Do autographs matter?

Sean Burke has some interesting things to say about the persistence of the autograph but one of the unnoticed consequences of the rise of e-books is the weakening of this concept.
A friend of mine used to collect autographs until I pointed out that these treasured items he was buying could have been scribbled by a monkey. Overnight, he stopped. I had destroyed his hobby. I didn't have the heart to say if they had been scribbled by a monkey, it probably would have made them more valuable.