I found this interesting. Since I am into collecting Supreme Court Justices’ autographs I occasionally come across autographs of people associated with landmark Supreme Court opinions during my searches. I remember seeing this letter signed by Henry Wade in the Roe v Wade decision.
It is kind of obscure and rare to find Henry Wade’s autograph and this was the first time I saw his signature when I did a recent search in completed eBay auctions after the Roe decision was overturned in June. It started at the low price of $3.99 and shockingly sold to the single bidder for that price (plus $4.80 shipping). Quite a deal.
Today I noticed this same letter sold for $75 Buy It Now by a new seller. It sold immediately after it was posted it appears. So I am guessing not only was the original $3.99 sale a bargain but the $75 sale was too. No idea of true value since I only ever seen one Henry Wade signed item.
On the other hand I have seen several Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) signed books and other items and they usually bring $200-$400 especially after Roe was overturned and interest has increased.
I paid $420 for my Franklin D. Roosevelt signed as Governor letter then I see this one on eBay (pretty sure it’s also authentic) sell for just under $200 tonight. Makes it seem like I could had saved over $200 had I bought this instead of the one I did a year ago.
@JBK said:
I would have been tempted to buy it, thereby reducing my average cost to around $300. Then I'd sell one of them if I wanted to.
I have a feeling if I had remembered to bid while it was ending the highest bidder probably had in a large bid so if I bid $400 I probably would had been outbid. Seems to always happen when I think I see a deal and bid.
There are different ways to approach perceived bargains as they are unfolding on ebay or elsewhere.
On the one hand, getting a bargain yourself is great, but on the other hand, seeing someone else get a bargain can actually hurt the value of similar items.
I met a recognized artist once and he gave me some great insight into the art world, and some of it can be applied to other fields as well.
An established artist will have a gallery that represents them, and all of their art is sold through that gallery. A good gallery will actively work to not only promote the artist but also support the prices of their artwork in the marketplace.
For example, if an artwork by one of the artists they represent shows up in an auction, the gallery will bid on it. They don't bid to win, but they bid to make sure the artwork doesn't sell for too low a price so as to protect the value of the art in their art gallery.
I've done similar things on ebay. There is a seller that often has a quantity of similar items (such as signed checks) from various historical figures, and they list one a week. Once I've won an example I still bid on future auctions to make sure the future auctions don't sell for a lot less than I paid. Some downward drift in prices is common, but I don't want the bottom to drop out of the market.
Occasionally I'll win one of these other auctions, but if I do it's at a good price since I don't over bid. But usually I just help keep the price at a decent level so that the value of the one(s) I own is protected.
I have no idea what FDR letters go for, but let's say for example that $300 was a very decent price. In that scenario I'd throw in a bid like $249.99, or $274.99.
The problem is that if they keep selling occasionally for under $200 then that decreases the value for everyone, including me, since I have one, too.
Interesting you mention how you bid on similar items on eBay to keep the price to stay in a certain range. I wonder if that’s why you can never find a decently priced Ruth Bader Ginsburg autograph. There might be people trying to protect the price. I even saw a FAKE one on an index card sell for $300 recently. The cheapest authentic one that sold recently was just under $400 but it was personalized and on a magazine page so not the best example. Other than that they are over $1000.
I looked at past auctions for FDR letters and under $200 is rare. The cheapest one outside of that was like $300 and then a various range above that depending on letter content and condition. I saw a fake (secretarial) signed FDR letter that was from his Governor days that was framed, faded and sadly partly bug eaten. I was glad it was secretarial. I think, if I recall correctly, that one failed to get the opening bid which was under $200 I think.
@JMS1223 said:
Interesting you mention how you bid on similar items on eBay to keep the price to stay in a certain range. I wonder if that’s why you can never find a decently priced Ruth Bader Ginsburg autograph. There might be people trying to protect the price.
It would not surprise me at all.
In my case, i bid pretty reasonably in the first place so my "protection" bids are pretty low.
But RBG, as an example, is offered at outrageous prices and I suspect some of those sellers bid in other auctions whether they win or not. They clearly have a vested interest in high prices, both to protect their investments and their profits.
There are lots of historical figures, presidents, etc. whose material is way overpriced on ebay, and most of the listings are from a couple of dealers in Las Vegas. They are trying to dominate the market and set the prices.
I don't know how long those tactics can survive. If the structure ever collapses (bankruptcy, owner closes the business, etc.) then prices will be in freefall and that will be a great buying opportunity.
Sometimes the big players don't own the market entirely. I can sometimes find items at 10% of what the market makers charge.
Sometimes the big players don't own the market entirely. I can sometimes find items at 10% of what the market makers charge.
Occasionally I find stuff like this too, but more often after the auction has ended when I am browsing past auctions. Always makes me mad I didn’t bid. The FDR letter was a situation where I was actually watching it but was busy with work so I completely forgot to throw in a bid.
