Carole Lombard, one of the greatest stars before World War II, died tragically in an airplane crash. She was also part of the star system. So, you’ll see 5x7 head shots of her usually signed “Cordially, Carole Lombard” that are almost always secretarial. They were pumped out by the studios to keep fans watching her films.
On 8x10s and 11x14s, the photos she most likely signed, there are lengthy inscriptions. They’re gorgeous photographs and mostly on double-weight stock. There may be 100 to 200, 8x10 inscribed photographs of Lombard in existence and they generally sell in the $1,500 range.
The 11x14 photographs of Lombard are much rarer—there are maybe 20 or 30 of them in the world. The real long-term values for a collector are these oversize, signed photographs because they are the rarest. They usually bear personal inscriptions and they are the highest form of collecting Hollywood signed photographs. The price for an 11x14 can run from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on a number of factors, including pose, condition, what the inscription says and who it is inscribed to.
You must be extremely cautious when buying vintage Hollywood autographs. Boris Karloff-signed photographs of himself as Frankenstein’s Monster are exceedingly rare. There can’t be but a handful in the world. I’ve seen fewer than five. The ones that I’ve seen were always double-weight studio photographs. I had one once that Boris Karloff inscribed to Jack Pierce, the Frankenstein makeup artist. Bear in mind that these stars didn’t sign these character images for fans at the time, because it took years before these roles reached iconic stature in film history.
Authenticity Tip No. 2: InscriptionsAs you start to collect vintage Hollywood autographs, there’s a great deal of information you need to gather. Let’s say you’re looking at a photograph inscribed and signed by James Dean. Who was it inscribed to? Did this person really exist? Did this person know James Dean? When was it signed? Dean had a tragically short life—is it realistic that he personally inscribed this photo? What type of photograph is it? Is it some flimsy, single-stock photograph, or a high quality studio photograph, something Dean would have had access to? The secret to collecting the vintage, classic Hollywood autographs of Bogart, Gable, Errol Flynn and the other great stars is to ask and answer these questions.
Marilyn Monroe took tremendous pride in presenting her intimate circle of friends with signed photographs, but she didn’t sign them for the fans. To get one, you were somebody that was in her circle—her hairdresser, a close friend, a fellow celebrity. And, again, double-weight, high quality, beautiful studio photographs.
Not a day goes by that somebody doesn’t tell me, “I have a Marilyn Monroe photograph signed in red ink. She loved red ink because it was the color of her lipstick.” That’s simply not true. There’s no such thing as a Marilyn Monroe photograph genuinely signed in red ink. That’s folklore.
No matter which celebrity or era of vintage Hollywood that you are interested in collecting, always remember that the vast majority of celebrity photographs signed in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s that are not personalized (a photograph with a signature only, a photograph signed “Cordially, Clarke Gable” or “Best wishes, Jean Harlow”) are secretarials—nine times out of 10. That’s just the way it worked back then. It’s the opposite for the inscribed 11x14s. Nine times out of 10, those are real—not secretarial. The 5x7s are almost always secretarial. The 8x10s are a mixed lot; I would say at least 30 percent are secretarial.
While most outright forgeries are just signed or generically inscribed, the forgers are always learning and sometimes write personalized inscriptions, so always be careful who you buy from.
Always look for the very best quality. It’s generally a better investment to buy one great piece than five or 10 average ones. Try to find signed photographs that are beautiful, that are studio produced, that are double-weight, that are really exceptional photographs, and start with that as your criteria. And, believe it or not, it’s better to have an inscription. There’s more handwriting to authenticate, the better the story—and you have a better shot of getting something genuine.
Authenticity Tip No. 3: PricesBeware of prices that seem too good to be true. An authentic Marilyn Monroe signed photograph is going to cost you $15,000 to $25,000. There’s no such thing as a $2,000 or $3,000 one. What you see on the market now are just gobs and gobs of single-weight, very poor quality scene stills, and later printed photographs that are secretarial or forgeries.
While a price in the appropriate value range is no guarantee of authenticity, a price that’s too low is a sure sign of forgery.
