When a signature is professionally printed onto a photograph or as part of the photograph, it appears very smooth.  This is because when printed, the ink is applied to the item at the same time.  If the signature is authentic, the irregularities in the felt tip of the ink pen or sharpie will be evident.  Look closely for these tiny “tunnels” or irregularities in the ink of the signature.

*  Stamped Autographs –Scammers can use stamps to press signatures onto paper or photographs. When an autograph is stamped, pressing down on the stamp will cause more of the ink on the edges of the stamp to spread out and soak into the paper, creating a slightly darker outline. Look closely at the signature with a magnifying glass to detect if the ink is lighter in the middle than on the edges and appears to be a bit spread out.

*  Autopen Autographs – An autopen autograph machine mimics the celebrity’ signature with an actual pen.  While this may seem almost impossible to distinguish, it actually is not as difficult as you may think.  When we write or sign something, the pen is oftem moving before it comes in contact with whatever we are writing on.  An autopen machine places the pen on the paper, signs, and then lifts.  You can detect the small dot at the beginning and end of the signature where the pen comes in contact/lifts off of the paper if you look closely.


*  Freehand Forged Signatures – These are the most difficult to identify when it comes to spotting a fake.  Because a person’s handwriting varies over time, it is difficult to tell if a signature is forged, done by an assistant/secretary, or if it is authentic and the celebrity was just in a rush or has slightly and unconsciously altered his/her handwriting.  The only way to get around this one is to memorize what the authentic signature looks like by comparing many different signatures of that celebrity either online or from various different resources.


PROTECTING AND PRESERVING YOUR AUTOGRAPHS

Remember that condition is a major factor when it comes to the value of your collection!  Here are a few tips on how to preserve your autographs so that they hold their value:

* If your autograph is on paper or a photograph, frame it (using acid-free mounting and framing techniques) for display or keep it in protective sheets in an album, archival box, or filing cabinet. Store autographs only in Mylar polyester or cellulose acetate folders and put them in an archival acid-free box.  Make sure that the box is the proper size for the autograph.  The goal here is to keep your items from getting wrinkled.  If it is an item that you are preserving, such as a signed baseball or football, etc, keep it in a display case for display or protective box for storing.

*  Store autographs in a cool, dark place.  Heat and humidity will yellow paper and cause photographs to curl up at the edges and stick to anything touching it.  It could also discolor your photographs.  Keep you framed autographs out of the sunlight.  The light will fade the ink of the signature.  

*  Avoid keeping your autographs in a fireproof safe.  Although this may seem like a good idea, the humidity inside these types of safes are high to protect its contents from the flames.  This will severely alter your prized autographs.  Digitize you autographs online at iTaggit to protect your collection in the event of a fire.

*  Remove any metal items from your autographed papers such as paper clips.  They have the potential to rust.

*  Use archival paper mending tissue or find an expert to repair torn documents, paper, or photographs.  DO NOT use scotch tape.  It will decrease the value of your autograph dramatically and eventually destroy the paper.



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