I thought it would be fun to have a page focused on Judy's autograph/signature. Because she was in the public eye beginning as such a young age, her signature changed over the years. Early autographs are more rare and expensive than those from her later years.

Collecting Judy Garland autographs can be quite expensive. Her signature can sell for anywhere from $300 on up. Autograph "dealers" or stores usually have the higher priced items. Mainly because they know what they have. However, collectors sell and trade to other collectors for much less.

Autographed 8x10's are the most popular among collectors. These can be hard to find - especially when the star has been deceased for some time - and are usually quite expensive.

Since Judy was one of the most popular stars of her time, she couldn't reply to all of the fan mail she received. So, even though the studio had a staff to help out, Judy's Mom Ethel took care of alot of it for several years. As shown below, pre-printed "signed" pictures were quite popular and easy to reproduce and mail out. The studios (not just MGM) were very astute in knowing that even the simple act of sending a picture with a form letter as a response to a fan would greatly benefit their box office.

Cancelled checks are also popular today. These aren't really autographs, but are of course have the same signature. A good source for these is The Judy Garland Museum. They're usually less expensive than a signed 8x10 or page from an autograph book.

But be sure and do your homework. Aside from the examples below, the two best places to see more examples of Judy's autograph/signature are The Judy Garland Database and Rita Piro's book "Judy Garland - The Golden Years." Ms. Piro's book has two full pages of examples, as well as a few other examples throughout the book. The Database has a page devoted to her signature as well.

As you will see below, Judy's signature changed over time from that of a young girl, to young woman, to adult. Her "J's" seemed to stay pretty much the same, but her "G's" became less ornate, losing the little loops at the top, and becoming a more casual style. The "L" in "Garland" became more casual as well, and became separate from the rest of the name. Judy probably gravitated to this later style as it would be easier and quicker to execute - and Judy was so popular, and known to be generous with her autograph, she doubtless signed dozens all the time.