Beatles Memorabilia
is the bulk of the market with prices for signed material
rising A set of autographs in an average plain autograph book
are worth about £700, a signed Fab Four photo from the
early days around £800-£1,200, programmes and record
sleeves that are in very good condition and signed by all four
£1,500-£2,000.
Christie’s sold John Lennon’s
Mercedes Benz Limo in 1989 for £137,500 and in 1992 achieved
£24,200 for John Lennon’s black leather jacket.
In 1999 they sold a John Lennon pen & ink drawing from 1965
for £9,775.
When the Hard Rock Cafe first
entered the market, many of the top prices paid by the restaurant
chain were the result of HRC’s across the world bidding
AGAINST each other for item! Today, HRC has a central buyer
for all the group’s outlets so they no longer bid against
each other
Oasis collectables were very hot
a few years ago, but given that the band’s profile is
not as high as it was experts say it remains to be seen whether
or not this will become a classic Rock and Pop Collectable.
It’s generally thought that
the reason for the dramatic rise in pop memorabilia prices and
poster prices is because many new collectors want items that
remind them of their childhood, favourite group etc and would
prefer to pay top money for an item that means something to
them. As a result items like 18th century porcelain, religious
paintings and some other traditional areas of antiques are failing
to really achieve prices that reflect their real value –
simply because these items do not connect with today’s
buyers.
Provenance is essential –
all auction houses check out the proveance of items and if it
turns out that the piece is not as described you are entitled
to get your money back. Avoid dealers making ambitious claims
about items and their proveance unless they have some authentic
documentation to back it up
Experts’ wish list of items
to find are usually headed up with the Jimi Hendrix Flying V
Gibson Psychadelic Guitar painted by Hendrix himself. It’s
known to exist and there are photos of Hendrix with this, but
it has never turned up at auction and to date no one knows where
it is in the world. Most say this could reach £250,000-£500,000
if it ever did come onto the open market.
Even items belonging to members
of the groups that played with the famous are rising in value.
In April 2000 a collection of guitars was sold by Christie’s
in the States and included one played by Scotty Moore who was
with Elvis Presley’s band – it made £67,550
Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack
dress sold for £41,320 but has now been immortalised by
The Latest Thing, part of Collectible World Studios –
it’s resin version designed by Stacey Bayne costs £15
in most gift shops
Sex Pistols souvenirs
fetch high prices
Sex Pistols material is very desirable and selling well at auction.
Sex Pistols memorabilia fetched
unexpectedly high prices at Sotheby's auction, with singer Johnny
Rotten's "anarchy" shirt being sold for £3,995.
The punk rock group have now entered the big league for memorabilia
sales, alongside 60s greats like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.
A concert poster for the their
"Punk Special" gig at the 100 Club in Oxford Street,
London fetched £3,055, more than twice its pre-sale estimate.
Rotten's
£4000 shirt: Heavily customised
But the highest prices were set by Beatles items - including
a set of hotel registration forms for the band from Stockholm,
which fetched £9,987 against a pre-sale estimate of £5,000-£6,000.
The restaurant chain Hard Rock
Cafe purchased many of the top lots, including a three-page
letter from George Harrison to one-time Beatles bassist Stuart
Sutcliffe, dated 1960.
Unpublished photos
In the letter, which fetched £8,225,
Harrison urges Sutcliffe to return to Liverpool from Hamburg
as the band had secured a series of gigs.
Harrison writes: "Can't you or won't you come home sooner?
If we get a new bass player for the time being, it will be crumby
as he will have to learn everything and it's no good Paul playing
bass, we've decided."
The Hard Rock Cafe also bought
a set of unpublished photographs of the Beatles dating from
the mid-1960s for £5,875 - which it says it will display
in the chain's new hotels in the US.
The desirability of Beatles items
at auction is well-known, but the auction house expressed surprise
at the prices reached by the Sex Pistols collection.
