Mattflix

I've been into the autograph scene for about 4 years now. I stumbled into it when I heard an interview with Roger Moore on the radio and he said he was going to be at a local bookstore signing his new book. So I went and loved it, and it turns out that bookstore is a regular stop for celebrity book signings. So I made an effort to get there regularly and have been loads of stars.

An internet search found me two semi-annual autograph shows in the area as well. They have a cover charge, then you pay the individual guests for autographs and photos.

I've got about 100 autographs in total, and I can "six degrees" myself to just about any actor alive.

Has anybody else gotten into doing this?

TomOpus

Not to the degree you have but I have some CDs, books, posters, and DVDs that are signed.

whoopdido

Seriously not trying to threadcap, but what's the fascination with autographs? Isn't just meeting the person good enough?

Maybe because I'm just not a person that likes to "look back" on the stuff I've done...I never take pictures or keep collectibles or anything like that. Honestly, if I were to go missing, it would be very difficult to find a good picture of me to even put on the news. I don't need a picture of myself in front of a waterfall to remember that I was at the waterfall.

Anyway, I've met a few celebrities and athletes, but I just wasn't compelled to ask for their autograph. What do you do with the signature? Put it somewhere and then take it out and look at it from time to time?

Again, I'm not ripping on anybody that's into autographs and stuff...I know a lot of people are. I've just never understand what people get out of it.

SethDLH

Pretty much what you described. A lot of people like mementos of things they've done. It is fun to look back and reminisce. Its also cool to have something to show someone if you're talking to them about that particular time whether its an autograph of someone or a picture from somewhere. People enjoy showing off their collection/memories and other people enjoy looking at them.

Obi-Wanma

I was big into wrestling autographs for a while, as well as comic book writers/artists, Star Wars personalities, etc, but it just doesn't mean what it used to to me, and I'm selling off a lot of my stuff, because money and clearing space is more important to me now that I have 3 kids. I do enjoy having my picture with someone famous if I happen to meet them and they are cool enough to take one, but I'm done waiting in line and paying for autographs or pictures.

majorjoe23

I don't have a lot in terms of celebrities. Bruce Campbell, Tom Savini, George Romero, Ken Foree, Rosario Dawson. Pretty much everyone from Mystery Science Theater 3000. I met Ultimate Warrior once as a kid and got his autograph.

But I'm not into paying for autographs. If I have to buy your latest book or DVD or whatever, fine. If I have to do that and pay $20-$100, screw that.

But I do have a ton of autographs by comic book writers and artists.

Whiskey Warfield

I try to get signatures from the older generation on a photo and an index card, if I can. I'd rather have my Mary Carlisle 8x10 than a Lohan, even if I have to explain who she is. And the golden agers still appreciate their fans. I've written to more than one centenarian and gotten a response better than some pop nobody on their fourteenth minute. I have about two dozen 8x10s and maybe 50 indexes.

devilshalo

When I get a chance, I do try to get autographs of directors on posters. Usually they're posters of what my favorite films are of theirs. Most times it's seeing them at a special screening or signing. Posted a couple here.

Mattflix

No offense taken.


It's really more about the experience than the actual autograph. Meeting cast members of The Crow and hearing their memories of Brandon Lee, meeting John Carpenter then meeting Adrienne Barbeau and her asking me how's John been? So many cool stories to tell.

Secondly, I want a photo with the star to both preserve the moment and for Facebook bragging rights.

The autograph is really the least important. The best will get hung on my wall and the rest will end up in a photo album, but they're great to have. And it feels disrespectful to go to these events and not buy anything from their tables. Also if it's a book signing, they plainly won't let you into the event if you don't buy the book.

One misstep: About 2/3 of the autographs are personalized "To Matt and Melissa." Melissa and I are finalizing our divorce. We're on good terms and all, but it will make for some awkward conversations with future girlfriend. They say never get a tattoo of a lover's name, well don't get autographs of you both either. My autograph from Kevin Smith says "To Matt and Melissa, now you can never split up."

Ash Ketchum

If nobody knows what you look like, how would they know you were missing?

