Michael Jackson had a reputation for being very generous with his autograph. While that endeared him to fans in life, it does them no favors in death. Simply put, celebrity autographs are worth more posthumously when there are fewer of them.
"Michael was very kind about signing things for fans and there are a lot of his signatures out there, making them less valuable," says Pete Siegel, owner of "Gotta Have It," a Manhattan memorabilia store.
"So, what does make a piece of memorabilia worth something and another piece worth nothing"? I asked Pete.
"The items that have the greatest value are those of a personal nature that are one of a kind or highly individual" explains Pete. To illustrate, he points to a computer screen image of a black glove with buckles and Michael Jackson's signature on a CD of "Bad." "This just sold for $5,500, " says Pete. The glove is something Jackson actually wore and is very identifiable on the CD cover and posters for the CD.
Anyone with any memorabilia from the "king of Pop" should keep such associations in mind before automatically assuming anything with Michael Jackson's name on it has any increased monetary value. Siegel also showed me a poster signed by the Jackson Five in 1975 from a "Diana Ross Presents" concert in New York. It sold for $1,500. Again it was not only the signatures, but also the nature of what the artists signed.
Things such as mugs or plates or even t-shirts, things that are mass-produced, even though signed, are almost never considered valuable as investments. The noteworthy exception is, of course, if you have the one and only mug still in existence bearing the celebrated signature.
The origins of putting a monetary value on celebrity memorabilia may trace back to the American icon Joe DiMaggio, whose signature on baseballs and bats was, and still is, a sought after prize. Hall of Fame pitcher for the LA Dodgers Sandy Koufax was once overheard at a BAT (Baseball Assistance Team) dinner in New York City in the early 1990's thanking DiMaggio for being instrumental in creating the memorabilia business. Koufax apparently quipped it provided players with additional revenue streams after their playing days were over.
Generally, age, uniqueness and condition determine value. For example, if you should possess the only remaining 45 record of "The Jackson Five" and the sleeve is still in the plastic, treasure it and get a few appraisals before you sell it.
When it comes to finding out what the market will bear, check out some of the online auction sites and contact some memorabilia dealers. Sometimes, if a collector is looking for a particular item to complete a set, the item will be worth more to him or her than to other collectors. "Fans with a Michael momento they're considering offering up for sale, might do better to wait until things settle down," says David Margulius of "The Collector's Weekly." (www.collectorsweekly.com) The more serious collectors are longterm.
Finally, keep in mind the reason you started collecting in the first place. The items gave you an emotional connection with someone or something you admire. Putting investment value first is backwards because your "treasure" may be just "stuff" to others. Michael Jackson memorabilia is no different.
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