Just found this while browsing ended auctions. Must had only been up for a few hours because I check eBay frequently and did not see this when it was live.
This was sold by a ttm collector who obtained it in the late 1990s. It sold for just $795. Started at $495 but I think a buyer messaged them and they agreed to end auction early and sell for $795. A bargain considering all others right now are $3000 or more on eBay.
@JMS1223 said:
Just found this while browsing ended auctions. Must had only been up for a few hours because I check eBay frequently and did not see this when it was live.
This was sold by a ttm collector who obtained it in the late 1990s. It sold for just $795. Started at $495 but I think a buyer messaged them and they agreed to end auction early and sell for $795. A bargain considering all others right now are $3000 or more on eBay.
The "deals" are out there, as this shows. It's just a matter of timing.
@JMS1223 said:
Just found this while browsing ended auctions. Must had only been up for a few hours because I check eBay frequently and did not see this when it was live.
This was sold by a ttm collector who obtained it in the late 1990s. It sold for just $795. Started at $495 but I think a buyer messaged them and they agreed to end auction early and sell for $795. A bargain considering all others right now are $3000 or more on eBay.
The "deals" are out there, as this shows. It's just a matter of timing.
And I should be thankful I did score a deal on the one Ruth Bader Ginsburg autograph I own. I caught it minutes after the Buy It Now was posted and managed to get this for a little over $500. It’s personalized so that made it a lot cheaper.
Still think it’s pretty nice since it has her picture on the reverse. After doing some digging, I learned it was obtained in person around 1999-2001 since the seller provided enough information for me to look up the inscribed individual who happened to know RBG. The seller had a few other items but I liked this one best of the three available. I am confident it’s authentic.
Found FOUR autopen William Rehnquist signed items for sale on eBay. Two active listings for Supreme Court 6x9 autopen photos with Buy It Nows over $100 each and one active listing of a Supreme Court 6x9 autopen photo asking nearly $700 Buy It Now. There was also an ended autopen Chambers Card that SOLD for over $100. People need to be aware that William Rehnquist used autopen. There are definitely many authentic ones but these autopen ones I think people miss due to people being unaware he used autopen at times. Same with Sandra Day O’Connor.
Thought this was interesting. There is someone selling various Supreme Court 6x9 signed photos. Not personalized. The prices make me scratch me head. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg one is $2000 (seems okay when considering what others are asking) but then they are also asking $1500 for Clarence Thomas, $1000 for Sandra Day O’Connor, $500 for William Rehnquist, $500 for John Paul Stevens and $350 for David Souter. Even if you just figured these are inflated prices, some don’t make sense like why is Thomas MORE than the others which are all harder and usually more valuable? Just crazy I thought.
Just learned that the PSA slabbed Ruth Bader Ginsburg signed Chambers Card already sold and went for $1300. Still too much for me. I really don’t want to spend more than $500 and prefer it raw without authentication. I may never get one for under $500 but then again I did see two different times where a buyer got one for $10 Buy It Now and another time someone got one for $100 Buy It Now. Just got to be on at the right time and grab it as soon as someone lists it.
This Sandra Day O’Connor signed Chambers Card only brought $11.50 (plus $5 shipping) last night. Yes it’s personalized and has an authentication sticker BUT it could but cut off leaving just the top part of the card with just her signature if so desired. I know it’s not ideal but it’s a cheap way to have her signature.
That sticker is unforgivable and totally unnecessary. It's inscribed, and also displays her preference for signing closer to the top/text of the chambers card. Authenticity was never in question.
Besides, it's on a chambers card. It has to be either authentic or autopen, and it clearly isn't autopen. It's not like any justices would ever send out a blank chambers card for someone to forge an autograph on.
🤔
(That's a private joke).
I'm not usually into trimming stuff but either trimmed or matted that could be a signature with text framed under a nice photo.
I'm not usually into trimming stuff but either trimmed or matted that could be a signature with text framed under a nice photo.
If there was a way to cleanly remove the stickers I would definitely opt for that and not trim it since the inscription doesn’t bother me that much; mostly the sticker.
@PipestonePete said:
Does heating those stickers with a hair dryer allow for clean removal?
Never bought a stickered item to find out. If I do find out that works then I can be more open to buying items with stickers. I know they are tamper proof so they come off in little pieces and not in one piece which means they likely leave residue/pieces after removal.
I see stuff like this quite often on eBay. For $70 you can buy this totally fake autograph on a stickered index card
This authenticator probably just authenticates everything sent to them. These fake are appalling. I have seen other items with this sticker and always a bad fake.
Sometimes format can mean a real lot to some people. This twice signed Barack Obama check sold for $4000 I know signed checks are very rare for Obama but being worth around ten times the amount of a plain signature is insane.
Bono, lead singer for U2, recently released a book titled "Surrender". There were a couple signed versions in the US and the UK.
