Autograph Hunters - Share your Prizes & Tips

HanSolo29 mentioned over in the female collector's thread that she collects autographs - anyone else out there get them and where do you get your autographs?

I'm a massive sci-fi junkie - so I've got signatures from tons of different sci-fi stars.

Places I get autographs:

1) Conventions
2) Other Press Events
3) Online through sci-fi/autograph show websites: Hollywood Shows Away Misson (I haven't scanned all that I've purchased from there.
4) Celeb Websites - Katee Sackhoff

I've recently taken most of my 8x11s and put them in a big scrapbook so I don't lose them, or ruin them. Nice thing w/ storing them that way they're secure on their own page behind plastic so they won't smear and they never see sunlight. I use corner pieces to keep them in place.

Here are some of my autographs:

Star Wars Stars (not pictured Daniel Logan

Warwick Davis - got this back in like 1987 in Boston - I have Jeremy Bullock and Peter Mayhew pieces also from this event but they're in storage. I also got a sig from Kenny Baker but gave it to a friend. I paid $5 an autograph - after getting their sigs and David Prowse (who I lost) I was broke afterwards



Billy Dee Williams - I also have a signed litho of his Lando painting. Will have Carrie Fisher sign the second one at Emerald City Con.



Ray Park - I had a Darth Maul photo but decided on his HEROES piece which I got signed just after the show got canceled. Stars often like it when you bring items that they've never seen before, Ray really liked this photo and was all sad that the show was cancelled - I liked that you can actually SEE his face. I'll be seeing him again in March at Emerald City Con - will have him sign something Maul then.



Peter Mayhew - I have a couple of things signed by him - I won this from my local Phoenix Comic Con through a Twitter contest



Jeremy Bullock - I have a comic book w/ Boba on the cover that he signed along w/ an ESB Poster (also signed by Peter Mayhew) - I liked this because again, like Ray, you can see his face.



Kenny Baker - bought this from a dealer at PhxCC last year




I have dozens of sigs from sci-fi folks who aren't Star Wars. I'll be attending 2 cons this Winter/Spring - will be adding a lot more signatures to my collection - highlights will *hopefully* be Carrie Fisher, Gillian Anderson, Misha Collins, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Anthony Michael Hall, Jewel Stait, Sam Witwer, and many, many more. When I goto local type cons I don't buy anything but signatures. I always enjoy it because you get a few minutes to chat w/ the celebs - it's a lot of fun to bring in stuff they're not used to seeing because it takes them by surprise and they're usually happy to chat longer.

I swear - I don't think I could ever attend a Celebration or DragonCon - I'd have to save & bring thousands for all of the signatures that I'd want

 

Not really an autograph collector, but I've got Tem Morrison's autograph from meeting him at a collecting show here in the UK in 2005. He even posed with me for a friend to take a pic. At another show I met Jeremy Bulloch and got his autograph on a copy of his autobiography that I bought. (Flying Solo by Jeremy Bulloch). Daniel Logan was next to Tem but I passed on paying for his autograph.
I also got autographs from the main Red Dwarf actors when they did a book signing in conjunction with Forbidden Planet. This had to be back in the 1990s.

 

I got Death Troopers and Red Harvest signed by Joe Schreiber. Does that count? I also have Russ Striner's (Night of the Living Dead) autograph.

I'd like to get Catherine Munro's (Zuckuss) autograph, but I haven't seen her listed in any relatively-local conventions, and I'm not sure if she makes the trip across the pond.

 

I have several from Carrie from the CIII, CIV, CVI and the Big Apple comic book convention in 2005. At CIII, I also got David Prowse and Peter Mayhew. I met Anthony Daniels several times & have pics with him, but I didn't ask him for anything. At CVI, I was able to meet Mark Hamill and he signed 2 of my action figures. I love having them sign my action figures! Mark converted me to being on e his biggest fans when he drew a heart on my figure and told me he loved me! So now I can't call him "Lukey Puke" any more! I love him! Han will always be "My Buki", however! At CVI, Carrie's line was ridiculous because her and Mark were at lunch one day and took an hour longer than planned - turns out they were with GL and he was dropping the Disney/Ep 7 bombshell on them - so they told us in line that she was not personalizing any of her signatures so don't ask. Well, she heard me behind the curtain saying she had been pretty cool all the other times I met her and had something signed and she knew we were forking out $$ and a lot of time in line to do it. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she looks up at me and asked me if I wanted my "Deleted Scene - Princess Leia Sandstorm Outfit" personalized. I nearly cried because she didn't do it to the 3 people in front of me. She asked me my name and I left her booth not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Before garnering autographs that way, I bought a few of her signed pics from an auction Debbie Reynolds was having.

 

That's awesome J_Girl I'd love to meet Mark someday

Well I'm sad, Carrie had to back out from Emerald City Comic Con - so the wait for getting her signature continues.

 

It will be worth the wait!

I want Harrison's signature, but I kind of only want it if I can collect it in person.

