Celebrity autographs as investments: Better to keep or sell?

Believe it or not, autographs of the famous can
sometimes be found at yard sales!

Back in 2000 -- with the trend of actors running for office gaining popularity -- Michael Woods must have figured being the sibling of a celebrity couldn't hurt in his quest to be elected mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island. As the younger brother of actor James Woods, his attempt ultimately turned out to be unsuccessful.

The brothers grew up in Warwick, and although James Woods set his sights on Hollywood, he gladly lent his name to his brother's campaign. There were televised ads featuring the actor's endorsement -- as might be expected -- but James also did some door-to-door campaigning with Michael!

Although I wasn't a resident of Warwick, I was living in Rhode Island at the time. I was fortunate enough to run into them... Surprisingly, at a neighborhood yard sale!

Oftentimes, I'd ask one of the kids to accompany me on my Saturday morning treasure hunts. At 12-years-old, this offered my son, Ryan, quality one-on-one time with Mom. Add to that, the good possibility that I might buy something for him -- there was always great incentive!

I love these neighborhood sales where you can simply park in one spot and browse around on foot, checking out what's for sale from yard-to-yard. We were doing just that when we turned a corner and noticed a crowd gathering ahead.

I thought maybe someone had something unusual for sale out on their lawn... maybe cute puppies? But we continued on. Then after checking out a few more sales, we noticed another group gathered further down the a way... At that point, I was too curious. I motioned to Ryan to follow me over there.

Working our way through the crowd, there stood James Woods and his brother, Michael, casually talking to voters and signing autographs. I went over and spoke with them briefly. Ryan and I were both given campaign stickers that James signed in front of us.

Even back then, I was an avid eBayer! And that's where mine ended up, listed within days. It brought a grand total of $35.

Ryan has held onto his. He is a collector. In fact, Ryan keeps many toys from his childhood saved in the original boxes!




Earlier this year, I came across an autographed photo of Billy Joel at a barn sale in Dayville. I found it on an old table among a pile of old magazines and papers.

When I held it up to ask the seller how much, I didn't think he was much aware what he had there. He asked me what it was and I told him, "A photo of Billy Joel."

"Okay", he said, "How does $1 sound?"

Sounded great to me!

I later looked it up on eBay, and I found a similar one -- same photo from his younger days (when he actually had hair) -- but with slightly different wording on the autograph. Mine says, "Cheers!" above his name.

Here's a link to the similar Billy Joel photo on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BILLY-JOEL-SIGNED-8-X-10-PHOTO-AUTOGRAPHED

That one sold for $49.99.

Can these be worthwhile investments?

My recent find got me to wondering about the value in collecting celebrity signatures.

One line of thought is that the worth of such mementos is certainly far greater for the person who was fortunate enough to have been given the autograph directly. After all, the item serves to trigger a memory, revisiting a moment in time.

For me, had I been a great fan of James Woods, I'd probably have held onto the campaign sticker. However, it was a chance meeting and not something I sought after.

On the other hand....

If you are interested in collecting autographs as an investment opportunity, I've researched a few tips:

• Learn how to spot fakes. If you haven't been fortunate enough to have been given an autograph firsthand, establishing authenticity can sometimes be difficult because celebrities have been known to change their signatures frequently.
  
  
• Use common sense. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Check the proper spelling of the name. Fakes are sometimes misspelled.
  
  
• Also, note the material on which the item is signed. Laser prints are recent. Obviously, an older signature isn't authentic if it's on newer photo paper.
  
  
• Some autographs are signed and sent out by celebrity assistants. These are worthless.
  
  
• Understand that not all autographs will appreciate in value. Certain signatures offer a higher market potential. Those from notorious celebrities, stars who died tragically at a young age, and celebrities with controversial backgrounds are more attractive as investments for collectors.

-------- FYI --------

Michael Woods died in 2006 of cardiac arrest.

To read more:
Michael Woods remembered for a smile, and a laugh

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