Autographed values are one of the hardest things to determine when collecting authentic signatures. There are many different things that need to be quantified when trying to determine how much an autograph is worth. Some of these things include the quality of the signature, the authenticity, what item was signed, and how scarce is the autograph. All of these things directly affect the value of an autograph or signature. There are many different ways to determine each of these characteristics in get a good idea of what a certain autograph is worth. The value of autographs can dramatically change from year to year. This is because some athletes sign more autographs later in their life to raise money after their professional careers are over. Players like Willie Mays and Pete Rose have attended many card shows over the past few years selling their autographs for profit. This is a great way for players of the past to obtain the money that they did not receive when they were playing. Many of these Hall of Fame athletes were paid minimal amounts of money compared to today's superstars. These signings have a dramatic affect on the value that is given.

Determining Autographs Value Online

One of the best ways to help you determine what a certain autograph is worth is by going to popular online auction sites. If you take your time and do some proper research you can find out what an autograph is clearly worth. The problem is you will first have to determine if the autograph is real. If you do not have a problem determining the authenticity of an autograph then this may be the best way to get a quick answer to the value of a signature. Websites like eBay have become very popular for autograph sellers. You can look at past auctions to find out what a certain autographed item has sold for in the past. This gives an accurate value if you can find more than one item that has sold by a certain player or person over a period of time. In many cases you can a few items that have been sold and cost average what the item is worth. Make sure that you compare the same type of items and not different ones. On autographed baseball is worth much less than an autographed bat. This is not because of the signature itself but because of the value of the item that has been signed. Try to compare like items so you can get a well-informed answer. Looking at the latest items that have been sold online can give you a very accurate value of any autographed item. On autographed is truly worth only what someone is willing to pay for it.

Beware of Counterfeit Autographs

The FBI has recently done a study showing that more than 80% of the current autographs being sold at collectible auctions or memorabilia stores are counterfeit. This amazing statistic shows that you need to be more than careful when purchasing any type of autograph. Purchasing a fake autograph makes the item that you have purchased absolutely worthless. Make sure that you know how to tell the difference between a real autograph any counterfeit. If you are not qualified to tell the difference you may want to seek a third party's opinion. Third-party autograph authentication companies offer services to help you determine if an autograph is real or a counterfeit. These companies charge nominal fees that can be very helpful when trying to determine the authenticity of any signature. Make sure that before you purchase any signed item you have a good idea if it is real or fake.

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