Stephen Maycock of Sotheby's said:
"I had good feedback about the Sex Pistols-related pieces
but the results were much better than I expected."
One fan from Coventry successfully
bid for a copy of the withdrawn single God Save the Queen for
£2,820 - against a pre-sale estimate of £1,800.
He said that the purchase enabled him to complete his set of
all the Sex Pistols singles released in England.
Rock and pop memorabilia is one
of the newest, most exciting and accessibly priced collecting
areas - although it does have its high prices too. John Lennon's
Rolls Royce was sold for $2.3m in 1985!
The most sought-after pieces are
those closely linked with the stars
Almost any object in some way
connected with a well-known star can be collectable, so even
tickets, posters and other printed ephemera made for concerts
and tours are saleable. The most sought-after pieces are those
closely linked with the stars themselves. Collectors pay especially
high prices for the musical instruments with which a star is
associated; electric guitars can fetch several thousand pounds
if they were played at a memorable concert.
Clothes are another popular collecting
area. The most valuable garments are those recognisably linked
with the image of their owner. Perhaps they were photographed
wearing them, or used them at an important concert, or in a
video. Elton John's wacky shoes, Madonna's gold leather corset
and Michael Jackson's rhinestone-studded glove have all attracted
huge media attention and prices to match when they've come under
the hammer. But not all collectable clothes are prohibitively
expensive. Prices for a roadie's jacket, or a T-shirt sporting
the name and logo of a tour or album start at less than £100.
The 1950s and 1960s
Many collectors focus on the golden era of rock'n'roll. You'll
find memorabilia from this period is scarce compared with that
of the following decades
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly continues to enjoy a keen following so memorabilia
relating to his career attracts high prices. The signed souvenir
programme above marks his group's only tour to England and is
valued at £850.
Most wanted
Elvis Presley
Buddy Holly
Bill Haley
Bob Dylan
The Beatles
Even concert programmes and magazines,
which were produced in their thousands and once cost only a
few shillings, are keenly collected. The most desirable items
relate to the big names of the era who are still popular today.
Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison has always been collectable but his popularity
enjoyed an upsurge with the release of Oliver Stone's film about
The Doors in 1991. These working lyrics for The Celebration
of the Lizard give a glimpse of Morrison's creative process
and are worth £4,000 to £6,000.
The 1970s
Because of its nostalgic appeal, memorabilia of the 1970s is
keenly collected. However, items from the period don't tend
to reach such high prices as collectables relating to more recent
superstars.
The Who
A guitar owned by Pete Townshend of The Who. Paradoxically,
the fact that it's smashed adds to its value because it highlights
its original owner's rebel image, and it's worth £4,000
to £6,000.
The guitar is accompanied by a
letter by Townshend, detailing its history, which says: "I
broke it in 1973 in a rage of frustration in my studio."
Elton John
Elton John was one of the first stars to exploit the possibilities
of stage costume. Extraordinary glasses and flamboyant shoes
such as these became his trademark and are keenly collected.
These boots are worth between £300 and £600 a pair.
The Isle of Wight festival
Posters relating to important concerts are among the most affordable
pieces of rock and pop memorabilia.
The pop festivals held in the
Isle of Wight in 1969 and 1970 were key events and attracted
audiences of over a quarter of a million. This promotional poster,
from the 1970 concert, is worth £50 to £60.
What to look out for
Influential stars from the decade whose memorabilia is worth
watching out for include David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Bruce Springsteen
and The Sex Pistols.
The 1980s and 1990s
The most collectable things from the 1980s and 1990s are items
from pop superstars' flamboyant stage outfits. They can fetch
extravagant prices, too.
Costumes
The advent of the pop video was largely responsible for the
growing importance stars of the 1980s and 1990s attached to
their image. Concerts and tours became increasingly sophisticated,
and the star's visual impact became as significant as the music.
Costumes, often made by leading
designers, are an obvious way of establishing a star's persona.
