Autograph seekers

[meimjustalawnmower]

I have a decent amount of autographed LP's, CD's, posters and books, mostly personalized because I'm not interested in resale value, and mostly obtained through coincidence, meaning that I don't hang out after a concert trying to get something signed.

What kind of collector are you? Do you obtain signatures for personal enjoyment/display in your home, or are you someone who just has to have every item signed? Do you re-sell on ebay? Is the artist happy to sign for you, or do they cringe when they see you coming with a bag full of albums?

[Rufus]

Have fully signed Yes & Genesis albums from their classic line ups...sigs gained over a period of time at various concerts , some by myself or freinds aquired for me. Keep meaning to get them professionally framed but they just gathering dust!
I wouldnt buy off ebay...how do you know theyre authentic unless you got them forensically examined?

[meimjustalawnmower]

i've got tons of signatures, all for personal enjoyment, never for resale gain. Most are not personalized as those are tough to resell for when perhaps my collection gets handed down to someone who does want to resell. All of my autographs are 100% percent authentic because I've gotten them myself.

So, they're an investment for your grandchildren, eh? And are you gonna leave it up to them to have your autographs authenticated?

[progeezer]

Am I an anomaly? I have a few (relative to the size of my collection) cds with autographs (through supporting different bands, as gifts from musicians, etc.), but I've never cared enough to ask for one.

Is that just me, or is there anyone else out there to whom autographs don't matter much.

[meimjustalawnmower]

Am I an anomaly?

Yes. Yes you are.

[progeezer]

Yeah, I sorta led with my chin, asshole!

[Joe F.]

Is that just me, or is there anyone else out there to whom autographs don't matter much.

I'm with ya.

I used to wait around after shows when I was in my late teens to have albums or ticket stubs signed, but I long ago stoped caring about obtaining signatures.

[rcarlberg]

I consider an autograph to be a defacing of the album's artwork. I have carefully REMOVED a couple of them. Certainly would never pay extra for some musician's scrawl -- it doesn't add to the value only detracts in my view. Who cares if the musician can spell his name? I buy the music for the music's sake.

Does the sandwich shop on the corner sign your sandwich?

[Progatron]

I have quite a few in my collection, all of them for my own personal enjoyment. One of my personal favourites was Ian Anderson, who signed his name on my "A" CD and wrote "TULL" in big block letters underneath. Also, Steve Hackett signed my Nursery Cryme CD and wrote "Love from..." beforehand. Of course, he was looking at my wife while he wrote that, so....

Plenty of others, but of course the pièce de résistance in my collection is a postcard from Neil Peart, from back in the days when he would set aside time twice a year to personally answer fan mail to Modern Drummer magazine.

[80s were ok]

I consider an autograph to be a defacing of the album's artwork. I have carefully REMOVED a couple of them. Certainly would never pay extra for some musician's scrawl -- it doesn't add to the value only detracts in my view. Who cares if the musician can spell his name? I buy the music for the music's sake.

Does the sandwich shop on the corner sign your sandwich?

!!!!!- REMOVED AUTOGRAPHS???? As far as value goes, I think a copy of "Quadrophenia" signed by someone like John Entwistle will be worth more than on that is not.

[scags]

There isn't anyone, in any field that I need a signature from. Except for the checks. Anyway, the checks we get from Keith R aren't signed by him personally. When you're used to working with people, I could NEVER consider walking up to anyone to ask for a signature.

[meimjustalawnmower]

As far as authenication goes, I will be the "Certificate of Authenticy". Each autograph is accompanied by the date and venue and where I got it.

Doesn't work that way, dude.

[Plasmatopia]

I've gotten a couple of things autographed and I won an autographed CD once. It was really cool to win the CD. But I wouldn't bother pursuing more autographs. A couple times I've asked for an autograph because I didn't know what to say and it felt awkward not to, lol... If the artist is easy to talk to the memory of the meeting will be much more important to me than a silly signature.

[progeezer]

If the artist is easy to talk to the memory of the meeting will be much more important to me than a silly signature.

Voila! There you have it.

[Amy]

The thought of asking a musician I admire for an autograph is a strange one to me, and I haven't done it in awhile. It's a step away from hem-kissing - and that's just yeeeesh, in my estimation. I like to keep the playing field level. It's just a person, you know. Kinda like you.

The last autograph I obtained was from Jon Anderson, after one of his solo shows about eight years ago. He drew a big spiral on the cover of my Olias album. I *think* that was his idea of a signature. Thanks heaps, Jon.

Should the opportunity present itself (and at times it does), I much prefer a simply delightful conversation. :-)

[Scott Bails]

I don't usually seek them out, and don't really put a lot of value on them, but I enjoy getting one if it allows me a way in to a conversation with an artist, or if it's a bonus to a pre-ordered CD, etc.

So, I really enjoyed getting to meet members of Mars Hollow, Phideaux and District 97 at ROSFest, having them sign my recently purchased CDs while striking up some conversation and telling them how much I enjoyed their shows. And it's always kinda cool to see what Bible verse Neal Morse is going to sign on the newest CD. And it was really cool talking to Bill Bruford for a few minutes while he signed his autobiography, etc.

But I'm not going to wait outside a club after show, etc. where I kinda feel like I'm infringing on an artist's time.

[JKL2000]

The first NEARfest I went to, I got a lot of autographs after the performances, but the next time I realized that it just wasn't worth the time for me - there were other things the time was better spent on. Of course, hats off to the artists for doing it. But autographs aren't that important to me. Genuine communication via letters or email is more important and enduring, IMO. I'll never forget the time I got emails from Mark Kelly and from Fish, that was cool. And meeting John Cale backstage once was awesome.

