CA2175017A1 - Memorabilia articles having integral collectible attractiveness attributes - Google Patents

Abstract

Collector-targeted memorabilia articles, and a method of producing a collector-targeted memorabilia article by affixing one or more integral collectible attractiveness attributes to a selected base article. An item selectable for use as a base article is, for example, a sports-related item, a non-collector-targeted utilitarian item, a pre-existing memorabilia item. an item intentionally manufactured for use as a base article, or a like item.
Each memorabilia article is a unified body of tangible material comprising a base article and a requisite integral collectible attractiveness attribute affixed to the base article in the form of a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a genuine autograph of a preferred personality, or a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality. A
facsimile autograph of a preferred personality, limited edition markings, a witness-signed authentication statement, notarial confirmation text, and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes may be affixed to the base article.

Description

~- 21 ~501 7 -- 1 Patent Application of Frederick C. Schlauch for M~Mo~RILIA ARTICLES
HAVING
INTEGRAL COLLECTIBLE ATTRA~lv~N~SS ATTRIBUTES

FIELD OF THE lNv~.lION

This invention relates to the field of memorabilia articles and, more particularly, to articles intentionally created as collector-targeted memorabilia articles (including sports-related, nonsports-related and limited edition memorabilia articles) bearing preferred-personality-created attributes (including genuine autographs), facsimile attributes (including facsimile autographs), and other attributes incorporated as integral (intrinsic) collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness to collectors of memorabilia articles.

BACRGROUND OF THE lNV~ lON

Intentional integral affixing of a preferred-personality-created attribute to a base article is widely recognized by memorabilia dealers and collectors as a way to add collectible value to the article. Such intentional affixing involves forming the preferred-personality-created attribute as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to collectors of memorabilia articles. Indicating or implying that the article is of a limited edition production is widely recognized by dealers and collectors as a way to further increase collectible value of the article.

By merely forming and affixing a preferred-personality-created attribute on a base article of relatively insubstantial worth, a preferred personality (a sports personality, an entertainment personality, a political personality, or a like personality) may transform the base article into a memorabilia article of substantial value. In the present marketplace, the predominant preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute is the genuine autograph (an autograph personally created by a preferred personality).

- 21~50t7 3 The genuine autograph of the memorabilia article created to appeal to collectors is a collector-targeted preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute. The genuine autograph of the collector-targeted memorabilia article should not be confused with the non-collector-targeted utilitarian signature of a personal check, real-estate-transfer document, employment contract, or like instrument created for a utilitarian purpose without intent to create attractiveness to collectors. Likewise, no other collector-targeted preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute should be regarded as synonymous with any indicium or marking substantially created for a non-collector-oriented utilitarian use.

In the current marketplace, collectors are offered genuinely autographed memorabilia articles encompassing a considerable diversity of base articles, including: items originally manufactured substantially to appeal to collectors (for example, trading cards, fine art lithographic prints, hall-of-fame memorabilia items, and commemorative philatelic items); items originally manufactured as sporting equipment (for example, baseballs, baseball bats, footballs, basketballs, hockey pucks, and sports uniforms); and items originally manufactured for non-collector-targeted and substantially utilitarian purposes (for example, 3-by-5 inch index cards and general news periodicals).

Thus, collectors are given a very diverse assortment of kinds of base articles from which to choose but are largely restricted to only one major kind of preferred-personality-created attribute: the genuine autograph. There is a need to give collectors greater choice by providing at least a second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute. The availability of a second major kind of preferred-personality-created attribute would make possible the manufacture of a significant diversity of memorabilia articles heretofore unknown.

The background art encompasses affixing certain other attributes to base articles. Among these attributes are holograms, offset-printed identification number indicia, and facsimile autographs. Such kinds of attributes are not regarded as preferred-personality-created attributes and generally do not bring as much collectible attractiveness and collectible value to articles as preferred-personality-created attributes.

The power of a preferred-personality-created attribute to increase the value of a base article is typically exponentially greater than that of a hologram or like attribute not created by a preferred personality. For example, the 15-cent high value (Beckett Baseball Card Monthly, September 1994, page 58) of the hologram-bearing 1992 Upper Deck Extended Dave Winfield Baseball Card is increased more than 100-fold to $19.00 (The Score Board, Inc., Advertisement, Sports Collectors Digest, 9 September 1994, page 8) by merely affixing thereto a preferred-personality-created attribute in the form of a genuine autograph. This is a definitive example of the failure of a hologram to bring to an article even one percent of the value conferred by affixing a major preferred-personality-created attribute.

One of the biggest problems faced by collectors is determining whether or not the script-written name of a preferred personality on an article is a genuine autograph.
The quantity of fraudulently autographed items in the present marketplace is mindboggling. For example, a television interview with a person who had been convicted of selling items bearing counterfeit autographs revealed that this one person had sold "more than 75,000 fake signatures"
(Zachary Reid, "A Closer Look: The Score Board Cracking Down On Fake Autographs," Tuff Stuff, April 1993, pages 27-28).
The magnitude of the problem caused by items bearing bogus autographs has become so intolerable that legislation has been initiated in a number of states to legally require a letter of authenticity for each sale of an item bearing an autograph (Scott Newman, "Faking The Romance: Fraud and Conterfeiting. Few People In The Memorabilia Industry Want To Talk About It. But That's The Only Way To Correct It,"
Tuff Stuff, February 1993, pages 116-118).

Fraudulent autographs are often produced by counterfeiters intending to sell these imitations to unsuspecting customers. This intentional counterfeiting for illicit profit is not the only way through which bogus autographs enter the memorabilia marketplace. Many sports players are overwhelmed by requests for autographs from fans and other collectors. To meet this heavy demand, a number of players resort to using ghost writers, autopenning machines and rubber stamps to affix imitation autographs to items. Usually such player-authorized imitations are not made with any intent by the players to deceive fans for illicit profit. In fact, such imitation autographs are normally distributed free to fans, at a financial cost to a player or the player's team, resulting in a loss, not a profit. Nevertheless, despite the goodwill intended by this player-authorized creation of imitations, these fake autographs are substantially just as bogus and worthless to collectors as the fraudulent autographs made for illicit profit by unauthorized counterfeiters.

Flooding the marketplace are sports-related autographed articles that contain nothing incorporated as parts of the articles to authenticate the genuineness of the autographs.
The average collector or investor is often left with no meaningful basis on which to judge the authenticity of the autograph on a purchased article other than the "good faith"
of the selling dealer in a marketplace where many dealers have dubious reputations and where distrust abounds.
Collectors who invest such articles frequently find that these cannot readily be resold to dealers because of the nearly ever-present distrust of autographed items.

To overcome the widespread worries of investors and other collectors about bogus autographs, a number of memorabilia dealers and companies have produced devices and systems to assure collectors of the genuineness of autographs being offered. Most of the articles supposedly authenticated under this background art involve "extrinsic devices" (devices physically separate from the involved memorabilia articles).

A particularly prevalent form of extrinsic device is the certificate-of-authenticity (a certificate or letter guaranteeing the authenticity of the involved autograph and/or article). A certificate-of-authenticity may be created before an autographed article is sold to a collector, at the time the article is acquired by the collector, or after the article has been acquired by the collector. A certificate-of-authenticity may involve hindsight "authentication" by a handwriting expert years after the creation of an autograph. Such hindsight "authentication," at best, reflects expert or educated opinion and not witness-based authentication.
A certificate-of-authenticity may be notarized (Richard Albersheim, "The Autograph Report: What's Selling And Alternatives To Card Shows," Tuff Stuff, November 1993, page 139).

The limited value of a certificate-of-authenticity or like device is well recognized by experts in the field of sports memorabilia. Such certificates are too often of little or no value in protecting collectors from con-artists peddling fraudulently autographed items (Mike Breeden, Scott Gregg, Michael Litos, Dennis Madigan, and Jim Warren II, "Certificates Of Authenticity, Are Two Signatures Worth More Than One?," Tuff Stuff, February 1994, page 162;
Jim Hawkins, "Eye Of The Hawk: Some Aren't Worth Paper They're Printed On, Certificate Of Authenticity Only As Good As Issuer's Reputation," Sports Collectors Digest, 21 October 1994, page 24; Terry Melia, "Finding The Comfort Zone, Are Certificates Of Authenticity Worth Even The Pieces Of Paper They're Printed On?," Encyclopedia of Sports Memorabilia & Price Guide, December 1994/January 1995, pages 8-10).

That the written contents of a certificate-of-authenticity are not physically integral with the autographed article being authenticated allows easy disassociation of the critical authentication data from the article. Such a certificate-of-authenticity may become lost or become associated, by accident or fraudulent action, with a bogusly autographed article.

The authentication system of Molee et al.
(U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,756) includes a kind of certificate-of-authenticity. Molee et al. teach affixing a first hologram with a unique code number to an article and a second hologram with the same unique code number to a certificate-of-authenticity. Molee et al.
further teach a registration "hotline" entity having a master record or list containing the unique code number and information on the article to which the number applies. The system of Molee et al. further includes extrinsic means for a purchaser to register the article by mail or telephone with the entity. These extrinsic means allow a customer to later confirm information about the article through a registration "hotline."

The certificate-of-authenticity of Molee et al.
overcomes some of the problems inherent in other certificates-of-authenticity of the background art.

-- 2175Q17 lo However, Molee et al. fail to provide a less cumbersome way to authenticate an autograph. In fact, Molee et al. add cumbersomeness and remoteness to the authentication process by introducing customer communication with a registration "hotline" entity. If the entity eventually shuts down its "hotline" or goes out-of-business, a customer may be left with no way to gain access to the master record or list. The system of Molee et al. is excessively dependent on authentication means extrinsic from the article being authenticated.

Although seemingly recognizing the integral collectible enhancement power of the genuine autograph, Molee et al. fail to present a second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute.

The value of the hologram of Molee et al. is in its function as an authentication device substantially dependent on the continuing existence and availability of such extrinsic devices as the certificate-of-authenticity and master record or list.

Molee et al. teach away from comprehensively self-authenticating memorabilia articles having integral authentication attribute means for holding the detailed (comprehensive) authentication data printed on their certificate-of-authenticity and stored in their master record or list.

The prior art clearly emphasizes the use of extrinsic devices to authenticate the predominant kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute (the genuine autograph).

The prior art shows the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the need for a non-autographic, integral attribute having the potential to function at, near or above the level of the genuine autograph as a convenient, expeditious and economical preferred-personality-created attribute means for making articles substantially more attractive to memorabilia collectors.

The prior art shows the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the need for a method of producing a memorabilia article including two major kinds of preferred-personality-created attributes (the genuine autograph and a non-autographic attribute) capable of synergistically functioning together as means for substantially increasing attractiveness to memorabilia collectors.

The prior art shows the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the need for a second major kind of preferred-personality-created attribute capable of fulfilling the role of a non-autographic memorial marking or indicium having an appeal to memorabilia collectors substantially greater than the appeal of a hologram or like device.

The prior art shows the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the need for a method of producing a comprehensively self-authenticating memorabilia article having integral authentication attributes directly providing detailed authentication data to a collector viewing the article.

Some notable preferred personalities have significantly reduced or substantially complete loss of ability to create and affix a preferred-personality-created attribute in the form of a legible and consistent handwritten autograph.
Such notable preferred personalities suffer from paralysis of limbs, limitation of manual locomotion, blindness, and other handicaps resulting from diabetes, strokes, severe arthritis, disabling accidents, and like causes.

The problems resulting from writing-handicapped preferred personalities being unable to meet the demands of fans and other collectors for genuine autographs are well _ 13 recognized by memorabilia experts (Mark A. Baker, Baseball Autograph Handbook, First Edition, 1990; Mark A. Baker, Baseball Autograph Handbook, Second Edition, 1991;
Scott Crowder, "In The World Of Sports," Autograph Collector, October 1993, pages 58-59; Dave Miedema, "Up Autograph Alley: Hall Of Famers Make Autograph News," Sports Collectors Digest, 30 January 1987, pages 176, 184 & 192;
Dave Miedema, "Autographs: Unhealthy, Health Problems Limit The Appearances Of Older Hall Of Famers," Baseball Cards, October 1987, pages 26 & 28; Dave Miedema, "Autographs:
Regular Guys, These Hall Of Famers Are Pretty Good About Their Autographs," Baseball Cards, November 1987, pages 18 & 20).

Despite these well-known problems facing writing-handicapped preferred personalities, those of ordinary skill in the prior art have not offered substantial remedial inventions.

