Never Imposing On A Celebrity For An Autograph Just To Flip

THE PURSUIT OF AUTOGRAPHS - FOR FUN BUT MOSTLY PROFIT

WHILE SOME GET AUTOGRAPHS TO FLIP FOR PROFIT - I JUST WOULDN'T DO THAT - BECAUSE IT'S EXPLOITIVE AND UNFAIR TO THE CELEBRITY

     I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE, - NOT ONCE - SOUGHT OUT AN AUTOGRAPH, FROM A CELEBRITY, AS PART OF MY ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE INTERESTS AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT. I HAVE HAD AUTHORS AUTOGRAPH BOOKS FOR ME, BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE SITTING AT THE TABLE, PEN IN HAND, AND WELL…..WHY NOT. BUT I DIDN'T ASK BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO MAKE THE BOOK MORE VALUABLE. IN A LOT OF CASES, IT DOESN'T, UNLESS THE CELEBRITY DOING THE SIGNING, IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN ENTERTAINMENT OR SPORTS. SOME BOOK PURISTS WOULD PREFER THE AUTHOR SIGN ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER, SO AS NOT TO DAMAGE A FIRST EDITION COPY. THE SAME GOES FOR THINGS LIKE SPORTS CARDS, HIGHLY VALUED FOR THEIR PRISTINE CONDITION. AN AUTOGRAPH CAN IN MANY CASES, ACTUALLY DE-VALUE A COLLECTOR CARD…..PRIMARILY IF THE PLAYER FALLS OUT OF FAVOR, OR RETIRES PREMATURELY. THEN THE CARD IS CONSIDERED DE-FACED, AND WORTH LESS THAN IF IT HAD BEEN UNSIGNED. FOR THE CELEBRITY PLAYERS, THIS ISN'T SUCH A BIG DEAL, BUT THERE ARE STILL COLLECTORS WHO DON'T LIKE ANY INTRUSION ON THE CARD'S PRINT INTEGRITY. THEY'RE HAPPY TO HAVE AN AUTOGRAPH TO ACCOMPANY THE CARD, ON A PIECE OF PAPER….. 

     I JUST FINISHED READING A FEATURE NEWS STORY TODAY, ABOUT A CHAP WHO GETS AUTOGRAPHS FOR FUN BUT MOSTLY FOR EVENTUAL PROFIT. I WON'T CONDEMN THE COLLECTOR FOR DOING THIS, BUT I FEEL IT IS EXPLOITIVE AND PUTTING MONEY AHEAD OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. OH SURE, HE HAS A PRIVATE STASH, AND DOESN'T SELL EVERY AUTOGRAPHED GUITAR ETC. HE GETS. TO EACH THEIR OWN, BUT LET ME EXPLAIN MY ETHICS ON THE ISSUE…..AND WHY I WON'T WASTE A CELEBRITY GUEST'S TIME, JUST TO HELP ME MAKE MONEY.

     IN MY YEARS IN THE ANTIQUE AND COLLECTIBLE BUSINESS, I'VE RUN INTO MANY FOLKS LIKE THIS, WHO PESTER CELEBRITIES FOR AUTOGRAPHS…..SIGNED ONTO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING I HAND OR ON THEIR BODY….SUCH AS BAND SHIRTS ETC. A LOT OF THESE TARGETED FOLKS, CRINGE WHEN THEY LOOK OUT AND SEE THESE AUTOGRAPH HOUNDS, CARRYING EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK, (MAYBE BOB VILA GETS THIS) TO GET AUTOGRAPHED. AND MANY OF THESE COLLECTOR TYPES, HAVE THE AUTOGRAPHED ITEMS POSTED ON AUCTION SITES BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. GET THE AUTOGRAPH, RUN LIKE TO HELL TO THE CAR, OR BUS, SCOOT HOME, SIT DOWN AT THE COMPUTER, AND START AN ONLINE AUCTION WITH YOUR NEWLY AUTOGRAPHED "WHATEVER!" I DON'T LIKE THE CONCEPT ONE BIT, AND I BELIEVE THE "ADVERSE" FUN PART OF IT, IS SHAMEFULLY EXPLOITING THE KINDNESS OF A CELEBRITY, WHO REALLY WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE AUTOGRAPHED GUITAR OR BASEBALL BAT, IS GOING TO BE A FAMILY, PERSONAL KEEPSAKE. AN HEIRLOOM, PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE ONES YOU HANG ON A SPECIAL RACK IN THE RECREATION ROOM, AND SHOW EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO ENTERS THE HOUSE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE PROUD TO OWN IT….EXHIBIT IT…..AND PASS IT ON TO LOVED ONES, AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS SOME DAY. TODAY, THIS IS MUCH LESS THE CASE, THAN AUTOGRAPH HOARDERS TRYING TO GET RICH, BY BEING PUSHY TO GET WHAT THEY WANT……IN ORDER TO INCREASE THEIR BUSINESS RETURN. GADS, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE ENJOYMENT OF COLLECTING. THIS IS A BUSINESS ONLY THING, DON'T KID YOURSELF. AN OBSESSIVE BUSINESS THING, AND I'M WILLING TO BET, BY CONSENSUS, CELEBRITIES HATE THIS TYPE OF GLAD-HANDING AUTOGRAPH HUNTER……WITH DOLLAR SIGNS DANCING IN THEIR EYES.

     THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT. IF YOU WERE THE CELEBRITY, AND YOU SAW THESE EAGER-BEAVER FANS, STANDING IN LINE WITH ALL KINDS OF GOODIES FOR YOU TO HANDLE, INSCRIBE AND SIGN, KNOWING FULL WELL, THAT THE TIME YOU SPEND HANDLING THESE CHORES, BY THE HUNDREDS, WILL MAKE THESE SAME FOLKS SOME PRETTY FAIR COIN, WHEN THEY FLIP THE PIECES SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. AND THAT PARTICULAR LINE IS A SHORT ONE. IT'S NOT WHAT I CONSIDER A CLASS ACT, IN THE COLLECTIBLE INDUSTRY…..AND I'VE DEBATED THIS WITH MANY OF MY CUSTOMERS…..AND THEY THINK MY ATTITUDE SUCKS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I SELL A LOT OF AUTOGRAPHED ARTICLES, MOSTLY BOOKS, BUT THESE HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT ON THE HUSTINGS

     From the time I began buying and selling rare and out of print books, back in the late 1970's, I always had a selection of inscribed and autographed copies. The ones that were most significant, were either associate copies, personalized to someone who was close to the book project, or those inscribed as friends……the note on the title page being more intimate than what would normally be written by an author at a typical signing event. All my autographed copies are found, by hard work, out on the antique "hunt and gather." I don't go to book signings, and buy ten copies, having them all signed, so I can start selling them immediately after leaving the store. I couldn't look the author in the eye, asking for a signature as a value-added aspect to the book they authored.

     I have possessed some pretty substantial autographs in my career, including Canadian artists, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, and Franz Johnston. I've had the signatures of Canadian authors, like Wilson MacDonald, E.J. (Ned) Pratt, Robertson Davies, W.O. Mitchell, Stuart McLean, Paul Rimstead, Wayland Drew, Raymond Souster, David Silcox (Tom Thomson, Group of Seven authority), David Suzuki, and hundreds of others in my collection at one time or another. I have sold a portion off, but a majority of the texts were acquired for that purpose. I'm an old book dealer. I just didn't hound an author or artist to get their autograph, to eventually exploit….fifteen minutes later. Some of my autographs, for gosh sakes, are a hundred years old. I think I've waited an appropriate amount of time to resell….don't you think?

     In my collection, there have been books autographed by politicians like Jimmy Carter, and celebrities like Ed Koch, former mayor of New York. I've had a book autographed by Hollywood Actor, James Mason, and many biographies autographed by war veterans; pilots who flew Lancaster Bombers. I actually owned a flight log from a Lancaster, with the signatures of all the pilots who had flown the craft from its base in England. Now that was a treasure. I can't describe how pleased I was, to find a book authored by Jack Layton, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Jack died shortly after the last federal election, and was mourned by millions of Canadians who felt he spoke for them, and their concerns, on Parliament Hill.

     There are very few weeks, of hunting antiques and stuff, when I don't come up with at least one autographed and inscribed book. It's always exciting to find an autographed copy, or an associate copy, where the author has included a lengthy personal note…….for example, to someone who helped proof-read the manuscript, or who acted as a close adviser, prior to publication. I have found handwritten letters from the author to the owner of the book, folded inside, and these of course make the books much more significant. This doesn't always refer to valuation. It just makes them more collectible and interesting.