But there are a few autographs I've gotten that are a little special to me:

Warren Zevon (after seeing him on the Envoy tour - he was really nice!)
Pete Bardens
Roy Harper
Johnny Winter
Christian Vander
Dave Brock
KC's Epitaph booklet signed by the whole original band is cool
And having the booklet from ELP's' Return of the Manticore set signed by E, L, and P is kind of cool, even if they were on autopilot when they signed it.

I've met a load of celebs thanks to my Dad, but the only time I ever asked one for an autograph was, strangely, Keir Dullea. I was always such a huge 2001 fan. I also unfortunately missed the chance to meet William Shatner - I was in Ireland at the time. I would have tapped that! Wait a sec - I think I got an autograph from Frank Gorshin. I was a Batman fan too!

[meimjustalawnmower]

While I don't think it's necessarily strange or weird to ask for an autograph (I started collecting player's signatures on baseball cards and game programs as a kid), I wouldn't search out an autograph these days. I've been fortunate enough to meet musicians and other celebrities as a result of my work, and I have a few momentos from those encounters. I have taken advantage of certain situations to get something signed by artists that I greatly admire such as Laura Nyro, Al Kooper and other original members of BS&T (Child Is Father To The Man), Rick Danko, Ian Hunter and Larry Coryell. I have a handful of one-of-a-kind pieces, as well. I also have all of Marillion, but who doesn't?

[Rarebird]

Am I an anomaly? I have a few (relative to the size of my collection) cds with autographs (through supporting different bands, as gifts from musicians, etc.), but I've never cared enough to ask for one.

Is that just me, or is there anyone else out there to whom autographs don't matter much.

They don't matter to me that much as well. When I did a course in sound-engineering we had a lesson by Alan Parsons and several people asked him to sign their records. I only had one album, but didn't take it with me to be signed, just because I didn't care. The same with my Hoelderlin albums. I've met several members of this favourite group of mine, but never asked them to sign anything. I still have a card written by Christian von Grumbkow though.
I have some signed books, either because they were signed when I got them and once, because the author was a friend of my dad. I got my dad a few signed books for his birthday, one by Redmond O'Hanlon, who did a booksigning in a store in Rotterdam and because I knew my dad liked the author, I decided to buy the book and get it signed. I once worked in a small theatre in The Hague, as a volunteer and when a Belgian writer would make an appearance for some closed party, I offered to do the stage lighting, because that way, I could get in touch with the author, to let him sign a book I bought for my dads birthday.

[Dave (in MA)]

I really don't care about autographs at all, or even about talking to musicians who I follow. I went to an Oregon concert several years ago and got there early, and Ralph Towner was sitting at the next table about 6 feet from me. I didn't bother him. I went to a Project Object show once and we got there early and we were the second in line right behind Don Preston who was having trouble getting past the venue people because he didn't have the pass that he was supposed to have. I didn't bug him, either, though we had a mutual eye-roll when he glanced over while they were checking to see if this rumpled 70-something was really in the band. When I attended a Bruford lecture a little over a year ago the only reason I got an autograph was the fact that he was seated right by the exit door and it would have seemed awkward not to stop.

On the other hand, I want lots of autographs from current and past Treasury secretaries, on small pieces of paper bearing the likenesses of presidents. We can reportedly look forward to seeing this one soon.

[Pam George]

I've never asked anybody for an autograph... except when I ask prog stars to sign my rack. (Nah.... that never happened, either)

The closest thing I have to a progger doodled thing is Eddie Jobson's guest list on a drum head.

[Vic2012]

geezer said: Am I an anomaly?

Nope. I don't seek autographs either. The idea of waiting after a show, standing in line, meetin' and greetin' and all that sounds like too much inconvenience. Yeah I've gotten some autographs, but they get filed away somewhere and then forgotten. I got autographs from Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor, and Gerry Gaskill when I saw them 10-11 years ago. They were easy going, down to earth guys. I yacked with 'em and got their autographs. It was fun for the half hour I was there hanging with them in the parking lot. Now, where are those autographs? Heck if I know, heck if I care either.

[ThomasKDye]

I get autographs for acts that are special to me: Spock's Beard (still missing Dave Meros's sig, though), Kansas, and now GPS, because I went to their gig and really enjoyed the album. If it's too much inconvenience, though, I don't bother.

[DaleGtr]

Yeah, I'm not big on signatures either. I have a couple that I have asked for but really, it's just ink on paper so it doesn't mean that much to me. I don't even make a big deal out of meeting them. It CAN be a cool experience if you have a decent, meaningful conversation with them. However, I've met a couple over the years that, quite honestly and fairly, they had zero interest in meeting me just as I would react if a stranger came up to me on the street wanting to meet me. It only matters if you 'click' and have a nice talk.

One exception- and again, the meeting was ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things- is when I got to meet Segovia and get his autograph. Maybe it's worth something. I don't know, not worried about it. But the story that lead to it was kind of fun.

I have a friend that was gaga about signatures. Don't know that it matters much but he was in his 20s at the time. He had a guitar signed by Ozzy and his band so he put it into case and it will never be played. To each his own. If it means something to you and you enjoy it, go for it. No slight to Ozzy or my friend but I'd rather have the guitar and play it myself.

[Scott Bails]

One exception- and again, the meeting was ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things- is when I got to meet Segovia and get his autograph. Maybe it's worth something. I don't know, not worried about it. But the story that lead to it was kind of fun.

I'd be interested in hearing this story - LOVE Segovia.

I have a friend that was gaga about signatures. Don't know that it matters much but he was in his 20s at the time. He had a guitar signed by Ozzy and his band so he put it into case and it will never be played. To each his own. If it means something to you and you enjoy it, go for it. No slight to Ozzy or my friend but I'd rather have the guitar and play it myself.

Agreed.