The prior art shows the failure of those of ordinary skill in the art to teach a major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute which may be conveniently created and affixed by a handwriting-disabled preferred personality.

- 2t75017 ~ 14 Certain kinds of base articles have no surfaces of sufficient size to allow a preferred personality, especially one having a lengthy signature, to conveniently and legibly affix normal renditions of his or her genuine autograph.
Golf balls and standard-sized milkcaps are examples of such base articles having limited writing space. Furthermore, collectors often favor the placement or restriction of a genuine autograph or other attribute to a specific surface region of an article (for example, collectors generally desire that a preferred personality creating a single-autograph baseball affix his or her autograph to the "sweet spot" of the ball).

Therefore, a need clearly exists for a second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute that may be conveniently and legibly affixed to base articles having limited surface areas. And a need clearly exists for a method to restrict the placement of a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute to a predetermined portion of a base article. The prior art demonstrates those of ordinary skill in the art have failed to adequately address these needs.

_ 15 The prior art substantially limits collector choice to only one major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute. And the background art substantially limits collector choice to an availability of comprehensive authentication devices that are extrinsic, easily disassociated from memorablia articles, too frequently dubious, often remote, and/or sometimes dependent on an authentication entity remaining solvent in business.

Those of ordinary skill in the prior art have not addressed the need for a second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute suitable as a: (1) means for integrally creating and/or enhancing collectible attractiveness of an article to memorabilia collectors; (2) means for integrally and synergistically interacting with a genuine autograph on an article to enhance attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors; (3) means for a handwriting-disabled preferred personality to affix conveniently and legibly to an article as an attribute attractive to memorabilia collectors; (4) means for a preferred personality to affix conveniently and legibly, as an attribute attractive to memorabilia collectors, to an article lacking a surface region sufficient for the placement of a normal genuine autograph; and (5) means for a preferred personality to affix and substantially cover a predetermined, discretely-bounded surface area of an article as a personally created marking attractive to memorabilia collectors.

Those of ordinary skill in the prior art have also substantially failed to address the need for a memorabilia-collector-targeted integral comprehensive authentication attribute as a means for integrally and comprehensively authenticating one or more preferred-personality-created attributes on an intentionally-created memorabilia article so as to make the article more appealing to memorabilia collectors.
This failure of those of ordinary skill in the prior art has resulted in the substantial lack of a diversity of collector-targeted, comprehensively self-authenticating memorabilia articles in the marketplace.

The present invention overcomes the above-described deficiencies of the prior art and fulfills the above-described needs not addressed by those of ordinary skill in the prior art.

_ 17 OBJECTS OF THE lNV~.~lON

One object of the present invention is to provide a second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute as a preferred-personality-created attribute means for intentionally creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of an article to memorabilia collectors.

Another object is to provide embodiments of collector-targeted memorabilia articles each of which comprises both the genuine autograph and the second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute, allowing these two attributes to synergistically interact with each other to enhance attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

A further object is to provide the second major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute as an integral attribute capable of fulfilling the role of a non-autographic memorial marking or indicium having an appeal to memorabilia collectors substantially greater than the appeal of a hologram or like device affixed merely as an authentication or anti-counterfeiting feature.

Another object is to provide collector-targeted comprehensively self-authenticating memorabilia articles having integral authentication attributes directly providing detailed authentication data to collectors viewing the articles.

Still another object is to provide intrinsic and comprehensive authentication attributes so integrally affixed as parts of the single unified body of tangible material comprising a memorabilia article that these attributes cannot readily be accidentally or intentionally disassociated from the article.

Yet another object is to provide intrinsic and comprehensive authentication attributes that are of sufficient scope to bring the persons certifying the authenticity of a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute on a memorabilia article substantially under laws relating to oaths, notarizations and the like.

Still another object is to provide comprehensive authentication without the problems inherent in an authentication system excessively dependent on the survival -of a registration "hotline" subject to business conditions and decisions causing registration operations to cease.

Yet another object is to provide a major preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute which may be conveniently, legibly and consistently created and affixed by handwriting-disabled preferred personalities.

A still further object is to provide a method for a preferred personality to affix and substantially cover a predetermined, discretely-bounded section of a surface of an article as a personally created marking attractive to memorabilia collectors.

And a yet further object is to provide collectors with a wide diversity of previously unavailable llmited edition memorabilia articles encompassing a variety of integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

_ SUMMARY OF THE lNV ~ ION

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by the method of this invention producing a new selection of integral collectible attractiveness attributes for use on a large variety of individual base articles so as to allow the creation of a great diversity of new kinds of collector-targeted memorabilia articles.

In accordance with aspects of the method of this invention, an integral collectible attractiveness attribute set is affixed to a selected base article to enhance and/or create attractiveness to memorabilia collectors. This attribute set minimally comprises a requisite integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a selected preferred personality in the form of: a genuine autograph personally created by the preferred personality, a genuine fingerprint personally created by the preferred personality, or a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality.

Each integral collectible attractiveness attribute affixed to an article is a member of the integral collectible attractiveness attribute set of the article.
Each memorabilia article created within the scope of the invention comprises an integral collectible attractiveness attribute set minimally including a genuine fingerprint, a genuine autograph and at least one additional attribute, or a facsimile fingerprint.

The selected preferred personality is an active professional athlete, a retired professional athlete, a sports hall-of-fame member, a notable amateur athlete, a notable sports-related personality, an entertainment personality, a mass-media personality, a notable academic personality, a notable author, a notable political personality, a heroic personality, a public figure, a famous personality, a comicbook-related personality, an artistic personality, or a like personality.

The base article may be an item originally manufactured for a substantially non-collector-targeted utilitarian purpose, an item originally manufactured as an item of sporting equipment, an item originally created as a memorabilia item bearing features intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors, or an item originally created to serve as a base article of an embodiment of the present invention. The base article may be related or unrelated to a sport. In its pre-existing state, the base article may be with or without collectible value and/or attractiveness to memorabilia collectors.

In accordance with further aspects of the method of this invention, if the requisite integral collectible attractiveness attribute of the selected preferred personality being affixed to the base article comprises a genuine fingerprint, a finger of the preferred personality touches a surface during the formation of the genuine fingerprint. One or more fingerprint-forming substances are interfaced with the finger and surface during the touching so as to transfer detailed imaging of skin patterns of the finger to the surface.

The genuine fingerprint may be formed with or without use of a removable mask. A mask having an aperture of a predetermined shape and predetermined size may be temporarily placed on the base article so as to restrict the formation of the genuine fingerprint to a predetermined surface area of the article substantially equivalent in shape and size to the aperture. Excess fingerprint-forming substance(s) will be kept off adjacent surface areas of the base article by the presence of mask material surrounding the predetermined surface area. The mask material functions as a barrier to the extending of the fingerprint onto parts of the base article where no fingerprinting is desired.

The predetermined shape of the aperture of the mask may be substantially symmetrical or nonsymmetrical. The predetermined shape of the aperture may be related to the _ profession or another life aspect of the preferred personality (for example, an entertainment personality who is a movie star may wish to use a star-shaped aperture to form his or her genuine fingerprint) or unrelated to any such life aspect.

Regardless of the shape and size of the genuine fingerprint, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint may be created on the base article to more clearly define the bounds of the fingerprint and to give the fingerprint specifically and the article generally a neater appearance.

The method of the present invention allows a preferred personality handicapped by a writing disability to conveniently, legibly and consistently create and affix a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute in the form of a genuine fingerprint.

In accordance with still further aspects of the method of this invention, one or more authentication attributes may be affixed to the base article to authenticate a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute (a genuine autograph or a genuine fingerprint)-. An authentication attribute is integrally affixed as a part of the article to increase collector confidence in the genuineness of a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute. Increase in collector confidence is expected to increase attractiveness of the article to collectors. Thus, an authentication attribute is also an integral collectible attractiveness attribute. The affixing of an authentication attribute to the base article is not merely intended to authenticate: the affixing is intended to increase attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

The witness signature, the certifying nonwitness signature, and the notary public signature of this invention, are integral attributes. Each is affixed to the base article as a part of a larger authentication attribute (an authentication statement or notarial confirmation text), as a part of another integral attribute, or as an individual integral attribute. The ultimate intended use of each signature attribute of this invention is to increase the attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

Among the other integral collectible attractiveness attributes of this invention that may be affixed to the base article, either individually or as part of another attribute, are: a name of the preferred personality;

the date of the creating and affixing of at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute; a name of a geographic location where the creating and affixing of at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute occurred; an anti-counterfeiting marking; a hologram; a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality; and organic matter containing genetic information from the biotic body of the preferred personality.

A pictorial image of the preferred personality is another integral attribute that may be affixed to the base article to increase attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

The base article may have a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute and/or other specific integral collectible attractiveness attributes. The defined and prepared surface area may be constructed to more readily allow clearer and better affixing of one or more attributes to the base article with intent to make the article more attractive to memorabilia collectors.

In accordance with yet further aspects of this invention, the memorabilia article may be one of a limited production of substantially similar or related memorabilia articles. With intent to increase intrinsic attractiveness to collectors, this restricted production may be indicated by affixing limited edition markings to the base article.

The memorabilia article of this invention may be associated with promotional matter (including printed merchandise packaging in which the article is enclosed).
The printed information can include pictorial representations of the preferred personality, facsimile autographs, facsimile fingerprints, limited edition promotional indicia, and the like.

The method of the present invention encompasses creation of a diversity of collector-targeted memorabilia articles, utilizing different quantitative and qualitative combinations of preferred-personality-created and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes. A wide diversity of kinds of base articles are used. The method of the present invention encompasses creation of a superior quality of collector-targeted memorabilia articles.
Created by this method are memorabilia articles bearing combinations of preferred-personality-created integral attributes and comprehensively self-authenticating features not available to collectors under the prior art. The ~1 75û1 7 27 present invention makes available collector-targeted memorabilia articles having intrinsic trustworthiness and collectible attractiveness unknown to collectors under the prior art.

The present invention includes all products of the method of the invention. These products encompass all collectible articles produced by the method of the invent ion .

`- 2175Q17 - 28 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. lA is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a trading card) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint created by a preferred personality, and a name and pictorial image of the preferred personality.

FIG. lB is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. lA.

FIG. 2A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a trading card) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine fingerprint created by a preferred personality, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, a witness-signed authentication statement, notarial confirmation text, and a pictorial image of the preferred personality.

FIG. 2B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a milkcap) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, and a name and pictorial image of the preferred personality.

FIG. 3B is a view of the reverse side of an embodiment of FIG. 3A

FIG. 4A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a slammer) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a witness-signed authentication statement, notarial confirmation text, and a pictorial image of the preferred personality.

FIG. 4B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a philatelic item) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a borderline substantially _ delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, and a name and pictorial image of the preferred personality; the genuine autograph and genuine fingerprint are affixed within a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

FIG. 5B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a three-dimensional collectible item) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, and a name of the preferred personality.

FIG. 7A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article ta tangible work of fine art) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a witness-signed authentication statement, and notarial confirmation text.

2~7501 7 _ 31 FIG. 7B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a bound publication) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a borderline delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, and an authentication statement signed by a witness who is a notary public.

FIG. 9 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a comicbook) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, and a witness-signed authentication statement; these attributes are affixed within a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

FIG. lOA is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a tangible work of comicbook-related art) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality, an authentication statement signed by a certifying person, notarial confirmation text, and a hologram.

FIG. lOB is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. lOA.

FIG. llA is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a photograph) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a witness-signed authentication statement, and a pictorial image of the preferred personality.

FIG. llB is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. llA.

FIG. 12A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a photograph) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, and a pictorial image of the preferred personality; the genuine autograph and genuine fingerprint are affixed within a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

FIG. 12B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 13A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a collector plate) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a facsimile autograph and a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality, a witness-signed authentication statement, and notarial confirmation text.

FIG. 13B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is a view of the obverse side of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (a non-collector-targeted utilitarian item) as integral collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint, a witness-signed authentication statement, notarial confirmation text.

FIG. 14B is a view of the reverse side of the embodiment of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 15 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having affixed to the base article (an item of sporting equipment) as integral preferred-personality-created collectible attractiveness attributes: limited edition markings, and a genuine autograph and a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality.

FIG. 16 is a view of an embodiment of the invention comprising a collector-targeted memorabilia article (a golf ball bearing a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality) and related promotional matter (merchandise packaging).

FIG. 17 is a view of a mask used in the creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles bearing preferred-personality-created genuine fingerprints of a predetermined shape (substantially circular) and predetermined size.

