Autograph Collecting

The practice of collecting autographs is sometimes known as "philography," a word which literally means "love of writing." In modern usage the world "autograph" typically refers to a signature, but it may also be used to mean to any document handwritten by its author.

It is not clear when autograph collecting really began, but it seems to have a history dating back as far as the 1500s, when traveling students from Germany accumulated books full of letters as they roamed around Europe. These early autographs belonged to important or well-placed acquaintances and thus had value in terms of helping the student get ahead in the world.

However, over the next two centuries it became more and more common for Europeans to collect the letters of (usually deceased) famous political, literary, or religious personages as a hobby. Just as in today's autograph collecting world, people added to their collections both because of the historical and cultural significance of the autographs, and because possessing them was a mark of social status. In the nineteenth century, collectors began to seek out the autographs of famous people who were still living.

The twentieth century saw both an increase in the popularity of autograph collecting and a shift in emphasis in terms of what kinds autographs were the most popular. Collectors moved away from political and religious leaders and gravitated toward celebrities of all kinds: movie stars, singers, and perhaps most of all, famous athletes. The number of people collecting autographs became so large, and the inconvenience of signing so burdensome, that many particularly pursued celebrities began using autopens, automated signing devices, to satisfy the public's desire for their signatures. The practice is most common among United States presidents, members of Congress, and senators.

In the twenty-first century, the autograph market is worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Things to Look For

When purchasing an autograph or evaluating a collection, a few basic factors must be considered in order to determine the value of a signature or set of signatures. First and most important are three related factors: the identity of the signer, the rarity of the autograph, and the market demand for the autograph. If it is difficult to obtain an autograph from a certain individual, and the demand for it is high, the signature will naturally be of great value.

Other factors include the quality of the signature itself (whether it is clearly inscribed, whether it appears in ink or pencil, whether it is smudged) and the condition of the autograph (whether the object that has been signed is in pristine or damaged condition).

Finally, of course, it is vital to be sure that a signature is genuine and not a forgery, or one that has been created by an autopen. Fake or autopen signatures are widely available on the market and can easily fool the unsuspecting beginner; it is wise to purchase autographs only from reputable dealers.

Trends

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of so-called "niche autograph collectors," who focus on building collections of some very particular, very obscure type of autograph; the more obscure, the better.

For example, a niche autograph collector may try to obtain the signature of every single person who has appeared in a given film, even the extras. Or they may concentrate on collecting "celebrity doodles," in which a star's signature appears next to a small sketch they have made. This type of collector is not new, but the Internet has facilitated the formation of tiny, very focused communities, and has made it easier to track down elusive signatures.

The longevity of an autograph collection varies according to the personages whose signatures are included. Demand for some autographs (current movie stars and singers, for example) will ebb and flow, while others remain perennially popular (Abraham Lincoln's signed letters, for example, will always be in high demand).

Autograph Collecting for Fun vs. Profit

It is possible to turn autograph collection into a profitable venture, but doing so requires research, business sense, and, of course, a certain amount of initial investment. One way of entering the market without having to deal with buyers up front is to sell autographs to a dealer or agent. Another popular route is to offer individual autographs for sale through an online auction site such as eBay. One advantage to the latter option is that the seller can peruse current auctions to assess the prevailing market value of his or her autographs, and can set a minimum purchase price.

Learning More

Organizations

Autograph Collector Magazine <http://autographcollector.com/>

Professional Autograph Dealers Association <http://www.padaweb.org/>

The Manuscript Society <http://manuscript.org/>

Universal Autograph Collectors Club <http://www.uacc.org/>

Books

Hamilton, Charles. American Autographs: Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War Leaders, Presidents. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983.

Rendell, Kenneth. Forging History: The Detection of Fake Letters and Documents. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1994.

Taylor, John M. (ed.) The Autograph Collector's Checklist. Burbank: Manuscript Society, 1990.