For the past few weeks on another site they have been discussing the book and where to get it. People have been scrambling to try to get the limited quantities that various sellers had in stock. Lots of immediate sell outs and frustration.
I was not nearly interested enough to go through all that hassle. Then someone posted that some Barnes & Noble bookstores had copies that were not labeled as signed that were mixed in with the regular books.
So, on a whim I stopped into the only B&N in my area. Among the 16 books they had, I found two signed.
They were $34 each, and are selling on ebay for around $150 (those are actual sales).
So, on a whim I stopped into the only B&N in my area. Among the 16 books they had, I found two signed.
They were $34 each, and are selling on ebay for around $150 (those are actual sales).
Makes me want to go check out our B&N to see if we got any. Wonder if it’s too late or still possible those at our store haven’t been searched. That is an excellent deal!
I just got mine today. No one had picked over the pile yet.
Some advice...
Bono's signature is very simple and easy to try to forge. It seems that on the books he signed in person he signed on the title page.
BUT, on these at B&N and similar stores, they have a signed tipped-in blank page before the half title page. The non-signed books don't have this extra page. So, that helps with authenticity.
If you cut the signature out I'm afraid you could lose the confidence in authenticity, but they could be used to raise funds for other purchases.
@JBK said:
I just got mine today. No one had picked over the pile yet.
Some advice...
Bono's signature is very simple and easy to try to forge. It seems that on the books he signed in person he signed on the title page.
BUT, on these at B&N and similar stores, they have a signed tipped-in blank page before the half title page. The non-signed books don't have this extra page. So, that helps with authenticity.
If you cut the signature out I'm afraid you could lose the confidence in authenticity, but they could be used to raise funds for other purchases.
I was thinking if I find more than one I would sell the extra copy or copies. Of course they will stay as signed books instead of cut signatures due to nature of Bono’s simple signature. Definitely helps with confidence of authenticity.
I just learned another tidbit. The signed books have a special UPC sticker on the back. And, the description on the receipt sats "signed".
I lucked out as I sometimes swap out dust jackets if the one on the book I want is imperfect. Thus time there was no need, thankfully.
The special UPC code and receipt will further prove authenticity if/when I try to sell one. I made sure to pay for them separately so I would have two receipts, even before I knew it would make a difference.
@JBK said:
I just learned another tidbit. The signed books have a special UPC sticker on the back. And, the description on the receipt sats "signed".
I lucked out as I sometimes swap out dust jackets if the one on the book I want is imperfect. Thus time there was no need, thankfully.
The special UPC code and receipt will further prove authenticity if/when I try to sell one. I made sure to pay for them separately so I would have two receipts, even before I knew it would make a difference.
That’s good to know. I wonder if price is different at all since receipt says “signed” so perhaps it charges a little more?
I just went to my local B&N and checked and no luck. They had 20 books total (found in three different areas). None signed.
I might check another B&N tomorrow that’s a little further out.
Do other stores such as Walmart and Target get the signed books mixed in with their regular copies or just B&N?
No idea if other stores are getting them but might be worth a look.
From the other collectors' site it seems some B&Ns knew how many signed books they had gotten. If that's the case, some are apparently just seeding them in with the regular ones.
No luck at the other location either. They had all 17 of their copies in one area and none anywhere else. I am thinking the signed copies all got scooped up before I went and checked.
Saw this on eBay last night for $250 Buy It Now and I knew it was a steal but when I looked at the seller I noticed they had a 0 score so then I thought might be bad. Looked at their other items and they only had one other thing, a letter signed by Jack Nicolas. Not sure if that was also a deal since I am unaware of what his autograph should cost.
Anyway, I noticed this morning that this Supreme Court group signed photo had sold. I can look in a week or two and see if this seller receives a negative for item not received. A while back a 0 feedback seller told an RBG signed chambers card for much less than its value but it turned out the seller never sent item and buyer had to go through hassle of getting refund through eBay.
Here's one that I received today. I will scrutinize them more closely tomorrow and post pictures: seven letters signed by Jimmy Carter for a total of $90.
They are routine content to a financial contributor to the Carter Center, but they appear to be real.
@JBK said:
Here's one that I received today. I will scrutinize them more closely tomorrow and post pictures: seven letters signed by Jimmy Carter for a total of $90.
They are routine content to a financial contributor to the Carter Center, but they appear to be real.
That comes to just a little over $10 per letter. That’s definitely a steal, especially if all seven are authentic.
On a somewhat related note, my parents randomly got what appeared to be a handwritten note from Jimmy Carter over ten years ago (I think they got it from a donation they made) and I thought at first it was authentic but upon closer inspection I could tell the whole thing was printed. If I can find it I will take a picture.
Here are my seven Jimmy Carter letters (well, one letter and the closeups of the six additional signatures). They all have similar content with the one pictured being the longest.
It mentions the Ambassadors Circle, which is a certain level of donor to the Carter Center.
I looked closely at the signatures and they looked good to me, appearing to be in ink, with no "ghosting" or "transfer" like some of the printed text.