FIG. 18 is a view of a mask used in the creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles bearing preferred-personality-created genuine fingerprints of a predetermined shape (substantially heart-shaped) and predetermined size.

FIG. 19 is a view of a mask used in the creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles bearing preferred-personality-created genuine fingerprints of a predetermined shape (substantially football-shaped) and predetermined size.

FIG. 20 is a view of a mask used in the creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles bearing preferred-personality-created genuine fingerprints of a predetermined shape (substantially baseball-bat-shaped) and predetermined size.

FIG. 21 is a view of a mask used in the creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles bearing preferred-personality-created genuine fingerprints of a predetermined shape (substantially star-shaped) and predetermined size.

FIG. 22 is a view of a finger (coated with a fingerprint-forming-substance) of a preferred personality being withdrawn after touching a base article through the aperture of a mask so as form a fingerprint of a predetermined shape and predetermined size as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attribute.

, LIST OF REFERENCE NUMT~!T~T..C

100: a trading card (sports card) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. lA and lB.

101: obverse side of base article 100.

102: reverse side of base article 100.

120: limited edition markings.

130: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

140: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 130.

152: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 130 and genuine fingerprint 140.

193: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 130 and genuine fingerprint 140.

200: a trading card (nonsports card) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

- ^ 2175017 - 38 201: obverse side of base article 200.

202: reverse side of base article 200.

220: limited edition markings.

240: a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality.

241: a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 240.

250: a statement having authentication wording.

252: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 240.

254: the date on which genuine fingerprint 240 was created.

256: a name of the geographic location at which genuine fingerprint 240 was created.

260: a signature of a witness.

, 270: notarial confirmation text.

280: a signature of a notary public.

293: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 240.

300: a milkcap comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

301: obverse side of base article 300.

302: reverse side of base article 300.

320: limited edition markings.

340: a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality.

352: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 340.

393: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 340.

400: a slammer comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

_ 40 401: obverse side of base article 400.

402: reverse side of base article 400.

430: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

440: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 430.

450: a statement having authentication wording.

460: a signature of a witness.

470: notarial confirmation text.

480: a signature of a notary public.

493: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 430 and genuine fingerprint 440.

500: a philatelic item (commemorative envelope) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 5A and 5B.

501: obverse side of base article 500.

--~ 2175017 41 502: reverse side of base article 500:

510: a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

520: limited edition markings.

530: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

540: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 530.

541: a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 540.

552: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 530 and genuine fingerprint 540.

593: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 530 and genuine fingerprint 540.

600: a three-dimensional figurine comprising the base article of the embodiment of in FIG. 6.

_.

620: limited edition markings.

630: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

640: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 630.

641: a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 640.

652: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 630 and genuine fingerprint 640.

700: a tangible work of fine art (lithographic print) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 7A
and 7B.

701: obverse side of base article 700.

702: reverse side of base article 700.

720: limited edition markings.

730: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

_ 43 740: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 730.

750: a statement having authentication wording.

760: a signature of a witness.

770: notarial confirmation text.

780: a signature of a notary public.

800: a bound publication (book) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

820: limited edition markings.

830: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

840: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 830.

841: a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 840.

850: a statement having authentication wording.

852: a name of the preferred personality who created ~- 2175017 - 44 , genuine autograph 830 and genuine fingerprint 840.

860: a signature of a witness who is a notary public.

900: a comicbook comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

910: a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

930: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

940: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 930.

941: a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 940.

950: a statement having authentication wording.

960: a signature of a witness.

1000: a tangible work of comicbook-related art comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. lOA
and lOB.

1001: obverse side of base article 1000.

1002: reverse side of base article 1000.

1020: limited edition markings.

1039: facsimile autograph of a preferred personality.

1040: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality whose facsimile autograph 1039 is affixed to base article 1000.

1050: a statement having authentication wording.

1065: a signature of a certifying person.

1070: notarial confirmation text.

1080: a signature of a notary public.

1099: a hologram.

1100: a photograph comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. llA and llB.

1101: obverse side of base article 1100.

1102: reverse side of base article 1102.

1130: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

1140: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1130.

1150: a statement having authentication wording.

1154: the date on which genuine autograph 1130 and genuine fingerprint 1140 were created and affixed to base article 1100.

1160: a signature of a witness.

1170: notarial confirmation text.

1180: a signature of a notary public.

1193: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1130 and genuine fingerprint 1140.

1200: a photograph comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 12A and 12B.

1201: obverse side of base article 1200.

1202: reverse side of base article 1200.

1210: a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attributes and/or other integral collectible attractiveness attributes.

1220: limited edition markings.

1230: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

1240: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1230.

1293: a pictorial image of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1230 and genuine fingerprint 1240.

1300: a collector plate comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 13A and 13B.

1301: obverse side of base article 1300.

1302: reverse side of base article 1300.

- 2t750t7 1320: limited edition markings.

1330: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

1339: a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1330.

1340: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1330.

1349: a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1349.

1350: a statement having authentication wording.

1360: a signature of a witness.

1370: notarial confirmation text.

1380: a signature of a notary public.

1400: a utilitarian item (index card) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIGS. 14A and 14B.

1401: obverse side of base article 1400.

1402: reverse side of base article 1400.

., 1420: limited edition markings.

1430: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

1440: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1430.

1450: a statement having authentication wording.

1452: a name of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1430 and genuine fingerprint 1440.

1454: the date on which genuine autograph 1430 and genuine fingerprint 1440 were created.

1456: a name of the geographic location at which genuine autograph 1430 and genuine fingerprint 1440 were created.

1460: a signature of a witness.

1470: notarial confirmation text.

1480: a signature of a notary public.

2t 7501 7 _ 50 1500: an item of sporting equipment (baseball) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIG. 15.

1520: limited edition markings.

1530: a genuine autograph of a preferred personality.

1540: a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality who created genuine autograph 1530.

1600: an item of sporting equipment (golf ball) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIG. 16.

1640: a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality.

1641: a borderline substantially following the perimeter of genuine fingerprint 1640.

1685: merchandise packaging.

1686: limited edition promotional indicia on packaging 1685.

1687: imitation fingerprint on packaging 1685.

21750~7 _ 51 1688: a pictorial representation of a preferred personality on packaging 1685.

1747: a substantially flat mask used in the creation of a genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

1748: an aperture of a predetermined shape (substantially circular) and predetermined size.

1847: a substantially flat mask used in the creation of a genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

1848: an aperture of a predetermined shape (substantially heart-shaped) and predetermined size.

1947: a substantially flat mask used in the creation of a genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

1948: an aperture of a predetermined shape (substantially football-shaped) and predetermined size.

2047: a substantially flat mask used in the creation of a genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

2048: an aperture of a predetermined shape (substantially baseball-bat-shaped) and predetermined size.

2147: a substantially flat mask used in the creation of a genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

2148: an aperture of a predetermined shape (substantially star-shaped) and predetermined size.

2200: an item of sporting equipment (golf ball) comprising the base article of the embodiment of FIG. 22.

2240: a genuine fingerprint of a predetermined shape and size formed by a preferred personality touching a surface of base article 2200 with a finger, coated with a fingerprint-forming substance, pressed through aperture 2248 of mask 2247.

2243: excess fingerprint-forming substance deposited on mask 2247.

_ 53 2244: fingerprint-forming substance (shown on a finger of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 2240).

2245: inner (aperture-surrounding) edge of mask 2247.

2246: outer edge of mask 2247.

2247: a mask used in the creation of genuine fingerprint 2240 as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

2248: an aperture of a predetermined shape and predetermined size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE lNv~ lON

Sixteen embodiments of the invention are shown in FIGS.
lA and lB, FIGS. 2A and 2B, FIGS. 3A and 3B, FIGS. 4A and 4B, FIGS. 5A & 5B, FIG. 6, FIGS. 7A and 7B, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIGS. 10A and 10B, FIGS. llA and llB, FIGS. 12A and 12B, FIGS. 13A and 13B, FIGS. 14A and 14B, FIG. 15, and FIG. 16.
Each of these 16 embodiments comprises a selected base article and at least one attribute selected for affixing to the base article as: a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute in the form of a genuine fingerprint; a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute in the form of a genuine autograph; or an integral collectible attractiveness attribute in the form of a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality. Every embodiment within the scope of the present invention includes at least one of these three integral attributes.

FIGS. lA and lB show an embodiment comprising base article 100, which is a trading card. Base article 100 has two sides, obverse side 101 and reverse side 102. Affixed to base article 100 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 140, genuine autograph 130, name 152 of the preferred personality who created and - 2175017 - 5s affixed genuine fingerprint 140 and genuine autograph 130, pictorial image 193 of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings 120.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show an embodiment comprising base article 200, which is a trading card. Base article 200 has two sides, obverse side 201 and reverse side 202. Affixed to base article 200 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 240, fingerprint borderline 241, authentication statement 250 bearing witness signature 260, preferred personality name 252, date 254, geographic location name 256, pictorial image 293 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 240, and limited edition markings 220.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show an embodiment comprising base article 300, which is a milkcap. Base article 300 has two sides, obverse side 301 and reverse side 302. Affixed to base article 300 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 340, name 352 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 340, pictorial image 393 of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings 320.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show an embodiment comprising base article 400, which is a slammer. Base article 400 has two sides, obverse side 401 and reverse side 402. Affixed to base article 400 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 440, genuine autograph 430, authentication statement 450 bearing witness signature 460, notarial confirmation text 470 bearing notary public signature 480, and pictorial image 493 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 440 and genuine autograph 430.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show an embodiment comprising base article 500, which is a philatelic item (a commemorative envelope). Base article 500 has two sides, obverse side 501 and reverse side 502. Incorporated in base article 500 is defined and prepared surface 510. Affixed to base article 500 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are:
genuine fingerprint 540, fingerprint borderline 541, genuine autograph 530, name 552 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 540 and genuine autograph 530, pictorial image 593 of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment comprising base article 600, which is a three-dimensional figurine. Affixed to base article 600 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 640, fingerprint -borderline 641, genuine autograph 630, name 652 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 640 and autograph 630, and limited edition markings 620.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an embodiment comprising base article 700, which is a tangible work of fine art (a lithographic print). Base article 700 has two sides, obverse side 701 and reverse side 702. Affixed to base article 700 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 740, genuine autograph 730, authentication statement 750 bearing witness signature 760, notarial confirmation text bearing notary public signature 780, and limited edition markings 720.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment comprising base article 800, which is a bound publication (a book). Affixed to base article 800 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 840, fingerprint borderline 841, genuine autograph 830, authentication statement 850 bearing signature 860 of a witness who is a notary public, name 852 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 840 and genuine autograph 830, and limited edition markings 820.

~ 2175017 _ 58 FIG. 9 shows an embodiment comprising base article 900, which is a comicbook. Incorporated in base article 900 is defined and prepared surface 910. Affixed to base article 900 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are:
genuine fingerprint 940, fingerprint borderline 941, genuine autograph 930, and authentication statement 950 bearing witness signature 960.

FIGS. lOA and lOB show an embodiment comprising base article 1000, which is a tangible work of comicbook-related art. Base article 1000 has two sides, obverse side 1001 and reverse side 1002. Affixed to base article 1000 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1040, facsimile autograph 1039, authentication statement 1050 bearing certifying-person signature 1065, notarial confirmation text 1070 bearing notary public signature 1080, hologram 1099, and limited edition markings 1020 FIGS. llA and llB show an embodiment comprising base article 1100, which is a photograph. Base article 1100 has two sides, obverse side 1101 and reverse side 1102. Affixed to base article 1100 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1140, genuine autograph 1130, authentication statement 1150 (including date 1154) bearing witness signature 1160, notarial confirmation text 1170 bearing notary public signature 1180, and pictorial _ 59 image 1193 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 1140 and genuine autograph 1130.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show an embodiment comprising base article 1200, which is a photograph. Base article 1200 has two sides, obverse side 1201 and reverse side 1202.
Incorporated in base article 1200 is defined and prepared surface 1210. Affixed to base article 1200 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1240, genuine autograph 1230, pictorial image 1293 of the preferred personality who created genuine fingerprint 1240 and autograph 1230, and limited edition markings 1220.

FIGS. 13A and 13B show an embodiment comprising base article 1300, which is a collector plate. Base article 1300 has two sides, obverse side 1301 and reverse side 1302.
Affixed to base article 1300 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1340, facsimile fingerprint 1349, genuine autograph 1330, facsimile autograph 1339, authentication statement 1350 bearing witness signature 1360, notarial confirmation text 1370 bearing notary public signature 1380, and limited edition markings 1320.

