At Chaucer Auctions, demand for quality autographs and signed memorabilia continues to grow, despite lockdown and COVID-19. The Folkenstone auction house has found prices increasing well above inflation, with new collectors on the rise as they grow to appreciate the historical association and value of investing in signed collectables.
Thirty years ago, autograph collecting was often seen as a hobby for anoraks, with collectors swapping and bartering with one another at stage doors and collectors’ fairs. But the market has changed enormously and is today dominated by online auctions and advanced websites and technology, though one thing remains. Autographs still increase in value far above the rate of inflation – and better than anything you might achieve at a building society.
A Neil Armstrong signature might have cost £25 three decades ago, but today that same signature would cost £1,000 or more. Bobby Moore was then alive and signing through the post – if you sent him a photo, he would sign it for free. Today that same signed photo could cost you £300 or more.
Today, thanks to extremely low interest rates and the effects of COVID-19, demand for high quality items and memorabilia has increased even further, with many looking for a better way to diversify their investments and obtain a better return on their savings.
Many of the world's smartest investors ensure that some of their portfolio is in autographs and signed memorabilia. They buy wisely from private collectors and auctions, knowing that if you want to make sure your investment makes maximum profit, you need to buy at the very best price.
Auctions have always proved popular, though in the past you had to attend in person, today they are almost exclusively held online. Chaucer Auctions has been in the autograph business for over twenty years and is today the largest and best known autograph auction house in the UK. Although the house has run hundreds of autograph auctions in the past, it will see its first ‘Select’ auction come to fruition on the 25 November.
This ‘Select’ auction has been curated by well-known autograph expert Garry King and will have around 150 lots varying in content, from film and TV stars to the aforementioned Neil Armstrong and Bobby Moore. One of the star lots is a short letter from Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll. The letter, entirely in Carroll’s hand, is signed with his real name C L Dodgson and dated November 30th 1892.
The sale also features a rare complete collection of Hans Rossbach WW2 Luftwaffe fighter aces covers and an Apollo XI cover signed by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Other notable names within the auction include Winston Churchill, John Glenn and a number of other astronauts, including, Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan, Alan Bean and John Young.
You’ll also find signatures and memorabilia from Erwin Rommel, Laurel and Hardy, plus a signed Live Aid Programme (including Paul McCartney’s signature), a Jackson 5 album signed by all of the group including Michael Jackson, a book signed by Donald Trump, plus a whole stack of F1 and Motorcycle world champions including Barry Sheen, Graham Hill, Button, Lauda and Prost.
Garry King has thoroughly checked all items in the sale for authenticity, and every lot also comes with a lifetime guarantee. And remember, the price you pay will almost certainly be less than you might pay from a dealer – after all, where do you think most of the dealers get their stock from?
