defining line between Collecting & Collecting to Sell?
 

All this stuff with barefoot got me thinking...
I know alot of people here sell autographs, and it got me wondering if
people have a true defining line between autographs they collect to keep and
autographs they collect to sell?
Can the term "collecting" really be associated with autographs obtained for
sale.
what are your thoughts on this?

MrB

Mr. Black,
Your bring up a great question.
While working the shows, so many times, I get asked........

#1 Will this go up in Value?
#2 Is this a good investment?
#3 Is this a good one for down the road?
#4 If I buy it now, is it a good time to get it?

I think many collectors do hope to be able to sell their collections or
certain items for a future profit. I also realize their are some who
just ENJOY the hobby.

My Honest answer when I get those questions is............

"Collect what you enjoy and no matter what happens down the road you
will still be happy, as nobody can truly predict what the future will
hold"

Den
http://hometown.aol.com/calrima/myhomepage/profile.html

Personally, if a celeb gives me a sig, I consider it a gift and they
trusted me to be responsible with it. Seeing as a lot get upset with
selling, I try not to. By that I mean if I BOUGHT an autograph, I
have no problem reselling it. Especially from cons. At that point
it's a commodity and not a gift. However, I have recinded that a few
scarce times admittingly when I've seen a collector very eager to have
something because they love it. But I don't like doing so. I will
trade though, but the same thing goes... I prefer to give or trade it
to people I know love it and won't do anything netharious with it.

You know, if it's given freely by the person, the holder can do as he
or she wills with it However, that can upset the other person. So in
order to maintain the balance for others, so they can get a ttm or in
person, I try not to. Unfortuneately, MOST people do not feel the
same and because of Ebay and the like, everyone is now charging for
sigs or not signing. I've seen the worse of it in 2004 and 2005. I've
never even seen this much greed and contempt.

As a matter of fact, 25 Star Wars "extras" have recently come to light
that are asking for money. ttm 25 year signers like Michael Culver
and 3-4 year signer David Bowers this week started asking for cash.
Other reports are Jack Klaff and two new found extra, who signed one
or two are doing "private signings" for sites and my friend got an
email from a Hoth trooper who has no more than 1 second of screen time
and was told "if you want a signature, go to that webstie and buy
one". This from a guy who a month ago was excited that someone knew
he was in a movie and was more than happy to sign free. Then, alongs
comes someone trying to profit and ruin the hobby, and now the guy
won't sign without money in hand. And Lynne Hazeldine, let's not
forget her, one who wants 30.00 for her sig and she's unidentifiable
in the film. She says she's sitting down behind Billy Dee in one
scene but you can only see HALF her face...lol. This happened because
a collector turnd profiteer did a private signing with her.

THIS IS WHAT IS RUINING THE HOBBY. I am frustrated, even a few crew
members are charging now! Not only that, but if I must continue
bitching, let me say how I truly feel.... if you want to make money,
get a JOB. If you want to collect autographs because you like it,
LEAVE IT A HOBBY and leave the money making out of it. It's costly
enough for envelopes, stamps and photos as is and the buying and
selling has sucked the absolute thrill of a celeb taking time for
you.... right out of the whole damned thing!

On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 14:08:39 +1000, "Mr Black"
wrote:


All this stuff with barefoot got me thinking...
I know alot of people here sell autographs, and it got me wondering if
people have a true defining line between autographs they collect to keep and
autographs they collect to sell?
Can the term "collecting" really be associated with autographs obtained for
sale.
what are your thoughts on this?

