(My guess is that people were selling them on eBay?) Now, dont get me wrong, Ive paid the price myself as this is an individual choice. In that signing, Natalie Portmans autograph started at $560 for a signed 810 photo. If you cant get out to meet Fox in person, there are always companies willing to take your items on consignment to get them signed for you. The Get Hard actor . People came to see the stars, and the stars would oblige their fans' reasonable requests. If people actually stopped paying these outrageous prices out of protest, these events would probably ease up on things, but I dont see that happening as the cycle has already been perpetuated per the aforementioned quote. The autograph itself became meaningless once I got past the age of proving myself to someone else. Florence Pugh is gearing up to do her first ever autograph signing in 2022. Big-name movie stars didnt show up, except maybe for a panel, and they certainly werent charging $100 or more for signatures or pictures. dont need an autograph, I got one of those 30 years ago in San Fran. Absolutely. One of the most valuable autographs, for example, is on George Washington's copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which sold in 2012 for $9.8 million. You whipped out your silver marker and boldly wrote your PAD on the front, which is what I feared would happen. I remember going to a Star Trek convention some ages ago and getting autographs from several of the cast members. Really?.I mean Really? I then became much more like Lawrence Taylor, LT, than I identified with JoeThats ridiculous! No way am I paying that. Of course, that was the good old days when most actors didnt charge, either. Photo: $445. If you think youre immune from that, we suggest entering the following terms into a Google search: Pete Rose tax evasion autograph. Why do actors, actresses, and most celebrities in general charge money for autographs at conventions? Some fans bring me thirty books to sign and put in nothing. Some may not. I met you and your young daughter at c2e2 a couple of years ago. And so nowadays many fans have been asking How much? when theyve had me sign stuff. Paul McCartney made the decision to stop signing autographs for his fans. The last time that Mark Hamill participated in a signing was in 2017 when he charged $295 per autograph. So now when fans ask if theres a charge, I say no, but if they want to throw money in my tip jar then I wont toss it back at them. I managed to get up the nerve to approach him and left with personalized autographs in my copies of Pebble in the Sky, I, Robot and The Foundation. amzn_assoc_default_search_key = "Peter David"; You must be logged in to leave a comment. Its not a god complex its them working. Ive met you twice at AggieCon (TX A&M Univeristy). But it does get out of hand. Visit us, have a discussion, vent away or just have some fun playing games or taking a quiz. J g hertzler voice of #deathstroke says @manubennett "Deathstroke White hair man!" But I am only an hour away from the Tidewater event, so my wife and oldest daughter can tend to them long enough for me to finally meet you!! (Wait, I hope I dont give the powers that be any bright ideas). There was a time where you could do it all at once. Now, it's expected that each scrawl will be worth a set amount of money as a way to defray the cost of bringing the guests down. Its a fans right not to buy either. I know, at Agemecon 5 I was having every one sign my con tee shirt, and I was joking with the B5 cast that this was the second most expensive tee shirt I had. Most will run between $20 and $100 but we have found that many of our celebrities do not even set their price until they see what others are charging. Freedom to not charge. if i were doing it, it would be crowd control via profit. Compared to what even the b- and c-listers charge at todays cons, what Mr. Stewart was charging back then was probably quite reasonable! In that way, TTM is the same, but with the additional request for an autograph. Me, I had a good time playing father-daughter geek reporter team, though I did manage to get in a few of our typical con activities in between, Become a member to support the independent voice of Houston Your policy seems like a pretty fair one. Charging for autographs. I dont go to cons as much these days, and the few I have been to have happened to be anime cons. If you went all in on a 2740 poster signed by Steinfeld with a personalization and inscription, youd have to shell out $440.Steinfeld also made some stipulations about what she would and would not sign. There is a difference between doing a signing purely for that purpose (which can include free autographs) and being a paid guest, charging money for autographs. The most important factor in valuing a signature is the person who made the autograph the more iconic the individual, the more the autograph can be worth. However, fame surely isn't free and neither are signatures! Star Wars Autograph Quiz | Can You Tell Whats Real or Fake? Adding a character name or personalization will each cost an additional $100 on top of the $160 base price and there is a $120 premium to get large format items like posters signed. Many of them have their publicists send the items back with a note stating they do not have the time to sign autographs or they charge a fee. Use the My Signature tool to create your unique signature. Why do they charge? 