Famous Autographs for Sale: Buying Tips for Newbies

If you’ve recently decided to start your own collection of autographs of famous people, including signed memorabilia, one of the toughest decisions you will have to make is whose autographs will you start your collection with. Especially now that there are hundreds, even thousands, of famous autographs for sale that you can find online and offline, the number of options could overwhelm you. So how and where do you start? To help you with decide, here are a few tips to consider:

1. Determine your reason for starting a collection

Any seasoned autograph collector will tell you that there are basically only two reasons why people collect autographs: for their personal collection (fulfillment) and for money (profit). Believe it or not, your reason for collecting will pretty much steer you in the right direction; that is, choosing whose autographs to buy from the selections of famous autographs for sale you’ll come across.

Decide why you’re starting your own collection and let it help you choose the right autographs to buy.

2. Stay off personalized autographs

As much as possible, steer clear of the personalized autographs included in collections of famous autographs for sale, or those with personalized notes. Most likely, the collector didn’t foresee a future where they will be selling their collections which is why they had their pieces personalized by the celebrity.

Whether you’re collecting for personal fulfillment or for profit, someone else’s personalized autograph won’t do much for your own collection.

3. Start with icons

If you’re still undecided about the exact pieces to look for, “icons” would be a good start. These are famous people who remain significant or relevant despite the passing of years. For instance, in sports, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are considered icons. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington on the other hand, are considered iconic presidents. As for the entertainment industry, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, and Marilyn Monroe are the icons that have remained significant up to this day.

Additionally, when buying autographs, always check for three things: authenticity, condition, and value. These three things should be non-negotiable; meaning, you always have to make sure that these factors are present in all the autographs you’re looking to buy otherwise, you might not get your money’s worth. As any seasoned collector will tell you, autograph collecting is an expensive hobby, so always make sure you get your money’s worth.

To get started, check out Piece of the Past’s current selection of famous autographs for sale here.