Stephen Beck's Autograph Page
If you can’t get the autograph you want directly from the celebrity, it is time to try the autograph dealer. The following is a list of my favorite dealers whom I recommend. Ask them for a catalog of current inventory.
Note: I have based my recommendations on my personal observations, and on first-hand experience in dealing with these companies. Other dealers may also be good, but I lack experience in trading with them. This is not a complete list of reputable dealers.
Highly Recommended
Adam Harwood Astronaut Autographs
1414 W Aries; Edmond OK 73034. (E-mail) Telephone (405) 799-1371. great
source of astronaut signatures; good prices. Although he is
somewhat "retired" from the trade, Harwood is the best
expert at astronaut autographs. Adam will also authenticate
space-related autographs for a fee of $30 for each
authentication. (I highly recommend this service--e-mail him for
information.)
Walter Burks
P.O. Box 23097; Stanley KS 66223. Telephone (913)
897-4674. good variety; good prices mostly
but some items are overmarked. Look carefully for well-priced
material. Burks is an expert at cartoon art and Harry Truman
autographs.
Walter R. Benjamin Autographs
255 Scribner Hollow Rd; Hunter NY 12442. One of
the most respected dealers in the United States. The ultimate in
authenticity, but prices are high. Deals mainly in high-end
historical autographs.
Golden State Autographs
P.O. Box 14776; Albuquerque NM 87191. (505)
293-7407. (E-mail). Superb source of celebrity-signed documents, including
contracts and checks. Catalogues are no longer issued, and all
sales are through eBay auctions.
Apollospace
Owned by Jeremy Theoret. A wonderful source of
space-related autographs and unsigned photos.
Lunar Legacies
P.O. Box 2082; Pace, FL 32571. Telephone:
334-679-8216 Good source of online
astronaut autographs. Owned by Donnis Willis.
Tom
and Cordelia Platt
6278 North. Federal Highway #446, Ft. Lauderdale,
Fl. 33308. (954)-783-2947. Good source of general autographs, though their
internet sales are too high-priced.
Also Recommended
Al Wittnebert Autographs
P.O. Box 821297; South Florida FL 33082-1297.(E-mail). well-illustrated catalog, good
selection, good prices. Wittnebert is the Tresurer of the UACC
and has written the UACC’s Study of Star Trek Signatures.
H.Drew Sanchez Autographs good mix of current entertainment autographs at reasonable prices. Good catalog online.
J.D. Bardwell Celebrity Autographs
P.O. Box 324; York, ME 03909 J.D.
Bardwell is a UACC director. Deals mainly in autographs of
current entertainment figures.
Spaceflori
Another good space-autograph dealer, from Germany.
La Scala
La Scala sells autographs related to opera and
theatre only.
Safka and Bareis
P.O. Box 886 Forest Hills, NY 11375. Phone / Fax:
718 263 2276. Another source of
opera/theatre/early motion picture autographs.
Raab Autographs
A good source of general autographs, though prices
may be too high. A great online catalog in PDF format.
When buying from a autograph dealer you should be sure that he guarantees the autograph’s authenticity for life. You should also buy only from dealers who are in good standing with the UACC and who have been in business for a respectable length of time. All of the dealers above fill these qualifications.
All dealers make mistakes sometimes. Even excellent dealers accidentally sell a few fakes. Be sure to examine your autographs carefully, and return them if there is a problem. Ask for a photocopy or a fax of the signature before you buy the autograph.
If you would like to purchase the autograph of a certain celebrity it pays to shop around. You will typically find a wide variation in prices for the same item.
The reputation of a dealer is of paramount importance. Recently there have been a number of new autograph dealers and others who have used the resources of the Internet to sell autographs. In my experience many transactions between private parties over the Internet involve non-authentic material, primarily due to the seller's inexperience at authenticating autographs. Many, (but not all) dealers who sell exclusively over the Internet sell questionable material at high prices. I do not recommend conducting autograph transactions over the Internet, and if one should choose to do so then proceed with extreme caution.
eBay
A special note about eBay: eBay is the most important online auction company, and a popular venue for buying and selling autographs. I do not recommend eBay to beginning autograph collectors. A large percentage of autographic material is non-authentic, and beginning collectors will not recognize these items as bogus. My personal philosophy is that I will bid only as much money as I am prepared to lose in a bad transaction.
Having said that, there are good dealers who sell through eBay. I maintain a list of recommended eBay sellers on my "Links" page.
Here are some common abbreviations you may find in dealers’ catalogs (with examples!):
12mo: Duodecimo (approx. 4x6 inches)
4to: Quarto (approx. 8x10 inches)
8vo: Octavo (approx. 5x7 inches)
ALS: Autographed letter signed
(letter is written entirely in the hand of the author)
AMQS: Autograph musical quotation
signed (handwritten musical notes signed)
ANS: Autograph note signed (a note
written entirely in the hand of the author)
AQS: Autograph quotation signed (quotation handwritten by the
celebrity, who also signed it)
C: Color
CS: Card signed
DS: Document signed (items such as a
contract or deed, signed by the celebrity)
FDC: First day cover
I: Inscribed (personalized, for
example "To John")
IP: In-person
ISP: Inscribed signed photo
LS: Letter signed (letter written by someone else, signed by the
celebrity)
MS: Manuscript signed
Recto: the front side
SP: Signed photograph
TLS: Typed letter signed (letter
is typed and signed by the celebrity)
verso: the reverse side
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997-1999 by Stephen Beck.