Shannon Nutt

I used to when I was in high school, but don't any more - although I have a signed book from Harlan Ellison on the way.

My collection of signatures (almost all of them signed photos obtained in person) includes:

William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, George Takei, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Adam West, Tony Danza, Tim Reid, Dan Rather, Bill Clinton, Alyson Hannigan, Michael Keaton, David Prowse, and John Williams.

I also have a letter signed by Patrick Stewart that is pretty cool...sent to me after he was cast as Jean-Luc Picard, but before any TNG episodes aired on TV. Can't remember the exact text without digging it up, but something to the effect of "Glad you are looking forward to the new show...hope you will enjoy my portrayal of Captain Picard."

Also, I didn't pay for any of the above autographs. Nor would I ever.

Ash Ketchum

I have a co-worker who actively pursues autographs and photos taken with any and all celebrities who pass through New York. He's part of a group of lunatics who basically stalk and hound mostly actors and actresses, both from TV and movies. Periodically, when an album is full, he shows it to us and I don't recognize half of them. It's not that he's a fan of these people, he does it for the quantity, some kind of obsessive-compulsive thing. And he rates the celebs, not on the basis of their talent or body of work, but on how nice they are to him and his partners-in-crime. (He waxed rhapsodic about Dakota Fanning--and we're talking WAR OF THE WORLDS Dakota Fanning, not TWILIGHT Dakota Fanning--and the pictures of the two of them together should have generated an Amber Alert.)

He related how an actress, leaving a talk show, once apologized to a group of these clowns for not having time to stop and sign things for them and one of them had the nerve to say to her that in the time it took for her to say that she could actually have signed something for him. She got mad and cursed at the guy and stormed off. My co-worker was certain that she'd misunderstood what he'd said to her and I had to try to carefully explain to him that what his friend said was seriously rude and deserved the outburst he got. It hadn't occurred to him that that's NOT how you talk to people, let alone celebrities.

BambooLounge

I don't go out of my way to collect autographs, but if it is an appropriate situation (an actual signing, comicon, or something like that) I will get an autograph.

For me, the idea of enjoying owning/displaying an autograph of someone whose work I enjoy (either a director, actor, athlete, etc) is likely an extension of being a sports fan. I grew up collecting baseball cards and autographed cards were rare and such. So, I never really thought much about WHY I enjoy autographs.

The only time I went to great lengths to get an autograph was when they were shooting some of The Departed in my neighborhood. I am a Martin Scorsese fanatic, so I actually just hung around the set all day just soaking it in and brought a call sheet from one of the shooting days in Boston that I had bought on eBay earlier that month by coincidence. I wound up meeting Mr. Scorsese (the only time in my life I've been star struck) and he was nice enough to sign the call sheet for me.

Other than that though, I have never approached a celebrity on the streets for an autograph or picture. I've seen my fair share living in NY, but you tend to get desensitized. Maybe just a quick, "That was so and so" to the person you happen to be with when you pass them at best.

asianxcore

I think for me it's this.

I have about 29 of my DVDs signed and a couple posters. I have great memories attached to all of them and when I do see the autographs, it takes me back to that particular moment.

Though I don't actively pursue any kind of autograph. Most (if not all) of the autographs I have gotten are from folks in the Horror & Exploitation genres.

joe_b

When I was a teenager, I was heavily into Buffy and Angel (still love both). Being a kid from the south, I never dreamed I'd meet any of the cast members in person, but they did do frequent signings at Metro Comics in Santa Barbara. They let you order personalized autographs online every time they held an event. Today, it seems really lame that I bought the autographs without even meeting the actors themselves. Still, I have a nice collection of signed 8x10s from most of the principals (sans Gellar, Boreanaz and Carpenter) along with photos of them signing.

Also went to Star Wars Celebration II in Indianapolis and got a ton of autographs. Sadly, that just felt like a big cash grab and you didn't really get to talk much to the celebs (if you can call the guy who played Jawa #3 a celeb). I have them all in an album, but rarely look at them. Still, it was a fun thing to collect at the time and I'd don't see it being much different than my dad's collection of baseball cards.

