About Autograph weirdness

snormandin76 · 10th June 2002, 04:08 AM

Autograph are now a huge industry make mostly of fakes and crazy peoples collecting not the item but the amount of item! I am always amazed to see the number of peoples who are so proud of the amount of autograph they have! But in that, like in almost everything, that's not the amount of items who are important in a collection, but the meaning of each items.
I have a great collection, I am very proud of it and now, my place look like a museum. But I can assure you that each individual items have a value to me. Of course, I have Sir Christopher autograph but many others of my "heros", from Billy Wilder to Philippe Noiret.
But now, the autograph "business" is in great pain; especially because it became a business. The autographed photos are an old hollywood tradition; you write a letter to your favorite star. To thank you, the star send you an autographed portrait. But now, with the growing of the internet, that because a pain to anyone who have a fame, huge or small, because any personal address are easy to find. Peoples used to write to the studios. Now, you can find the personal address of the stars, and even the address of where they eat or even get their dog trainned. Humphrey Bogart was replying to all his mail every moring, at breakfast. It was a 20 minutes job. Now, each famous person get hungreds of letters every week. Most of them just go to the trash bin, are awnsered by secretary... Why all that? Because a lot of peoples abuse of it and it will destruct that hobby.
I give you an example. In 1994, I was 18, and I done a play. I wrote it, we played it 4-5 times and I forgot about it. That was an horrible play but by a weird luck, I won a prize. Nothing great, believe me, just a plaque and I even did not go to the gala. After that, I received some letters from... USA, Denemark, Germany!!! Hey, that was a regional play, in French, in Canada... And I received around 14 letters!!!! Maybe one tourist or two saw it but I really doubt that peoples from theses country saw it! And no one write in French! Always in English! And that play never been published, even here!
Another example. An actress with who I used to work decided to became strippers (well, that's her life). She put a website on to sell camera show, publicise their tours... Now she get around 50 letters every day, from all around the world, just to get autographed photos!!! Why? She's not famous! She's not a star! She dance in bars in Canada! What's the point of someone from Japan to have her portrait signed in his wall? That's just crazy, and she saw few of her portrait, after, in Ebay! She is a nobody! Imagine huge stars like Sir Christopher!!!
The problem with autograph collecting is only that too many peoples are not honest. They want the $$$ value or have a huge collection with thousand of items, no matter what's the item are. If everybody take a real good care of that, that hobby can stay one and the real fan, like us here, can have their dream furfilled, I am sure. But if that continue that way, soon, there will be no way to contact our favorites stars anymore, and you wont be able to get anyone autograph but in person.
A way to fight against that? stop buying autograph from E-Bay! Anyway, most of the autographed items on E-Bay are fakes! If seller stop to sell their autograph in E-bay, I can assure you that most of the movies stars will see their autograph requets pass from 500 every week to 50 every week, and all the SINCERES and REAL fan will be able to get in touch with their heros.
Few years ago, I wrote a long letter to Billy Wilder. I was in movies making school then. Billy Wilder nicely replyed to my letter with another long letter, giving me advices and helping me to avoid the problems of "a first movie". Theses advices help me a lot and that letter, I will keep it all my life long! Why its so important? Not because of his signature; because inside the envelope, when I received it, my face receive a spray of fairy dust!!! That business is magical and, for a real and sincere fan, receiving a reply to his letter or an autographed portrait became a magical moment.
Be aware of that. I may look stupid here, talking about that. But I getting mad to see so many peoples abusing. We saw, here, on the forum, many time, many examples of unhonest seller on e-bay. The moderator even show some fake to make you aware of that. Be carefull and don't help theses business maker, don't buy their stuff and we'll bury them soon!
Bullshit: if nobody buy it, nobody will sell it!
Sorry for getting mad but I am tired of the peoples who take some magical thing and try to do business with it!
Thank to the peoples here who make us aware of that sad situation!!!
Stéphane Normandin
(and once again, sorry for my english!)

**David Vasser** · 10th June 2002, 06:01 AM

Stephane, your English is fine! You get your point across better than some people where I live who speak English as their only language.

I think I may have found the most shameful Christopher Lee fake signature ever. This eBay seller has gone so far as to post a photo of Mr. Lee with someone purported to be the seller standing on the street of a city purported to be New York. He claims it was when Mr. Lee was in New York in February. We know he was in New York in February for the appearance at Barnes and Nobles. This guy is really slick. This photograph is supposed to make me believe the signature is genuine? I wouldn't believe it was genuine even if he had a photo of Mr. Lee actually signing a whole stack of these Dooku photos because Mr. Lee says he never signed any Dookus! Even if he really had Mr. Lee sign five, the seller could duplicate the signature and sell fifty or a hundred or how ever many he wanted!

