The most profound change in autograph collecting in recent years has unfortunately been that the quantity of dealers has escalated while the quality has plummeted. Extravagant claims have become normal and almost invariably these should be taken as a warning. These do not necessarily signal dishonest intent but such is not uncommon, nor is inexperience or, worse, a combination of the two. There are only a few experienced general autograph dealers. Many gravitate to specialization.
Reliable dealers have several common characteristics.
Most guard their reputations for integrity tenaciously. They unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of the material they sell. Their experience has been gained, occasionally at considerable personal financial expense, as they worked with manuscripts every day. They stand between the collector and the forgery, the facsimile and mistaken identity, using their knowledge of paper, ink, writing habits and the like. Often when collectors have been involved for a year or two, they begin to feel they can operate in some instances without the dealer's protection, and strike off on their own to flea markets, antique shops, stamp auctions, used book stores and other possible autographic hideouts.