2. Most conventions charge an entry fee, collect $5 for every autograph and $10 per photo (with a photographer taking another $10). After all, these conventions charge $$ for attendance-why should the athlete be expected to work for free? Im personally not going to pay 100 bucks for some persons signature, but if a kid gets it I think they should do it for free. Or natural characteristics in certain letters may be missing or unnatural. She was doing fun little drawings for a dollar! I am the proud owner of autographed copies, signed at different times, of BUT I DIGRESS and MORE DIGRESSIONS. Of course, I dont know how many people/fans have looked at the autograph prices and thought F that! And "because after I sign it, you'll just sell it" is BS and if someone says that, I lose a lot of respect for them. Also worth noting, RDJ didnt keep the proceeds, but instead donated his earnings to support the Footprint Coalition which focuses on environmental causes. Fords PR company Coolwaters Productions offered the following pricing options:Option One: $875Photo up to 1620, not signed by other cast membersFlattened Funko pop boxSmall trading cardComic book, not signed by other cast membersMagazine, not signed by other cast membersOption Two: $1,020810 item signed by other cast membersSmall trading card signed by other cast membersMagazine signed by other cast membersComic book signed by other cast membersMetal platesOption Three: $1,275Photo signed by other cast members (1114, 1117, 1218, 1620)Small action figures, How to Send Fan Mail to The Star Wars Cast Members & Request Their Autograph. In the mean time, dont let those prices bum you out, there are other less costly ways to enjoy a con. No one criticized Tebow??! Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The people are more important enjoy them. The cost of celebrity appearances starts somewhere near five months of rent and only climbs from there, so think wisely about whom you want to show up at your birthday party. Some may see it as a way to compensate for the inconvenience or the invasion to their privacy. In fact, there is more freedom when it comes to artist signatures than there are rules. Prices vary per celebrity guest. When most people dream of meeting their favorite celebrities, they usually don't envision having to pull out their wallets and pay them. Just like its the owners right to charge whatever they want at stadiums. Mama Mia! Create a signNow account (if you haven't registered yet) or log in using your Google or Facebook. I suppose part of what has changed things is occurred to my young teen self that one would fans who get autographs just to increase the price they can sell the whatever for online. She FaceTimes with her fans, jumps in to sing karaoke with them, features their YouTube videos on her tour, and even brings them on stage during her performances. Some celebrities refuse to sign, like Paul McCartney, whom Arnold claims has the most valuable signature on the market. It was my dream to get my picture with Joe when I heard Joe Montana was going to be appearing at the Nickel City Con. Like Steve Blum does it perfectly on his site in my opinion. I wanted to go see him and have it signed. However, some cons wont even allow that according to a user on the Dragon Con Live Journal. Pingback: Celebrity Autographs - How to spot the legitimate ones - Mymusicarena, Your email address will not be published. Back in my obsessive convention-attending days, things were way more relaxed. Despite looking like a trailer park that grew up in a Coors Lightfactory, Reedusnot only makes a Benjamin per autograph, he's also rumored to make$200,000 per convention appearance. If people value his autograph at $125 (or whatever hes charging), then he has a right to receive $125 for it. * Comics (grading and facilitation fees extra) $250* Flats under 1117, including Funkos pops $250* Flats 1117 and over including rolled posters $275* Props such as Cowls or Shields or large 3D items such as batmobiles please email for a quote. Further, pro athletes paid millions per year in addition to that money. Why do athletes charge for autographs? Or maybe youll suggest that cancer patients should get autographs for free, in which case wed like for you to draw the line for people who deserve free autographs and those who dont. Not everything should be about money, especially to those whom have more than enough. For a kid, meeting your hero is one of them until he charges you for it. amzn_assoc_search_type = "search_widget"; Was he in the playoffs? My reason would be to wear the cosplay in the photo op with the corresponding celeb. It would just be christopher Lloyd standing on the side of the road handing out autographs. They always say they love the fans, and care for them, but have a God complex when their fans show support. