Autographs, why?
First and foremost, it is probably necessary to ask oneself what an autograph is worth.
Why accord so much importance and money to a signature?
Desire and passion. To grant oneself a piece of an actor, to treat oneself to proof that one follows things through, to be able to claim that one possesses the elusive, the unreal.
What is rare is expensive, we know this adage. And well, it is true. It is even the basis of Commerce and stock market capital exchanges.
Here, dream and reality intersect. And reality wins because yes, it is possible to treat oneself to a flicker of a dream, yes, I can bring Simone Signoret and Ben Affleck into my home. It creates a special relationship with this photo from the film The Cat or this Batman helmet that I will be able to set my eyes upon every day, at home. I have this scrap of happiness, I am a privileged person, I show it to you, and I can even prove to you that it is genuine.
So yes, it has a price because such and such an actress or singer that I appreciate so much grants only a few autographs. Meeting this person will be impossible for me, I know that, so I invite them into my home, I buy their presence.
And it is here that some people take advantage.
For centuries, copying has existed. Fake Picassos, fake Fabergé eggs, currency counterfeiting, making a replica of the Shroud of Turin, fake Laguiole knives... Everything that has success is subject to copying. It is therefore up to every potential buyer to be vigilant.
Last night I stumbled upon this photo for sale on a classifieds site. A photo from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" signed by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach.
The person wanted €650 for it.
Such a photo with such actors is worth much more than €650; that is the first point that didn't sit right. Certainly, €650 is a lot of money, but in the signature market, this one is worth much more.
Bringing together the three signatures requires incredible luck. Furthermore, it is likely that these signatures were not collected on the same day because the inks are different. The person who accumulated these signatures is necessarily an enthusiast who "chased" after each actor.
I then began an investigation.
Provenance?
"I bought it at an auction"
Certificate of authenticity?
"Yes, I have a certificate of authenticity from Heroes & Legends"
Similarities with known signatures:
Clint's signature could be the real deal, but some signs are negative
Assessment:
The seller wants 650, which most likely means they bought it for less. Yet such a photo, even 50 years after the release of this film, is worth more—in the range of 1400-1600 euros.
The buyer tells me they bought it on an online auction site from Heroes & Legends and that, I quote: "the signatures are necessarily real." However, one only needs to do a quick search on this company to read only negative things, and in particular about its founder, who is reportedly a notorious forger.
I did not buy this photo because my gut feeling was negative.
Know how to weigh your desire and your reason. If you think reason is stronger, then don't go for it and just tell yourself that you surely did the right thing.