 

I have an autographed Bend-Em from Mark Hamill. I don't how much it's worth, but would like to know. Only thing is that it's pretty beat up. It says "Forcefully Yours Mark Hamill"

 

Well, I prefer them personalized myself simply because I usually am forking over $$ just to get them in the first place and they are something I would never part with. That said, there is a market for this stuff.

The Bend Em figure itself is generally worth under $10 and easily acquired, so the item itself isn't exactly a rare collectible which affects the value. Plus, Mark's autograph isn't exactly rare to begin with, so that will affect value as well. Mark Hamill's autograph is running anywhere from $120 - $150 around the web or at conventions for those nice professional photographs. As we all know, value is always based on what someone is willing to pay for it, but I'm guessing $100-$120 is a safe bet just because it is an authentic autograph. Perhaps less just because people willing to pay for already signed items tend to want rare items in excellent displayable condition. Then again, if you get the uber Luke Skywalker fan that has to have that, it could be more.

I'm no expert. What I know - or think I know - is what you have just read. I did buy a few things off ebay when I first started. Personally, I will not do that again because how can somebody verify that the signature is real. A certificate that the printed up on the computer? Yeah, sure. So that is why I make sure if I want a signature badly enough, I just as soon keep it. The stars already know how much their autographs tend to sell for and charge accordingly as they should. For what it's worth, I think you have a cool autograph there.

 

Haven't scanned it - but my sister got Ray Park to sign a Darth Maul photo for us at Emerald City Comic Con.

Was still bummed Carrie wasn't there - but it did help my wallet not having her there

 

Being from New Zealand I had to get Temuera Morrison to sign a few Jango pieces for me....I even got him to sign a Boba helmet and figure as well, hey he will be the voice in the 3D ESB release (so he's kind of from the film haha)

 

I'm from New Zealand too! Where'd you get him to sign your stuff? I saw him last year at Armageddon in Auckland, but he wasn't there for Star Wars.

 

The 3D versions of the films are on hold now...

I met Tem back in 2005 at a collecting show here in the UK. Got his autograph and he posed with me so a friend could take a pic..

 

I did it the dodgy back door way and went through his agent, they were real helpful and cool about it to! Daniel Logan has the same agent but I didn't go aft his.

 

Same here. Daniel Logan was at the next table from Tem at the collecting show but I didn't bother. I think he was probably about 15/16 at the time.

 

Awww Daniel was at my local Con in 2010 and I brought a Frito Lays poster for him to sign, he got really excited because he was posed in an action shot on it. He's a really nice, sweet guy.

 

I heard so many nice things about that guy. I know all the googly-eyed girls were lining up at his table at CVI and he was playing with the little kids. Nobody I ran into there had a bad thing to say about him.

 

I saw Anthony heading for the bathroom at Celebration VI, but I didn't have the cash to go stand in line and get his autograph. But, I saw him going to the bathroom!

 

Peter Mayhew took a break outside at CE and sat on a bench quite close to me and my partner. We didn't bother him but he was only about six feet away. Partner grabbed a couple of pics.

 

I loved Peter at CIII. I was all fluttery when I got to shake his hand and get his autograph. I'm short and have smallish hands, so his hand was the size of my head and it felt like I was a toddler and he was adult size. He was very sweet to me. We sat in the front row when he gave a talk with the young Australian guy who was also playing a Wookiee in the PT. I walked away even more of a fan of Chewie than ever. Always a favorite for me!

 

I have quite a number of Star Wars-related autographs, including actors, voice actors, authors, artists, etc. most of whom I met in person, in my overall autograph collection. Here is a list (and links to individual blogs I wrote about the autographs. I may be forgetting some )

• David Prowse - Darth Vader
• Michonne Bourriague - Aurra Sing
• Amy Allen - Aayla Secura
• Jesse Jenssen - Saesee Tiin
• Jeremy Bulloch - Boba Fett - 1
• Jeremy Bulloch - Boba Fett - 2
• Jeremy Bulloch - Flying Solo book
• Rick Baker and Dave Elsey - SW make up artists
• Andy Secombe - Watto
• Billy Dee Williams - Lando
• Richard LeParmentier - Adm. Motti
• Nalini Krishan - Barriss Offeee
• Debbie Lee Carrington - Romba the Ewok
• Daniel Logan - Boba Fett
• SW: The Old Republic comic creative team
• Rena Owen - Taun We
• Jaime King - Aurra Sing (CW)
• Tom Kane - Yoda (CW) - poster and an 8x10
• Jennifer Hale - Aayla Secura (CW)
• Catherine Taber - Padme (CW)
• Matt Lanter - Anakin (CW)
• Roger Christian - set decorator ANH, 2nd unit dir. ROTJ and TPM
• Greg and Tim Hildebrandt - artists
• Fred Tatasciore - Gen. Tarpals and Zillo Beast (CW)
• Sno E. Blac - Satele Shan - SW:TOR
• Kenny Baker - R2D2 - action figure
• Peter Mayhew - Chewbacca - sw poster / action figure
• Ray Park - Darth Maul - poster and 8x10
• Ahmed Best - Jar Jar
• Kee Chan - Senator Malé-Dee
• Terryl Whitlatch - TPM concept artist - 2 Books: Animals: Real and Imagined; The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide
• Michael Gregory - Cmdr. Harron Tavus and Nomen Karr - SW: TOR
• Stephen Stanton - Mas Amedda, Tarkin, Moralo Eval, Col. Meebur Gascon, Preigo and more (CW)
• Seth Green - Todo 360 and Ion Papanoida (CW)
• Jimmy Palmiotti - artist SW Galaxy cards
• Darwyn Cooke - artist SW Galaxy cards
• Jan Duursema - SW comic book artist
• Paul S. Kemp - SW Riptide and Crosscurrent
• Timothy Zahn - SW Scoundrels, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future
• John Jackson Miller - Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Tales and trading card
• Jason Fry - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary and Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare
• Steve Sansweet, Dan Curto, Paul Harrison, and Anne Neumann - Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection
and about 14 or more different SW Galaxy cards autographed by their respected artists

