Collecting Autographs

[Sagart]

I know some people find it to be a strange hobby and wonder at the motivation for it, but I've been collecting autographs for about 15 years. I'm heading to New York in October and really want to try and get Woody Allen if he's playing the Carlyle Hotel with his jazz band.
Does anyone else here collect autographs, other than Star Trek ones? Any good or bad experiences to tell? Any tips on getting Woody would be appreciated!!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

When I was a teenager, I collected a few autographs from political leaders. My favorite was from a very young Senator Ted Kennedy. My family vacationed on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, not too far from the Kennedy compound, several summers, and we sometimes saw various Kennedys at church. One Sunday, I took a picture of Ted in the church parking lot. I later mailed it to him and got it back with a nice personalized inscription.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I'm collecting only autographs of people I really like and have a closer acquaintance with, not just the usual star/fan thing where you only meet for the 3 seconds it takes to scribble a name.
The only exception is Peter Wingfield whom I haven't met face to face yet but only online in chat. I have 4 autographed items of him because every year he auctions off stuff from his movies for his own charity project and I'm a regular at those auctions. Last year I won a wrap party flyer for Caprica and his BBC studios identification badge from Holby City =)

Sagart, do you like the books by Rick Hutchins? (all 3 available at Amazon.co.uk) He's a regular poster here and might perhaps be willing to sign them for you
If you're interested in an autograph of Robert Hewitt Wolfe I might be able to get you into contact with him - he's posting at an Andromeda board I frequent and he's a very nice and friendly guy who even replies to PMs

 

[auntiehill]

I used to collect autographs, mostly of Trek people, but also my favorite B-movie/TV actors, because they were more accessible, more approachable, etc. I found that if you go to their performance/appearance and wait very patiently and politely, they are more than happy to sign an autograph. I have attended several plays and charity functions to see these actors and all were very willing to sign autographs. They may or may not take a moment to chat with you, depending on how rushed they are (most do, though), but if you are polite and respectful, they are glad you came to see them and will usually sign an autograph with a smile.

John Rhy-Davies, Mandy Patinkin, Garett Maggart, Dirk Benedict, Bruce A. Young, Douglas Adams, Tim Minchin were all lovely and happy to sign an autograph.

 

[Trekker4747]

I've a handful of autographs:

Signed cook-books by Alton Brown.

(Personalized) Signed photos of:

Jewel Staite
Adam Baldwin
George Takei
Walter Koeing
Denise Crosby
Glenn Morsehowser

Signed "Serenity" comic books by:

Adam Baldwin
Jewel Staite

 

[publiusr]

I have several. One from Patrick Stewart and Jon Pertwee

 

[Sagart]

Thanks for the offer, Rhubarbodendron. I have a rule that I only get autographs of people I meet. I like to have the story of the meeting, fleeting though it may be, to go with the autograph. It's a particular quirk to my collection. It's always nice to hear of people who are good to their fans and happy to sign for them. At the last count, I have just short of 500 autographs and the vast majority of them was nice and friendly to meet.

 

[Finn]

I've a handful of autographs:

Signed cook-books by Alton Brown.

(Personalized) Signed photos of:

Jewel Staite
Adam Baldwin
George Takei
Walter Koeing
Denise Crosby
Glenn Morsehowser

Signed "Serenity" comic books by:

Adam Baldwin
Jewel Staite

Who's Glenn Morsehowser? An imdb.com search came up with nothing.

 

[1001001]

I assume it's Glenn Morshower, who has been in tons of stuff, including Enterprise, The X-Files, and Revolution.

 

[Pingfah]

I used hang around after rock concerts to get them when I was a teenager. I still like having something of mine personalised, but I can no longer be bothered to stand around waiting to achieve this.

I have:

Aerosmith tour programme signed by Steven Tyler

Used Drumstick signed by Roger Taylor of Queen.

CD Single signed by Scott Ian of Anthrax

Velvet Revolver LP signed by Scott Weiland (STP Singer) and Slash (Guns n Roses Guitarist)

LP Signed by all members of Therapy?

CD signed by Cozy Powell (deceased Rainbow/Sabbath/Whietsnake/Brian May drummer)

12" Picture Disc signed by Steve Vai

12" Picture Disc signed by Alice Cooper (also Pete Friesen, who is the guitarist with Alice in Wayne's World)

Guitar signed by Steve Vai

 

[Trekker4747]

I assume it's Glenn Morshower, who has been in tons of stuff, including Enterprise, The X-Files, and Revolution.

Got it, my bad.

 

[marillion]

When I was a teenager, I collected a few autographs from political leaders. My favorite was from a very young Senator Ted Kennedy. My family vacationed on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, not too far from the Kennedy compound, several summers, and we sometimes saw various Kennedys at church. One Sunday, I took a picture of Ted in the church parking lot. I later mailed it to him and got it back with a nice personalized inscription.

That's a really cool story... And probably not one that could be repeated these days... Most, if not all, correspondence gets filtered through a myriad of congressional staffers and unless you know the representative or sentator personally, you'd be lucky to get it back...

I have a few autographs but I don't actively hunt them down... Back in the very early 90's, I wrote a letter to former Marillion singer, Fish, requesting an autograph and got back a very nice B&W snapshot with an inscription... I was honored..

I get to don the Smokey Bear costume from time to time for events like safety fairs and the NM State Fair.. I always chuckle when I get asked for autrographs... I carry around one of those thick sharpie pens and managed to scrawl out "Smokey" on whatever they hand me.. It's always fun trying to see out of the helmet on just what I'm trying to write on.. LOL...