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Permalink Reply by James on February 17, 2016 at 12:26pm

Although I can't name any right now specifically, I know there are many legit private signings. I will say, though, that I do believe that sports memorabilia autograph shows have contributed to many baseball players not signing as much for free at the ballpark. I think some players have the attitude of "why should I sign for free when I can get paid for it?" Not all but some. Of course to many fans that is a disgusting idea since, if not for the fans buying tickets to their games, these players would not make millions of dollars. And since they do make millions already, do they really need this "little" extra income? And I think that the fact that Michael Jordan signs for UDA has made him less accessible, though occasionally he will sign for fans in-person.

To me, within reason, especially at the ballpark, players should be ready do do at least a little signing. And some still do.

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Permalink Reply by Mike T on February 17, 2016 at 1:01pm

Most of the time private signings are the only way to get good graphs on good items.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on February 17, 2016 at 1:48pm

I can't imagine all private signings are legit, given the extent to which forgery has run rampant. However, I can't really think of any prime examples of private signing scams off the top of my head. Though many forgery sellers will undoubtedly use "came from a private signing" as the lie to sell their garbage.

They're okay in that they offer fans a safe avenue to get authentic autographs on items they want. Here's my general take on pros and cons:

Pros:

*Peace of mind that they autograph is authentic. Of course, this is contingent on the source (i.e. who is running the show).

*Allows collectors to get specific items signed and even specific inscriptions.

*In some cases a seated signing allows for a higher quality signature than a potentially rushed street signing would.

Cons:

*No interaction with the celebrities (obviously) despite being a signing event.

*In some circumstances, mass produced nature of the signature and large volume to be signed + time constraints may possibly lower the quality of the signature.

*Generally expensive, especially for athletes.

*Restrictions on items allowed to be signed and inscriptions are sometimes silly, especially considering the prices being charged.

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Permalink Reply by Mike T on February 17, 2016 at 1:51pm

There was a guy on a popular star wars forum some years back who scammed a lot of people with a fake Harrison Ford signing.  He forged all the autographs are ruined a lot of people's items. It was a rough time for the hobby.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on February 17, 2016 at 1:55pm

Yeah, I'm not surprised something like that popped up.

That's why the Daisy Ridley signing grew increasingly less appealing - supposedly run by pros with experience, yet very little about it seemed very professional. Not saying that the result will be fake autographs, but the whole thing seemed so shoddily put together that it would be hard to feel great about this - at least for me.

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Permalink Reply by Mike T on February 17, 2016 at 2:02pm

The problem with the Ridley signing was that it was the first time this company attempted to offer a send in, and they weren't prepared at all.  Even with some of the biggest names in the hobby standing by them, it wasn't enough to pull them through. They made some critical mistakes that an experienced company would have avoided, and that killed the whole send-in and pre-order bit.  The signing will still happen, and you'll be able to buy PSA witnessed graphs afterwards. 

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Permalink Reply by Mike P on February 17, 2016 at 2:02pm

For sports, I like the idea of purchasing $x worth of merchandise from a store etc and being able to get signatures from the athletes or team.  However, I dont like the idea of paying an athlete/celebrity for an autograph.  Now that private signings are rampant, athletes rarely sign at games or when they are in public, which was how autograph collecting started to begin with.  

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Permalink Reply by Mike T on February 17, 2016 at 2:09pm

I think the sports world is very different than entertainment.  I know some athletes are contractually forbidden to sign for free in public, or to not sign certain items like jerseys or the sweet spot of a baseball.  I have never heard of these limitations in the entertainment world, and I have heard many celebs say they will only sign for free and never do a paid signing.

However, since autographs are now a commodity, its understandable why folks would want to take advantage of that. Many actors/athletes rely on the supplemental income from autograph signings after their prime or into retirement. Not everyone has the $100 mil contract to live worry-free.

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Permalink Reply by Adam Halloran on February 17, 2016 at 2:16pm

I suppose trusting these private signing is the same as buying off a private seller. You have to trust the source. I understand Daisy got backlash because of the pricing being higher then what Mark Hamill charges at signings. I love Star Wars, but I don't collect the graphs.

I wish everyone who was out there getting graphs would strap a go pro on their heads.

What private signings should do is record them all and have video proof of each graph done. Put a sticker on the back with each number signed and keep track of it on camera. That way if you arent there to see it get signed you have the video proof.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on February 17, 2016 at 5:25pm

I would say it helps the collector. It might usually be pricey and not for everybody. Some stars don't like the idea of sitting and signing in front of fans. You can usually get a better signature and placement. Many graphers know if you show up at a broadway show Pacino is doing you can get a graph but its usually terrible.This is one of the PSA witnessed from a while back that we discussed because just like Daisy there wasn't a lot of info.As far as Al its about the best you get unless really lucky. Now if only Robert Deniro would do one!

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