While I'd never travel out of my way to attend a signing/convention these days, they recently held a horror con in my area and I bought about ten autographs from the various guests. I now avoid the 8x10s and only go after group signatures on various posters I've collected over the years (Fright Night, Hellraiser, Pet Sematary). To me, it really adds value (both personal and monetary) to the piece. I'm really a horror fan at heart, so getting to meet a few of those genre celebs was a real treat. I can see why others may find it lame and pointless, but it's a fun thing to do on the weekend.

MLBFan24

I collect "24" autographs, so I have a nice set of autographed photos and index cards. These were mostly achieved through the mail, but there were a couple "24" actors I've met in person.

My best experience was meeting Annie Wersching (Renee Walker) at a NBA game. The local FOX station sponsored a "24-themed" night, which was quite enjoyable. A nice 30-minute Q&A session and red carpet style pictures and signings.

DeanoBKN

I have a 25th Hour poster signed by Spike Lee. I met him in NYC at a book signing, he was a pretty cool guy to meet. I also have my Midnight Run HD-DVD signed by Charles Grodin, who I met at a screening in 2008. He turned into a hermit.

Other then that, I have a ton of wrestler autographs, all obtained in person. The highlight of my collection is the WWF "Winged Eagle" belt signed by Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels.

Hazel Motes

I bought Down By Law when it came out on Criterion a few years back. 15 minutes later I ran into Tom Waits. Some guy bumped into me and asked me if that was Tom Waits. Before even seeing him I said "Tom Waits!" Just as a said that I noticed him right beside me and he obviously heard me and put his hands up in the air and said "Ya caught me!". I told him I just bought Down By Law a few minutes ago and he talked to me for about 2 minutes about how much fun the film was for him. He even autographed it for me. It was pretty great. We were in HMV in downtown Vancouver where I worked. He bought about 10 movies. One of which was the hip hop dance movie "Step Up". One day later in the same store I ran into Brian Johnson of ACDC. I was helping him find movies and he was bullshitting about how much he hated Vancouver but that Angus and Malcolm Young loved it. They were in town recording the album. I commented how it was a strange couple of days, as I'd just met Tom Waits in the store yesterday. To which he replied "Tommy!!!!!!". And then commented on how he'd known him for years. It was a surreal moment to say the least. After all that, 3 days later, Cliff Williams, ACDC's bassist was in the store and I was helping him out. We were bullshitting for a few minutes while I helped him out and he told me how much he LOVED coming to Vancouver. So I told him how Brian was in a few days ago and told me how much he HATED Vancouver. Which made him laugh and say "yeah Brian hates it."

In a little less than a year I probably met about 30 famous people at that job, if not more.

SethDLH

Same. Meeting the people that worked on and in my favorite films is a great joy of mine and the autos help bring me back to that day

Da Punisher 611

im not, but my friend is...

he has numerous Spielberg auto's (including a pic with him), Tom Hanks, the cast of Back to the future, Stan Lee....and some others.

mdc3000

I do like meeting celebs I admire and bands I like - I love getting photos but the autograph is just as vital IMO because it does help trigger those memories. I don't have a count on the number I have and some are better than others because of the story behind them. My favourite one of the moment is this one, which I got in September of this year at TIFF:


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JimRochester

From 89 - 94 I owned a limousine service so I got to meet a fair number of celebrities. I didn't want to be gauche by asking for an autograph but I did get them to sign the trip sheet. A lot of B-listers and sport stars of the day, but some good ones stand out:

Bill Cosby
Alexandra Paul
Kim Cattrall
Debra Shelton
Diane Sawyer
Grace jones
Geraldo


I probably have somewhere around 100 autographs somewhere in the basement.

islandclaws

I wouldn't say I collect, but I'm a big horror movie buff and one of my best friends reps celebs at conventions, so I get a lot of my shit signed for free. But at shows I attend I'd almost NEVER pay for an autograph unless I'm a total fanboy for the person. And most of the celebs who'd fall into that category are dead.