Q. What currency
are your prices in and can I purchase in a different currency?
A.
This site is listed in Australian Dollars (AUD) and YES we accept different currencies.
You can simply pay online with your Visa or MasterCard and it
will automatically convert or you may also use PayPal. If you need help with the currency
conversion please click on the image above.
Q. What are the
postage costs?
A.
All pieces are sent via registered post to ensure the highest safety.
They are also securely packaged so they will not get damaged. Postage
is automatically calculated at the check out. If you wish to use express post, this will incur an
extra cost. The average domestic postal cost is $7.
Q. Why is being a
U.A.C.C. Registered Dealer so special?
A.
Registered Dealers, are people who know the subject and have been
collecting themselves for many years. To become a Registered Dealer
you must have been a general member for at least 3 years before
you can apply to be a Registered Dealer. Registered Dealers network
and are always exchanging pertinent information. These dealers are aware of
the influx of recent forgeries of some of the key names in this exploding
field. The U.A.C.C. has a strict "Code of Ethics" that everyone must abide
by or face being expelled or in some cases imprisoned! Feel safe in the knowledge
when you are buy from a U.A.C.C. Registered Dealer you get a
genuine piece of history. This guarantee you get is worth every cent. After
all, if you needed some electrical work done, wouldn’t you only use a
Registered Electrician?
Q.
How do I know your autographs are
"real"?
A.
Wall Of Fame Autographs is a Registered Dealer with the U.A.C.C.
(number RD117) and they have a strict code of ethics that we must abide by.
Part of this code is the code is that we will only ever buy and sell items
that are authentic, genuine, original. If the items are not signed
In-Person they are bought only from other Registered Dealers who do get them
In-Person.
We go to great lengths to ensure that all of our autographs are "real" and
that our customers are protected from fakes and frauds. All our pieces
come with their own Certificate Of Authenticity (COA).
Q. Does getting a
COA give me a lifetime guarantee?
A.
There are things to be said about getting a COA.
Almost everyone who sells autographs supplies a COA. This does not
automatically mean that the autograph is "real" or that you will have any kind
of guarantee (even though it says you will on the COA). I personally
believe that a COA is worth nothing, but customers seem to like them, so I
issue them. It is the person or the dealer behind the COA that is
worth something. A Registered Dealer can give you a guarantee that it
is authentic as most items are signed in front of them or bought from other
Registered Dealers. In our case, it is
easy to supply a lifetime guarantee as you will never need to use it
(because all items are the original).
Q. Why should I buy
an autograph from you when I can get it on EBay for a third of the cost?
A.
From getting your item in person for free to Bill
Gates paying $30.4 million for Leonardo De Vinci's 72 page, hand written
manuscript, the prices can vary immensely.
"Why should I buy a Tom Cruise off you for $120 when EBay has one for $30"
for example. If you are getting an autograph for that price there must be a
reason. 1) it's most likely a pre-print - a reproduction of the
original, 2) an autopen - not real but a robotic copy none the less, 3) a
secretarial - signed by the celebrities secretaries etc. then mailed back to
the fans, 4) a forgery
- when a person has attempted to mimic their autograph, 5) a fake - someone
who has no idea what it looks like and has just scribbled anything. There is
a saying that I like to remember "Internet Auctions - where crooks and uneducated sellers
find uneducated buyers". If it seems to good to be true it usually is.
Q. You don't have
what I'm looking for can you find something for me?
A.
Yes, just go to our
autograph
Star Search page and fill
in the form.
Q. What should I
buy/collect for a good investment?
A.
Let me start off by saying whether it is for
investment or not, you should always buy what you like. What's the
point of buying something if every time you walk past it you wonder how much
it is worth. You should walk past it and be glad you are lucky enough
to own something that fabulous. Most autographs go up in value as the
years tick by e.g. The Beatles and Elvis double in value roughly every 5
years and when Neil Armstrong passes away it will be one of histories most
sought after autographs. Some however start out high and then you can't
give them away e.g. Billy Ray Cyrus (Achy Breaky Heart, come on, you
remember him, admit it!). Buy classics - Astronauts, Cosmonauts,
The Beatles, and Elvis. Imagine if you had acquired an Elvis autograph
when he was still alive! Space autographs in particular is a very
interesting and under collected area. This is mainly due to many
dealers lack of knowledge in this area. We have only had 12 men walk
on the moon and maybe no more in this lifetime. If one was to have a
full collection of these, not only would it be worth a great deal of money
but worth a great deal in history. As a last word, buy the "classics" as well as the fads and
you will have one mean collection of history.
Q. Why are
different pieces signed by the same person different prices?
A.
There are a few reasons for this but the main ones are
1) the item that is signed. For example a signed photo of Christopher
Reeves as 'Superman' is worth more than a standard 'head shot'. Or a
signed 'cape' from Superman will fetch more than a signed First Day Cover.
2) Dedication or what was written. Sometimes a personal dedication can
actually bring the monetary value down, i.e. "To John, Best Wishes,
Christopher Reeves". It means a great deal to you but not to the
average person wanting his autograph. If he had written "Best Wishes,
From the Man Of Steel, Christopher Reeves", this would be worth a great deal
more than just the signature. 3) The condition of the item is very
important. You may have a fabulous 8x10 signed colour photo but it may
be a bit scratched and dog eared. Or maybe it was stored incorrectly
and acids have began to fade it or 'eat away' the item. Condition
plays a big role. This brings me to the next question.
Q. How should I
care for my Autographs?
A.
Follow a few simple guidelines and you will be
enjoying your treasures for many years to come. Do NOT sticky tape any
item to hold it in place. The acids in the tape will eventually 'eat
through' your item and it is essentially wrecked. Store them in a place
that is not in any direct sunlight as this will fade the piece. You
can keep them in an album or in those clear leaf pages but make sure they
are acid free. You can also frame them under glass to put on the wall.
But one of the best way is 3D matting them under glass to hang on the wall.
This way the item is not in direct contact with the glass and has some air
circulation. Take it down now and then to give it a bit of a dust and
clean up and it will stay perfect for generations.
Q. What is
Australia's and the Worlds' most collectible Autographs?
A.
Celebrities become collectible for a number of reasons
for example, they are long deceased, they have just had a 'shock' death,
they are reluctant or reclusive signers, or a massive surge or constant in
popularity. These are Australians' most collectible - INXS - front man
the late Michael Hutchence, AC/DC, Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, Dame
Joan Sutherland, Kylie, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe (very difficult signer),
Kerry Packer (another VERY difficult signer), Greg Norman, Steve Waugh and
of course Sir Donald Bradman. As for the World, I could be here
forever but the some of the top items are Elvis, The Beatles, Marilyn
Monroe, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Alfred Hitchcock, Sean
Connery, Barbara Streisand, JFK Sr and Jr, Walt Disney, Einstein, Michael
Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Neil Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando (Very
difficult signer) Elizabeth Taylor, Prince Charles (both of these extremely
difficult signers) and of course, Princess Diana.
Q. What are the
rarest Autographs?
A.
Aside from some of the above listed who will become rarer when they pass
away, William Shakespeare. There is only 6 known examples of his
autograph. No known examples of Christopher Columbus and Cleopatra's
has only just been discovered.