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Labor for the event is $1,000. Im noticing that quite a few writers are still not charging, but are selling samples of written work at their table. Robert Downey Jr. is another first time signer also arranged by Star Wars Autograph Universe. I first got into cons via comics. This way, if someone really feels the need to pay, the money goes to a great cause. A celebrity at an event charging for autographs is selling a product and working. So they have a reason to show up. It was just a nice personal memento to have of a brief interaction with the actors. In recent years, comic-book conventions have become big business for movie and TV stars, who charge their fans top dollar for the opportunity to get a signature or a photograph. The Motor City Comic Con is known for its celebrity/fan experience. That said, you should always make sure that the person you get the autograph from know you appreciate it. This weekend, Long Islands NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum hosts Ace Comic Con,three days celebrating comics, movies, and television showswith artist master classes and 30+ hours of programming. There are also special guests, and the chance to get autographs. 1) I met Bruce Lee when he played Kato. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". What do all of the acronyms and terms associated with . However, I dont think any less of those who charge or simply dont do signings. What is the value of autograph? The one caveat? A brief guide on how to email autograph Request in minutes. This past month, Star Wars Celebration photo ops reached around the $200 mark and fans were willing to pay this amount. That means that there is now more of an opportunity to by your favorite celebritys autograph than ever, but its one that many fans cant afford. Sounds like some Republican propaganda about a free society requiring capitalism (which is corporate slavery and therefor not free.). 100$ is a good money for middle class ppl come on man! If people werent willing to pay, theyd ask for less. It is unreasonable to ask someone, even someone well-known to sit for several hours for a couple of days meeting with people without any compensation. I studied these interactions and talked with some of the celebrities' con support staff to get an education on the fan-celebrity experience. Overall, however, Cam has the right to charge. I reluctantly paid $75 for Nathan Fillions autograph. But some actors would rather be doing anything else than hanging out with their fans, and some of the smarter celebs know that their fame may not last, so why not make some quick cash for taking photos while they can still charge a ton of money? I have always been a big (thats an understatement) fan of Asimovs. Perhaps they should contribute their portion to a charity of their choice. less people will ask the more they have to pay.its simple supply and demand to help work yourself alittle less.it also helps sort the fans who are more dedicated to the person. From the outside it might seem like celebrity appearance costs shouldnt exist; that actors make enough money from their jobs, and that they dont need bilk their fans out of even more cash. Can someone hack my PC through online games? Media guests were few and far between, but cool when they were there. The stars who receive luxury travel and accommodations . It is very thoughtful of Harry Styles to do things this way because he knows that . If hes paying, he gets the A signature. Its America. wish you were here! Overall, however, Cam has the right to charge. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. I can even recall a time where both an autograph and a picture with a celebrity at his/her table was all lumped into the charge of the autograph. Then saying just dont buy it then is what every defense says about something thats wrong like go play a video game people cheat and say the same thing oh well its in the game well ya what thy doesnt mean you should do it and ruin the game same thing here he shouldnt do it. Famous Men You'd Want To Have A Beer With, The 50+ Most Beautiful Influencers Of 2023. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Some may charge a few dollars while others may charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Reunited and it feels so good. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. I was the one with the curly handlebar moustache. At a Star Trek convention in NYC waaay back in 76 they had several of the actors at a table signing autographs. Im told some other creators also have tip jars and they seem to take great pains to explain that its for charity, becauseI dunno. (Even cooler when an artist includes a sketch!) There was no option to get additional dedications or inscriptions either so his signature commanded a high price. A couple years ago at the Big Wow! It was an expected part of celebrity and was included in the price of admission. Nor is this "new". Charge for those pictures and charge for the autographs. Ive been signing my name on books and comics for longer than a considerable portion of you have been alive. Some celebrities may allow the fan to take a picture, using the fans camera, of the celebrity signing the particular item the fan is purchasing. It's an exchange, you get an autograph and keepsake, they get some cash. Sylvester Stallone. Oddly, I obtained autographs of the Big Names of the original TREK back in the early 70s, before they knew theyd have other sources of income. The City of San Francisco was blessed. If you saw Sylvester Stalloneat New York Comic-Con in 2013 thenthere's a good chance you paidclose to $1,000. This gave fans an opportunity to get an autograph from one of the newest additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Multi-millionaire athletes are free to charge people money for their signature. Those will cost you though, sometimes upwards of hundreds of dollars depending on whose signature youre looking to collect. As a result, he made the decision to stop signing anything altogether, no matter what. Had there been a tip jar, I would have tipped. of course I will have only 1 or 2 items signed at a time. Sometimes exclusively so. (I met you twice and I remember you doing something like Seans story the one time I went to SDCC) However, I have also seen people bring whole comic boxes up to be signed, and frankly can understand charging for that. Cant wait!! In general, autographs for guests at comic cons can be purchased directly at the guests tables. Stephen Amell One source deeply involved in the convention circuit estimates that Amell walks away with $250,000 a weekend more than he makes per episode of Arrow a figure he denies. Why didnt we think of that?!. 2) At a convention, I bought three different issues of Fallen Angel for a customer of my shop, to finish his run. amzn_assoc_bg_color = "FFFFFF"; Happy Birthday to my Husband Peter David 66 years old today, When people say its gotten too commercial, think about who saved us all. DO: Respect the rules of the space you're meeting them in. You will all laugh because, I am sure everyone and their mother has his autograph I failed at getting Henry "The Fonz" Winkler No photos could perfectly capture the moment. Costs could quickly add up though. Why do some celebrities refuse to sign autographs? And the rest of us are free to think they are greedy for doing so. Most celebrities use either rubber stamps or autopen for autographs by the way, and those who sign use a few simple strokes rather than real signatures. It was maybe a brief two minutes. Im ok with charging memorabilia collectors, but not kids. The 10 Best And Most Controversial Hustler Magazine Covers Ever (NSFW). It depends on whom youre trying to rent and for how long, but the short answer is a lot. This coming from the guy who chastized Aaron Rodgers for not stopping for to autograph something for a cancer patient. Wouldnt have occurred to them. Freedom to charge. Will Ferrell. A celebrity gets a request for an autograph through the mail. Why do celebrities charge for autographs? If a writer or artist adding their name to a comic increases its resale value, why shouldnt they get some of it? Either criticize both sides or dont, atleast be consistent. Last year, Joe Montana was coming to a large mall near me. No one has been a greater fan of the famed San Francisco quarterback of legend, Joe Montana, than I. I lived in SF from 1981 to 1988 which includes the SF 49er Super Bowl Championships, where Joe worked miracles to win. The Scarefest does not include an autograph price in our celebrity contracts. Sometimes you can tell that the forger traced an autograph. Buthow will you maintain your reputation as an ogre with a reasonable policy like that? Guests do not provide their prices in advance, but most charge between $20 - $80 for an autograph. Im not paying that., but then pay it anywaylike it or not. Mark Hamill is a fan favorite, but he hasnt done a public signing in years. Im sure it was a common and run-of-the-mill encounter for him, and that he realized it was anything but for me. Additional add-ons included character name inscriptions for $75 and personalization (i.e. Can you really afford Kim Kardashian? Former Doctor Who star Matt Smith can still collect $250,000 in a weekend, and recently did so, while Marvel movie stars pulled in over $500,000 each in a weekend in Atlanta. Each makes up to $30,000 for a two-day signing session. For celebrities, attention from autograph seekers can be flattering, annoying or even intimidating, depending on the timing, location and nature of the request. But my money was tight so I bought just a bit of all the things I liked, including your book. I gave tables FREE to writers, artist and fan clubs. And Id say there was no charge. Thats fine. Celebrity Autographs - How to spot the legitimate ones - Mymusicarena. What a joke this is if he keeps finishing third he will not even be playing in a few years. Or, maybe the big wigs will catch on to THAT, too! Now, even more sadly, they are charging for . Im not paying what I have heard Shatner charges for example. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In fact, you can purchase nine different Montana autograph tickets ranging from $199 for an autographed mini-helmet or "flats" (photo, etc.) The athletes demand an appearance fee for their time, which the promoters seek to recoup by charging for autographs. The price for Keatons autograph varies depending on the item being signed and ranges from $250 to $275. Nearly three decades ago. And, Im pickier about which media guests I get autographs from, as minimum prices seem to have risen to $40 (with some tacking on an additional charge for personalization). Or is you bank account nudging you towards Lindsay Lohan? If you saw Sylvester Stallone at New York Comic-Con in 2013 then there's a good chance you paid close to $1,000. The price of an autograph ranges, generally, from about $30 to about $80 with most in the $30 to $60 range. Let's say an athlete is getting paid $10,000 for an event for 500 autographs. There are a few reasons for this. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; I rarely draw attention to it, unless someone brings me something like 50 comics to sign. Could you imagine being a fly on the wall of that meeting? Especially for autographs! No. It helps to cover convention expenses because many conventions dont provide per diems. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Its an exchange, you get an autograph and keepsake, they get some cash. amzn_assoc_theme = "light"; Really man this man is making millions of dollars yet he charges and yes he has every right to but thy doesnt mean he should and you defended him man cmon. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Why do celebrities charge for autographs? You work for free? Not all celebrities are talk show hosts or kardashians; fame isn't a large part of why they do what they do. Freedom to do whatever you want to do within the confines of the law. While items sent in by customers started at $560, the cost of add-ons, like character names, started at an additional $300. So some months back I figured, The hll with it, and added a tip jar to my desk. How many here think that the price of photo ops and/or autographs from a favorite celebrity is really worth it? Hmmmand to think I got Johnny Us autograph for free and he was even gracious enough to throw me a pass before he signed the football..SMH! amzn_assoc_placement = ""; The fans in the stands are who pay for the NFL stars salaries. I agree, its completely fine that he charged. I would sign autographs for a few says straight if it ment i could live like cam. I paid the actors to sign for 2 hours or whatever, and, every fan that paid at the door got an autograph. The main reason, because they can. At photo ops, it's sometimes considered rude to try to talk to the celebrity for too long because other people are waiting to do the same thing. Check out this list of Hollywood actors who charge for their autographs. So in case youre wondering if celebrities also suffer sticker shock, just hear about his experience regarding his desire to get an autograph from an old time NFL favorite, Joe Montana. It was an expected part of celebrity and was included in the price of admission. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. For some reason this has become a hot topic of discussion lately. A few years later, I told my friends I met Bruce Lee and got his autograph. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "comi0a-20"; Artists That Sell Their Autographs: Selena Gomez. Now, it's expected that each scrawl will be worth a set amount of money as a way to defray the cost of bringing the guests down. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Two things to say about autographs and you, Peter. Back then, only one actor ever tried to charge for an autograph, and since it was so uncommon at the time, I balked and never even bothered to try getting it. You dont take a paycheck home? There is nothing on the horizon at this point, but the next time that a Hamill signing happens, its safe to assume that you will be paying well over $300 per signature. It was an expected part of celebrity and was included in the price of admission. Learn how your comment data is processed. Autographs have become a multi-billion dollar industry. The up and coming you can usually get for free.