This article is mainly about signed photos, but I’ll cover a couple of other popular items, too.
A simple autograph album page that Marilyn Monroe would have had thrust into her hand when she was walking down the street or entering a restaurant will bring a few thousand dollars today. A signed check is worth $2,000 or $3,000. At one time, I knew of more than 1,000 of them, so they’re definitely out there.
To assess the value of an item, ask yourself: “What is the object I’m interested in buying?” Is it signed on an album page? Is the album page in nice condition? Is it signed in pencil or pen? Does it have something affixed to it that makes it less attractive? Visual appeal influences the price. Is the photograph creased? Is it solarized? Is it stained? Is the ink faded? Is it signed in an attractive place on the image? Is it signed in a dark area which makes it hard to see? Does the inscription obscure the person's face? All of these distinctions factor into determining what an autograph is worth.
Another key factor is when the item was signed. The price is higher if stars signed the item during their heyday. Photographs from the 1930s signed in the 1930s are worth one price. The same photographs signed years later, say the 1960s or ,70s, are worth a fraction of that price.
Pricing is completely subjective. I may say something’s worth $10,000, and somebody else might say $5,000, while somebody else may say $15,000. How do you take those wide swings in value and try to stipulate some type of standardization? Really and truly, it’s aesthetics. It’s what the item is signed on. It’s when the item was signed. It’s to whom it was signed.
For instance, I have this amazing William Randolph Hearst inscribed photograph. It’s oversized and inscribed to none other than Marion Davies, his mistress, on Valentine’s Day, where he writes, “To Marion, your Valentine’s present. Love, W.R.H.” And, then, he writes a poem, a love poem, on this photograph. I value this photograph at $25,000 because it’s the ultimate William Randolph Hearst piece you could ever possibly get. Yet a regular Hearst inscribed photo would only be valued at $1,000 or so.
The Smart CollectorLook for inscriptions. Look for quality photographs. Research the inscription. Don’t jump at the “to good to be true.” All these pointers will guide the collector of vintage Hollywood toward authenticity. And the single most important thing is to buy from well respected dealers or auction houses that offer a lifetime money back guarantee of authenticity. Happy collecting!
On 8x10s and 11x14s, the photos she most likely signed, there are lengthy inscriptions. They’re gorgeous photographs and mostly on double-weight stock. There may be 100 to 200, 8x10 inscribed photographs of Lombard in existence and they generally sell in the $1,500 range.
The 11x14 photographs of Lombard are much rarer—there are maybe 20 or 30 of them in the world. The real long-term values for a collector are these oversize, signed photographs because they are the rarest. They usually bear personal inscriptions and they are the highest form of collecting Hollywood signed photographs. The price for an 11x14 can run from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on a number of factors, including pose, condition, what the inscription says and who it is inscribed to.
You must be extremely cautious when buying vintage Hollywood autographs. Boris Karloff-signed photographs of himself as Frankenstein’s Monster are exceedingly rare. There can’t be but a handful in the world. I’ve seen fewer than five. The ones that I’ve seen were always double-weight studio photographs. I had one once that Boris Karloff inscribed to Jack Pierce, the Frankenstein makeup artist. Bear in mind that these stars didn’t sign these character images for fans at the time, because it took years before these roles reached iconic stature in film history.
Authenticity Tip No. 2: InscriptionsAs you start to collect vintage Hollywood autographs, there’s a great deal of information you need to gather. Let’s say you’re looking at a photograph inscribed and signed by James Dean. Who was it inscribed to? Did this person really exist? Did this person know James Dean? When was it signed? Dean had a tragically short life—is it realistic that he personally inscribed this photo? What type of photograph is it? Is it some flimsy, single-stock photograph, or a high quality studio photograph, something Dean would have had access to? The secret to collecting the vintage, classic Hollywood autographs of Bogart, Gable, Errol Flynn and the other great stars is to ask and answer these questions.
Marilyn Monroe took tremendous pride in presenting her intimate circle of friends with signed photographs, but she didn’t sign them for the fans. To get one, you were somebody that was in her circle—her hairdresser, a close friend, a fellow celebrity. And, again, double-weight, high quality, beautiful studio photographs.
