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Autograph collecting has been popular almost as long as mankind has been able to write. It is one of the world’s oldest hobbies and one of the most respected. This exciting field can literally put you in touch with history. You have the opportunity to hold, touch and own something that was written and also held by a famous person. Time travel at it’s best! ARCHIVES OF HISTORY has been offering quality entertainment and historical autographs, documents, letters, photographs and memorabilia of famous people for nearly 30 years. We hope the following information will answer some of your questions about us as well as collecting autographs.
WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE ITEMS?Whenever possible, we try to deal directly with the person or their heirs. Many times autographed material has been passed down from generation to generation. Other acquisitions come from people who have worked with a famous person or from sources around the world including private collectors, estates and sometimes auctions.
ARE THE AUTOGRAPHS ORIGINAL & AUTHENTIC?YES, we guarantee that the autographs are original and authentic. We check ink, paper, water marks, and photo types. For example, certain types of paper or ink and ink pens were used during specific periods of time. We furnish provenance whenever possible and guarantee authenticity for the life of the autograph. Our philosophy has always been that if at the time we are obtaining an autograph, we have any questions or doubts about it’s authenticity, we won’t purchase it.
WHO AUTHENTICATES THE AUTOGRAPHS?Eileen & Phil Delaney. We have been in the autograph business for nearly 30 years. We are also collectors. We have an extensive reference library which includes reference books on inks, pens, paper, etc. We also have hundreds of examples of signatures on legal documents as well as in-person examples that we have owned and use for comparative analysis. We personally authenticate each piece. Through the years we have established a reputation of knowledge, integrity and honesty. Eileen has served as a proctor/authenticator for UACC shows in California and both have provided authentication services to galleries, dealers and collectors world-wide.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT AUTHENTICATING IS NOT JUST A QUICK COMPARISON WITH OTHER EXAMPLES OF A SIGNATURE. TO DO IT PROPERLY, IT TAKES TIME AND RESEARCH & IT MUST BE DONE WITH THE ACTUAL AUTOGRAPH IN FRONT OF YOU.
HOW IS PRICING DETERMINED?Rarity, content, condition and demand are all considered when establishing a price. The type of item that has been signed is also considered. For example, a signed document usually has a higher value than the signature of that same person written on a piece of paper or album page. The more writing a person does when they are signing something, the better. This is especially true for signed photos. An inscription along with the autograph is very helpful for authenticating and can often add value. Timing is another important factor. An example would be something that was signed while the President of a Country was in office. That would normally be more valuable that something that was signed at another time in that person's life. The amount of time involved in finding good quality, authentic material, as well as the cost to purchase the item also plays a role in establishing the price.We hope that this has helped answer some important questions about autograph collecting. We enjoy this business! We have thousands of autographs in many forms & we sell our items at a range that enables buyers to get quality items at fair prices. If you would like more information, please feel free to email us at: archivesofhistory@gmail.com |