Are unreadable autographs discounted in the marketplace?
291fifth
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It seems that many of the autographs posted on this forum, especially sports stars of recent decades, are essentially unreadable scribbles. Think about a Babe Ruth autograph. They were always very clear and readable as were most autographs from that era. Do collectors discount, or even ignore completely, unreadable autographs?
All glory is fleeting.
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If it's the only option for a given player, there's no 'discount'. For some where they have a full (usually early) autograph and an abbreviated (usually after they've had to sign many thousands), there's usually a premium associated with the former.
A person's signature is what it is. Some peoples' signature is legible, some aren't.
Handwriting in general isn't what it used to be.
Very true. My point is that the signatures have now deteriorated to such an extent that reading them is next to impossible. To me, that greatly diminishes their appeal.
As an example, as I write this I am looking at an 8 x 10 photograph that was autographed by singer Marguerite Piazza in 1944. The signature, and dedication to my mother, who obtained it in person, is very clear and neat. There is no doubt about who the person in the photo is. There is no comparison to the quality if this signature to the modern sports star scribbles obtained at various signing events where they crank them out as fast as the fans can pay for them.
The other issue with modern scribbles is that in future years there will be a ton of unidentified autographs.
I bought a signed check from artist Maxfield Parrish based on the beautiful handwriting alone.