All this for $90 including shipping and tax. I really didn't need any more Jimmy Carter material, but, hey, it was $90 for seven.
I was originally going to sell a few off to try to get my investment back but I think I'll keep them for now. They are a good reference collection.
The paper is high quality Crane's, but the letterhead varies. They all look the same from a distance, but a couple have engraved printing and the rest have offset printing.
Also, these letters are from the period after Carter had stopped routinely responding with typed/printed letters. He does not trust computers because of the risk of hacking, so he started handwriting responses early in the 2000s or even before. I'm assuming these were typed out on the PC because they were routine content.
They also show the large, full signatures that are used when he is sitting at a desk, in contrast to his booksigning signatures which are abbreviated and usually more illegibly signed.
The latest date on these letters (all addressed to the same person) is 2019. I'm always on the lookout for recent letters to see if he is still sending letters out since he and Rosalynn largely retired from public life.
I was originally going to sell a few off to try to get my investment back but I think I'll keep them for now. They are a good reference collection.
The paper is high quality Crane's, but the letterhead varies. They all look the same from a distance, but a couple have engraved printing and the rest have offset printing.
Also, these letters are from the period after Carter had stopped routinely responding with typed/printed letters. He does not trust computers because of the risk of hacking, so he started handwriting responses early in the 2000s or even before. I'm assuming these were typed out on the PC because they were routine content.
They also show the large, full signatures that are used when he is sitting at a desk, in contrast to his booksigning signatures which are abbreviated and usually more illegibly signed.
The latest date on these letters (all addressed to the same person) is 2019. I'm always on the lookout for recent letters to see if he is still sending letters out since he and Rosalynn largely retired from public life.
Wow! 2019? That’s pretty awesome considering his age when he signed it. Shocked the signature doesn’t show much deterioration given his advanced age. But I know some 90+ year olds can still have good handwriting as that area hasn’t been impacted by their age.
Found two Steven Spielberg signed items (Happy Birthday to him) on past auctions on eBay…one that sold for a steal and one that sold for a very outrageous amount. Both I believe to be authentic.
This sold for just $50 plus $6 shipping and whatever the tax/fees are on top of that. Even came with original photos taken at event where it was signed in 1998. This seller sells old estates and happened to have sold off an in person autograph collection a few weeks ago. Other than that they sold various other items found in estates.
This one sold for $2500. Plus $20 shipping and whatever taxes on that $2500 were (quick math tells me at least $75). To make things more interesting, this was not even authenticated by a well known third party which often causes people to pay ridiculous prices. This was just an impulse buy I think and the seller who listed it as $2500 got really lucky someone went for it. Yes, it an unusual item but I still think it should be no more than $500 tops.
I was browsing eBay and found this Steven Spielberg signed ticket. I definitely believe it is authentic but it’s a less than ideal signature (would had been better signed in black ink for example). Anyway, it’s already got a bid for $400! A typical Spielberg signature is usually about $100-$200. So this is twice as much and it got some days to go. Will be interesting if it gets any more bids.
The tough decision is when you stumble upon a rare autograph that is priced very reasonably but you are not 100% confident about authenticity. It looks good to me, seller has perfect feedback and been around for years but why would you price a very expensive autograph for 25% of its value? It’s too high to be someone simply selling off an old collection but too low to be someone who knows what they have. The autograph is the only autograph they are selling of this genre and everything else they got is of another very specific field of autograph collecting. Tough decision. Do I risk throwing away a few hundred dollars or let go a potential steal?
@JMS1223 said:
I was browsing eBay and found this Steven Spielberg signed ticket. I definitely believe it is authentic but it’s a less than ideal signature (would had been better signed in black ink for example). Anyway, it’s already got a bid for $400! A typical Spielberg signature is usually about $100-$200. So this is twice as much and it got some days to go. Will be interesting if it gets any more bids.
Just a quick update on this one. It completely disappeared from eBay. It was not in ended items and is not longer showing on active listings either. Just completely vanished. It still had like two days to go (and two bids) when I noticed it missing from my watch list. Very strange.
@JMS1223 said:
The tough decision is when you stumble upon a rare autograph that is priced very reasonably but you are not 100% confident about authenticity. It looks good to me, seller has perfect feedback and been around for years but why would you price a very expensive autograph for 25% of its value? It’s too high to be someone simply selling off an old collection but too low to be someone who knows what they have. The autograph is the only autograph they are selling of this genre and everything else they got is of another very specific field of autograph collecting. Tough decision. Do I risk throwing away a few hundred dollars or let go a potential steal?
And an update on this one as well.
