Why I Sell Them.
Autographs never had a fascination for me until I actually became involved in the buying and selling of them. Although possessed of a college education encrusted with knowledge of history, it would never have occurred to me to possess autographs. Then, I was hired for the autograph department at B. Altman & Co. as a salesman. That was in 1969. My career began and my learning curve too. Nothing mastered before 1969 compares to the life experiences that I have gained from the handling of thousands of letters, documents, and photographs of the famous and infamous. |
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Autograph material belongs to an age of individualism and in reality is being replaced by electronic stationery. That is as it should be. What is lost, however, is the length and width and texture of paper, the architectural arrangement of ink called handwriting and the physical intimacy of something touched by addressor and addressee. That is a shame.
That is why I sell autographs. Why you buy them is really up to you, your intelligence, your resources, and your life experiences. All the foibles, wit, genius, and idiocies of mankind can be held in your hand if you are in possession of an autograph of Oscar Wilde, Ludwig van Beethoven, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Napoleon. They make excellent and noteworthy gifts. There are other reasons to collect autographs: investment, inflation hedge, or perhaps status; these are all fine and I will try to help you in that way. If you enjoy the idiosyncrasies of this field of collecting, I hope you will consider working with me. I am happy to share my expertise and passion for history and the art of collecting with you. |
