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IMPORTANT MESSAGE
 TO OUR CUSTOMERS

As all of our customers will know, it is not always possible to obtain the autograph of a particular celebrity in person, because of the distances involved and, as in the case of vintage items, the celebrity concerned is often dead.  If there is no verifiable provenance on a signature, the autograph dealer often has to rely on past experience, autograph reference books and an up-to-date database of facsimile, in-person signatures. Therefore it takes a lot of experience and many years in collecting and dealing with autographs to enable a dealer to offer his customers a professional and reliable service.

As you may be aware, there is now an increasing number of so-called 'dealers' springing up everywhere. They are not interested in autograph collecting as a fulfilling hobby or in the satisfaction of customers. They have little or no experience in autographs and in some cases  are merely out to make a 'fast buck'. Consequently, there are now a quantity of 'questionable' autographs for sale on the autograph market. 

There is also an increasing problem in most of the internet auctions, where the seller of a particular piece has complete anonymity.   Always be wary when the seller has 'Private' feedback which cannot be viewed and 'private' bidder identity and also those who do not give the name of their city of residency.

Autographs Ink UK is UACC (Universal Autograph Collectors Club) Registered Dealer No. 85 and has been chosen as the UACC Registered Dealer of the Year 2003.   This is an organisation set up to 'police' the world of autograph dealing and collecting. They have a strict code of ethics by which all Registered Dealers are expected to abide and those who do not, are reprimanded and ejected from the organisation. This in itself may not seem too severe, but their reputation as an honourable and trustworthy dealer is then totally discredited and details of their misdemeanour is spread worldwide. Remember also, ANYONE can be a 'member' of the UACC, it only takes an application form and a small payment. This is not the case with UACC Registered Dealers, however, who have to be highly experienced and respected in the field of autographs to gain the coveted 'UACC Registered Dealer' status.

Consequently, we would like to offer some advice to our customers :-

1.   Whenever possible, try to buy from a UACC Registered Dealer.  This will ensure that you are buying from someone with many years experience and expertise in autograph dealing and who also has agreed to be bound by the trading ethics of this organisation.  It will also allow you some redress if you feel that you have been dealt  with improperly or unfairly.

2.   Buy only from dealers who are prepared to give their full address and a contact telephone  number (this is especially so on the internet).

3.   Remember, a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) is only as valid as the reputation and experience of the dealer by whom it is issued.

4.   Be extremely careful when buying through an internet auction. Remember the maxim,  "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!"  Everyone is aware of the value of autographs now so remember, there are very few bargains to be had, either for collectors or dealers!

5. BE VERY WARY of so-called 'Verification Companies' who claim that all items sold by their 'Registered Dealers' have been 'scientifically tested' before they go on sale.   A number of these companies are already under legal investigation.

ALSO - Some autograph websites and internet auction sites that we have seen appear to have an inordinate amount of what we consider 'very difficult' ('almost impossible') signed items in their stock.  If multi-signed photographs or posters of the very latest 'blockbuster' releases were so easy to obtain, believe us when we say that our pages and website would be full of them! The same goes for  Elvis, The Beatles, Queen, etc!

P & D Robbins
Autographs Ink UK