I applaud Mr. Lee's practice of signing only through the site and donating the proceeds to charity. I knew one baseball Hall of Famer, Johnny Mize, who did the same thing, only not on the internet. Once I went to Mr. Mise's residence, sat at his kitchen table and watched him sign a baseball card for me. He had me make out a check payable to the local Boy Scout troop. Now, which would be more valuable to me? A signed Hall of Famer baseball card I bought off ebay or this one I had Mr. Mize sign at his home in Demorest, Georgia? Mr. Mize has now passed on. How much do you think my signed Johnny Mize card is worth? Who cares! I would never sell it anyway. The memories are too important! How can you put a price on treasured memories?

HERE is a link to this brazen con man's eBay item page. Yes, he is asking for a minimum of $75 US.

What bothers me isn't so much that people are selling fakes on eBay, because there have always been fake autographs around. In my opinion the bigger long term problem is that they are polluting the autograph pool on an unprecedented scale with blatant forgeries that will be around forever. As Juan pointed out, the only way you can ever know if a signature is genuine is to WATCH IT being signed or obtain it directly from the site here. Don't even trust a photo of them signing the item!

Stephane you are right! If people would stop buying this junk, it would go away and then these sellers could go back to where they belong...on the street corner selling fake Rolex watches from a briefcase.

**Colin Bushby** · 10th June 2002, 07:14 PM

Dave,
Have you noticed the expression on that man's face on every photo of him standing next to all those celebs, it's almost expressionless, now I don't know about anyone else but if I was stood next to some hollywood superstar getting my photo taking you would have to use some sort of photo editor just to reduce the grin down to something that resembles half humanlike, I mean I was in awe when I met Mr. Lee, and my face was actually hurting off smiling and grinning. That chap in the photo's looks as though he's thinking hurry up, I haven't got all day, Iv'e got to get these on E-Bay by tonight. !!

**Florian Wei** · 10th June 2002, 08:50 PM

Stéphane - you are so right in saying that this wonderful hobby is getting more and more difficult to sustain; a means of acquiring vital information (i.e. addresses, hints,...) is the internet, but it also appears that it is the internet that ruins it for us. I use eBay auctions myself to get the stuff I couldn't get where I live - that DOES NOT include autographs because ,as Juan correctly said, there is NO WAY to definately confirm the authenticity of a signed item unless you've witnessed it yourself.

The enormous value of certain items and the incredibly easy task of more or less credibly reproduce a celebrity's signature surely must be quite a temptation for every greedy person who wants to make a quick buck. And you're quite right that the REAL autograph collectors, who do not collect just to have a pile of signed photos on their desk, should definately refrain from buying anything on the net... or from buying in general.
Isn't it a lot more exciting to get back this envelope you personally labelled a few weeks/months ago, not knowing what your favorite star has just written to you ?!.... I love this feeling !!!

Well, but I'm glad that the internet can also offer a direct contact
to the actor or director you admire for his performances. This site is the best example I have seen so far; Mr. Lee knows that his admirers ( I hate the word 'fan') really do appreciate him for the great hours of entertainment he has given us all these years. And he really does his best to give back as much as he can. Truly generous and kind, it's so sad that this generosity - which includes signing autographs- is sometimes abused by people who don't care a bit about the person but only the market value of his signature..... Sad

**Joakim Lundberg** · 10th June 2002, 09:33 PM

I love autograph collecting. I sometimes have gotten autographs per mail but nothing beats meeting the person you like in reality. A few years ago I met a great Swedish actor who was a host at a classical concert event by the end of the summer of 97 I believe. He past away in 98. I would NEVER sell this. This is one of my most treasuserd memories ever. I met a wonderful opera singer at a cd-signing once. I'm never selling that one. I have plenty of Mr Lee's autographs. ALL 100% accurate. And I will NEVER EVER sell them. Not for sale.

