While many of these signatures could have been collected in the popular autograph books of the past, there are additionally sinister means for acquiring these clippings. Just as autograph hunters have pilfered archives and records repositories for centuries, the trade of clipped signatures continues to place our history in grave danger. Thieves stealing historic records from archives and libraries may choose to mutilate the document if they believe they cannot sell the stolen goods, in their entirety, without detection.

If sellers would voluntarily refrain from dealing in ANY clipped signatures, even those that may have been legitimately obtained in autograph books many years ago, the incentive to steal historical records may be diminished. Full documents are obviously easier to identify, and if the criminals stealing these records don’t have the fall-back option of clipping off signatures, some may not bother at all.

This voluntary decision to refrain from dealing in clipped signatures will also help to strengthen the often tenuous relationship between museums, historical records repositories, libraries, etc. and those dealing in related items, creating a more effective means of communicating and better addressing the issue of cultural heritage trafficking.