FIGS. 14A and 14B show an embodiment comprising base article 1400, which is a non-collector-targeted utilitarian _ 60 item (an index card). Base article 1400 has two sides, obverse side 1401 and reverse side 1402. Affixed to base article 1400 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1440, genuine autograph 1430, authentication statement 1450 (including preferred personality name 1452, date 1454, geographic location name 1456, and witness signature 1460), notarial confirmation text 1470 bearing notary public signature 1480, and limited edition markings 1420.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment comprising base article 1500, which is an item of sporting equipment (a baseball).
Affixed to base article 1500 as integral collectible attractiveness attributes are: genuine fingerprint 1540, genuine autograph 1530, and limited edition markings 1520.

FIG. 16 shows an embodiment comprising base article 1600, an item of sporting equipment (a golf ball). Affixed to base article 1600 are: genuine fingerprint 1640, and fingerprint borderline 1641. Also shown in FIG. 16 is related promotional matter in the form of merchandise packaging 1685, which bears: limited edition promotional indicia 1686, imitation fingerprint 1687, and preferred personality representation 1685.

The sixteen embodiments described above are intended only as illustrative examples and not as exhaustive representations of the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

An embodiment of this invention comprises a base article which is an item substantially qualifing as one or more of the following kinds of items: a pre-existing memorabilia item, a non-collector-targeted utilitarian item, a sporting equipment item, a sports-related item which is collectible, an item intentionally manufactured for use as a base article in an embodiment of this invention, a substantially three-dimensional item which is collectible, a substantially flat item which is collectible, a tangible work of art, a collector plate, a lithographic print, an original work of art, an original painting, an original drawing, a limited edition work of art, a limited edition collectible ceramic item, a photograph, a black & white photograph, a color photograph, a limited edition photographic work, a promotional photograph, an item of entertainment memorabilia, a poster which is collectible, a motion picture lobby card, a motion picture cel, a trading card, a sheet of trading cards, a hall-of-fame memorabilia item, a milkcap, a slammer, a disc which is collectible, a philatelic item, a figurine, a bound publication, a first edition book, a comicbook, a comicbook-related work of art, a fanzine, an animation cel, a pennant, a 3-by-5-inch index card, and a collectible political item.

21 750t7 _ 62 A trading card may serve as a base article. A "trading card" is a card of the type including sports and nonsports cards generally defined by the trading card industry as being a trading card. A trading card is defined as belonging to a card type substantially not including telecards, greeting cards, index cards, playing cards, postcards, and the like.

Two kinds of trading cards are used as the base articles for the embodiments of FIGS. lA and lB and FIGS. 2A
and 2B. Base article 100 is a sports card. A "sports card"
is: a kind of trading card encompassing subject matter substantially relating to a sport, and/or a trading card which is one card of a plurality of cards comprising a set of trading cards substantially relating to one or more sports.

More particularly, base article 100 is a baseball card.
A "baseball card" is: a sports card encompassing subject matter substantially relating to the sport of baseball, and/or a trading card which is one card of a plurality of cards comprising a set of trading cards substantially relating to the sport of baseball. Other sports cards include basketball cards, football cards, hockey cards, and the like.

Base article 200 is a nonsports card. A "nonsports card" is: a kind of trading card encompassing subject matter substantially not sports-related, and/or a trading card which is one card of a plurality of cards comprising a set of trading cards including cards substantially relating to one or more topics which are primarily not sports-centered. Nonsports cards are also known as "topical cards."

The following are substantially flat items: base article 100 of FIGS. lA and lB, base article 200 of FIGS. 2A
and 2B, base article 300 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, base article 500 of FIGS. 5A and 5B, base article 700 of FIGS. 7A and 7B, base article 1000 of FIGS. 10A and 10B, base article 1100 of FIGS. llA and llB, base article 1200 of FIGS. 12A and 12B, and base article 1400 of FIGS. 14A and 14B.

During the past several years there has been an exponential growth in the collecting of substantially disc-shaped items known as milkcaps and related slammers.
A trademarked kind of milkcap is a POG . Slammers are generally larger, heavier and/or thicker than related milkcaps. In addition to the milkcap (exemplified as base article 300 of the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B) and the slammer (exemplified as base article 400 of FIGS. 4A and 4B), the scope of this invention and its embodiments includes all other kinds of substantially disc-shaped items that are appropriate for use as base articles.

A "non-collector-targeted utilitarian item" is a body of tangible material substantially manufactured with little or no intentional collectible value and with intent to function in a non-collector-targeted utilitarian manner.
Non-collector-targeted utilitarian items, including plain and ruled 3-by-5-inch index cards, have been used for decades by movie stars and other famous persons as vehicles on which their autographs may be formed and attached for distribution to fans and autograph-seekers.
A non-collector-targeted utilitarian item such as an index card (exemplified as base article 1400 of FIGS. 14A and 14B) or other non-collector-targeted utilitarian item can serve as the base article of an embodiment of this invention.

A sporting equipment item may be used as the base article for an embodiment of this invention. A "sporting equipment item" is a body of tangible material substantially manufactured for use in the playing of a sport, and/or an item manufactured so as to substantially resemble an item for use in the playing of a sport.

Two kinds of sporting equipment items are used as the base articles in the embodiments of FIG. 15 and FIG. 16.
Base article 1500 is a baseball, a kind of sporting equipment item. Base article 1600 is another kind of sporting equipment item, a golf ball. A base article which is another kind of sporting equipment item can be, for example, a football, a basketball, a soccer ball, a hockey puck, a tennis ball, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, a tennis racket, a golf club, a baseball cap, a baseball batting helmet, a baseball batting glove, a baseball mitt, a baseball jersey, a baseball uniform, a football jersey, a football helmet, a basketball jersey, a basketball uniform, a soccer uniform, a hockey jersey, a hockey uniform, a hockey helmet, a tennis shirt, a golf shirt, a boxing glove, a pair of boxing trunks, a commemorative baseball, a commemorative football, a commemorative baseball bat, a commemorative item designed in the form of an item generally used in the playing of a sport, a white-panelled football, a white-panelled basketball, an item of facsimile sports clothing, an item designed for the playing of a sport by children, or a like item.

The term "preferred personality," as used in this application, comprises any person who creates at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute on a base article in the form of a genuine fingerprint or genuine autograph, and/or who is represented on a base article by an integral collectible attractiveness attribute which is a facsimile fingerprint of the person. A preferred personality is an individual who --- 21750~7 66 is: an active professional athlete, a retired professional athlete, a sports hall-of-fame member, a notable amateur athlete, a notable sports-related personality, an entertainment personality, a mass-media personality, a notable academic personality, a notable author, a notable political personality, a heroic personality, a public figure, a famous personality, a comicbook-related personality, an artistic personality and/or a like personality.

An "integral collectible attractiveness attribute" is an attribute affixed to a base article so as to enhance the attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors and the like. The one or more integral collectible attributes affixed to the base article constitute the "integral collectible attractiveness set" of the respective memorabilia article.

A "non-collector-targeted utilitarian marking"
is a marking affixed to an item for a substantially utilitarian purpose not encompassing any substantial intent to make the item attractive to memorabilia collectors.
Non-collector-targeted utilitarian markings include, for example: a signature affixed to a credit agreement for the utilitarian purpose of obtaining credit; a fingerprint placed on a registration card used by a law enforcement agency for the utilitarian purpose of functioning as part of ~ - 21750~7 - 67 a criminal record data bank system; and a notarized body of text included in a deed or like instrument for the utilitarian purpose of facilitating transfer of a real property title. The fingerprints, signatures and other markings of Parliman (U.S. Pat. No. 1,206,362), Effrig (U.S. Pat. No. 1,322,293), Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 1,374,208), Voght (U.S. Pat. No. 1,380,506), Chadwick et al. (U.S. Pat.
No. 1,483,926), Stoddard (U.S. Pat. No. 1,499,955), and Edwards (U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,047), are examples of non-collector-targeted utilitarian markings.

An integral collectible attractiveness attribute and a non-collector-targeted utilitarian marking are two clearly different kinds of features, with each kind having a distinct function or purpose.

The method of the present invention comprises affixing at least one requisite attribute of a preferred personality on a surface so as to incorporate this at least one attribute as at least one substantially affixed feature of the article and thereby as at least one part of the unified body of tangible material comprising a collector-targeted memorabilia article. This at least one attribute is intentionally and integrally affixed as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing and/or creating attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

The at least one requisite integral collectible attractiveness attribute may be a genuine fingerprint of the preferred personality. A genuine fingerprint may be created by the preferred personality touching one of his or her fingers to a surface of the base article and by having ink, dye, pigmented materials, fingerprint-development chemicals and/or other fingerprint-forming substances interact with both the finger and the surface during the touching so as to create and affix the genuine fingerprint.

Or the at least one requisite attribute may be a genuine autograph of the preferred personality created by the preferred personality using a writing device to transfer ink or a like substance so as to form and affix the genuine autograph as a part of the unified body of tangible material comprising the collector-targeted memorablia article. The writing device used to create a genuine autograph may be a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, an indelible marker, or any other writing device that a preferred personality can personally use to create a genuine autograph. Or the preferred personality may create and affix a genuine autograph by any other means appropriate for the creating and affixing of a genuine autograph.

A genuine fingerprint may be formed with or without use of a removable mask. A mask having an aperture of a - 2175017 ~-predetermined shape and predetermined size may be temporarily placed on the base article so as to restrict the formation of the genuine fingerprint to a predetermined surface area of the article substantially equivalent in shape and size to the aperture. Excess fingerprint-forming substance(s) will be kept off adjacent surface areas of the base article by the presence of mask material surrounding the predetermined surface area, preventing the genuine fingerprint from having unwanted coverage of parts of the base article where no fingerprinting is desired.

The predetermined shape of the aperture of the mask may be substantially symmetrical or nonsymmetrical. The predetermined shape of the aperture may be related to the profession or another life aspect of the preferred personality (for example, an entertainment personality who is a movie star may wish to use a star-shaped aperture to form his or her genuine fingerprint) or unrelated to any such aspect.

FIGS. 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, illustrate examples of removable masks that may be used to create genuine fingerprints of predetermined shapes and sizes with intent to increase the attractiveness of the respective articles to memorabilia collectors. Aperture 1748 of the mask shown in FIG. 17 is designed to form a substantially circular-shaped genuine fingerprint. Aperture 1848 of the mask shown in FIG. 18 is designed to form a substantially heart-shaped genuine fingerprint. Aperture 1948 of the mask shown in FIG. 19 is designed to form a substantially football-shaped genuine fingerprint. Aperture 2048 of the mask shown in FIG. 20 is designed to form a substantially baseball-bat-shaped genuine fingerprint. Aperture 2148 of the mask shown in FIG. 20 is designed to form a substantially star-shaped genuine fingerprint.

FIG. 22 shows removable mask 2247 temporarily in place on base article 2200 (a golf ball) just after a preferred personality pressed a finger through circular-shaped aperture 2248 so as to form circular-shaped genuine fingerprint 2240. The mask material between mask edges 2245 and 2246 prevents excess fingerprinting substance 2243 from affixing to surface areas of base article 2200 where no fingerprinting is desired.

Examples of mask-formed substantially circular-shaped fingerprints include genuine fingerprint 340 of FIG. 3B, genuine fingerprint 540 of FIG. 5A, genuine fingerprint 1040 of FIG. lOA, genuine fingerprint 1140 of FIG. llA, and genuine fingerprint 1600 of FIG. 16. An example of a mask-formed substantially star-shaped genuine fingerprint is shown as genuine fingerprint 240 of FIG. 2A. An example of a mask-formed substantially rocket-shaped genuine fingerprint is shown as genuine fingerprint 940 of FIG. 9. And an example of a mask-formed substantially football-shaped genuine fingerprint is shown as genuine fingerprint of FIG. 14A.

Regardless of the shape and size of the genuine fingerprint, a borderline substantially delineating the perimeter of the genuine fingerprint may be created on the base article to more clearly define the bounds of the fingerprint and to give the fingerprint specifically and the article generally a neater appearance. Examples of fingerprint borderlines include: borderline 241 of FIG. 2A, borderline 541 of FIG. 5A, borderline 641 of FIG. 6, borderline 841 of FIG. 8, borderline 941 of FIG. 9, borderline 1441 of FIG. 14A, and borderline 1641 of FIG. 16.

If the preferred personality is handicapped by a writing disability preventing ready creating and affixing of a consistent and legible genuine autograph, the genuine fingerprint serves as a means for the handwriting-disabled preferred personality to affix conveniently and legibly a major kind of preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute to the base article.