MrB

am i still a collector since i do collect a lot of stuff...in fact, i
was asked at comic con why i don't care about the freebies at the
show...and i put it this way. i collect autographs, it may be my
profession, but if i collected everything else, i'd be broke. and to
that i will say this.
if i kept everything i got signed, i'd truly be broke. but i do have
over 2000 signed photos in my collection...ranging from my huge view
askew collection (kevin smith movie autographs) to star wars, lord of
the rings (i believe that i have the most autographs on any lotr
posters boasting 50 signatures on 2 different posters and 20+ on my
return of the king- no crew members other than peter jackson and fran
walsh) and all the incidental stuff from actors and sports people i
like. a lot of it can't sell or won't sell anyway. most of it, no one's
going to care about long after they've passed (does anyone know who
mike metzger is? or have 3 magazines signed by a band called girls
against boys-they were good at one time) i couldn't sell em if i tried
anyway. and even though, my large metallica collection is worth a bunch
of money, i don't think i could part with it if i wanted to. so even
though like 90% of the stuff i get, i sell. it wasn't always like
that...i still have the michael jordan signed photo that started it all
anyway (he also signed my cast on my broken arm at the time, which is
still sitting at my mom's house). and all the trips i've been on as a
result of autographs ( a few trips to new york, the countless all star
games and different golf tournaments. not to mention seeing EVERY major
sporting event in person- all star baseball games, world series, 5
superbowls, game 6 of the nba finals in phoenix that should have been
jordan's last game etc.) i wouldn't trade my collection for anything.
even as i start on my journey to doing something else. the past is very
nice and my collection really reflects what i've been doing forthe past
15 years.
mike

I collect them for collecting. I wouldn't want to part with any of my
autographs. There are some duplicates I have, that I MIGHT be persuaded
to sell, but not many.

I certainly don't go to cons or events with the intent to get
signatures to sell.

But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing that others do it. Sometimes
there is no other way to get an autograph, and I have to buy it from a
dealer.

true; going to cons can cost a lot of money. If I was going for myself
mainly and nearby where I didn't need to spend money on airline
tickets, hotels and rental car, I'd help everyone free and probably
not buy extras to sell. But sometimes, you go knowing you're spending
a couple grand and that's just nuts by yourself. Unless you're rich.
So I can see people going and buying stuff to sell. I have and still
would as I am not rich. Funny though, my family seems to think so
lately! LOL

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with selling something you bought. It's
yours to do with as you will.

On 25 Jul 2005 06:55:02 -0700, "Cosmic Bob"
wrote:

I collect them for collecting. I wouldn't want to part with any of my
autographs. There are some duplicates I have, that I MIGHT be persuaded
to sell, but not many.

I certainly don't go to cons or events with the intent to get
signatures to sell.

But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing that others do it. Sometimes
there is no other way to get an autograph, and I have to buy it from a
dealer.

I collect them for collecting. I wouldn't want to part with any of my
autographs. There are some duplicates I have, that I MIGHT be persuaded
to sell, but not many.

Me too.
I get upset when autographs aren't personalised as they mean so much more
when they are dedicated to me. It upsets me when I see on these forums
people talking about ways to get names taken off so they can sell.

Mind you this is not to say I haven't sold doubles in the past or swapped
with other collectors

--

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't ever stop believing........
Never get tired of watching you, someday you will break through.....

http://goodsbyjen.cjb.net/

to this i will just say...
i hate personalizations...even on my personal stuff...one simple fact
is...I KNOW MY OWN NAME. my collection isn't for showing off. in act, i
only have a few piece framed (beastie boys album, nirvana magazine,
paul newman pool ball, south park signed drawings and my kevin smith
jason mewes combo (before i realized what easy autographs those 2 guys
are) that's it. i have everything else in binders and protected very
nicely...no intention to sell it, just don't see the need to show it
all off...and who cares really, but me...
and in all you folks defense...i believe this, the autograph really
only has personal value if YOU GET IT YOURSELF. what kind of personal
value do you get out of something you bought at a store, or off of
ebay...
it's the rich guys who thinks it's cool to have a johnny depp on their
wall to show their friends..they are the ones who should pay...they lie
about it anyway and say they got it themselves. it's ridiculous...
mike

I only buy to finish my collections...for those I have no chance
getting in person, but I agree; what is the point of buying
everything? I see little joy in it. Because if people see it and ask
you and you said, yeah, Ebay.... the frist thing they're gonna do is
suspect it's fake and even if they don't, they realize it's not
special, that they too can log onto Ebay or a dealer site and buy.
What's special is the letters... the personal communication, or the
story of meeting someone.




On 27 Jul 2005 18:52:00 -0700, "barefoot"
wrote:

f YOU GET IT YOURSELF. what kind of personal
value do you get out of something you bought at a store, or off of
ebay...
it's the rich guys who thinks it's cool to have a johnny depp on their
wall to show their friends..they are the ones who should pay...they lie
about it anyway a