It may seem that Autograph Collecting is a relatively20th century hobby following the popularity surge of top names in music, film, sports, and politics. However the act of collecting signatures can be traced back to the 16th century, when the Germans were fond of collecting signed letters or documents while they travelled. In ancient China, an autograph from the emperor was considered beyond any monetary value and a great honor to own.
Autograph collecting became somewhat of a fad among the upper class Europeans in 17th and 18th century. The most sought after signatures “A List” celebrities of the time were names in literature, music, politics and religion.
The hobby of collecting autographs rocketed to mass popularity during the 1980s. Earlier on it was only children who asked celebrities for their autographs. However, soon people from all age groups began to get interested in philography. Seeing the huge market potential of autographs as memorabilia, the dealers and celebrities started charging money for their signatures and a once innocent hobby became a commercial venture.
The most sought after celebrities autographs are those who are movie stars, musicians, singers, members of music groups, teenage idols, political leaders, social and religious leaders, award winning scientists, popular and award wining authors and astronauts.
Different collectors like to collect signatures of celebrities in specialized fields. These could be Nobel Prize winning authors, religious leaders, politicians, scientists, or mathematicians. The specifics of the collections are a matter of individual choice.
While autographs may be worthmoney to some, for a sincere hobbyist, his collection is a reflection of his admiration and loyalty for a celebrity and hence totally invaluable!
