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Frasers Rarities Index, listing the 100 most sought after autograph’s, counts Picasso, Dali, Warhol and Chagall amongst their number.

Artists such as Andy Warhol have seen as much as a 1014% increase over the decade with the Rarities Index as a whole enjoying an average compound increase of 12.9%.

Over the past decade, the Rarities Index has outperformed both the FTSE 100 TRI and UK House Price Index. The cumulative increase of nearly 280% proves that there is almost as high a demand for the signature as for the artwork itself.

Fraser’s Autographs, a division of Stanley Gibbons Group, is the UK market leader in autographs and memorabilia, trading since 1978. The company has tracked the 100 most sought after autographs on an annual basis for the purpose of promoting the Stanley Gibbons range of alternative investment products.

With banks paying out near to 0% on savings, alternative investment seems to be on every savvy investor’s mind in today’s worrying financial climate. With the compound increases outlined above it is easy to understand why the Stanley Gibbons Group plc has seen a sharp increase in the number of enquiries into their Investment Department in Guernsey. 

Stanley Gibbons Chief Executive Mike Hall says, ‘Evidence proves that the movement in the prices of rare stamps and autographs are uncorrelated with equity and property markets. Rare signatures represent good value at this time due to the fact that it’s still a relatively immature market. Last year my investment in rare stamps and signatures was the only asset I own that went up in value.’

An undedicated signed photo by Picasso would have set you back just £1250 back in 1997, now anyone wishing to acquire a similar item would have to find nearly £4000 - that’s an increase of 216% over the decade.

Its not just artists that made the list either- illustrators’ signatures such as those of Walt Disney, Charles Shulz and Hanna Barbera are enjoying similar increases in value:

In 1997 an undedicated signed photo by Walt Disney would have set you back just £395, it is now worth £3950; an increase of 900%.

‘In some cases, I consider the prices remarkably cheap when considering the rarity and historical importance of some of these items. For that reason, autographs perhaps provide the best opportunity for exceptional returns’ said Mike Hall.