Signature moment: Obama's autograph worth $150, maybe more later

It looks good on paper. Direct. Some might even say presidential.

But Barack Obama's autograph is still, you might say, affordable.

"He's young. He's going to be signing a great deal. He's still not president," said Daniel Weinberg, who appraises and deals with historical documents and signatures at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, 357 W. Chicago Ave.

A signed first-edition copy of Obama's second book, The Audacity of Hope, fetched $2,500 at a Signature House auction in April, but his John Hancock still is a relatively modest catch.

Signed copies of The Audacity of Hope and Dreams From My Father sell for $100 to $300 on eBay; baseballs signed by Obama sell for $50.

A plain Obama signature today could be worth roughly $150, and if it's on campaign literature, it might be pricier, said Weinberg, who hasn't sought out Obama autographs.

"I don't think Barack Obama's signature is worth all that much yet," said Leslie Hindman, president of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. "It may end up being worth a lot some day. I think people who own documents signed by Barack Obama could very well be waiting until they see whether or not he wins the election."

Weinberg noted that even if Obama won the presidency, the more he signs, the less valuable his autograph becomes. Former President Jimmy Carter, for example, has signed so many books, his autographed works hover around $50 to $75, Weinberg said.