A simple embodiment within the scope of the method of the present invention is formed by a preferred personality creating a genuine fingerprint as the only integral collectible attractiveness attribute affixed to the base 2t 75017 _ 72 article. Each of the simplest embodiments having a genuine autograph within the scope of this invention includes at least one additional attribute within its integral collectible attractiveness set.

The method of the present invention includes affixing a statement having authentication wording to a base article to authenticate the at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute as at least one genuine creation affixed to the article by the preferred personality. An authentication attribute is integrally affixed as a part of the article to increase collector confidence in the genuineness of the at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute. Increase in collector confidence is expected to increase attractiveness of the article to collectors. Thus, an authentication attribute is also an integral collectible attractiveness attribute. The affixing of an authentication attribute to the base article is not merely intended to authenticate: the affixing is intended to increase attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

Examples of authentication statements are:

authentication statement 250 of FIG. 2B, authentication statement 450 of FIG. 4B, authentication statement 750 of FIG. 7B, authentication statement 850 of FIG. 8, authentication statement 950 of FIG. 9, authentication statement 1050 of FIG. 10A, authentication statement 1150 of FIG. llB, authentication statement 1350 of FIG. 13B, and authentication statement 1450 of FIG. 14B.

To further substantiate the credibility of the wording in an authentication statement to memorabilia collectors, another kind of textual authentication attribute may be affixed to the base article: notarial confirmation text.

An authentication statement or notarial confirmation text may be directly affixed to a base article by:
imprinting, silk-screen printing, rubber-stamping, photo-offset printing, branding, embossing, handwriting, heat-stamping, embroidering, and/or other affixing procedures. Or an authentication statement or notarial confirmation text may first be created on another body of tangible material (such as a piece of paper or cloth) which is later affixed to the base article.

Either separately or as parts of a larger authentication attribute (an authentication statement or notarial confirmation text), a witness signature, a certifying nonwitness signature and/or a notary public signature may be affixed to a base article.

- 2175017 ~- 74 Other integral collectible attractiveness attributes of this invention that may be affixed to a base article, either individually or as part of another attribute, include: a name of the preferred personality; the date of the creating and affixing of a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute; a name of a geographic location in which the creating and affixing of the preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute occurred; an anti-counterfeiting marking; a hologram; and a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality.

Another integral collectible attractiveness attribute is an attribute comprising organic matter containing genetic information from the biotic body of a preferred personality (hair, other body tissue, etc.). An organic matter attribute functions as an attribute means for enhancing attractiveness of an article to collectors desiring a memorabilia article bearing such organic matter. An organic matter attribute may be affixed to a base article as an individual attribute or as a part of another integral collectible attractiveness attribute.

A pictorial image of the preferred personality is another integral attribute that may be affixed to a base article to increase attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

A base article may have a defined and prepared surface area created for affixing at least one preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute and/or other specific integral collectible attractiveness attributes. The defined and prepared surface area may be constructed to more readily allow clearer and more permanent affixing of one or more attributes to the base article with intent to make the article more attractive to memorabilia collectors.

In accordance with yet further aspects of this invention, the memorabilia article may be one of a limited production of substantially similar or related memorabilia articles. With intent to increase intrinsic attractiveness to collectors, this restricted production may be indicated by affixing limited edition markings to the base article.
Limited edition markings may consist of numbers, letters, words, symbols and/or indicia conveying an indication or implication that the respective memorabilia article is a unit of a limited edition production.

The memorabilia article of this invention may be associated with promotional matter (including printed merchandise packaging in which the article is enclosed).

21 750 t ? 76 The printed information may include pictorial representations of the preferred personality, facsimile autographs, facsimile fingerprints, limited edition promotional indicia, and the like.

FIG. 16 shows memorabilia article 1600 (a golf ball bearing genuine fingerprint 1640) and related promotional matter (merchandise packaging 1605 bearing limited edition indicia 1607, imitation fingerprint 1608, and preferred personality representation 1609). The scope of the present invention includes such promotional matter in which a memorabilia article is packaged or with which a memorabilia article is otherwise associated.

CONCLUSION, RANIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF THE lNv~ lON

The method of the present invention encompasses creation of a diversity of collector-targeted memorabilia articles, utilizing different quantitative and qualitative combinations of integral collectible attractiveness attributes. A wide diversity of kinds of items may be used as base articles. The method of the present invention allows creation of collector-targeted memorabilia articles of superior quality. Among these are memorabilia articles bearing combinations of preferred-personality-created integral attributes and comprehensively self-authenticating features not available to collectors under the prior art. The present invention makes available collector-targeted memorabilia articles having intrinsic trustworthiness and collectible attractiveness unknown to collectors under the prior art.

The present invention includes all products of the method of the invention. These products encompass all collectible articles produced by the method of the invention.

While the above description of the present invention contains many specificities, these should not be considered ~._ as limitations on the scope of the invention but rather as exemplifications of some of the embodiments thereof. Many other modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications and variations are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims (200)

1. In a method of producing an improved collectible article comprised of a unified body of tangible material, the steps comprising:
(a) selecting an item from a group of items and using said item as a base of said unified body of tangible material; said item having at least one surface; said group of items consisting of: (i) card, (ii) comicbooks, (iii) milkcaps, and (iii ) photograph created so as to have intentional collectible value and to have substantial attraction as collectible articles to collectors of memorabilia, said photograph depicting a preferred personality;
(b) placing a transferable substance on a finger of a preferred personality, said transferable substance qualifying as at least one kind of transferable promotional photograph, an item of entertainment memorabilia, a poster which is collectible, a motion picture lobby card, a motion picture cel, a trading card, a sheet of trading cards, a hall-of-fame memorabilia item, a milkcap, a slammer, a disc which is collectible, a philatelic item, a figurine, a bound publication, a first edition book, a comicbook, a comicbook-related work of art, a fanzine, an animation cel, a pennant, a 3-by-5-inch index card, and a collectible political item.
(b) selecting a preferred personality from a group of preferred personalities, said group of preferred personalities consisting of: an active professional athlete, a retired professional athlete, a sports hall-of-fame member, a notable amateur athlete, a notable sports-related personality, an entertainment personality, a mass-media personality, a notable academic personality, a notable author, a notable political personality, a heroic personality, a public figure, a famous personality, or a like personality.
(c) affixing to said base article a genuine fingerprint created by said preferred presonality as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing and/or creating collectible attractiveness of the resultant body of unified tangible material (which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article) to memorabilia collectors.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:
selecting at least a second integral collectible attribute from a group of integral collectible attributes and affixing said at least second to said base so that said second attribute becomes an integral part of said unified body of tangible material and functions as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors; said group of integral collectible attributes being comprised of: a genuine autograph created by said perferred personality, a textual authentication attribute, a statement having authentication wording, notarial confirmation text, a witness signature, a notary public signature, a date, a geographic location, a hologram, an anti-counterfeiting marking, a name of said preferred personality, and a like attribute, and affixing said at least second attribute to said base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

affixing at least four of said integral collectible attractiveness attributes to said base article, said at least four attributes including notarial confirmation text and limited edition markings.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:
selecting as said preferred personality an entertainment personality or a sports-related personality, and affixing to said base article a pictorial image of said preferred personality created on the date of the creating and affixing of said genuine fingerprint.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said base article selected is a trading card.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said base article is a card.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said preferred personality is a writing-disable preferred personality.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said preferred personality is a sports hall-of-fame member.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said base article is an index card.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2, where said preferred personality is a notable academic personality.

11. The product of the method as claimed in claim 1, said product being the body of unified tangible material which is a memorabilia article.

12. The product of the method as claimed in claim 2, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

13. The product of the method as claimed in claim 3, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

14. The product of the method as claimed in claim 4, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

15. The product of the method as claimed in claim 7, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

16. The product of the method as claimed in claim 9, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

17. A memorabilia article comprising:
a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality affixed to a base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

18. The memorabilia article of claim 17 further comprising a genuine autograph of said preferred personality and at least five additional integral collectible attractiveness attributes, including notarial confirmation text.

19. The memorabilia article of claim 18 further comprising a substantially utilitarian item as its base article and having an association with promotional packaging in which the memorabilia article is being merchandise, said promotional packaging including an imitation fingerprint and a preferred personality representation imprinted thereon.

20. A memorabilia article comprising a base article which is a trading card, a genuine signature of a preferred personality, limited edition marking, a witness-signed authentication statement, and notarial confirmation text.

21. A method of producing a collector-targeted memorabilia article, said method comprising:
supplying an item for use as a base article;
having a finger of a preferred personality interact with a fingerprint-forming substance and said base article so as to create and to affix integrally a genuine fingerprint of said preferred personality on a predetermined surface area of said base article;
using masking means to prevent any substantial amount of said fingerprint-forming substance from affixing integrally to any surface portion of said base article outside of and adjacent to said predetermined surface area;
said genuine fingerprint being created and affixed as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute;
affixing limited edition markings integrally to said base article; and combining said genuine fingerprint and said limited edition markings with said base article so as to form an integrally unified body of tangible material, said genuine fingerprint and said limited edition markings being affixed to said base article as attribute means for creating said integrally unified body of tangible material as a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said finger is coated with said fingerprint-forming substance, wherein said masking means comprises a mask having an aperture with perimeter edging and a shape which are substantially dimensionally equal to the perimeter edging and the shape of said predetermined surface area, wherein said mask is removably placed on said base article so as to approximately align the perimeter edging of said mask with the perimeter edging of said predetermined surface area, and wherein said finger is moved to touch said predetermined surface area through said aperture so as to deposit said fingerprint-forming substance on said predetermined surface area and so as to create and affix said genuine fingerprint.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the shape of said aperture substantially resembles a life aspect of said preferred personality.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said item was selected from the group of items consisting of:
trading cards, sheets of trading cards, milkcaps, slammers, and sporting equipment items.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, said method further comprising:

affixing an authenication statement integrally to said said base article, said authentication statement including: wording to certify the genuinessness of said genuine fingerprint, and a signature of a person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement; and affixing notarial confirmation text integrally to said base article, said notarial confirmation text including: wording which substantiates that said person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement did so certify in the presence of a notary public, and a signature of said notary public.
said authentication statement and said notarial confirmation statement being affixed as integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing attractiveness of said integrally unified body of tangible material as a collector-targeted memorabilia article attractive to memorabilia collectors.

26. The method as claimed in claim 21, said method further comprising:
affixing an autograph of said preferred personality integrally to said base article, said autograph being affixed as an integral collectible attractiveness means for enhancing attractiveness of said integrally unified body of tangible material as a collector-targeted memorabilia article attractive to memorabilia collectors.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the item supplied for use as said base article is a photograph of said preferred personality; wherein said photograph includes a defined and prepared surface area for affixing both said genuine fingerprint and said autograph, said defined and prepared surface area being larger than said predetermined surface area, and said predetermined surface area being included within said defined and prepared surface area;
wherein said preferred personality is a member of a sports hall-of-fame; and wherein said autograph is a genuine autograph created by said perferred personality and affixed substantially to said defined and prepared surface area.

28. A method of producing a collector-targeted memorabilia article, said method comprising:
selecting an item from a group of items, said group of items consisting of: trading cards which are sports cards, trading cards which are nonsports cards, sheets of trading cards, milkcaps, slammers, comicbooks, animation cels, items which are substantially ball-shaped, and pre-existing sports memorabilia items related to a sports hall-of-fame;

supplying said item for use as a base article;
selecting a preferred personality from a group of preferred personalities, said group of preferred personalities consisting of:
active professional athletes, retired professional athletes, sports hall-of-fame members, notable amateur athletes, entertainment personalities, mass-media personalities, notable academic personalities, notable authors, heroic personalities, public figures, famous personalities, and comicbook-related personalities;
having a finger of said perferred personality interact with a fingerprint-forming substance and the base article so as to create and affix a genuine fingerprint of said preferred personality on a surface area of the base article;
and unifying integrally the base article and said genuine fingerprint together as an integrally unified body of tangible material, said genuine fingerprint being created and affixed as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute, and said genuine fingerprint being created and affixed as an attribute means for creating said integrally unified body of tangible material as a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, said method further comprising:
using a removable mask having an aperture;
placing said removable mask on the base article so that the perimeter of said aperture is substantially aligned with the perimeter of said surface area of the base article, said surface area having a size and a shape substantially equal to the size and shape of said aperture, and said surface area substantially being the surface portion of the base article enclosed by the perimeter of said aperture; and moving said finger through said aperture so as to create and affix said genuine fingerprint on the base article, said removable mask substantially preventing application of said fingerprint-forming substance to any surface portion of the base article outside of and adjacent to said surface area of the base article;
whereby said genuine fingerprint is created and affixed on the base article as an integral attribute of a predetermined size and predetermined shape.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, said method further comprising:
affixing an authentication statement integrally to said base article, said authentication statement including: a name of said preferred personality, the date on which said preferred personality created and affixed said genuine fingerprint, a name of the geographic location at which said personality created and affixed said genuine fingerprint, and a signature of a person who witnessed said preferred personality create and affix said genuine fingerprint, and said authentication statement being affixed as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing attractiveness of said integrally unified body of tangible material as a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, said method further comprising:
affixing, integrally to the base article, a borderline substantially around the edging of said genuine fingerprint; and affixing, integrally to the base article, limited edition markings;
said borderline and said limited edition markings being affixed as integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing attractiveness of said integrally unified body of tangible material as a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

32. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein said preferred personality is handicapped by a handwriting disability.

