Why Buy Autographs?

Dear Reader,

Autograph collecting is a relatively new hobby compared to most other hobbies...

Fraser's autographs traded its first autograph in 1978 when we sold a signed Beatles album for £45. You'd be looking at around £35,000 to get your hands on that today.

It just shows you how much the market has taken off in the past 30 years.

There are still a lot of signatures you can buy that don't cost the earth. Many of them appear in our Fraser's Top 30 Index.

With our top 30 changing all the time, you can see just how popular autographs are and how the latest sought after celebrity is constantly changing.

The Fraser's Top 30 Selling Autographs March 2009

You can view this month's index below:

(Click on 'view' above to see the current stock for each personality)

Daniel Craig, Marilyn Monroe and Millvina Dean (Titanic survivor) make it into the top 10 this month.

New Entries

There is only 1 new entry into the top 30 this month. The new entry was:

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
(In at Number 27)

Laurel & Hardy dubbed the greatest comedy duo of all time with comedy antics that captivated early cinemagoers with their slapstick mishaps.

Their working relationship was one of a kind and no comedy duo has come close to bettering them.

In a partnership lasting 31 years, they appeared together in 106 short films and motion pictures, spanning the silent era until the 1950s.

A tribute to the pair has been unveiled in Stan Laurel's hometown of Ulverston, Cumbria. 

A bronze sculpture of the pair leaning against a lamppost sits in the town's County Square, where Stan brought Oliver in 1947 and the famous duo waved from the balcony of the Coronation Hall to a huge crowd of fans below.

They are still as famous now as they were then and even today, their films get laughs from all generations.

At this time, we are fortunate to have a good selection of Laurel and Hardy signed items in stock. 

An exceptional investment

Laurel and Hardy signatures also appear in our Fraser's 100 investment index...

In 1997, a signed photo of the comedy duo was selling for £400. Last year the average selling price was £3,500.

That is a 775% investment return in 11 years. Or to put it another way - it's like putting your money in a bank account in 1997 and getting 22% annual interest on it for 11 years.
 
I wonder what the price will be for 2009 when we update the Fraser's 100 index later in the year?

Might be worth buying now before the price goes up again...

Click here to view all Laurel & Hardy items available

My boss says he loves Laurel & Hardy. He has even gone on record as saying:

"I think Laurel & Hardy are timeless and would recommend a good quality signed photograph to my friends. Their on screen chemistry as a comedy duo will never be bettered. I still find them as funny today as I did 30 years ago."

They will always be the first comedy duo to hit the big screen (and in my boss's opinion they are still the best).

Sincerely,

Melanie Shute
PA to Mike Hall, Chief Executive
The Stanley Gibbons Group

PS. As autographs become more and more popular it is getting even more difficult to get your hands on your favourite celebrity's signature. Our stock is constantly changing and what is in stock today could be gone tomorrow.  Now is the time to get your hands on the autograph of your dreams.  Click on www.frasersautographs.com to check out our current stock or email me on mshute@stanleygibbons.co.uk and I will do everything I can to help you find what you are looking for.