snormandin76 · 11th June 2002, 01:03 AM

Dear Friends,
I am happy to see that my message brings here a lot of great experiences and see that I am not the only one who have a great passion for some great peoples of the arts.
I am myself located in Canada, so I can't really meet a lot of "huge stars", especially since I gived up theatre acting and writing to became a movies writer/director (I must say "try to became...").
I often write to some movies stars, directors, writers or even producers. Even if I know that most of the time, theses letters are trashed by secretary, I feel that its important for me to tell my mind when a movie really make me happy. I write to say thank and to show my appreciation for the work I saw, sometime to thank for an idea who give me another idea. Sometime, rarely now, I ask a question or request an autograph, but I must admit that I really love to receive a reply. But I think that, for a real "admirer", that's important to write also just to tell our mind about a movie, not always to request something. Sometime, I just send a postcard, if I have enough place. I remember that I sent a postcard once, to a great italian director who done a great movie. I just wrote "I saw your movie "*****" yesterday. Thank!!!", and a month after, I received back a postcard with a plate of pasta on it. On back, he wrote "My pleasure" in french. That kind of interaction is more full of meaning than anything!
When I was doing theatre here, I sometime got to go to some special event with theatre peoples where few majors stars was invited. I am a huge smoker so, sometime I had to go out and, on the entrance, I saw many of theses great stars being asked for autograph. I was chocked to see that no one of theses "fans" even say to theses stars "Hey, I saw you in that play and that was great"... No! Always, "Can I have an autograph?"! That most be very boring for theses stars to sign and sign and sign always without even know why theses "fan" like them! Another reason who make the "stars" far away from us. Me, on theses occasion, I been selfish and try to get advice for my directing work and often, I got to speak to theses stars from 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hours, sometime more!!! What a fun and that became magical and also usefull moments for me. If you take the time to show to your stars that you really admire them for the work they do, not only because they are stars, you'll get a very better interaction...
But at the end, I must admit that sometime, that's very weird to be in front of a star you really love and admire. I met Sir Christopher himself many years ago, in Fantasia festival (He was the president of that edition and I was there with the press). When I stood in front of him, I only been able to smile and say "Hi!". I tryed to tell more but I was embarassed and like hypnotised by his only presence. In the montreal movies festival, I met Al Pacino and had a short chat with him without problem. But with someone who influenced my childhood (and nightmares) like Sir Christopher, I was not able to say a word!!! In fact, Sir Christopher make me like when I am in front of a really beautiful girl. I hope he don't remember my little apperance in front of his eyes becase I certenly look ridiculus ;) But I will remember that hand shake all my life, believe me!
Thank to all of you to be here! Thank to all of you to make me feel that, if I am crazy, I am not the only one!
Stéphane N.

**David Vasser** · 11th June 2002, 03:46 AM

Stephane' Wrote:

Quote:

Thank to all of you to make me feel that, if I am crazy, I am not the only one!

You don't have to be crazy to post here, but it helps!

Skorpionn · 12th June 2002, 02:08 AM

Due to personal experience, I never buy anything that's autographed unless it's directly from the source (for example, Mr. Lee's items here). There are far too many people looking for the next sucker, and the sucker's checkbook. On a side note - My, what long posts there are in here!

snormandin76 · 16th June 2002, 06:03 AM

Dear Friend
Sorry, I see that, compared to many other post on the forum, I write way way too much. but, as you see, my english is not perfect and that's a way for me to improve it. And that's so hard to make an idea clear in a language I learned only by working in English canada during 11 month (all by myself like a big boy). I hope you forgive me! I'll try to be shorter if I write again!
Your pale fellow
Stéphane N.

Skorpionn · 16th June 2002, 08:49 AM

I was just noting that the post was long - in all honesty, I wish I had that much info to convey to others regarding Mr. Lee, his movies or other associations. Sorry if it came across as an insult, it was just an observation. I'm sure what you have to write is far more important than my ramblings.

Skorpionn · 16th June 2002, 08:54 AM

Hey Snormandin76 - had a quick look at your profile to see where you're from, and noted that you joined this forum on the same date I was married last year. Just wanted to pass that along because I found it pleasantly strange.:D

snormandin76 · 16th June 2002, 07:47 PM

Dear Skorpion,
first of all, I did not took your commentary as an insult, don't worry, that take much much more to insult me. After 7 years of bad acting on stage, I am used to a complete set of insult and I don't see how your remark was insulting at all! You are one of the great member here and I always enjoy reading what you say and, by our interest in Mr. Lee's career, we are friend ;)
About insult, a quick small story. One day, a local theatre critic say about me that my face look like a monkey butt. That was very insulting, so insulting that the critic got sued... by a group of monkey!!!!
For the date thing, well, its quite funny! So that mean that we have both a very special day on that date; your marriage and my "birth" in the Christopher Lee fans familly! :) But I did not done much in the first years here, I was terribly busy with the production of my first movie. But, fortunately, I totally failed in the making of that project, so that's why I have more time now to spend here;) :( ;) Don't worry, I am planning a new movie project soon and this time, I won't fail. But I want to keep always my eyes on that site and forum because I found here a lot of peoples as crazy (even way more) than I am. And that's a great place for me to forget my lonelyness (if you listen to the Mr. Lee's advice for aspiring actor on the multimedia section, you'll ear that acting is a very lonely career. Believe me, writing and trying to direct and make movies is too!).
So, I wrote almost a novel again! Jezz!
God Bless you all (any God you believe in)...
Stéphane "big mouth" Normandin ;)

Brandi · 17th June 2002, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Dave,
... now I don't know about anyone else but if I was stood next to some hollywood superstar getting my photo taking you would have to use some sort of photo editor just to reduce the grin down to something that resembles half humanlike...

Some kind of damfool grin like this?

http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~brandi/price.html

[And this is an autograph I can verify. :D]

**Colin Bushby** · 17th June 2002, 06:30 PM

Now thats what I call a grin Brandi, lovely photo by the way. You look genuinly pleased to be standing there.