The ten most valuable signed collector's items
10. A signed photo of Albert Einstein - 111,000 euros
It is probably the most iconic depiction of a scientist: the photo of Albert Einstein with his tongue sticking out from 1951 by photographer Arthur Sasse. During his lifetime, Einstein signed several copies of the cheerful snapshot, which he himself is said to have liked very much. One of the copies with a genuine Einstein signature was auctioned in Los Angeles in 2017 for more than 111,000 euros.
9. Jimi Hendrix's first signed record deal - 170,000 euros
The influential guitarist Jimi Hendrix was only 28 years old and died in 1970, which is why well-preserved autographs and signatures of the gifted musician are so rare. One particular signed collector's item is Hendrix's first recording contract, which he signed in 1965 and which awarded him one US dollar plus 1% of the royalties. A very bad deal for Hendrix, as one realises in retrospect.
8. A signed Marilyn Monroe baseball - 170,000 euros
A unique collector's item changed hands in Dallas in 2006 for the equivalent of more than 191,000 US dollars: A baseball with the signature of the famous actress Marilyn Monroe, of all people. The unusual object for a female artist is easy to explain, however, as the ball also bears the signature of New York Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio. The two were married from 1954 until Monroe's early death in 1962 and were one of the most photographed celebrity couples of their time.
7. A signed letter to a fan of Steve Jobs - 445,000 euros
Steve Jobs played a key role in shaping the digitalised world as we know it today and still has many admirers to this day. An autograph from the US entrepreneur is also something very special, as the co-founder of Apple did not like signing autographs. At least that's what Jobs said in a letter from 1983. At the time, the tech pioneer replied to a letter from a fan asking for an autograph, saying that he regretted that he never signed autographs. The trick: the typewritten reply letter with Apple Computer's letterhead ends with a handwritten signature and therefore contains an autograph after all. In 2021, the unusual letter, which is also considered proof of Jobs' fine sense of humour, was auctioned for 479,939 US dollars. This makes it one of the most valuable signed collector's items.
6. A demolished guitar by Kurt Cobain - 550,000 euros
The 1990s rock band Nirvana was known for its angry songs and stage performances. It was not uncommon for frontman Kurt Cobain to smash his guitar and other instruments on stage in front of his audience after a concert or TV appearance. One of these guitars - a black and white Fender Stratocaster with visible "signs of use" - is now one of the most valuable collector's items, as it was signed by all the band members, including Kurt Cobain, who died by his own hand in 1994. The guitar was sold in May 2023 for around 600,000 US dollars. Experts had previously estimated its value at a maximum of 80,000 US dollars.
5. John Lennon's last autograph - 830,000 euros
The tragic fate of Beatle John Lennon is well known to everyone. He died in an assassination attempt on 8 December 1980. What is less well known is that the musician had signed a vinyl disc for his killer a few hours earlier. He had mingled with fans who were waiting outside the flat of John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono in New York City as usual. As John Lennon's last autograph, the signed record is particularly valuable today. It was sold for half a million US dollars back in 2003. In 2020, the record was put up for auction again and fetched the owner a whopping 900,000 US dollars - the equivalent of around 830,000 euros.
4. Michael Jordan's signed and worn Air Jordans - 1.9 million euros
Michael Jordan is not only a basketball legend, but also the figurehead of one of the most successful sneaker series in the world. A signed copy of the shoe is therefore a coveted collector's item. They become even more coveted when they have been worn. A silver signed pair, which Michael Jordan is known to have worn at the 1998 NBA Finals, was auctioned off by Sotheby's in 2023 for an outstanding 2.2 million US dollars. With this result, the collector's item is considered the most valuable pair of trainers in the world.
3.A rare Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln - 3.3 million euros
Collector's items relating to historical figures are often particularly valuable, as they have often survived for many centuries. In the USA, memorabilia relating to US presidents fetch particularly high prices. For example, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, which sealed the abolition of slavery in some southern states in 1862 and was signed by US President Abraham Lincoln, was sold at auction almost 150 years later for 3.7 million US dollars. Of the once 48 autographed copies of the proclamation, only 26 still exist today, all of which must be of similar value.
2. Shakespeare's 400-year-old signature - 4.5 million euros
Although the writer William Shakespeare left us many dramas and plays, we search almost in vain for signatures by the English master. Historians have so far only identified six genuine signatures by Shakespeare. This makes it one of the rarest signatures in the world. The documents on which the author immortalised himself more than 400 years ago are treated with corresponding value. Experts estimate that a copy could fetch around 4.5 million euros if sold.
1. George Washington's personal copy of the US Constitution - 8.7 million euros
The most valuable signature in the world has made history. It is a copy of the first constitution of the United States of America from 1789. The owner of the copy was none other than the first US President George Washington, who of course left his signature on it. The genuine signature, its historical significance and its prominent owner make the document one of the most valuable collector's items in the world. At an auction organised by Christie's in 2012, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union Foundation bought the coveted item for USD 9.8 million and it can still be viewed today in the George Washington Library in Mount Vernon.