Not a day goes by that somebody doesn’t tell me, “I have a Marilyn Monroe photograph signed in red ink. She loved red ink because it was the color of her lipstick.” That’s simply not true. There’s no such thing as a Marilyn Monroe photograph genuinely signed in red ink. That’s folklore.
No matter which celebrity or era of vintage Hollywood that you are interested in collecting, always remember that the vast majority of celebrity photographs signed in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s that are not personalized (a photograph with a signature only, a photograph signed “Cordially, Clarke Gable” or “Best wishes, Jean Harlow”) are secretarials—nine times out of 10. That’s just the way it worked back then. It’s the opposite for the inscribed 11x14s. Nine times out of 10, those are real—not secretarial. The 5x7s are almost always secretarial. The 8x10s are a mixed lot; I would say at least 30 percent are secretarial.
While most outright forgeries are just signed or generically inscribed, the forgers are always learning and sometimes write personalized inscriptions, so always be careful who you buy from.
Always look for the very best quality. It’s generally a better investment to buy one great piece than five or 10 average ones. Try to find signed photographs that are beautiful, that are studio produced, that are double-weight, that are really exceptional photographs, and start with that as your criteria. And, believe it or not, it’s better to have an inscription. There’s more handwriting to authenticate, the better the story—and you have a better shot of getting something genuine.
Authenticity Tip No. 3: PricesBeware of prices that seem too good to be true. An authentic Marilyn Monroe signed photograph is going to cost you $15,000 to $25,000. There’s no such thing as a $2,000 or $3,000 one. What you see on the market now are just gobs and gobs of single-weight, very poor quality scene stills, and later printed photographs that are secretarial or forgeries.
While a price in the appropriate value range is no guarantee of authenticity, a price that’s too low is a sure sign of forgery.
This article is mainly about signed photos, but I’ll cover a couple of other popular items, too.
A simple autograph album page that Marilyn Monroe would have had thrust into her hand when she was walking down the street or entering a restaurant will bring a few thousand dollars today. A signed check is worth $2,000 or $3,000. At one time, I knew of more than 1,000 of them, so they’re definitely out there.
To assess the value of an item, ask yourself: “What is the object I’m interested in buying?” Is it signed on an album page? Is the album page in nice condition? Is it signed in pencil or pen? Does it have something affixed to it that makes it less attractive? Visual appeal influences the price. Is the photograph creased? Is it solarized? Is it stained? Is the ink faded? Is it signed in an attractive place on the image? Is it signed in a dark area which makes it hard to see? Does the inscription obscure the person's face? All of these distinctions factor into determining what an autograph is worth.
Another key factor is when the item was signed. The price is higher if stars signed the item during their heyday. Photographs from the 1930s signed in the 1930s are worth one price. The same photographs signed years later, say the 1960s or ,70s, are worth a fraction of that price.
Pricing is completely subjective. I may say something’s worth $10,000, and somebody else might say $5,000, while somebody else may say $15,000. How do you take those wide swings in value and try to stipulate some type of standardization? Really and truly, it’s aesthetics. It’s what the item is signed on. It’s when the item was signed. It’s to whom it was signed.
For instance, I have this amazing William Randolph Hearst inscribed photograph. It’s oversized and inscribed to none other than Marion Davies, his mistress, on Valentine’s Day, where he writes, “To Marion, your Valentine’s present. Love, W.R.H.” And, then, he writes a poem, a love poem, on this photograph. I value this photograph at $25,000 because it’s the ultimate William Randolph Hearst piece you could ever possibly get. Yet a regular Hearst inscribed photo would only be valued at $1,000 or so.
The Smart CollectorLook for inscriptions. Look for quality photographs. Research the inscription. Don’t jump at the “to good to be true.” All these pointers will guide the collector of vintage Hollywood toward authenticity. And the single most important thing is to buy from well respected dealers or auction houses that offer a lifetime money back guarantee of authenticity. Happy collecting!
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