Paul McCartney and Vladimir Putin make unlikely bedfellows.
But there they are.
The two best performing autographs over the past 12 months - both up 25% in value.
That's one of the headline figures from our PFC40 Autograph Index, which we updated for 2014 this week.
If you're new to the PFC40 Autograph Index, you're in for a treat. It tracks the values of the most sought after signatures since 2000.
And it's evidence that the finest, collectible autographs are well worth their place in any investment portfolio.
 Beatles autographs, such as this piece in stock, are an ‘evergreen’ investment |
After all, the index grew by 5.8% in the past 12 months - far better than any savings account I know.
And the longer view is even rosier - up 13.2% per annum on average since 2000. The S&P500, in contrast, has grown by just 1.9% a year since the turn of the millennium.
I'm wary of bombarding you with statistics this Friday, but permit me to pick out a few more highlights for you.
Best performing autographs between 2013-2014 (signed photos unless otherwise stated)
· Paul McCartney : up 25% from �2,000 to �2,500
· Vladimir Putin: up 25% from �80 to �100
· Pope Francis: up 20% from �125 to �150
· James Dean (signed album page): up 20% from �15,000 to �18,000
Best performing autographs between 2000-2014
· George Harrison: up 22.9% per annum, from �195 to �3,500
· Neil Armstrong: up 21.6% per annum, from �550 to �8,500
· Paul McCartney: up 20.9% per annum from �175 to �2,500
Most valuable living signatures
· Fidel Castro: �3,750 - up 7.1% from �3,500 in 2013
· Paul McCartney: �2,500 - up 25% from �2,000
· Prince William (basic signature): �2,250 - up 12.5% from �2,000
Most valuable autographs in 2014
· James Dean: �18,000
· Bruce Lee (signed album page): �11,000
· Lord Nelson (handwritten letter): �10,500
Who to invest in today?
All fascinating stuff, but who should you be investing in today?
Past performance is no guarantee of future returns, yet if I could only pick two autographs to invest in, I would choose Neil Armstrong/the Apollo 11 crew and the Beatles.
Photos signed by all three Apollo 11 crewmembers have grown in value by 13.7% a year since 2000 to �12,000. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing, in 2019, I expect demand for their autographs to increase substantially - pushing prices higher.
View our Apollo 11 autographs here.
The Beatles are an evergreen investment - both individually and as a whole. Each new generation falls in love with them and wants their memorabilia. They will always be the world's most famous band. Autographs of all the Fab Four on one page have grown by 8.7% a year since 2000, and now stand at �9,500.
Click here to see our Beatles autographs.
Two last things.
I must stress that the prices and gains mentioned in the PFC40 Autograph Index are for the very finest examples. So always buy the best you can afford.
Also, autographs are a long term investment. Some years are more lucrative than others. I recommend a minimum hold of five years - more if you can.
You bank balance will thank you when you come to sell in years to come.
Friday is the new Wednesday
By the way. We're experimenting with sending out our weekly newsletter on a Friday, so that it offers a complete round up of the week.
What do you think to the change?
Let me know at info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
Thanks for reading,
Paul
PS. You can see all our autographs for sale here
