In autograph collecting, there are some basic types of items, or “formats,” as they are sometimes called. Each has an abbreviation that collectors, dealers, and auction houses may use as shorthand to refer to them in catalogs and online.
Here’s a Brief Format Overview:
Signed Photo (SP)
Photographs are one of the most desirable formats available for the autograph collector to have signed. As they say, “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” and when you have an image of your favorite personality bearing their one-of-a-kind mark, it’s that much more special—far superior to a simple piece of paper!
In the arena of vintage autographs, photos are particularly sought-after for their rarity. For example, while President Abraham Lincoln signed hundreds of documents, only a small handful or less of signed photographs of him exist, and command prices of $100,000+ as opposed to documents valued at $6,000+
An added aspect of photographs has to do with the subject matter, for example, a head-and-shoulders portrait of Jimi Hendrix versus and an image of him playing the guitar are virtually worlds apart. Why? Simple: rarity and desirability. The collector would certainly prefer a shot of their favorite celebrity depicted doing what they are most well-known for—and Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar is a perfect example and just about as rare as you can get.
Another example of photographic rarity and collectability would be for Hollywood celebrities related to their most famous movies. A perfect example is Judy Garland. Where a typical portrait photo of the actress may fetch only $600+ a photo of her in her iconic role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz is incredibly rare and worth about $20,000+
Signed Letters (ALS, LS, or TLS)
Letters are highly sought-after by collectors and entirely hinge on the value of the content contained therein. For example, Lincoln writing about the “Emancipation Proclamation” versus his mention of a mundane matter are like night and day, and the autograph prices will reflect that. There are three main abbreviations for autographed letters that you may find in catalogs or online:
ALS: This stands for “Autograph Letter Signed” and refers to the fact the subject has penned the entire correspondence in their own hand.
LS: This stands for “Letter Signed” and refers to the letter being signed by the personality only and the correspondence text itself having been penned in another hand, likely a secretary.
TLS: This stands for “Typed Letter Signed” which indicates that the text of the letter has been typed out on a typewriter or computer and then signed by the given personality.
Generally, the most desirable letter of all is the “ALS,” Autograph Letter Signed, as there is a plethora of handwriting penned by the noteworthy personality as opposed to just a signature at the end. As mentioned prior, letter collectability and value is largely driven on one thing: content, content, content!
Document Signed (DS)
Another autograph format you’ll encounter as a collector is a signed document, also referred to as a “DS,” which stands for “Document Signed.” Documents are most common for historical personalities, most especially American Presidents.
Similar to the “ALS,” or “Autograph Letter Signed,” designated for letters in the hand of a noteworthy personality, there also is something referred to as an “ADS,” which stands for “Autograph Document Signed,” and indicates that the document was actually written out in the notable’s hand.
Just like a letter, a document’s value can increase depending upon the importance of the content, for example, a document signed in 1776, the year of America’s Declaration of Independence, is likely worth more than a piece written in another year. Likewise, if there is a document of extraordinary quality, for example Edison mentioning his “lightbulb,” a celebrity in their most famous role, or a musician and their most iconic song, the autographic value will increase many fold over a commonplace subject document.
One subtype of a document in particular is a check, which tends to be a popular collectable category, especially in the area of American Presidents. Similar to a “Declaration of Independence” collection in which one attempts to obtain autographs from every single one of the Declaration Signers, an American Presidential check collector aims to acquire a signed check from every President from George Washington to Joe Biden. This can be a rewarding endeavor as some Presidential checks are much rarer than others, which leaves the collector always striving for more in a type of “hunt” to complete the set.
Autographed Quote Signed (AQS, TQS, or AMQS):
An “Autographed Quote Signed,” also known as an “AQS” is a handwritten quote made famous by and autographed at the conclusion by the given celebrity. The “AQS” is the most desirable type of signed quote, because it is handwritten by the notable themselves.
Frequently seen is a “Typed Quote Signed,” also referred to as a “TQS.” It’s become common for collectors to get something signed first, and then add a famous quote to the page. This is very helpful considering there are some things celebrities may be famous for but not fond of putting their name next to.
For the music collector, we also see the “Autograph Music Quote Signed,” or “AMQS,” which consists of a composer handwriting out their lines of music and signing at the conclusion. A good example of this format would be George Gershwin writing out the musical notes from his classic “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Signature (Sig):
A signature, sometimes referred to as a “sig,” is the most basic autographic format. Consisting of the notable personality’s autograph on just a plain piece of paper, it may come on a 5” x 3” index card, which was a common collecting format, especially for in-person autograph collectors, or on an “autograph book” album page.
Though “sigs” are typically considered to be lowest on the totem pole autographs, recently, their collectability and thus value has increased considerably since (due to their smaller size) they are perfect candidates to be encapsulated by the authentication companies. Encapsulated autographs are becoming an ever-increasingly popular way to collect, especially for the newer generation.
To take “signatures” a step above, autographs that are encapsulated may also be “graded” on a scale that peaks at “GEM MINT 10.” The darkness, or boldness of the autograph increases its desirability and value manyfold. The basic “sig” is certainly making a comeback, with its value at times far eclipsing other formats formerly considered more desirable such as documents or letters.