     In some cases, being autographed means little to no increase, in the appraised value of books. Just because a book is autographed, doesn't mean there will be valued added to the original retail price of the book. I have many signed copies, that are priced well below the original retail price. There are others that are worth more, simply because the book was published twenty years ago, when prices were a lot lower. So while the autograph doesn't add even tens of dollars to the price, it will put up the value beyond the out-of-print normal retail scale. In other words, if a book is valued, second hand, as being worth eight dollars on the open market, an autograph and inscription by the author, could put the book up by about five dollars. This of course depends on the author, and the subject. For example, a Robert Bateman large format art book, has a used value of about fifteen to twenty dollars in good condition, in most second hand book shops. If it is signed by Bateman, it will go up about ten dollars, if it also corresponds with a good condition copy. Condition is still of critical importance, and a missing dust-jacket can mean a seventy-five percent reduction in the book's value……even if it is autographed.

     We have found lots of entertainment autographs; our most significant one being a history of "The Band," signed by its former members. For his personal collection only, my son Andrew has hundreds of posters autographed by some well known musicians, guitarists, blues performers…..all from venues he has worked over the past decade. They're on display at his shop, but definitely not for sale. Most of them are personalized to him, and will be passed down to his family one day. Andrew is a sound technician, so he has easy access to performers. He'll tell you, the only time he asks for an autograph, is when there is no one left in line, to meet the performer, and even then, he feels as if he is imposing to ask. These performers instead, will notice autographs on some of his sound gear and drum skins, and ask if they could add their names to the collection. Andrew would never part with these very personal pieces……and autographs. And some of the performers he has worked with, have since passed away. But he doesn't let valuation get in the way, of his enjoyment of these specially inscribed equipment pieces, and posters he hangs in the shop. He knows what they're worth, but he has the same attitude as the rest of our family. We're not going to bother a performer to sign things so we can make money on their names. If we are out on the antique hustings, and find autographed posters, and other items that have been signed (and paintings are included in this), then we feel we've really done our job, without exploiting anyone, or wasting a celebrity's time. We do not buy autographed items from online auctions, for two reasons. Forged signatures are common. Second of all, we want to come by our autographs honestly…..by using our sleuthing capabilities in the field. We don't want to outbid someone else, during a lifeless online auction, in order to acquire the subject piece. We will always feel better, finding them ourselves, and knowing that our experience in the trade, has paid off.

     When Bobby Orr was injured, back in the early 1970's, he came as a special guest, to a benefit game in Bracebridge, for local senior-league player, who had suffered a serious head injury, in a game several weeks earlier. He was in a special area of the arena, with controlled access, but it didn't stop us kids from lining up, over and over again, to get his autograph. I finished that night with seven autographs. I never once thought about selling them. I just loved Bobby Orr. By time I hit age twenty, my mother Merle had either given them away or thrown them out, as she moved our possessions and heirlooms, from one residence to another, in our hometown. I had dozens of autographs from Roger Crozier, a Bracebridge lad I used to work for, who had played for the Detroit Red Wings, the Buffalo Sabres and the Washington Capitals. I lost all the ones I got when I went to his Red Wing Hockey School back in the late 60's, but I got four more back, when I was the public relations director for the Muskoka chapter of the Crozier Foundation, in the mid 1990's. Never a thought of selling them for a profit. I remember coming into our antique shop one afternoon, back in about 1978, and finding my mother patting Frank Mahovolich on the back. He was one of her favorite hockey players, from the Montreal years mostly, and here he was in our shop. So I was able to get his autograph to go with a hockey card I'd kept from my youth. Once again, this has been given to son Andrew. I've split my autographs with both sons. Robert has quite a few political autographs, such as former Ontario Premiers Bill Davis and Frank Miller.

     I love hunting for autographs. But I will never impose upon a celebrity for my profit. If I want one for my own collection, to be passed down in my family, then I might one day invest the time to stand in line. I don't expect this will happen though. I'm pretty good finding them on my own, without ever having to queue-up with a stupid look of expectation on my face.

     Lots more antique hunting stories on the agenda. Some of the tales will read like fiction…..but alas, they're all true…..crazy or not. Thanks for dropping by. Please call-in again.