Hence outfits of increasingly extravagant design have become
associated with many of the most famous celebrities of the 1980s
and 1990s.
Top five collectable stars
Michael Jackson. Almost anything is desirable. (Note - we do
not condone collecting Jackson for obvious reasons)
Madonna. She's changed her image for each tour so anything directly
connected with one of these many images will be very attractive.
Prince. His flamboyant clothes are always sought after.
Elton John. Shoes, glasses, hats - the more zany they are, the
higher the price.
Queen. Anything connected with Freddie Mercury is appealing
to collectors.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was often photographed wearing the rhinestone-studded
glove shown. As a result, it was perhaps the most instantly
recognisable piece of rock and pop clothing of this era. The
glove sold in 1991 for £16,500 - a record for any piece
of Michael Jackson costume.
Prince
All Prince's clothes are specially made for him and because
his flamboyant outfits are fundamental to his image, those that
come up for sale are very desirable. This suit made from turquoise
and blue silk was sold with a letter of authentication stating
where it was made and confirming that it was worn at the 1988
Grammy Awards by Prince. It's worth more than £5,000.
Presentation
discs
The most valuable awards are the gold and platinum discs presented
by the record company to the star. Gold discs are given for
over 500,000 albums, or a million singles sold; platinum discs
are given for over a million albums or two million singles sold.
A silver presentation disc for Madonna's You Can Dance is worth
£300 to £350.
Tips on autograph collecting.
Buy autographs that capture your interest. Don’t purchase
items presented as “investments” or sold through
pressure. Learn as much as possible the language of autograph
collecting. The more you study, the easier it will be for you
to determine what items are authentic and which items to purchase.
Use common sense when buying a signed piece. If the price is
too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase autographed items
from reputable dealers, who will help you avoid risks and problems.
Most dealers offer a certificate of authenticity, which is only
as good as the reputation of the dealer. If the dealer cannot
tell you when and where the item was signed or how it was obtained,
go elsewhere.
Autographs have been called “frozen moments in time.”
Autograph collectors are curators of history. The most personal
item that one person can give is his or her signature. Anything
that can be signed can be considered collectible…letters,
documents, photographs, books, memorabilia, etc. Few objects
give a collector the opportunity to own a unique or one-of-a-kind
item that is actually part of someone who is known by millions
of people. That is the main reason why autograph collecting
has become one of the fastest growing hobbies in recent years.
Collecting modern autographs
When writing a letter to a celebrity, it is advisable to write
no more than one page. Although celebrities may be thrilled
that you appreciate their work, or liked their acting in a certain
TV show or movie, they simply do not have enough time to read
multi-page letters from fans. Also, when writing to a celebrity,
try to include some specific references to their work that you
particularly enjoy. Be very specific in your descriptions. Mention
character names that they have played and movies in which they
have starred or appeared. This makes a much better impression
than just simply saying... "I enjoy all your movies. Send
me an autograph". Be courteous and respectful. My experience
has been that celebrities are truly impressed with kind treatment
from their fans and they usually reward it.
Determining the price
or value of your autographs
Several factors go into determining the price of an autographed
item. The content of the photo (is this person known for his/her
role shown in photo) and how difficult it is to obtain the autograph.
Condition and market are also factors considered in pricing.
Demand also has to be considered, especially if the celebrity
has become more popular and the demand has increased suddenly.
Examples recently include celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Hilary
Duff, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and Bruce Springsteen.
Each has either had a very successful film, tour or CD. Here
is a breakdown for determining value.
1) Who has signed the
autograph?
The key words here are "demand" and "scarcity."
If a particular person's autograph is in high demand and it
happens to be a scarce autograph, then you can expect it to
have good value. This is why an autograph of Marilyn Monroe
sells for over several thousands of dollars. She remains popular
and her signature is in great demand. Her autographs are scarce
when compared to those of entertainers George Burns, Jimmy Stewart
or Joan Crawford, all of whom were around many decades longer
to sign autographs for fans.