33. The method as claimed in claim 28, said method further comprising:
affixing a genuine autograph of said preferred personality to the base article, said genuine autograph being affixed as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing attractiveness of said integrally unified body of tangible material as a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

34. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the item for use as said base article is substantially ball-shaped, and wherein said preferred personality is an athlete.

35. The product of the method as claimed in claim 21, said product comprising: said integrally unified body of tangible material which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

36. The product of the method as claimed in claim 28, said product comprising: said integrally unified body of tangible material which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

37. A collector-targeted memorabilia article, comprising:
a base article which is a trading card, a milk cap, or a slammer;
a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality integrally affixed to a surface area of said base article, said genuine fingerprint being a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute;

said preferred personality is an active professional athletes, a retired professional athlete, a sports hall-of-fame member, an entertainment personality, a public figure, and/or a comicbook-related personality;
said genuine fingerprint and said base article are united together as an integrally unified body of tangible material which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article intended to be attractive to memorabilia collectors.

38. The collector-targeted memorabilia article as claimed in claim 37, further comprising: limited edition markings integrally affixed to said base article.

39. The collector-targeted memorabilia article as claimed in claim 37, further comprising: a genuine autograph of said preferred personality affixed to said base article.

40. The collector-targeted memorabilia article as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:
an image of said preferred personality printed on a said base article;
a borderline integrally affixed around the edging of said genuine fingerprint;
limited edition markings integrally affixed to said base article; and an authentication statement integrally affixed to said base article.

41. A method of producing a collector-targeted memorabilia article, said method comprising:
supplying an item for use as a base article;
causing a finger of a preferred personality to interact with a fingerprint-forming substance and said base article so as to create and to affix integrally a genuine fingerprint on a predetermined surface area of said base article;
using masking means to prevent any substantial amount of said fingerprint-forming substance from affixing integrally to a surface portion of said base article outside of and adjacent to said predetermined surface area;
creating and affixing said genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute; and combining said genuine fingerprint and said base article so as to produce an integrally unified body of tangible material in the form of a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein said finger is coated with said fingerprint-forming substance, wherein said masking means comprises a mask having an aperture with perimeter edging and a shape which are substantially dimensionally equal to the perimeter edging and the shape of said predetermined surface area, wherein said mask is removably placed on said base article so as to approximately align the perimeter edging of said predetermined surface area, and wherein said finger is moved to touch said predetermined surface area through said aperture so as to deposit said fingerprint-forming substance on said predetermined surface area and so as to create and affix said genuine fingerprint.

43. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the shape of said aperture substantially symbolizes a life aspect of said preferred personality.

44. The method as claimed in claim 41, said method further comprising:
affixing limited edition markings integrally to said base article.

45. The method as claimed in claim 41, said method further comprising:
affixing an authentication statement integrally to said base article, said authentication statement including: wording to certify the genuineness of said genuine fingerprint, and a signature of a person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement; and affixing notarial confirmation text integrally to said base article, said notarial confirmation text including: wording which substantiates that said person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement did so certify in the presence of a notary public.

46. The method as claimed in claim 41, said method further comprising:
creating an additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute which is a genuine autograph of said preferred personality, a facsimile fingerprint of said preferred personality, or a facsimile autograph of said preferred personality, and affixing said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute to said base article.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein said preferred personality is a professional athlete, wherein said base article is a photograph depicting said preferred personality wearing sports clothing, wherein said photograph includes a defined and prepared surface area for receiving a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute, wherein said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute is a genuine autograph of said preferred personality, and wherein the affixing of said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute is executed on said defined and prepared surface area.

48. A product of the method as claimed in claim 41, said product comprising: said integally unified body of tangible material in the form of a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article.

49. A method of producing a memorabilia article, said method comprising:
selecting a base article;
affixing a plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes to said base article, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes including a fingerprint of a preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including an autograph of said preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including a name of said preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including a pictorial image of said preferred personality, and said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including limited edition markings;
thereby unifying integrally said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes and said base article together as a unified body of tangible material, and producing said unified body of tangible material as a product which is a memorabilia article.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein the fingerprint of said preferred personality is a genuine fingerprint, and wherein the autograph of said preferred personality is a genuine autograph.

51. The method as claimed in claim 49, said method further comprising:
affixing an authentication statement to said base article, including in said authentication statement wording which certifies that said fingerprint is a genuine fingerprint personally created by said preferred personality, and including in said authentication statement a signature.

52. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein said fingerprint is a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality who is a hall-of-fame member and who has a handwriting disability.

53. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein said preferred personality is a professional athlete, and wherein said unified body of tangible material comprises a memorabilia article which is a sports-related card.

54. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein the fingerprint of said preferred personality is a facsimile fingerprint, and wherein the autograph of said preferred personality is a facsimile autograph.

55. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein said preferred personality is an active professional athlete, wherein said limited edition markings comprise the term LIMITED EDITION, and wherein said limited edition markings comprise numerical indicia identifying said unified body of tangible material as being a specific number in a series of memorabilia articles.

56. A product of the method as claimed in claim 49, said product comprising: a memorabilia article in the form of said unified body of tangible material.

57. A memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute, said memorabilia article comprising:
an integrally unified body of tangible material which comprises an item, said item qualifying as at least one kind in the group of kinds consisting of: the kind of item which is a a sports-related card, the kind of item which is a trading card, the kind of item which is a sports card, the kind of item which is a nonsports card, the kind of item which is a milkcap, the kind of item which is a slammer, the kind of item which is a comicbook, and the kind of item which is a sports-related ball; and an integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which is comprised by said integrally unified body of tangible material, said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute, and said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set qualifying as at least one kind in the group of kinds consisting of: the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint having a shape symbolizing a life aspect of a preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and a borderline substantially along the perimeter of the fingerprint; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and a hologram;
the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and an authentication statement certifying the genuineness of the genuine fingerprint;
the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a genuine autograph of a preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality, a signed authentication statement certifying the genuineness of the genuine autograph, notarial confirmation text, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality and a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality, a name of the geographic location where the genuine autograph was created, a date, a signature of a person who witnessed the creation of the genuine autograph and who is a notary public, and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality; and the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings.

58. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 57, wherein said item is a sports-related ball, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality, an autograph of the preferred personality, limited edition markings, and a hologram.

59. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 47, wherein said item is a sports-related card, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, limited edition markings, and additional matter wwhich is organic matter containing genetic information from and about the biotic body of the preferred personality, said matter also being affixed to the base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute component of the attribute set comprised by the unified body of tangible material.

60. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 57, wherein said item is a sports-related card, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality, a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, a print-lettered name of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings.

61. A product of the method as recited in claim 16, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

62. A product of the method as recited in claim 17, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

63. A product of the method as recited in claim 20, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

64. A product of the method as recited in claim 23, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

65. A product of the method as recited in claim 28, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

66. A product of the method as recited in claim 30, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

67. A product of the method as recited in claim 33, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

68. A product of the method as recited in claim 34, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

69. A product of the method as recited in claim 35, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

70. A product of the method as recited in claim 44, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

71. A product of the method as recited in claim 45, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

72. A product of the method as recited in claim 46, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

73. A product of the method as recited in claim 49, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

74. A product of the method as recited in claim 52, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

75. A product of the method as recited in claim 53, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

76. A product of the method as recited in claim 54, said product comprising said improved collectible article.

77. An improved collectible article comprising a unified body of tangible material, said improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said base is an item of the type including: (i) a trading card which is a baseball card, (ii) a trading card which is a football card, (iii) a trading card which is a hockey card, (iv) a trading card which is a basketball card, (v) a trading card which is a golf card, (vi) a trading card which is a soccer card, (vii) a trading card which is an auto-racing card, (viii) a trading card sheet including at least one baseball card, (ix) a trading card sheet including at least one football card, (x) a trading card sheet including at least one hockey card, (xi) a trading card sheet including at least one basketball card, (xii ) a trading card sheet including at least one golf card, (xiii) a trading card sheet including at least one soccer card, (xiv) a trading card sheet including at least one auto-racing card, and (xv) a sports hall-of-fame card; and (b) an indicium as a part of said body of tangible material, wherein said indicium is an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality affixed to said base created on said base by said preferred personality as a collectible enhancement augmentation means.

78. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 77, additionally comprising: a pictorial image of said preferred personality imprinted on said base.

79. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 78, wherein said base is a kind of trading card which is a baseball card.

80. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 79, additionally comprising: a pictorial image of said preferred personality, said pictorial image being imprinted on said base, said preferred personality being a retired professional baseball player, and said base being a sports hall-of-fame card.

81. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 80, additionally comprising: a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

82. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 77, additionally comprising: a body of text imprinted on said base, said body of text including information authenticating said fingerprint indicium as an indicium created by said preferred personality.

83. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 77, additionally comprising: a notarized statement integrally affixed on said base, said notarized statement including text certifying said preferred personality created said fingerprint indicium, and said notarized statement further including a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

84. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 83, additionally comprising: a signature of a witness who observed said preferred personality create said fingerprint indicium, said signature being an integral part of said notarized statement.

85. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 77, additionally comprising: an autographic indicium, said autographic indicium being an autograph of said preferred personality affixed to said base.

86. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 85, additionally comprising: a body of text imprinted on said base, said body of text including information authenticating at least one indicium of the pair of indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium.

87. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 85, additionally comprising: a notarized statement integrally affixed on said base, said notarized statement comprised of a body of imprinted text and a signature of a notary public, and said notarized statement including information certifying both said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium as authentic creations of said preferred personality.

88. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 77, additionally comprising at least one augmentation from the group of augmentations consisting of: (i) a bar code imprinted on said base; (ii) a hologram adhered to said base; and (iii) an organic matter augmentation, said organic matter augmentation containing genetic information on the biotic body of said preferred personality, and said organic matter augmentation being affixed to said base.

