The Write Investment?

Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding’s prospects for landing lucrative endorsement contracts may be limited, what with the lingering questions about her role in the attack on teammate Nancy Kerrigan.

But if all else fails, there may be a future in signing her name.

Kevin Sherman, editor of Corona-based Autograph Collector magazine, estimates Harding’s autograph has doubled in value since she was implicated by her ex-husband in the Jan. 6 attack on Kerrigan. Harding denies any role in the attack.

Sherman says a Harding signature fetches about $75 now, compared to about $35 before.

He says there is usually strong demand for the autographs of Olympic athletes, especially when they are combined in a set with other Olympians.

So what would a set that includes the autograph of both Harding and Kerrigan fetch? Sherman estimates $200.

Facing Up to the Cost

No doubt it’s going to cost a bundle in rebuilding expenses to put a new face on Southern California after January’s Northridge earthquake.

Now comes official word that the cost of building a new face in Southern California remains pretty steep.

The weekly Beverly Hills 213 published an all-important plastic surgery “Procedure & Cost Update” chart showing that a face lift sets you back $2,500 to $10,000, nose surgery costs you $2,000 to $5,000, and an eyebrow lift runs $1,000 to $3,000 for each side.

“Face sanding,” in which a wire brush is rubbed over your face, is $1,500 to $4,000. A “chemical face peel,” described as “a controlled burn with a caustic solution,” is $1,500 to $4,000.

A collagen implant, in which cow fat is injected to smooth out wrinkles, is $8,000 for the first visit, but only $200 to $500 for each follow-up visit.

No Welcome Mat Expected

Stock market short-seller Michael Murphy, whose Overpriced Stock Service newsletter routinely trashes California’s economy and businesses, must not be looking for friends in the Antelope Valley.

In his February newsletter, Murphy, based in Half Moon Bay outside of San Francisco, discusses the Northridge earthquake, damage to Southern California’s freeway system and the impact on Bank of America, a major lender in the Antelope Valley area.

“Developers invented the romantic ‘Antelope Valley’ name; formerly, this was called the Mojave Desert,” Murphy writes. “People had a chance to buy a cheaper house if they were willing to live in the desert and commute 90 minutes into L.A.--and that’s when there were freeways!”

Briefly . . .

Does that include the tip?: Walt Disney Co. offers complimentary valet parking to its annual meeting this week in Florida. . . . A New Jersey marketing report lists screaming as one of the top 12 ways Americans relieve stress. . . . Irish brewer Guinness is awarding a pub in Ireland as the grand prize in a St. Patrick’s Day essay.