The item sold which doesn’t surprise me. I was too scared to take the plunge. It’s a Ruth Bader Ginsburg signed 3.5 x 6.5 signed photo. It looks authentic to me but I was scared something seemed too good to be true. Usually if it’s a “true steal” the seller would had started bidding at like $9.99 (because they didn’t know true value of item) and let it go from there. It seems very odd to start bidding at $99.99 and do Buy It Now for $249.99 when item is usually worth around $1000. The seller obviously knows it’s worth something so that’s why I got suspicious. It was also very strange that all the other items the seller sells are German military.
I was poking around ebay looking for FDCs I could use for requests and I found this event cover marking a 1973 visit to Washington by German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
The seller did not reference the squiggles above the text but I recognized it as Brandt's signature. The color of the signature did not match the printing on the cover so I presumed it to be authentic.
Brandt was a major figure in post-war Germany, serving as mayor of West Berlin and then Chancellor of West Germany. I've always wanted his autograph and this one was $5 plus $1 for shipping.
I was poking around ebay looking for FDCs I could use for requests and I found this event cover marking a 1973 visit to Washington by German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
The seller did not reference the squiggles above the text but I recognized it as Brandt's signature. The color of the signature did not match the printing on the cover so I presumed it to be authentic.
Brandt was a major figure in post-war Germany, serving as mayor of West Berlin and then Chancellor of West Germany. I've always wanted his autograph and this one was $5 plus $1 for shipping.
Wow! That is a GREAT deal! I would had assumed it was printed but you noticed the ink color was different so that was smart and you lucked out big time.
I saw this Sandra Day O’Connor signed bookplate on eBay several weeks ago for starting bid of $19.99. I believed it to be authentic and a great deal so I put it on my watch list. I fully expected it to get bid up and finish at like $50ish. Turns out it only got one bid for its starting bid. I failed to place a bid and should had just threw in a bid the day I saw it so I wouldn’t forget and then I could still bid more later if I wanted.
So today I saw this same bookplate on eBay, now slabbed by a third party being sold by the person who purchased it for $20. Guess how much they are asking? $200!
Comments
I found this interesting. Since I am into collecting Supreme Court Justices’ autographs I occasionally come across autographs of people associated with landmark Supreme Court opinions during my searches. I remember seeing this letter signed by Henry Wade in the Roe v Wade decision.
It is kind of obscure and rare to find Henry Wade’s autograph and this was the first time I saw his signature when I did a recent search in completed eBay auctions after the Roe decision was overturned in June. It started at the low price of $3.99 and shockingly sold to the single bidder for that price (plus $4.80 shipping). Quite a deal.
Today I noticed this same letter sold for $75 Buy It Now by a new seller. It sold immediately after it was posted it appears. So I am guessing not only was the original $3.99 sale a bargain but the $75 sale was too. No idea of true value since I only ever seen one Henry Wade signed item.
On the other hand I have seen several Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) signed books and other items and they usually bring $200-$400 especially after Roe was overturned and interest has increased.
I paid $420 for my Franklin D. Roosevelt signed as Governor letter then I see this one on eBay (pretty sure it’s also authentic) sell for just under $200 tonight. Makes it seem like I could had saved over $200 had I bought this instead of the one I did a year ago.
I would have been tempted to buy it, thereby reducing my average cost to around $300. Then I'd sell one of them if I wanted to.
I have a feeling if I had remembered to bid while it was ending the highest bidder probably had in a large bid so if I bid $400 I probably would had been outbid. Seems to always happen when I think I see a deal and bid.
There are different ways to approach perceived bargains as they are unfolding on ebay or elsewhere.
On the one hand, getting a bargain yourself is great, but on the other hand, seeing someone else get a bargain can actually hurt the value of similar items.
I met a recognized artist once and he gave me some great insight into the art world, and some of it can be applied to other fields as well.
An established artist will have a gallery that represents them, and all of their art is sold through that gallery. A good gallery will actively work to not only promote the artist but also support the prices of their artwork in the marketplace.
For example, if an artwork by one of the artists they represent shows up in an auction, the gallery will bid on it. They don't bid to win, but they bid to make sure the artwork doesn't sell for too low a price so as to protect the value of the art in their art gallery.
I've done similar things on ebay. There is a seller that often has a quantity of similar items (such as signed checks) from various historical figures, and they list one a week. Once I've won an example I still bid on future auctions to make sure the future auctions don't sell for a lot less than I paid. Some downward drift in prices is common, but I don't want the bottom to drop out of the market.
Occasionally I'll win one of these other auctions, but if I do it's at a good price since I don't over bid. But usually I just help keep the price at a decent level so that the value of the one(s) I own is protected.
I have no idea what FDR letters go for, but let's say for example that $300 was a very decent price. In that scenario I'd throw in a bid like $249.99, or $274.99.
The problem is that if they keep selling occasionally for under $200 then that decreases the value for everyone, including me, since I have one, too.
Interesting you mention how you bid on similar items on eBay to keep the price to stay in a certain range. I wonder if that’s why you can never find a decently priced Ruth Bader Ginsburg autograph. There might be people trying to protect the price. I even saw a FAKE one on an index card sell for $300 recently. The cheapest authentic one that sold recently was just under $400 but it was personalized and on a magazine page so not the best example. Other than that they are over $1000.