89. An improved collectible article comprising a unified body of tangible material, said improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a base qualifying as at least one kind of item in a group of kinds of items, said group of kinds of items consisting of: (i) a kind of trading card which is substantially rectangular, (ii) a kind of trading card which is substantially circular, (iii) a kind of trading card which is substantially a sticker, (iv) a kind of trading card which is a promo card, (v) a kind of trading card which is a sports card, (vi) a kind of trading card which is a nonsports card, (vii) a kind of trading card which is a topical card, (viii ) a kind of trading card which is a science fiction card, (x) a kind of trading card which is a fantasy card, (xi) a kind of trading card which is a horror card, (xii ) a kind of trading card which is a war card, (xiii ) a kind of trading card which is a humor card, (xiv) a kind of trading card which is an entertainment card, (xv) a kind of trading card which is an educational card, (xvi) a kind of trading card which is a natural history card, (xvii ) a kind of trading card which is an environmental card, (xviii) a kind of sheet which is a sheet of trading cards, (xix) a kind of comicbook which is a science fiction comicbook, (xx) a kind of comicbook which is a fantasy comicbook, (xxi) a kind of comicbook which is a superhero comicbook, (xxii) a kind of comicbook which is a horror comicbook, (xxiii) a kind of comicbook which is a war comicbook, (xxiv) a kind of comicbook which is a humorous comicbook, (xxv) a kind of comicbook which is an educational comicbook, (xxvi) a kind of comicbook which is a sports comicbook, (xxvii) a kind of substantially flat work of art which is an original drawing depicting at least one character who appears in a fictional comicbook story, (xxviii) a kind of substantially flat work of comicbook-related art which is a drawing by a professional comicbook artist, (xxix) a kind of substantially flat work of art which is an original painting depicting at least one character who appears in a fictional comicbook story, (xxx) a kind of substantially flat work of comicbook-related art which is a painting by a professional comicbook artist, (xxxi) a kind of lithographic print which is comicbook-related art, (xxxii) a kind of poster which is a poster substantially depicting a professional sports personality, (xxxiii) a kind of poster which is a poster used to promote a motion picture, (xxxiv) a kind of poster which is a poster depicting a comicbook character, (xxxv) a kind of card which is a lobby card used to promote a motion picture, (xxxvi) a kind of motion piction cel which is an animation cel, (xxxvii) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xxxviii) a kind of photograph of a comicbook artist which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xxxix) a kind of photograph of a motion picture personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xl) a kind of photograph of a political personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xli) a kind of photograph of a sports personality which is commercially distributed and sold as an item of collectible memorabilia, (xlii) a kind of photograph of an entertainment personality which is commercially distributed and sold as an item of collectible memorabilia, (xliii) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is commercially promoted under auspices of a professional sports union of which said professional sports personality is a member, (xliv) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is commercially promoted under auspices of a professional sports league corporation, (xlv) a kind of collectible disc which resembles a milk bottle cap and which bears imprinted nonsports subject matter, and (xlvi) a kind of collectible disc which resembles a milk bottle cap and which bears imprinted sports subject matter;
(b) a fingerprint indicium as a part of said body of tangible material, wherein said fingerprint indicium is a substantially indelible image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality, said fingerprint indicium having been affixed to said base by said preferred personality as a collectible enhancement augmentation means;
(c) a substantially indelible print-lettered name of said preferred personality affixed on said base.

90. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 89, additionally comprising: (i) a date imprinted on said base, said preferred personality having created said fingerprint indicium on said date; (ii) a name of a geographic location imprinted on said base; and (iii) a name of a witness affixed on said base, said witness being a person who observed said preferred personality create said fingerprint indicium, and said name of a witness being a name of the type including a print-lettered name and a signed name.

91. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 89, additionally comprising: a body of text imprinted on said base, said body of text including information authenticating said fingerprint indicium.

92. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 89, additionally comprising: a notarized statement integrally affixed on said base as part of said body of tangible material, said notarized statement comprising a body of text certifying the authenticity of said fingerprint indicium, and said notarized statement further comprising a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

93. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 92, wherein said base is a trading card.

94. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 92, wherein said base comprises comicbook-related matter.

95. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 92, wherein said base comprises a substantially flat work of original art.

96. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 92, wherein said base is a motion picture cel.

97. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 92, wherein said base is a photograph depicting said preferred personality, wherein said preferred personality is an entertainment personality, wherein said photograph has a width between approximately 7 inches and approximately 12 inches, and wherein said photograph has a length between approximately 9 inches and approximately 17 inches.

98. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 93, wherein said base is a photograph depicting said preferred personality in a professional sports uniform, and wherein said photograph has a width between approximately 7 inches and approximately 12 inches, and wherein said photograph has a length between approximately 9 inches and approximately 17 inches.

99. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 94, wherein said notarized statement further comprises a signature of a witness who observed said preferred personality create said fingerprint indicium.

100. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 99, wherein said preferred personality is a sports personality, and wherein said base is a photograph which is commercially distributed and sold as an item of collectible memorabilia.

101. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 89, additionally comprising: an autographic indicium affixed to said base, wherein said autographic indicium is an autograph of the type including an authentic autograph of said preferred personality and a facsimile autograph having at least a superficial resemblance to an autograph of said preferred personality.

102. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 101, additionally comprising: (i) a date imprinted on said base; (ii) a name of a geographic location imprinted on said base; and (iii) a name of a witness affixed on said base, said witness being a person who observed said preferred personality create at least one indicium of the pair of indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium, and said name of a witness being a name of the type including a print-lettered name and a signed name.

103. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 101, additionally comprising: a notarized statement integrally affixed on said base as part of said body of tangible material, said notarized statement comprising a body of text certifying the authenticity of at least one indicium of the pair of indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium, and said notarized statement further comprising a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

104. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, wherein said base is a trading card.

105. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, wherein said base is an item of substantially comicbook-related matter.

106. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, wherein said base is a kind of motion picture cel which is an animation cel.

107. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, wherein said base is a photograph of the type of photograph including a photograph depicting a motion picture personality, a photograph depicting a political personality, and a photograph depicting a sports personality.

108. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 107, wherein said base is a photograph of a professional baseball player, and wherein said preferred personality is said professional baseball player.

109. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, wherein said notarized statement further comprises a signature of a witness who observed said preferred personality create said fingerprint indicium.

110. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 103, additionally comprising at least one augmentation on said base from the group of augmentations consisting of:
(i) an imprinted numerical indicium, (ii) an adhered hologram, (iii) an imprinted bar code, and (iv) an adhered body of organic matter containing genetic information on the biotic body of said preferred personality.

111. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 109, wherein said body of text certifies the authenticity of both indicia of said pair of indicia.

112. An improved collectible article comprising a unified body of tangible material, said improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a base qualifying as at least one kind of item in a group of kinds of items, said group of kinds of items consisting of: (i) a kind of trading card which is substantially rectangular, (ii) a kind of trading card which is substantially circular, (iii) a kind of trading card which is substantially a sticker, (iv) a kind of trading card which is a promo card, (v) a kind of trading card which is a sports card, (vi) a kind of trading card which is a nonsports card, (vii) a kind of trading card which is a topical card, (viii) a kind of trading card which is a science fiction card, (x) a kind of trading card which is a fantasy card, (xi) a kind of trading card which is a horror card, (xii) a kind of trading card which is a war card, (xiii) a kind of trading card which is a humor card, (xiv) a kind of trading card which is an entertainment card, (xv) a kind of trading card which is an educational card, (xvi) a kind of trading card which is a natural history card, (xvii) a kind of trading card which is an environmental card, (xviii) a kind of sheet which is a sheet of trading cards, (xix) a kind of comicbook which is a science fiction comicbook, (xx) a kind of comicbook which is a fantasy comicbook, (xxi) a kind of comicbook which is a superhero comicbook, (xxii) a kind of comicbook which is a horror comicbook, (xxiii) a kind of comicbook which is a war comicbook, (xxiv) a kind of comicbook which is a humorous comicbook, (xxv) a kind of comicbook which is an educational comicbook, (xxvi) a kind of comicbook which is a sports comicbook, (xxvii) a kind of substantially flat work of art which is an original drawing depicting at least one character who appears in a fictional comicbook story, (xxviii) a kind of substantially flat work of comicbook-related art which is a drawing by a professional comicbook artist, (xxix) a kind of substantially flat work of art which is an original painting depicting at least one character who appears in a fictional comicbook story, (xxx) a kind of substantially flat work of comicbook-related art which is a painting by a professional comicbook artist, (xxxi) a kind of lithographic print which is comicbook-related art, (xxxii) a kind of poster which is a poster substantially depicting a professional sports personality, (xxxiii) a kind of poster which is a poster used to promote a motion picture, (xxxiv) a kind of poster which is a poster depicting a comicbook character, (xxxv) a kind of card which is a lobby card used to promote a motion picture, (xxxvi) a kind of motion piction cel which is an animation cel, (xxxvii) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, 7 a kind of photograph of a comicbook artist which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xxxix) a kind of photograph of a motion picture personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xl) a kind of photograph of a political personality which is distributed for promotional purposes, (xli) a kind of photograph of a sports personality which is commercially distributed and sold as an item of collectible memorabilia, (xlii) a kind of photograph of an entertainment personality which is commercially distributed and sold as an item of collectible memorabilia, (xliii) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is commercially promoted under auspices of a professional sports union of which said professional sports personality is a member, (xliv) a kind of photograph of a professional sports personality which is commercially promoted under auspices of a professional sports league corporation, (xlv) a kind of item of printed matter which is a sports hall-of-fame card, (xlvi) a kind of item of printed matter which is a sports publication, (xlvii) a kind of item of printed matter which is a fanzine, (xlviii) a kind of item of printed matter which is a first edition book, (xlix) a kind of item of printed matter which is a limited edition collectible item comprised substantially of paper, (1) a kind of philatelic item which is a first day cover, (li) a kind of philatelic item which is a commemorative cover, (lii) a kind of tangible work of fine art which is a limited edition lithographic print, (liii) a kind of tangible work of fine art which is a limited edition photographic work, (liv) a kind of tangible work of fine art work which is a limited edition ceramic work, (lv) a kind of plate which is a limited edition collector's plate, (lvi) a kind of statuette which is a collector's statuette, (lvii) a kind of statuette which is a statuette of a professional sports personality, (lviii) a kind of statuette which is a statuette of a motion picture personality, (lix) a kind of collectible disc which resembles a milk bottle cap and which bears imprinted nonsports subject matter, and (lx) a kind of collectible disc which resembles a milk bottle cap and which bears imprinted sports subject matter;
(b) an autographic indicium affixed to said base as a part of said body of tangible material, wherein said autograph indicium is an autograph of a preferred personality; and (c) a notarized statement integrally affixed to said base, said notarized statement comprising a body of text having wording to authenticate said autographic indicium, and said notarized statement further comprising a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

113. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a trading card.

114. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is comic-related matter.

115. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is an animation cel.

116. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a photograph of a sports personality.

117. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a photograph of an entertainment personality.

118. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is an item associated with a sports hall-of-fame.

119. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a philatelic item.

120. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a tangible work of fine art.

121. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a limited edition collector's plate.

122. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said base is a statuette of a professional sports personality.

123. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, wherein said notarized statement includes: (i) a name of said preferred personality in print lettering, (ii) a name of the state in which said notarized statement was notarized, (iii) a name of the county in which said notarized statement was notarized, and (iv) the date on which said autographic indicium was created.

124. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 123, wherein said notarized statement additionally includes: (i) a print-lettered name of a witness who observed said preferred personality create said autographic indicium, and (ii) a signature of said witness affixed to said base.

125. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a photograph of a sports personality.

126. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a photograph of an entertainment personality.

127. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is an item associated with a sports hall-of-fame.

128 128. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a philatelic item.

129. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a tangible work of fine art.

130. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a limited edition collector's plate.

131. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 124, wherein said base is a limited edition collectible item.

132. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 112, additionally comprising: a fingerprint indicium affixed to said base as a part of said body of tangible material, wherein said fingerprint indicium is a substantially indelible image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality.

133. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 132, wherein said base is a philatelic item.

134. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 132, wherein said base is an item associated with a sports hall-of-fame.

135. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 132, wherein said base is a tangible work of fine art.

136. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 132, wherein said base is a limited edition collector's plate.

137. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 132, wherein said base is a statuette of a professional sports personality.

138. An improved collectible article comprising a unified body of tangible material, said improved collectible article comprising:

(a) a base qualifying as at least one item in a group of kinds of items consisting of: (i) a substantially utilitarian item having been selected for use as a base for affixing thereon at least one preferred-personality-created indicium so as to give said utilitarian item substantial collectible value, (ii) an item with insubstantial collectible value having been selected for use as a base for affixing thereon at least one preferred-personality-created indicium so as to give said item substantial collectible value, and (iii) an item with substantial collectible value having been selected for use as a base for affixing thereon at least one preferred-personality-created indicium so as to give said item additional collectible value; and (b) an indicium created by a preferred personality, said indicium being affixed on said base as an integral part of said unified body of material, said indicium being a preferred-personality-created indicium of the type including: (i) an autograph comprised at least in part of organic matter containing genetic information on the biotic body of said preferred personality, said autograph being an autographic indicium on said base, and (ii) a fingerprint comprised at least in part of organic matter containing genetic information on the biotic body of said preferred personality, said fingerprint being a fingerprint indicium on said base.

139. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a trading card.

140. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a body of comicbook-related matter.

141. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is an item of memorabilia associated with a sports hall-of-fame.

142. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a philatelic item.

143. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a photograph depicting said preferred personality.

144. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a photograph depicting a sports personality.

145. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a motion picture cel.

146. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a limited edition collectible item.

147. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein said base is a substantially utilitarian item.

148. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, wherein both a fingerprint indicium of said preferred personality and an autographic indicium of said preferred personality are affixed to said base.

149. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 138, additionally comprising: a notarized statement integrally affixed on said base as part of said body of tangible material, said notarized statement comprising a body of text certifying the authenticity of an indicium created on said base by said preferred personality, and said notarized statement further comprising a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

150. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 149, wherein said base is a photograph of a sports personality, and wherein said sports personality is said preferred personality.

