Help on Muppet autographs please

[redav]

Hi,

I recently obtained a signed 10x8 'Zoot' pic and signed 10x8 'Animal ' pic, both Black and white and both from the early years. Also it comes with the original evelope they were posted in and a hand written letter from Frank Oz. The envelope and letter have the 'ha New York' stationary etc. Also is a 10x8 print of all the muppets with Henderson with the printed sigs at bottom.

Now from what I can make out the Zoot pic is signed by Frank Oz. Did he also do the Animal one. Would anybody know ?

Also I cannot see any guides on the net from a value point of view in order for insurance etc. Would this also be worth taking to one of these 'grading' houses to get all certified etc.

many thanks in advance for your knowledge.

oh can you post pics on this forum ? and I will show if req

 

[Beauregard]

I would like to see them, they sound cool.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I doubt it would be valued at very much, honestly. Character signatures don't matter as much as performer signatures. I would suggest that the signature OF Frank Oz would have some value, but mostly value on these kind of items are based on the actual price someone would be willing to pay for the piece. I have a Dan Aykroyd signature you might not pay anything for it, but because I'm a big fan, I paid $15 (it was framed with an 8x10 of Elwood and Jake).

Being that Animal is Oz's character, I could see that being a signature that he would have done; Zoot is performed by Dave Goelz, so I almost wouldn't suggest that Oz signed that. I have a photo of Fozzie Bear from the early TMS days, and the autograph is printed into the photo--are you sure these aren't 'signed' the same way?

There is a magazine out there for autograph collectors, though I forget the name of the magazine, and it would tell you an approx. value for Frank Oz's signature.

Now, from the mid-80's, I have a letter signed by Jim Henson...lost in my many, many boxes of stuff. Don't that just flip your bippy??

 

[redav]

Ok I have scanned these. Both the pics appear actual sigs as they are in ink and raised on the picture.

why I thought Frank Oz had done zoot was because of the 'Z' shape in zoot.

for the purposes of a public forum I have removed the address they were sent to in UK. I obtained them from this actual original owner.

enjoy the pics and let me know your thoughts. Thanks

P.S by the US stamps etc, can anybody date this ?

 

[Luke]

I'm not sure who either of the character sigs are but it doesn't matter really as none of the living Muppeteers sigs, either as characters or themselves are worth anything much as they still sign through the mail for free. However, they are vintage Henson 8x10 photographs from the early days and unobtainable now so I think they would be attractive to Muppet collectors and have some small Ebay value whether signed or not. The Frank Oz letter too might make some small amount in an auction just because it might be something interesting for a fan to collect. It certainly wouldn't be worth insuring them or having them graded - Jim Henson himself is the only signature that has any great value where that would be worthwhile. Regardless of the commercial value, as a Muppet fan they are very nice items to have in your collection.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I don't think Frank did the Zoot because his t's curve more when they end a word; plus the base of his words are inconsistent (wavy) while Zoot's appears (uncharacteristically) level. That is indeed the same signature that Animal always has.

Regular stamps today cost .37 from state to state, and since these were mailed from new york for .62 it's hard to determine for sure, however that was in the 70's and I remember stamps during that time being around .10 or less. Hard to date that.

 

[TravellingMatt]

I didn't even know Animal could write...

 

[Luke]

I didn't even know Animal could write...

He writes with the pen in his mouth, thats why his signature is so wavy !

 

[TravellingMatt]

Ah, I see. Maybe he's smarter than I made him out to be!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

He writes with the pen in his mouth

Then he eats it.