A subset or niche of autograph collecting is for those collectors who enjoy contacting and acquiring the autographs of famous (or infamous) serial killers and other high profile criminals. Some people might find this hobby bizarre, distasteful, or even unethical and deeply offensive. However the fact is there are a large number of people who would enjoy a having an original autograph of Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz or Ted Bundy more than one of Babe Ruth or Teddy Roosevelt.

Collectibles by, from or about murderers or perpetrators of violent crimes is sometimes referred to as “murderabilia”. According to Reuters there are more than 30 states which tightly regulate or ban outright murder memorabilia sales.

EBay no longer allows the trading or collection of items that promote or glorify violence. In their policies they explicitly state that they do not allow crime scene photographs, morgue photographs, or letters and artwork from notorious murderers.

In addition, Son of Sam laws have been enacted in many states which prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes. This is most often done when they sell their stories to a publisher. These laws frequently give the state the power to seize any money earned to compensate the criminal’s victims, but the Supreme Court has forced the laws to be defined very carefully, in an attempt to protect First Amendment rights.

It is probably not surprising that people are interested in this type of collecting. Pull out your TV Guide and on any day of the week you will have your choice of police shows featuring the most grisly crimes imaginable. If this is regularly on prime time television it is a small leap to imagine people developing an interest and an attraction to the notoriety of a infamous felon. Motion pictures, TV shows and books frequently top the list for entertainment centered around depraved human beings doing harm to others.

I have a friend who takes the long view of collecting criminal autographs. He concentrates on what he calls “third tier” criminals, those who may have a local celebrity value but are not well known nationally. He likes to find the ones who have committed particularly bizarre or strange crimes, write to them and attempt to get their autograph. His idea is that eventually these people will be released and because of their previous strange behavior will now commit another crime, which will probably be more more notorious. A different approach, and something out of the ordinary to be sure, but probably no more bizarre then those people who collect used chewing gum discarded by sports heroes.

You should be free to collect what you like and what appeals to you as long as it is within the law. If that happens to be the signature of a famous person who murdered a few dozen other human beings, you will find that you are not alone in this hobby.

Once these criminals are glorified and made the centerpiece for a book, movie, or television show, it is only natural that some people will desire to own something that was created by or belong to that criminal. The attraction that some people have for famous people is not necessarily reduced simply because they committed a crime. However, it is all too easy to forget that the lives of real people were changed forever by the actions of these criminals.

eBay is a good source for autographs (although not murderabilia). If your tastes run to more conventional autograph collecting, you will find eBay to be a fantastic source for the autographs of famous people who have done good things for the world.