Rinker on Collectibles

RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1450

Documenting Performance Autographs: An Absolute Necessity

During a recent visit to New York City to participate in the First Day of Issue for the United States Postal Service’s Batman stamp pane and attend my first Comic-Con, I had obtained a copy of the United States Postal Services Batman stamp promotional poster and had it signed by the six participants in the First Day of Issue ceremonies. Once my poster was signed, I stood in the autograph line again. While I told myself the second was for one of my grandsons, Grandpa (Opa) is keeping both for the time being.

In the back of my mind, I convinced myself I was collecting a unique (not one of my favorite words) performance collectible. Only individuals in attendance that day would have this treasure. Given the long-term collectability of the caped crusader, visions of dollars signs rather than sugar plums danced in my head. Although I know better, I could not control my thoughts. Dreams of a score and instant wealth are inherent in the antiques and collectibles trade.

At some point in their lifetime, almost everyone has the opportunity to obtain a celebrity autograph—after a concert or performance, a book signing, or chance encounter. Only the bold ask. Every celebrity will attest that there is no lack of bold people. My personal collection of celebrity autographs numbered in the hundreds. In each instance, I watched the celebrity sign the object or piece of paper. Whenever possible, I had the signer date the autograph and indicate the town in which it was signed. “Whenever possible” was less than 25 percent of the time.

This column focuses on an autograph type that I designate as a performance autograph. It is not a sub-collecting category used by autograph collectors. Yet, it is an autograph type I encounter continually at appraisal clinics, appraisals, questions on WHATCHA GOT?, my syndicated antiques and collectible call-in radio show, and letters and emails sent to this column. A performance autograph is an autograph on an object associated with a specific performance. Twenty years ago, the most common performance autograph form I encountered was a play cast signed “Playbill Magazine” or other theater programs. In the sports world, game programs and an occasional game ball or other piece of equipment are the most common.

A performance autograph must be obtained the day of the performance. A baseball signed by a Hall of Fame player at an autograph session at a baseball card show does not count. A historic object, be it a theater program or sports card, signed after the event is not a performance autograph. A signature obtained at the time of performance carries a special cachet among collectors.

Ideally, a performance autograph appears on an object associated with the performance – a poster, program, or piece of equipment. It is possible to obtain a clipped signature (just a signature on a piece of paper) at a performance or event. If the signer dates the object and the person obtaining the signature has the proper provenance, it counts as a performance signature. However, it does not carry the same weight as a signature on an object associated with the performance.

Given the large number of fake autographs in the secondary antiques and collectibles marketplace, an FBI investigation suggests the number of fakes exceeds 75 percent, establishing the provenance of performance autographs is essential. The burden rests with the person obtaining the autograph. Unfortunately, the monetary excitement and jubilation involved with securing a performance autograph, especially if the signer is a major celebrity, often results in the person failing to remember to obtain documentation to establish long-term provenance. More often than not, provenance is established through family tales, one of the most unreliable provenance sources in the antiques and collectibles field.

My favorite story involves two Babe Ruth signed baseballs that I encountered at appraisal clinics. When I asked the first owner to share the story of how he obtained the ball, he told me that an uncle who attended a New York Yankees game (he could not tell me the day, month, or year) was sitting in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium and caught a Babe Ruth homerun ball. When the game ended, the uncle took the ball to the Yankee clubhouse door, told his story, and asked the attendant if Babe would sign the ball. The attendant said yes, took the ball, and returned it with “Babe Ruth” signed in the sweet spot. The uncle saved nothing from the game – not his ticket, not his program, nor the newspaper account the next day. While I am not an expert at signature authentication, I have seen enough authentic Babe Ruth signatures to recognize a fake. This Babe Ruth signature was a fake. While I suspect the story was true, the unknown truth was that someone other than the Babe signed the ball.

When I asked the second owner to share his story, he told me that the Babe came to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to play golf with his father. The owner caddied for the Babe. When the game was over, the Babe reached into his golf bag, drew out a ball, and signed it for the owner. “A likely story,” I said, “How do I know you did not make it up?” “Would you like to see a picture of the Babe, my dad, and me on the eighteenth green?” he replied. He reached into a box and pulled out the picture. “Good signature,” I immediately replied.

When obtaining performance signatures, or any autograph for that matter, I encourage individuals to have the signer date the signature. The next step is to assemble documentation showing that the signer and the person obtaining the signature were at the same location on that date. The best approach is to take a picture of the person signing the object. This is not always possible, especially if there is an autograph line. Many autograph lines have a strict no photographs policy, whether at the behest of management or the signer, in order to keep the line moving. In some cases, the signer will specify that he/she will only sign his/her name.

Even when a photograph of the person signing is possible, the person obtaining the autograph should assemble as much supporting documentation as possible. The list of possibilities includes a ticket stub or pass for the performance, a poster or program, special performance merchandise that contains the date and location of the performance, any newspaper or other media coverage of the event indicating that the signer was part of the performance, and any publicity stills showing the signer at the performance.

It is important to create biographical information about the signer or signers and keep it with performance autographs. The person obtaining the autograph usually knows who the signer is, although I saw hundreds of individuals in the autograph lines at the New York ComicCon who were in line simply because someone was signing something as opposed to standing in line because a specific person was signing.

Future generations may not be able to decipher the autographs, especially given how sloppy most modern day signers are with their signatures. Indistinguishable is today’s de rigueur.

Returning to the signed USPS Batman stamp poster that I obtained as part of the First Day of Issue (FDOI) ceremony, I was able to secure a photograph of three of the six signers at the autograph table. In addition, I took several pictures of the USPS sales booth, saved my entrance ticket (dated) to ComicCon, and retained a copy of the FDOI invitation. I also printed out the press release indicating who participated in the FDOI ceremony and their titles. Although I still did not do it, I plan to create a guide to where each signed the poster. Looking at the scribbles called signatures, the necessity for this is clearly apparent.

The purpose of this column is twofold. First, it is to remind those who have performance autograph material to document the story involved with obtaining the signatures and creating provenance evidence before they die. Second, it is to remind those whose only provenance is family stories to be alert to any additional document that may be scattered among the family papers that will support the story.

Hearsay is no longer an acceptable form of provenance. “I stood there and watched the person sign it” is no longer taken at face value. For a performance autograph to be accepted as authentic, objectivity has to outweigh subjectivity. There never can be too much evidence.

Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out www.harryrinker.com.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live and is archived on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.

SELL, KEEP OR TOSS? HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group, $17.99), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via www.harryrinker.com.

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