Getting a football helmet signed: authentic or replica?

[tjlives]

I'm going to a (ridiculously overpriced) signing for one of my favorite football players and I want to get a full sized helmet signed. Don't have one and I want one as a display piece to stick on a table and gaze at while remembering the glory days.

Seeing as I don't collect football helmets except for the very occasional mini, I have no clue what to buy or where. There's apparently two different kinds of full size Riddell helmets floating around: replica and authentic. It looks like the price difference between the two is about $100, which could probably be better spent on a vintage card or something all things being equal.

Is there any significant difference in terms of how the replica helmet will display vs. the full sized helmet? Does the autograph on the authentic helmet hold up better, like a ROMLB vs. a lesser quality ball? If the replica looks just as good and won't fade, obviously I'd like to save the money. I'm not all that concerned about resale value.

Thanks everyone.