Icons, celebrities, and famous people are known for their contributions to society. They are widely recognized and idolized by their loyal fans. While these renowned individuals are just like us, many of us adore them and wish to meet them in person. Some people worship the ground they walk on and some of us even like to collect autographs. Autographs have been part of the culture for a long time. Some of these are just as iconic as the person who signed them. These days, autographs can be seen for sale online.

Why Do People Purchase Certified Autographs?
People love to keep memorabilia as it allows them to connect the past and present. Collecting autographs and other forms of collectibles may vary according to the collector’s interests, such as art autographs, sports autographs, author autographs, and celebrity autographs, to name a few. Through autographs, collectors feel that they’re closer and more connected to their favorite people.

On the other end, some collectors treat autographs as an investment as certain signatures may increase in value over time. Regardless of the reasons, owners and collectors need to recognize the value of autographs they have.

If you’re still unaware or uncertain of your autograph’s value, in this article you’ll find some ways to determine that. Also, we’ll discuss how you can potentially make money with authentic autographs.

Step 1: Research About Your Item
Selling autographs and collectibles is an entirely dynamic path due to changes in the market, item value, condition, seller availability, and many other factors. Therefore, doing your research online about the autograph will be the starting point in recognizing its value.

First, you can try typing the name of your item and see if any results show up. Make the name as general as possible to generate your desired results. You can try including the day and place of a certain event. If your item was signed during an event, then its value should range closer to similar signed items in another event, unless this memorabilia is associated with a career-defining moment.

Additionally, you can also look for autograph dealers with the same or closely related items to yours, and compare to see how much they’ve valued their items.

Step 2: Determine Factors That Affect Autograph Value
As mentioned previously, various factors influence the value of an item. But first, keep in mind that not every signed item can qualify as a valuable autograph. Some of the most valuable autographs that collectors pay for are sports, entertainment, political, and artist photographs, as well as signed sports cards, signed books and manuscripts, and astronaut autographed memorabilia.

Here’s an interesting fact: Currently, the most valuable autographs in the world are albums, photos, and letters signed by The Beatles, which can get an average value of $41,1000.

Here are the main factors that determine an autograph’s value:

• The person who signed the autograph: The people who are widely recognized in their respective fields will have a more valuable signed autograph. The people with the most valuable autographs today are Babe Ruth, James Dean, Bruce Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Princess Diana, John F. Kennedy, Neil Armstrong, and the people who are classified as top Hollywood actors, monarchical personalities, arts and sports icons, and history’s brightest luminaries.

• Availability of the person’s autograph: Think about supply versus demand—autographs that are rarer in the market have a higher value, which is prevalent in icons who have passed away.

• Autograph’s condition: Is the signature still legible or has it already faded? An autograph in its pristine condition will undeniably have a higher price than, say, a signed document with stains or ripped pages.

• Autograph medium and format: Also, the mediums used to write an icon’s signature have different values. For instance, autograph on an album has a higher value than an ordinary piece of paper despite having the same signature. If the autograph is from a document, the nature and format of the content will also affect its value. A signed album by a celebrity will be less valuable than a letter specifically addressed to someone that they know.

• Trends: You’ll never know how trends will rapidly shift. An autograph’s value varies according to world trends, so make sure to put up your item for sale or auction whenever it’s relevant. It’s also a big plus if your item is on the rarer side.

Step 3: Confirm The Authenticity Of The Autograph
While you may initially think that authenticating an autograph should only apply to memorabilia buyers, it’s also important to determine if your item is indeed authentic, especially if it has been passed down to you. Signature authentication is both a practice of art as well as science, and it requires great knowledge, experience, and the utmost attention to detail to see if it’s genuine or not.

One of the best ways to have your item verified is through recognized third-party authentication companies like the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). The autograph authentication process typically includes the following steps:

• Examination: The initial step involves autograph structure analysis, side-by-side comparisons, ink analysis, and object evaluation.

• Anti-counterfeiting: If the item is authentic, it’ll be marked with a certification sticker and invisible ink containing a unique DNA sequence.

• Certification: Your chosen authentication company will issue a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) or Letter of Authenticity (LOA). These documents can be provided as evidence if you’re going to sell it.

• Documentation: Your item can also be authenticated and added into their database, where new owners and collectors may search from, to confirm autograph authenticity.

Step 4: Check Using Free Estimates and Appraisals
Lastly, another easy method to determine your autograph’s value is through estimates and appraisals. This type of evaluation is ideal for collectors who have a limited time and ability to research the item themselves. However, if you’re going to use online estimates and appraisals, make sure to refer to as many websites as you can for the best possible accuracy. If you want a more detailed evaluation, you can request professional estimates and appraisals for a price.



Autographs As Investments: Are They Worth It?
Surprisingly, collecting autographs isn’t just to admire a notable person in history and take pride in owning something that they’ve signed. Many collectors take this path because autographs make excellent investments because of the following reasons:

• Easy to get started as there’s no exact minimum investment amount required.

• Resistant to market volatility compared to traditional investments like real estate and stocks.

• Have an increasing value with a 10% annual increase from 2000 to 2020, according to many autograph experts.

Takeaways
Autographs are more valuable than one can imagine, as they possess sentimental, historical, and monetary value. If you’re someone who sells or collects autographs for personal and financial reasons, it’s paramount to develop awareness about recognizing the value of your items, especially if you regularly engage in the field of collecting memorabilia.