A lot of people like to collect autographs. It is a great hobby that allows you to feel a little bit closer to your favorite celebrities. However, you may get to a point where you no longer want to keep your autographs, or perhaps you have a few doubles. If so, you need to know how to sell your autographs as well.
How to Sell Your Autographs
There are a few things that you have to do before you sell your autographs. Those include:
- To have the properly evaluated. An expert can make tell you exactly what your particular autograph is worth. They will consider who wrote the autograph, whether there are any historical connections with events or dates, and so on. The value will also be determined by the condition in which it is.
- To determine whether the autograph is authentic. It is quite common for autographs to be written on a plain piece of paper or a card, for instance, and it is incredibly difficult to prove those are legitimate. Hence, if you genuinely know it is the real deal, it might be better to simply keep it for yourself. However, if your autograph has other pieces of identifying information, such as a written sentence or other forms of personalization, then there are experts who can check its validity.
- Remember that the more famous the person is whose autograph you have, the better it is. Some people prefer limited edition autographs that have come from very famous but obscure personalities. The more famous someone is, and the more reclusive they are, the more your autograph is worth.
- Look into past auction records. This will give you an idea of how much a certain autograph can be worth. Do also check official websites where you can usually receive recommendations and price guides for free.
- Think carefully about selling through an auction house. They charge fees for the pleasure, which can be as high as 30%. Hence, you have to make sure that you don’t lose out on too much and that you can’t get more money through different means.
You Have Seller Responsibilities
It is very important that you also meet your own responsibilities as a seller. Unless you are an established collector, you will not yet have any good contacts, and you have to build up your reputation. This means that you should never deceive your buyers. Rather, you must make every effort to have your autographs officially legitimized and, if that isn’t possible, you need to be honest about that and accept that there will be a drop in potential value.
Selling autographs is a lot of fun, particularly if you do it through some sort of auction. This is because there is something exhilarating about seeing the price people are willing to pay go up. It is a kind of sport that people have enjoyed for many years and it is not hard to see why.