I may be getting a few more autographs at the upcoming WonderCon

 

A few tips that I can suggest for new autograph collectors is to have patience, there are a lot of times where you have to wait in line (sometimes for a few hours) to meet celebrities, especially at SD Comic Con. About 85% of the time they don't have time to talk to individual fans at large shows for more than a few minutes, but if you catch them at smaller shows like The Hollywood show or Long Beach Comic Con (I'm in San Diego), you can spend a good amount of time with them and they are usually more than happy to tell stories about their work.

Also celebrities prefer personalize things now (mostly because a lot of those autographs end up on eBay), so be sure to let them know in advance if you just want an autograph.

Always be prepared, financially and otherwise. Autographs can end up costing quite a bit (avg minimum price at shows/conventions is $20 and it goes up from there); and sometimes you may run into someone randomly on the convention floor, or on the street (or bar) during a show, they might sign for free. Happened to me a few times at SDCC with Summer Glau and others.

 

Impressive...most impressive... list there! I'm not anywhere near that in SW autographs.

Yeah the waiting rather sucks, I'm disabled so there's only so long that I can stand at a time before I need to sit down. Thanks to my endurance being crap my ability to get as many autographs in person as I would hope has gone downhill in the past few years, unless I have a wingman w/ me who can hold my place if I'm getting tired so I can rest a bit while the line is crawling along. Sometimes cons allow disabled folks priority status, sometimes they don't care.

What I do like doing is for long weekend cons, I go on Friday for my autographs. Saturday and Sunday are zoos - they're the days that are always sold out and the lines are impossibly long. Fridays usually aren't fully sold out and if hit the autograph areas right when they open on Friday you can get a lot more signatures. Plus the celebs are fresh for the weekend and they're usually in a pretty good mood and very chatty.

If there are a lot of people who you want sigs from - Friday you can spend getting the "B" tier signatures and get them out of the way, then just spend your time on the other days in the longer lines for the higher profile celebs who usually only come on Sat/Sun.

The celebs do seem to prefer to personalize everything because they are worried about you selling things. Unless they charge extra for personalization (Gillian Anderson does - $20 on top of her signature fee) they usually would rather sign something to you...or for a friend. So far I have a couple of cast photos that I just want signatures on, mostly because there isn't a lot of room around the people in the pics and I think it's less messy looking, but if they're multiple person sig pics, I'm happy to just have the different celebs personalize each one.

I got this advice from another friend - celebs love it if you bring stuff in for them to sign - even other photos. They get bored staring at the same pictures day in and day out - if you bring in a cool screencap that you've printed off, or a collage that you've put together from a project they did a long time ago, they'll usually get really excited and you can get cool stories out of them. I saw Paul McGilion (Stargate Atlantis) this past month at Emerald City Con and I'd already gotten SGA stuff signed from him before, but I realized afterwards that he was in one of my favorite episodes of The X-Files. I put together a collage and when I showed it to him he was just dumbfounded (in a cool way) and chatted quite a bit about his time on the show and the episode. He also told me that no one had ever had him sign something from The X-Files before and he marked a "#1" on it to indicate that it was his first He genuinely seemed a touched that I'd put extra thought into bringing something really usual for him to sign - putting that little extra thought into the item shows the celeb that you're not just there for a signature, but that you really care about their work.

 

PadmeLeiaJaina : I love the collage idea! How cool! Of course they would find that cool. With real effort devoted to their career, who wouldn't? Time to pull out my craft glue and decoupage.

I agree with the idea that they prefer to personalize because it cuts down on resale on ebay, but a the larger conventions with people waiting hours in line they are told not to so they can keep the line moving. I think that's garbage because if I am plunking down anywhere fro $85-$100 per item for the bigger ones, I expect my name if I want it and them to have 30 seconds to acknowledge my presence after waiting in line for 2 hours and missing out on the rest of the convention I paid a hefty price to attend. It's not the stars fault, it's the convention handlers and their entourage's anti-brilliance at work on that.