Michael Jackson Autograph – What’s It Worth?

One of the greatest entertainers and most iconic celebrities of the 20^th century was Michael Jackson.  No pop singer has ever attracted as many legions of loyal and die-hard fans as the former Jackson 5 front man.   He was a true all-around entertainer, enjoying success not just in music but also in movies, music videos, and wildly successful live concert tours.  Many of his rabid fans would camp out for days just to catch a glimpse of the King of Pop, and a lucky few occasionally walked away with a Michael Jackson autograph.  Since his death in 2009, the question of what Michael Jackson’s autograph is worth has been hotly debated.

When attempting to estimate the value of any autograph, one of the most important factors to consider is its availability. Though Michael Jackson was known to always sign autographs when asked, so much of his time was spent in isolation and out of the public eye when not entertaining that his autographs are actually somewhat rare.  Just as we were taught in Economics 101, any product which has a high demand and low supply is quite valuable.  Since the singer’s recent death means that there will never be a new Michael Jackson autograph on the market, the value of his autographs has seen a tremendous spike.

Another important factor to consider in determining value of an autograph is what was signed.  There were many fortunate fans that happened to be in the right place at the right time to cross paths with the King of Pop and get a Michael Jackson autograph.  But just because Michael Jackson signed whatever piece of paper they had available at the time doesn’t mean they necessarily have something extremely valuable.  The truly valuable Michael Jackson autographs are less commonly signed items, such as albums or replicas of his iconic red jacket or white glove.

An unfortunate fact of the autograph market is that forgery is rampant.  The more valuable the autograph, the more likely shady collectibles dealers are to create fakes.  Since his death in June of 2009, the value of a Michael Jackson autograph has shot up dramatically.  Any item autographed by Michael Jackson that has a certificate of authenticity or can be authenticated in some other way is much more likely to bring top dollar and hold its value over time.  If you are in the market for an autograph by the King of Pop, be sure to be on the lookout for fakes and forgeries.