Tips on Autograph Collecting / FAQ

Autograph collecting is fun and an inevitable element to idol worship and a remembrance to our youth. Songs we listen to this generation will be with us in our memories for a lifetime and owning autographed CDs or items by our favourite singer/ pop star make this even more memorable. Queueing up for autographs and chasing the stars around in taxis are 2 ways of getting autographs although they are time consuming and not always fruitful. The other alternative is to buy them online, where you can get a good idea of the item from the scanned pics and description we provide. Sure, they may cost a little bit more, but you do save a lot of time and cost on transportation, cab fares and such (which will ultimately amount up to the same value as what u spend purchasing from Horizonsky's Superstore), AND you are definitely guaranteed of the quality.


When buying autographs, do consider the following:

1. Condition of the autographs: The most vital element. Is the autograph sharp and clear? Minimal smudging is still accepted by most as being ok, but certainly items with major rubs and smudges are a big NO and will be deemed to be worth much less, sometimes even much less than a non-autographed item especially if the particular item is rare and out of print! I am sure you guys would rather own a MINT, BRAND NEW looking rare item with no autographed, as compare with one that is messed up by smudged marker ink, right? :)


2. Condition of the item: Most people would want the item to be in mint condition, although for older items, yellowing of the lyrics due to the acidic nature of paper, slight scratches etc are still acceptable by most. Do confirm with your seller about the condition of the item to ensure a pleasing transaction.


3. Partial (short-form) vs full signatures: Generally, the full signatures are worth more (but only if they are in excellent condition, so a full English and Chinese SHE, Fahrenheit, F4 signature is worthless if they are full of smudges or if faded) Examples of those with short and full signatures include the members of F4, Fahrenheit, Stephanie Sun, Show Luo and Lung Piao Piao etc. If u need cofirmation of whether an autograph is a full or partial signature, feel free to write to horizonsky@yahoo.com.


4. Variant autographs: Few artistes have variant autographs eg. Stafanie Sun signing SunYanzi (or Yanzi) vs Stefanie (or Stef), Jerry Yan with a Chinese vs English signature. Other examples include the early and more recent autographed versions of S.H.E, Jay Chou and Fann Wong etc. But then, only a few have variant signatures, so be very careful when some unreputable guy comes along and claim that their fakes are variant signatures! Do your research before buying! Generally, variant autographs are not worth as much unless they have been verified and authenticated. People are usually in doubt when a variant shows up and differs greatly from the norm printed on posters etc; and they would be even more difficult during resale should you want to sell them later!


5. Fakes!! : Our advice for you to this is to do your research before buying. If you really like so and so that much, chances are you would have seen his or her autograph before. Make sure the item you buy has a similar signature. I know signatures change with time, but for a given time frame, there should not be too much variation. Good sources of autograph references include: some CDs itself have printed autographs on the back page, promo posters with printed autographs or from websites dedicated to the actual celebrities themselves! Most collectors would rather buy from reputable sources rather than buy at cheaper prices and then worry about authenticity later on. The following are suggestive of fake autographs: the shape differs greatly from most of the others you see (printed samples, those sold by majority of sellers etc), signs of it being signed slowly with a lot of stops and hesitations.


6. Prices: how much to pay for a genuine autograph?

a. Generally, autographed copies of a particular CD with an autograph session held recently greatly devalues the price of that CD title (old CD titles of that particular artiste will still carry a higher price). This is because many people are able to get the autographs easily - like recent S.H.E, Andy Lau or Faye Wong titles. They are easily available brand new for less than $50, whereas older titles can still command high prices because signings of these are not allowed at autograph sessions.

b. Cost of the item. If the CD is rare and no longer in print, it can easily cost SGD$100, so naturally signed copies of this will cost much more. A CD with MULTIPLE signatures signed on it would be one of the best collectibles ever, and this would naturally cost more to puchase and fetch a higher price during re-sale. But rest assure that money spent on these items are well worth it. Think about it, u are probably the only few out of the tens of thousands of fans that own such a rare item! And how many of you guys can actually persuade your idol to sign so many times on an album for you? :)

c. Albums that had autograph sessions held for signing generally cost between SGD$35 to SGD$50 (about 1.5 to 2.5x the cost of the CD, which is a reasonable amount considering that a regular CD costs SGD$19.90-24.90, limited editions at $36.90, and the time and transport costs taken into obtaining the signature).

You do the math :)
( i ) It requires a queueing time of 4-8 hours at an autograph session prior to the arrival of your idol.
(ii ) 6 hours (average) spent working at lowest possible wage, eg: Macdonald's would earn me $3.20 x 6 = $19.20.
(iii) Hence, considering that the cost price of the CD is between $19.90-24.90, don't you think a price between SGD$35 to SGD$50 is pretty reasonable for someone that has been queuing in the hot sun to help get you your autographs? :)

d. Autographed items of A-list classics such as Kylie Minogue, Gong Li, Madonna, Jenny Tseng, F4 etc will cost the most especially when these examples are difficult to locate and are tough signers as well. They can go up to 3 or 4 digit figures; whereas those popular but still reasonably easily located stars with quite a bit of activity on the entertainment scene such as Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung will cost much less.