Autograph Associations
Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA) is an international organization composed of autograph dealers who specialize in historic and literary subjects. Membership is by invitation only, and members adhere to a strict code of conduct designed to protect collectors. The Members Directory on the PADA website connects collectors to dealer websites offering a wide range of materials, both in subject matter and price. These websites and catalogues are valuable resources for those looking to deepen their knowledge about the autographs of individual historic figures and the broader autograph market.
The Manuscript Society is an organization dedicated to the preservation, collection, and study of manuscripts and historic autographs. Membership is open to collectors, dealers, history enthusiasts, museums, and libraries. Members receive the quarterly publication Manuscripts, along with access to various online resources. The Society has published several important reference books for collectors. Autographs & Manuscripts: A Collector’s Guide features articles by numerous experts on a wide range of topics related to the hobby. The Autograph Collector’s Checklist is a handy quick-reference guide covering some of the most popular collecting fields. Though published decades ago, these resources remain relevant to serious collectors. Manuscripts: The First Twenty Years is a compilation of significant articles originally published in Manuscripts between 1948 and 1968. These articles remain fascinating today, though they tend to focus more specifically on individual items, historic figures, and the autograph market as it existed in the mid-20th century—a market quite different from today’s.