Most expensive auto
 

What's the most expensive autograph? Just in general not on a specific item where they only signed a couple of. I'd guess Addie Joss, Frank Grant, & Joe Jackson are up there.

The ones that don't exist :)


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I recall a King Kelly signed dinner program selling for 215K a few years ago.

I THINK I've heard opinions that Shakespeare has the most expensive autograph. Supposedly there's about 10 or so??

Don't take my figures as gospel, I'm shooting from memory and sometimes that doesn't go so well as I age.

Mike

I like to refer to Mr. Stinson
 

and others in the field - the most expensive autograph one can ever buy is one that isn't real...........

Button Gwinnett.

Are you specifically asking about baseball players, or anyone in general? Because I would agree that a Shakespeare signature would be up there, if not at the very top.

Mainly sports specifically baseball & football. I believeShakespeare is most expensive in general.

Certainly the most expensive DOI signature, although I believe 1 or 2 were recently discovered.

I hadn't heard that. I wonder how much of a drop from his $1.1 million price tag that will bring?

William Henry Harrison signed AS President is no cheap feat.

Jesus?

Seriously, in Sports it would be Joss I am sure. The Kelly was expensive but it was also an absolutely beautiful signed albumem photo inside a program so part of the price was due to the medium it was signed on. My guess is that if a Joss signed document ever surfaced it would top $200,000. In the political world Gwinnett is tops but I think there are like 50-60 of his that exist, the demand is just so high. Shakespeare would probably top $10,000,000 but I don't think any are in public hands (all in museums or legal courthouses).

Regarding Billy, here's a little article from the New York Times, August 6, 1898:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psdc53f451.jpg

I wonder if any of those collectors thought to themselves, "Meh, Shakespeare is grand, but I believe I would enjoy some scribes from those base ball men I saw at the Polo Grounds yesterday. Now, when is that parsnip soup coming my way?"

Or, maybe something like that.

Graig

I believe, traditionally the most valuable autographs are William Shakespeare and Julius Cesar. Declaration of Independence signer Button Gwinnett might now be ranked as third. Though not a household name, his signature is ultra rare and completing the Declaration of Independence Signers set is one of the ultimate feats in autograph collecting.

I've told people that I have a first edition copy of the Bible signed by the author, but few laugh at that joke.

Wow Graig, amazing article. I had no idea the concept of autograph collecting, much less auctioning them at Sotheby's, was around way back in 1898!

I heard Bob Feller

I think there were people in the 1700's collecting historical autographs and seeking Shakespeare signatures. By the late 1800's there were books being published on the hobby, but it only extended to classical literature and the arts and government. Nobody collected Sports signatures but everyone collected theatre celebrities and Politicians.

Collecting Baseball or Sports signatures in general are a 20th century invention. It would be like kids today seeking autographs of their local Police Officers or something like that.