151. A method of producing a collector-targeted memorabilia article, said method comprising:
supplying an item for use as a base article;
causing a finger of a preferred personality to interact with a fingerprint-forming substance and said base article so as to create and to affix integrally a genuine fingerprint on a predetermined surface area of said base article;
using masking means to prevent any substantial amount of said fingerprint-forming substance from affixing integrally to a surface portion of said base article outside of and adjacent to said predetermined surface area;
creating and affixing said genuine fingerprint as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute; and combining said genuine fingerprint and said base article so as to produce an integrally unified body of tangible material in the form of a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article.

152. The method as claimed in claim 151, wherein said finger is coated with said fingerprint-forming substance, wherein said masking means comprises a mask having an aperture with perimeter edging and a shape which are substantially dimensionally equal to the perimeter edging and the shape of said predetermined surface area, wherein said mask is removably placed on said base article so as to approximately align the perimeter edging of said predetermined surface area, and wherein said finger is moved to touch said predetermined surface area through said aperture so as to deposit said fingerprint-forming substance on said predetermined surface area and so as to create and affix said genuine fingerprint.

153. The method as claimed in claim 152, wherein the shape of said aperture substantially symbolizes a life aspect of said preferred personality.

154. The method as claimed in claim 151, said method further comprising:
affixing limited edition markings integrally to said base article.

155. The method as claimed in claim 151, said method further comprising:
affixing an authentication statement integrally to said base article, said authentication statement including: wording to certify the genuineness of said genuine fingerprint, and a signature of a person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement; and affixing notarial confirmation text integrally to said base article, said notarial confirmation text including: wording which substantiates that said person who certifies to the truth of the contents of said authentication statement did so certify in the presence of a notary public.

156. The method as claimed in claim 151, said method further comprising:
creating an additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute which is a genuine autograph of said preferred personality, a facsimile fingerprint of said preferred personality, or a facsimile autograph of said preferred personality, and affixing said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute to said base article.

157. The method as claimed in claim 156, wherein said preferred personality is a professional athlete, wherein said base article is a photograph depicting said preferred personality wearing sports clothing, wherein said photograph includes a defined and prepared surface area for receiving a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute, wherein said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute is a genuine autograph of said preferred personality, and wherein the affixing of said additional integral collectible attractiveness attribute is executed on said defined and prepared surface area.

158. A product of the method as claimed in claim 151, said product comprising: said integally unified body of tangible material in the form of a product which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article.

159. A method of producing a memorabilia article, said method comprising:
selecting a base article;
affixing a plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes to said base article, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes including a fingerprint of a preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including an autograph of said preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including a name of said preferred personality, said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including a pictorial image of said preferred personality, and said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes further including limited edition markings;
thereby unifying integrally said plurality of integral collectible attractiveness attributes and said base article together as a unified body of tangible material, and producing said unified body of tangible material as a product which is a memorabilia article.

160. The method as claimed in claim 159, wherein the fingerprint of said preferred personality is a genuine fingerprint, and wherein the autograph of said preferred personality is a genuine autograph.

161. The method as claimed in claim 159, said method further comprising:
affixing an authentication statement to said base article, including in said authentication statement wording which certifies that said fingerprint is a genuine fingerprint personally created by said preferred personality, and including in said authentication statement a signature.

162. The method as claimed in claim 159, wherein said fingerprint is a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality who is a hall-of-fame member and who has a handwriting disability.

163. The method as claimed in claim 159, wherein said preferred personality is a professional athlete, and wherein said unified body of tangible material comprises a memorabilia article which is a sports-related card.

164. The method as claimed in claim 159, wherein the fingerprint of said preferred personality is a facsimile fingerprint, and wherein the autograph of said preferred personality is a facsimile autograph.

165. The method as claimed in claim 159, wherein said preferred personality is an active professional athlete, wherein said limited edition markings comprise the term LIMITED EDITION, and wherein said limited edition markings comprise numerical indicia identifying said unified body of tangible material as being a specific number in a series of memorabilia articles.

166. A product of the method as claimed in claim 159, said product comprising: a memorabilia article in the form of said unified body of tangible material.

167. A memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute, said memorabilia article comprising:
an integrally unified body of tangible material which comprises an item, said item qualifying as at least one kind in the group of kinds consisting of: the kind of item which is a a sports-related card, the kind of item which is a trading card, the kind of item which is a sports card, the kind of item which is a nonsports card, the kind of item which is a milkcap, the kind of item which is a slammer, the kind of item which is a comicbook, and the kind of item which is a sports-related ball; and an integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which is comprised by said integrally unified body of tangible material, said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute, and said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set qualifying as at least one kind in the group of kinds consisting of: the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint having a shape symbolizing a life aspect of a preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and a borderline substantially along the perimeter of the fingerprint; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality and a hologram;
the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and an authentication statement certifying the genuineness of the genuine fingerprint;
the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a genuine autograph of a preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality, a signed authentication statement certifying the genuineness of the genuine autograph, notarial confirmation text, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality and a facsimile fingerprint of the preferred personality; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a genuine autograph of a preferred personality, a name of the geographic location where the genuine autograph was created, a date, a signature of a person who witnessed the creation of the genuine autograph and who is a notary public, and limited edition markings; the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality and a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality; and the kind of integral collectible attractiveness attribute set which comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings.

168. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 167, wherein said item is a sports-related ball, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality, an autograph of the preferred personality, limited edition markings, and a hologram.

169. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 167, wherein said item is a sports-related card, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a fingerprint of a preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, limited edition markings, and additional matter wwhich is organic matter containing genetic information from and about the biotic body of the preferred personality, said matter also being affixed to the base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute component of the attribute set comprised by the unified body of tangible material.

170. The memorabilia article including at least one integral collectible attractiveness attribute as claimed in claim 167, wherein said item is a sports-related card, and wherein said integral collectible attractiveness attribute set comprises a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality, a facsimile autograph of the preferred personality, a pictorial image of the preferred personality, a print-lettered name of the preferred personality, and limited edition markings.

171. In a method of producing a memorabilia article comprised of a unified body of tangible material, the steps comprising:
selecting an item from a group of items; said group of items consisting of: pre-existing memorabilia items, non-collector-targeted utilitarian items, sports equipment items, sports-related items which are collectible, items intentionally manufactured for use as base articles for collector-targeted memorabilia articles, tangible works of art, collector plates, lithographic prints, original works of art, original paintings, original drawings, an item of entertainment memorabilia, trading cards, a hall-of-fame memorabilia items, milkcaps, slammers, discs which are collectible, philatelic items, figurines, bound publications, comicbooks, a comicbook-related works of art, and index cards;
affixing to said base article a genuine fingerprint created by a preferred presonality and a genuine autograph created by said preferred personality as preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing and/or creating collectible attractiveness to memorabilia collectors; and additionally affixing to said base article: limited edition markings, and a pictorial image of said preferred personality.

172. The method as claimed in claim 171, wherein said method further comprises:
selecting at least a second integral collectible attribute from a group of integral collectible attributes and affixing said at least second to said base so that said second attribute becomes an integral part of said unified body of tangible material and functions as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors; said group of integral collectible attributes being comprised of: a genuine autograph created by said perferred personality, a textual authentication attribute, a statement having authentication wording, notarial confirmation text, a witness signature, a notary public signature, a date, a geographic location, a hologram, an anti-counterfeiting marking, a name of said preferred personality, and a like attribute, and affixing said at least second attribute to said base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means.

173. The method as claimed in claim 172, wherein the method further comprises:
affixing at least four of said integral collectible attractiveness attributes to said base article, said at least four attributes including notarial confirmation text and limited edition markings.

174. The method as claimed in claim 173, wherein the method further comprises:
selecting as said preferred personality an entertainment personality or a sports-related personality, and affixing to said base article a pictorial image of said preferred personality created on the date of the creating and affixing of said genuine fingerprint.

175. The method as claimed in claim 173, wherein said base article selected is a trading card.

176. The method as claimed in claim 1755, wherein said base article is a card.

177. The method as claimed in claim 172, wherein said preferred personality is a writing-disable preferred personality.

178. The method as claimed in claim 177, wherein said preferred personality is a sports hall-of-fame member.

179. The method as claimed in claim 178, wherein said base article is an index card.

180. The method as claimed in claim 172, wherein said preferred personality is a notable academic personality.

181. The product of the method as claimed in claim 171, said product being the body of unified tangible material which is a memorabilia article.

182. The product of the method as claimed in claim 172, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

183. The product of the method as claimed in claim 173, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

184. The product of the method as claimed in claim 174, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

185. The product of the method as claimed in claim 177, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

186. The product of the method as claimed in claim 179, said product being the body of unified tangible material comprising said memorabilia article.

187. A memorabilia article comprising:
a genuine fingerprint of a preferred personality affixed to a base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors.

188. The memorabilia article of claim 187 further comprising a genuine autograph of said preferred personality and at least five additional integral collectible attractiveness attributes, including notarial confirmation text.

189. The memorabilia article of claim 188 further comprising a substantially utilitarian item as its base article and having an association with promotional packaging in which the memorabilia article is being merchandise, said promotional packaging including an imitation fingerprint and a preferred personality representation imprinted thereon.

190. A memorabilia article comprising a base article which is a trading card, a genuine signature of a preferred personality, limited edition marking, a witness-signed authentication statement, and notarial confirmation text.

191. In a method of producing a memorabilia article comprised of a unified body of tangible material, the steps comprising:
(a) selecting an item from a group of items and using said item as a base article of said unified body of tangible material; said item having at least one surface; said group of items consisting of: a pre-existing memorabilia item, utilitarian item, a sporting equipment item, a sports-related item which is collectible, an item intentionally manufactured for use as a base article in an embodiment of this invention, a substantially three-dimensional item which is collectible, a substantially flat item which is collectible, a tangible work of art, a collector's plate, a lithographic print, an original work of art, an original painting, an original drawing, a limited edition work of art, a limited edition collectible ceramic item, a photograph, a black & white photograph, a color photograph, a limited edition photographic work, a promotional photograph, an item of entertainment memorabilia, a poster which is collectible, a motion picture lobby card, a motion picture cel, a trading card, a sheet of trading cards, a hall-of-fame memorabilia item, a milkcap, a slammer, a disc which is collectible, a philatelic item, a figurine, a bound publication, a first edition book, a comicbook, a comicbook-related work of art, a fanzine, an animation cel, a pennant, a 3-by-5-inch index card, and a collectible political item;
(b) selecting a preferred personality from a group of preferred personalities, said group of preferred personalities consisting of: active professional athlete, a retired professional athletes, and public figure personalities; and (c) affixing to said base article a genuine fingerprint created by said preferred presonality as a preferred-personality-created integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for enhancing and/or creating collectible attractiveness of the resultant body of unified tangible material (which is a collector-targeted memorabilia article) to memorabilia collectors.

192. The method as claimed in claim 191, wherein said method further comprises:
selecting at least a second integral collectible attribute from a group of integral collectible attributes and affixing said at least second to said base so that said second attribute becomes an integral part of said unified body of tangible material and functions as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means for creating and/or enhancing attractiveness of the article to memorabilia collectors; said group of integral collectible attributes being comprised of: a genuine autograph created by said perferred personality, a textual authentication attribute, a statement having authentication wording, notarial confirmation text, a witness signature, a notary public signature, a date, a geographic location, a hologram, an anti-counterfeiting marking, a name of said preferred personality, and a like attribute, and affixing said at least second attribute to said base article as an integral collectible attractiveness attribute means.

193. The method as claimed in claim 192, wherein the method further comprises:
affixing at least four of said integral collectible attractiveness attributes to said base article, said at least four attributes including notarial confirmation text and limited edition markings.

194. The method as claimed in claim 193, wherein the method further comprises:
selecting as said preferred personality an entertainment personality or a sports-related personality, and affixing to said base article a pictorial image of said preferred personality created on the date of the creating and affixing of said genuine fingerprint.

195. The method as claimed in claim 193, wherein said base article selected is a trading card.

196. The method as claimed in claim 195, wherein said base article is a nonsports trading card.

197. The method as claimed in claim 192, wherein said preferred personality is a writing-disable preferred personality.

198. The method as claimed in claim 197, wherein said preferred personality is a sports hall-of-fame member.

199. The method as claimed in claim 198, wherein said base article is an index card.

200. The method as claimed in claim 192, wherein said preferred personality is a notable academic personality.