I looked at past auctions for FDR letters and under $200 is rare. The cheapest one outside of that was like $300 and then a various range above that depending on letter content and condition. I saw a fake (secretarial) signed FDR letter that was from his Governor days that was framed, faded and sadly partly bug eaten. I was glad it was secretarial. I think, if I recall correctly, that one failed to get the opening bid which was under $200 I think.
It would not surprise me at all.
In my case, i bid pretty reasonably in the first place so my "protection" bids are pretty low.
But RBG, as an example, is offered at outrageous prices and I suspect some of those sellers bid in other auctions whether they win or not. They clearly have a vested interest in high prices, both to protect their investments and their profits.
There are lots of historical figures, presidents, etc. whose material is way overpriced on ebay, and most of the listings are from a couple of dealers in Las Vegas. They are trying to dominate the market and set the prices.
I don't know how long those tactics can survive. If the structure ever collapses (bankruptcy, owner closes the business, etc.) then prices will be in freefall and that will be a great buying opportunity.
Sometimes the big players don't own the market entirely. I can sometimes find items at 10% of what the market makers charge.
Occasionally I find stuff like this too, but more often after the auction has ended when I am browsing past auctions. Always makes me mad I didn’t bid. The FDR letter was a situation where I was actually watching it but was busy with work so I completely forgot to throw in a bid.
Just found this while browsing ended auctions. Must had only been up for a few hours because I check eBay frequently and did not see this when it was live.
This was sold by a ttm collector who obtained it in the late 1990s. It sold for just $795. Started at $495 but I think a buyer messaged them and they agreed to end auction early and sell for $795. A bargain considering all others right now are $3000 or more on eBay.
^That's a big sting. I've lost out of things like that too.
What's worse, you might see it listed again by the new owner for the $3,000.
The "deals" are out there, as this shows. It's just a matter of timing.
And I should be thankful I did score a deal on the one Ruth Bader Ginsburg autograph I own. I caught it minutes after the Buy It Now was posted and managed to get this for a little over $500. It’s personalized so that made it a lot cheaper.
Still think it’s pretty nice since it has her picture on the reverse. After doing some digging, I learned it was obtained in person around 1999-2001 since the seller provided enough information for me to look up the inscribed individual who happened to know RBG. The seller had a few other items but I liked this one best of the three available. I am confident it’s authentic.
Just saw this obvious preprint not being disclosed as having a printed signature, currently bid up to $20 (plus $10 shipping) with five days to go.
I know some preprint President photos are worth a little but this one is super common. I believe Bush still even sends them out ttm for free.
Found FOUR autopen William Rehnquist signed items for sale on eBay. Two active listings for Supreme Court 6x9 autopen photos with Buy It Nows over $100 each and one active listing of a Supreme Court 6x9 autopen photo asking nearly $700 Buy It Now. There was also an ended autopen Chambers Card that SOLD for over $100.
People need to be aware that William Rehnquist used autopen. There are definitely many authentic ones but these autopen ones I think people miss due to people being unaware he used autopen at times. Same with Sandra Day O’Connor.
Thought this was interesting. There is someone selling various Supreme Court 6x9 signed photos. Not personalized. The prices make me scratch me head. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg one is $2000 (seems okay when considering what others are asking) but then they are also asking $1500 for Clarence Thomas, $1000 for Sandra Day O’Connor, $500 for William Rehnquist, $500 for John Paul Stevens and $350 for David Souter. Even if you just figured these are inflated prices, some don’t make sense like why is Thomas MORE than the others which are all harder and usually more valuable? Just crazy I thought.
Oh and I just realized the Rehnquist is AUTOPEN and it was certified by PSA
Just learned that the PSA slabbed Ruth Bader Ginsburg signed Chambers Card already sold and went for $1300. Still too much for me. I really don’t want to spend more than $500 and prefer it raw without authentication. I may never get one for under $500 but then again I did see two different times where a buyer got one for $10 Buy It Now and another time someone got one for $100 Buy It Now. Just got to be on at the right time and grab it as soon as someone lists it.
This Sandra Day O’Connor signed Chambers Card only brought $11.50 (plus $5 shipping) last night. Yes it’s personalized and has an authentication sticker BUT it could but cut off leaving just the top part of the card with just her signature if so desired. I know it’s not ideal but it’s a cheap way to have her signature.
$16.50 delivered?
A steal for sure.
That sticker is unforgivable and totally unnecessary. It's inscribed, and also displays her preference for signing closer to the top/text of the chambers card. Authenticity was never in question.
Besides, it's on a chambers card. It has to be either authentic or autopen, and it clearly isn't autopen. It's not like any justices would ever send out a blank chambers card for someone to forge an autograph on.
🤔
(That's a private joke).
