Autographed collectibles, such as a baseball card signed by a player, a film poster signed by an actor, or a figure signed by its designer, are becoming increasingly popular. We're on a mission to document every collectible in the world, so we add autographed items to the database as Variants of the standard item.



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Standards and Guidelines for Autographed Items


Volunteer Squad members are to follow these guidelines when adding autographed items to the database:

  • Autographed items should be added as a Variant of the original, unsigned item. As of December 2022, autographs are no longer added as Subvariants. Instead, they are added as Variants and displayed in their own section of the item's Variant Group:

  • That being said, autographs can have Subvariants of their own as well. They are exactly in the same way like the non-autographed variants with one group per signer. So officially released signed items (like from the the 7BAP Signature Series) are Subvariants if the signer is the same.

  • Each non-autographed item can only have exactly one corresponding autographed item per signer. We do not differentiate between the position of the signature, the color of the pen, what is written (inscriptions, personalizations, etc.), grading/encapsulation, or the presence or absence of a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). Those specific attributes can all be recorded when adding an item to a collection.

  • Use the word "autographed" instead of "signed" everywhere on the item for consistency.

  • Add the Autographed production status and enter the name of the person who signed it in the now appearing Autographed by field. If the name of the person doesn't show up in the list, create a new Subject for them. The signer should not be listed under Related Subjects and neither the signer nor any mention of the item being autographed should appear in the item name or identifier field.



Photos


Follow the guidelines described in the Photos article, but keep in mind these additional specifics for autographs:

  • If the packaging is autographed, the Main Photo should be the item in the autographed packaging.

  • If the item itself has the autograph, the Main Photo will ideally show the item in front of or next to its packaging, if applicable.



Pricing


Determining the value of autographed items can be a bit tricky. Follow these guidelines to help us display the most accurate Estimated Value possible:

  • Search eBay and other auction houses for completed sales of the same item autographed by the same person. Remember that the position of the signature, the color of the pen, what is written, or the presence or absence of a COA do not affect the eligibility of the sale to be used as a Price Point and all of the standard qualifiers for eBay Price Points do still apply.

  • If you purchased the autographed item at a convention or retail store (online or brick-and-mortar) you can submit proof of purchase to be reviewed by our verification team, and if the team can verify the purchase it will be added to the Price Guide.

  • If none of the above are available, you can enter a Member Estimate as a placeholder. When confirmed sales are added as Price Points in the future they will replace the Member Estimate.


Important note: Before October 2022, we allowed convention or retail purchases of autographed items to be added as a Retail Price. Because we now have the Team Verified Sales process, no new Retail Prices may be added to autographed items.




How to Add an Autographed Item to the Database


  1. Search the database for the original item you would like to input an autographed entry for (i.e. - Matt Murdock 121 Funko). Make sure to select the correct Subvariant.

  2. Click New -> Add Variant.

  3. Review and input/edit the following fields:

    • Name - Use the official name of the item (for example the name used on the packaging). Please review the Names & Alternative Names article for more info.

    • Subvariant Title - This shouldn't exist on newer entries since autographs are now being inputted as Variants and not Subvariants. However, if you are editing an already existing entry, please remove anything from this field as the system now auto-populates the "Autographed By" text for display.

    • Brand - Follow current database guidelines—see Brand, Series, or Franchise for more info.

    • Series - Follow current database guidelines (for Funko POP! items, please always ensure POP! Vinyl is added to this entry field along with any other applicable series).

    • Related Subjects - The celebrity(ies) signing the item should not be entered here. If they are already present (because of editing or cloning based on an existing entry), they need to be removed.

    • Production Status - Add "Autographed" to the list of statuses, do not remove pre-existing values.

    • Autographed by - This field will appear below Production Status once "Autographed" is selected. Use this field to add the signing celebrity name(s).

    • Product Identifier – If not already present, choose “Reference #” from the dropdown menu and input the box number. Remove retailer-specific identifiers like ASIN, StockX or Target (they are always referring to the non-autographed item only). Leave the UPC and Manufacturer ID fields intact.

  4. Click Save & Add Photos.

  5. Upload at least one picture showing the full front of the signed item (or wherever the signature is). If you upload more than one photo, make sure to set the former as the Main Photo.

  6. Click Save.


Below are a few examples of good autographed item entries:



If you have any questions, feel free to contact us with the green button at the top of the page!