Paying for an autograph ... what do you think ?

[Mikey]

The Duke thread inspired this one .......

Made me think of how many times I paid for a celeb autograph at a show ... At least a few times (even though autos aren't really my bag)

Today, a celeb "selling" an autograph is the norm.

Question is ....
When did celebs first start charging for autographs ?

Was it Sci Fi conventions that started this ?

For the longest time, auto's were signed because either the celeb wanted to just sign a photo for a fan ...

When did signing a photo actually become income for them ?


Is it the whole ebay thing ?
Do they think people are going to just turn around and sell them ?

[toys2cool]

I'm pretty sure it was Sci-fi conventions,I remember as a kid hearing about Kirk and Spock doing conventions and charging for the photos but not the signature,then of course it changed

[Bo8a_Fett]

I remember a huge hooha when Ray Parks was selling his autograph for £20 when Menace came out but it was the norm long before that....I think once they became signings rather than conventions was the turning point. At conventions the guests are usually paid for thier time which included signing sessions but now with so much money tied up in memorabilia it is used to attract people to these signings...and make money for the peopel who hire the stars (the stars usually get paid by the organisers now and rake in the profits from the autographs)....stars now see it as the norm and a way of making extra cash.
What annoys me more is the fact that with ebay around the stars sometimes insist on no personalisations which is strange as its easier to sell on that way....also it means rather than fans going to get a signed pic or figure etc ...ebayers queue jump (usually by paying a premium rate to get ahead in the queue) and have armfuls of stuff to be signed...when I went to a Carrie Fisher signing the early bird ticket holders (extra £20 a ticket) were going up with 100-150 items to be signed....by the time the real fans get to the star they are usually cramped and fed up with signing.

[Hulk]

I'd bet baseball stars were the first to charge for autographs. I can see Joe DiMaggio doing something like this long before it was commonplace.

[toystalker]

stars at toy fairs ruin it for the dealers, folks line up all day pay for graphs and then have little or no money to spend at your store... and who pays toward the stars fee being there in the 1st place? my table fee does!

i had one woman one time she came looking at my goods she openly said from the start that she had no money to spend and that she had just spent £200/$400 on graphs

i think stars started charging when they were no longer mainstream

but i have paid for some graphs myself... when folks like anthony c3po daniels comes out to do a fair which rarely happens, im in that que for a pic and a graph with my £30 in hand like the rest of the suckers

[toys2cool]

I always end up getting atleast 3 auto's every convention

[Brue]

I'm guessing Hulk is right that baseball players prob did first BUT I know that even now plaers sign stuff free. If there is a charge it is usually for charity. "Celebs" charge for themselves. Celeb being a generous title for most of the minor role/has beens that do the signing.

Is it OK to pay someone for it? I don't. I can understand why people pay to have something autographed personally. It is like proof you actually met them. I have no understanding whatsoever of why people buy third party merchandise from someone else signed by a celeb. What is the significance? Was it even real? I love certificates of authenticity. If someone was forging a sig, they certainly would send a piece of paper lying that it was real as well. -my three cents

[Hotfoot]

I would pay $5.00 to $10.00 for the photo and autograph but no more. At least Lee Meriwhethers fee was going straight to charity! Adams did not mention anything about charity!

I guess with the high sales of autographs they saw an opertunity to make more money.

Its all about the dollar now and that has ruined a lot of lifes simple pleasures!

[wayne foundation 07]

I guess in this the day of collecting and selling,everything now comes with a price.I'm sure athletes and stars think if people are going to get photos and auotgraphs and sell them for a profit,they just want their cut.My wife gets us backstage passes for alot of country concerts in the area,and alot of the singers are only signing souvenier items that you bought at the show.

[chawks08]

I remember going to comic conventions and actors didn't charge, but about 6 yrs ago they started charging. Ticked me off because I had bought Star Wars comics for them to sign & they wanted to charge me $20 for sigs. As soon as comic creators start charging I'm done with going (hope that doesn't happen!).

[Mikey]

I remember back in the late 80's ... I went to a few shows that featured some WWF wrestlers ...... They never charged for autographs back then .....
Today, even wresters are demanding a peice of the action.

For some old timer has-beens, I kind of feel sorry for them ...... But it still seems a little sleezy to demand money FROM A FAN for signing your name.

[grayhank]

Deleted

[HardyGirl]

I remember when I went to a Highlander convention, they had to draw lots for autographs b/c there was such a turnout! And of course EVERYONE wanted Adrian Paul's autograph. At the start of the con, you had to sign-up for the 2 stars (from the entire main cast) that you wanted autographs from. I signed up for Adrian Paul and Stan Kirsch, of course. I got both! (and I was the first on Adrian's list!) I didn't have to pay extra for them though.

At Comic Con, I didn't hear about the autograph tickets until after I got there. (I had never been and I was a last minute registration). And of course, when I got there, there were no more autograph tickets for Invasion. Thankfully, Shaun Cassidy spotted me standing by the autograph line (wearing an Invasion shirt I made for the occasion). And another guy spotted my shirt and told me to give his wife who had a ticket something for Shaun to sign. I gave him my Hollyweird hat and he was only too happy to sign it for me. I thanked him and blew him a kiss! So I lucked out both times!

[MIB41]

I have worked in conventions here in Louisville for the past 12 years. Between working and attending conventions, I can assure you paying for an autograph is very much a reality for the paying public. It's not only common place, but often many celebrities will only come to shows that offer upfront guarantees as to what they can expect to make. If that celebrity fails to reach that amount, the convention is responsible for the difference. Also, always watch what a celebrity charges. If you notice someone charging considerably higher prices than the rest, it would be a very good idea to walk away (before paying) and find someone who works with the show and ask them if this is correct. Why? Because many shows make ageements with celebrities upfront about what they will charge. This is important because if the fee is too high it reflects badly not only on the celebrity but on the show as well. I've seen this happen once before and the charges were immediately changed. Prices will always vary, but I would say they usually start around $20.00 and go up from there. That's from a convention perspective. Of course if you can find a way to get it for free, more power to you.

[Mikey]

That's a GREAT story, Sherry