Prices of UD Legendary Cuts Autographs over time...

[gomatt]

My newest endeavor is to obtain Upper Deck/Topps autographs of all of baseball's Hall of Famers. For those that have been doing it for a while, have the prices of Legendary Cuts autographs increased or decreased over time? Take a guy like Joe Dimaggio. Every year, he has more cut autos available. Some autographs of a player are more desirable than others (I recently saw a Dimaggio cut taken from a Pinnacle card). But, generally speaking, have prices gone up or down?

I realize that the first generation Hall of Famers will likely always increase in value due to scarcity, but the others...

 

[Topnotchsy]

Prices have gone down considerably on all but the most desirable and rare releases (including sets and specific players.) The fact is that for most players you can find a nice looking authenticated autograph that's on a ball, poster, or other surface for far, far cheaper than a card. Many HOFers have signed Perez-Steele postcards that can be had (authenticated) for a fraction of the price of a cut autograph, and many are far, far nicer looking.

That said, sets like 2001 Legendary Cuts have done quite well. Not sure they sell as well as they were released (especially the lesser players) but I believe that they have done well over the last couple of years, and the big names are very desirable.

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

My newest endeavor is to obtain Upper Deck/Topps autographs of all of baseball's Hall of Famers. For those that have been doing it for a while, have the prices of Legendary Cuts autographs increased or decreased over time? Take a guy like Joe Dimaggio. Every year, he has more cut autos available. Some autographs of a player are more desirable than others (I recently saw a Dimaggio cut taken from a Pinnacle card). But, generally speaking, have prices gone up or down?

I realize that the first generation Hall of Famers will likely always increase in value due to scarcity, but the others...

Others probably have more experience with this than me, but there are a lot of factors here. First, as more and more cuts enter the market, the prices have generally decreased. Personally, I really have no desire to obtain any of the cuts from the last two years that don't even have an image of the player on them. However, this also means that some of the cuts from the early sets are not only more desirable, but harder to find, so they have maintained or even gained value.

Dimaggio is an interesting example of an elite, highly collected player whose cuts (in general) have decreased a bit in value due to the sheer amount that have been pumped out. But I'm willing to bet that any examples from 2001-2004 that pop up still sell for premium prices.

What else...

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

The fact is that for most players you can find a nice looking authenticated autograph that's on a ball, poster, or other surface for far, far cheaper than a card. Many HOFers have signed Perez-Steele postcards that can be had (authenticated) for a fraction of the price of a cut autograph, and many are far, far nicer looking.

As a HOF auto collector, I totally agree with this. If you only open your collection to Topps/UD cards, you will spend a lot more money than if you are only looking for nice autos in general. That being said, cuts are pretty damn sweet, they are just overpriced (but becoming less so).

 

[gomatt]

So, from a historical standpoint, is it safe to say that a Roberto Clemente Cuts Auto is a strong investment, likely to only go up, while a guy like Edd Roush, who keeps having more cut autos produced, will hold steady?

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

So, from a historical standpoint, is it safe to say that a Roberto Clemente Cuts Auto is a strong investment, likely to only go up, while a guy like Edd Roush, who keeps having more cut autos produced, will hold steady?

The thing about the two that you just mentioned: Clemente is beloved and died very early, so the demand is strong but the number of cuts are small and will not grow very much. They will maintain value, probably gain as the number of collectors (like you) who want HOF grow. Rousch lived a long life and signed a ton,and was never very collectible anyway. The number of his cut autos is pretty big and will likely get much bigger due to the availability and cheap price of his auto to the card companies.

 

[gomatt]

So, from a historical standpoint, is it safe to say that a Roberto Clemente Cuts Auto is a strong investment, likely to only go up, while a guy like Edd Roush, who keeps having more cut autos produced, will hold steady?

The thing about the two that you just mentioned: Clemente is beloved and died very early, so the demand is strong but the number of cuts are small and will not grow very much. They will maintain value, probably gain as the number of collectors (like you) who want HOF grow. Rousch lived a long life and signed a ton,and was never very collectible anyway. The number of his cut autos is pretty big and will likely get much bigger due to the availability and cheap price of his auto to the card companies.

And I guess that is my main point - though I realize that it's obvious. The guys that have been long gone/didn't sign much will always be a premium and will likely appreciate. But the guys that lived into the '80s+/signed a lot, will likely decrease due to an increase in supply.

 

[rob167]

i would be happy to share my spread-sheet detailing cut autograph sales for the last 6-months or so. you will see that some go for very high amounts consistently, while others tend to drop off.

take joe dimaggio for example. he has far and away more cut auto's out there than anyone i have tracked. his cuts can now be had for right around $200.

if you want the spread-sheet, just e-mail me (link in sig) and put "cut spread-sheet" in the subject line.

 

[Brett Keith]

i would be happy to share my spread-sheet detailing cut autograph sales for the last 6-months or so. you will see that some go for very high amounts consistently, while others tend to drop off.

take joe dimaggio for example. he has far and away more cut auto's out there than anyone i have tracked. his cuts can now be had for right around $200.

if you want the spread-sheet, just e-mail me (link in sig) and put "cut spread-sheet" in the subject line.

Can I get a copy of your spreadsheet as well?

 

[rob167]

anyone who wants/needs a copy, just e-mail me (e-mail in link). i update it several times a week, so hit me up when you need an updated copy.