2) What item has been
signed?
A simple signature on an album page, menu, airline ticket or
piece of paper is normally worth less than a signed document,
signed photo, typed or handwritten letter. This is because it
is the most common type of autograph. All things being equal,
a handwritten signed letter demands a premium since not only
does it have a name signed at the end but may also reveal something
interesting, historical, or personal about the writer. Thus,
you're getting more than just a name signed on paper.
3) Is the signature in ink, pencil or otherwise?
Ink is worth more than pencil. Pencil can fade over time and
usually isn't as dark and bold as a nice ink signature. Many
collectors prefer and will pay more for ink signatures. But
don't take this to mean pencil signatures don't have value.
The great Apache Indian chief Geronimo signed pencil autographs
at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Today those pencil signatures
on small cards can sell for at least $5,000. Today, most collectors
prefer that photos and non-flat items be signed in sharpie or
paint pen.
4) What is the condition of the autograph?
Any damage to the autograph, photo or paper will lower value.
Smears, stains, creases, smudges, fading, tears, holes or other
damage will always drop the value of an autograph. To get top
dollar and maximum value autographs must be in excellent condition.
There are several other small variables that can come into play
when attempting to place a value on an autograph, but these
four important questions are regarded as the most basic factors
that determine an autograph's value.
Autographed photos on
eBay. What are these and is there any value?
These are facsimile reproductions of actual signed photos. With
today’s technology, sellers can easily copy an authentic
item with great detail and sell at a drastically reduced price.
Novice collectors or those on a limited budget are usually the
target of these sellers. Unfortunately, many buyers are unaware
that the item is a copy because of the vague description. We
recommend that collectors avoid these pre-printed photos and
be extremely careful when purchasing autographs online.
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Memoribillia at
Auction
Twenty-nine of Bill Travilla's "Long Lost Collection"
of high-style costumes sketches of dresses and gowns created
for Marilyn Monroe and other legendary stars went up for
auction Friday, December 10th, 2004, by Profiles In History,
for live and simultaneous Internet Hollywood memorabilia
auctions.
This collection of sketches
is highlighted by the single most famous dress in Hollywood
history -- the billowy, white crepe halter-top dress and
sunburst-pleated skirt he created for Monroe for her classic
subway wind scene in the 1955 Billy Wilder film "The
Seven Year Itch," which exposed Marilyn's legs and
thighs to the world. Ranked as the most important costume
design ever created for film, it was expected to sell
for between $80,000 and $100,000.
The Travilla Collection,
long thought to have been lost in a devastating fire in
Travilla's loft in downtown Los Angeles in 1990, was salvaged
by his friend and business partner Bill Sarris. Also included
were sketches for gowns created by him for Jane Russell,
Claudette Colbert, Greta Garbo, Gwen Verdon, Joanne Woodward,
Debbie Reynolds, Judy Garland, Lana Turner and others.
This unique collection was
the centerpiece among almost 500 movie and television
memorabilia items to be auctioned. Continuing to feed
movie fans' hungry appetite for all things Marilyn, Profiles
In History offered bidders the opportunity to own the
ONLY signed, nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe, autographed
to Mr. Travilla.
Highlights of other memorabilia
items auctioned include: Original John Alvin poster art
for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," estimated
to sell between $100,000 and $150,000; a complete vintage
costume of H.R. Pufnstuf, estimated to sell between $25,000
and $35,000; Don Knotts Deputy uniform shirt from "The
Andy Griffith Show," estimated to sell for between
$10,000 and $12,000; Johnny Carson's historic monologue
curtains from "The Tonight Show," estimated
to sell between $30,000 and $40,000; Mel Gibson's hero
broadsword used in "Braveheart," estimated to
sell between $10,000 and $12,000; and many more one-of-a-kind
collectables.
Memoribillia
Prices Realised
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