I'm not usually into trimming stuff but either trimmed or matted that could be a signature with text framed under a nice photo.
If there was a way to cleanly remove the stickers I would definitely opt for that and not trim it since the inscription doesn’t bother me that much; mostly the sticker.
Does heating those stickers with a hair dryer allow for clean removal?
Never bought a stickered item to find out. If I do find out that works then I can be more open to buying items with stickers. I know they are tamper proof so they come off in little pieces and not in one piece which means they likely leave residue/pieces after removal.
I see stuff like this quite often on eBay. For $70 you can buy this totally fake autograph on a stickered index card
This authenticator probably just authenticates everything sent to them. These fake are appalling. I have seen other items with this sticker and always a bad fake.
Sad that people actually buy this junk.
Sometimes format can mean a real lot to some people. This twice signed Barack Obama check sold for $4000
I know signed checks are very rare for Obama but being worth around ten times the amount of a plain signature is insane.
Bono, lead singer for U2, recently released a book titled "Surrender". There were a couple signed versions in the US and the UK.
For the past few weeks on another site they have been discussing the book and where to get it. People have been scrambling to try to get the limited quantities that various sellers had in stock. Lots of immediate sell outs and frustration.
I was not nearly interested enough to go through all that hassle. Then someone posted that some Barnes & Noble bookstores had copies that were not labeled as signed that were mixed in with the regular books.
So, on a whim I stopped into the only B&N in my area. Among the 16 books they had, I found two signed.
They were $34 each, and are selling on ebay for around $150 (those are actual sales).
Makes me want to go check out our B&N to see if we got any. Wonder if it’s too late or still possible those at our store haven’t been searched. That is an excellent deal!
I just got mine today. No one had picked over the pile yet.
Some advice...
Bono's signature is very simple and easy to try to forge. It seems that on the books he signed in person he signed on the title page.
BUT, on these at B&N and similar stores, they have a signed tipped-in blank page before the half title page. The non-signed books don't have this extra page. So, that helps with authenticity.
If you cut the signature out I'm afraid you could lose the confidence in authenticity, but they could be used to raise funds for other purchases.
I was thinking if I find more than one I would sell the extra copy or copies. Of course they will stay as signed books instead of cut signatures due to nature of Bono’s simple signature. Definitely helps with confidence of authenticity.
I just learned another tidbit. The signed books have a special UPC sticker on the back. And, the description on the receipt sats "signed".
I lucked out as I sometimes swap out dust jackets if the one on the book I want is imperfect. Thus time there was no need, thankfully.
The special UPC code and receipt will further prove authenticity if/when I try to sell one. I made sure to pay for them separately so I would have two receipts, even before I knew it would make a difference.
That’s good to know. I wonder if price is different at all since receipt says “signed” so perhaps it charges a little more?
I just went to my local B&N and checked and no luck. They had 20 books total (found in three different areas). None signed.
I might check another B&N tomorrow that’s a little further out.
Do other stores such as Walmart and Target get the signed books mixed in with their regular copies or just B&N?
The books cost the same signed or unsigned.
No idea if other stores are getting them but might be worth a look.
From the other collectors' site it seems some B&Ns knew how many signed books they had gotten. If that's the case, some are apparently just seeding them in with the regular ones.
No luck at the other location either. They had all 17 of their copies in one area and none anywhere else. I am thinking the signed copies all got scooped up before I went and checked.
That stinks.
I guess some B&Ns kept them segregated and sold them separately. Those scenarios sold out quickly. At my location they had them mixed together.
You got lucky they mixed them together. I wonder if very few did that and you just got lucky your store was one that mixed them.
Saw this on eBay last night for $250 Buy It Now and I knew it was a steal but when I looked at the seller I noticed they had a 0 score so then I thought might be bad. Looked at their other items and they only had one other thing, a letter signed by Jack Nicolas. Not sure if that was also a deal since I am unaware of what his autograph should cost.
Anyway, I noticed this morning that this Supreme Court group signed photo had sold. I can look in a week or two and see if this seller receives a negative for item not received. A while back a 0 feedback seller told an RBG signed chambers card for much less than its value but it turned out the seller never sent item and buyer had to go through hassle of getting refund through eBay.
Here's one that I received today. I will scrutinize them more closely tomorrow and post pictures: seven letters signed by Jimmy Carter for a total of $90.
They are routine content to a financial contributor to the Carter Center, but they appear to be real.
That comes to just a little over $10 per letter. That’s definitely a steal, especially if all seven are authentic.
On a somewhat related note, my parents randomly got what appeared to be a handwritten note from Jimmy Carter over ten years ago (I think they got it from a donation they made) and I thought at first it was authentic but upon closer inspection I could tell the whole thing was printed. If I can find it I will take a picture.
Here are my seven Jimmy Carter letters (well, one letter and the closeups of the six additional signatures). They all have similar content with the one pictured being the longest.
It mentions the Ambassadors Circle, which is a certain level of donor to the Carter Center.
