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Performing Autograph Collection

THE 10 BEST PERFORMING AUTOGRAPH INVESTMENTS

We take a look at 10 of the best performing autograph investments

All values have been calculated using the PFC40 Autograph Index, which tracks the performance of fully-authenticated museum-grade signatures between 2000 and 2013.

Laurel and Hardy – up 18.1% pa

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Laurel and Hardy were the original double act, with their work still captivating audiences almost 100 years on.

The value of an autograph featuring both their signatures has risen steadily from £450 ($741) to around £3,500 ($5,766) over the past 13 years – an increase of 18.1% per annum (pa).

Fidel Castro – 18.4% pa

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Whichever side of the political spectrum you stand, there are few people living today who could claim to have impacted the world as forcefully as Fidel Castro.

This is reflected in the value of his autograph, which has risen from £325 ($535) in 2000 to £3,500 ($5,766) in 2013 – a rise of 18.4% pa.

James Dean – 18.7% pa

Image: Paul Fraser Collectibles

Dean has been canonised in pop culture as an icon of excess, charisma and mystique. His tragic death in 1955 at the age of 24 cemented his place in the Hollywood pantheon – making his signature among the most desirable (and certainly the most valuable) on this list.

In 2000, a high grade autograph would have set you back £1,600 ($2,636), a figure that has since increased to £15,000 ($24,715). This equates to a per annum increase of 18.7%.

Walt Disney – 19.3% pa

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Disney is one of the most famous names on the planet. From his inauspicious beginnings in a Chicago tenement, he went on to start one of the biggest corporations in history – becoming the literal embodiment of the American dream.

His signature has increase from £450 to £4,500 since 2000 – growth of 19.3% pa.

Michael Jackson – 19.3% pa

Known as one of the greatest entertainers to have ever lived, Jackson’s death in 2009 sent shockwaves round the world. His signature has achieved growth of 19.3% pa – up to £1,750 ($2,883) from £175 ($288) in 2000.

John Lennon – 19.3% pa

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Lennon remains one of the most iconic figures in the history of pop music – from his early years with the Beatles onwards he was an outspoken and forthright symbol of his generation.

His autograph has achieved growth of 19.3% pa from a figure of £695 ($1,146) in 2000 to £6,950 ($11,468) in 2013 – up 19.3% pa.

Sir Paul McCartney – 20.6% pa

One of two remaining Beatles, McCartney is a mainstay of British music, responsible for penning some of the most enduring songs of all time.

His autograph has increased in value by 20.6% per annum in the last 13 years, from £175 ($288) to £2,000 ($3,295).

Andy Warhol – 21.6% pa

Warhol’s instantly recognisable artworks are among the most popular of the twentieth century.

His impact on the world of art and popular culture is difficult to overstate – resulting in 21.6% pa growth in the value of his autograph over the past 13 years from £195 ($321) to £2,500 ($4,119).

Neil Armstrong – 22.8% pa

Of the 12 people to have walked on the Moon, only one can claim to have been first. Armstrong’s signature is one of the most desirable available and has shown impressive growth since 2000 – up 22.8% pa from £550 ($905) to £7,950 ($13,118).

George Harrison – 23.2% pa

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Harrison supersedes his fellow Beatles to take the top spot as the best performing autograph since 2000, with the value of a top graded autograph increasing from £195 ($321) to £2,950 ($4,867) – a rise of 23.2% pa.

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