I looked closely at the signatures and they looked good to me, appearing to be in ink, with no "ghosting" or "transfer" like some of the printed text.
All this for $90 including shipping and tax. I really didn't need any more Jimmy Carter material, but, hey, it was $90 for seven.
Very nice. All look different so no autopen among those. Congrats!
Thanks.
I was originally going to sell a few off to try to get my investment back but I think I'll keep them for now. They are a good reference collection.
The paper is high quality Crane's, but the letterhead varies. They all look the same from a distance, but a couple have engraved printing and the rest have offset printing.
Also, these letters are from the period after Carter had stopped routinely responding with typed/printed letters. He does not trust computers because of the risk of hacking, so he started handwriting responses early in the 2000s or even before. I'm assuming these were typed out on the PC because they were routine content.
They also show the large, full signatures that are used when he is sitting at a desk, in contrast to his booksigning signatures which are abbreviated and usually more illegibly signed.
The latest date on these letters (all addressed to the same person) is 2019. I'm always on the lookout for recent letters to see if he is still sending letters out since he and Rosalynn largely retired from public life.
Wow! 2019? That’s pretty awesome considering his age when he signed it. Shocked the signature doesn’t show much deterioration given his advanced age. But I know some 90+ year olds can still have good handwriting as that area hasn’t been impacted by their age.
Found two Steven Spielberg signed items (Happy Birthday to him) on past auctions on eBay…one that sold for a steal and one that sold for a very outrageous amount. Both I believe to be authentic.
This sold for just $50 plus $6 shipping and whatever the tax/fees are on top of that. Even came with original photos taken at event where it was signed in 1998. This seller sells old estates and happened to have sold off an in person autograph collection a few weeks ago. Other than that they sold various other items found in estates.
This one sold for $2500.
Plus $20 shipping and whatever taxes on that $2500 were (quick math tells me at least $75). To make things more interesting, this was not even authenticated by a well known third party which often causes people to pay ridiculous prices. This was just an impulse buy I think and the seller who listed it as $2500 got really lucky someone went for it. Yes, it an unusual item but I still think it should be no more than $500 tops.
I was browsing eBay and found this Steven Spielberg signed ticket. I definitely believe it is authentic but it’s a less than ideal signature (would had been better signed in black ink for example). Anyway, it’s already got a bid for $400!
A typical Spielberg signature is usually about $100-$200. So this is twice as much and it got some days to go. Will be interesting if it gets any more bids.
The tough decision is when you stumble upon a rare autograph that is priced very reasonably but you are not 100% confident about authenticity. It looks good to me, seller has perfect feedback and been around for years but why would you price a very expensive autograph for 25% of its value? It’s too high to be someone simply selling off an old collection but too low to be someone who knows what they have. The autograph is the only autograph they are selling of this genre and everything else they got is of another very specific field of autograph collecting. Tough decision. Do I risk throwing away a few hundred dollars or let go a potential steal?
Just a quick update on this one. It completely disappeared from eBay. It was not in ended items and is not longer showing on active listings either. Just completely vanished. It still had like two days to go (and two bids) when I noticed it missing from my watch list. Very strange.
And an update on this one as well.
The item sold which doesn’t surprise me. I was too scared to take the plunge. It’s a Ruth Bader Ginsburg signed 3.5 x 6.5 signed photo. It looks authentic to me but I was scared something seemed too good to be true. Usually if it’s a “true steal” the seller would had started bidding at like $9.99 (because they didn’t know true value of item) and let it go from there. It seems very odd to start bidding at $99.99 and do Buy It Now for $249.99 when item is usually worth around $1000. The seller obviously knows it’s worth something so that’s why I got suspicious. It was also very strange that all the other items the seller sells are German military.
Here's a deal I got in the mail today.
I was poking around ebay looking for FDCs I could use for requests and I found this event cover marking a 1973 visit to Washington by German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
The seller did not reference the squiggles above the text but I recognized it as Brandt's signature. The color of the signature did not match the printing on the cover so I presumed it to be authentic.
Brandt was a major figure in post-war Germany, serving as mayor of West Berlin and then Chancellor of West Germany. I've always wanted his autograph and this one was $5 plus $1 for shipping.
Wow! That is a GREAT deal! I would had assumed it was printed but you noticed the ink color was different so that was smart and you lucked out big time.
I saw this Sandra Day O’Connor signed bookplate on eBay several weeks ago for starting bid of $19.99. I believed it to be authentic and a great deal so I put it on my watch list. I fully expected it to get bid up and finish at like $50ish. Turns out it only got one bid for its starting bid. I failed to place a bid and should had just threw in a bid the day I saw it so I wouldn’t forget and then I could still bid more later if I wanted.
So today I saw this same bookplate on eBay, now slabbed by a third party being sold by the person who purchased it for $20. Guess how much they are asking? $200!
That truly makes me sick to my stomach.