It was the summer of 1981.  My family and I were vacationing in Wildwood, New Jersey.  We were staying at the El Coronado Resort.  I noticed that there was a film crew in the pool area.  Phil Esposito and Sugar Ray Leonard were being interviewed.

I immediately ran to the lobby to ask for a piece of paper and a pen.  The woman behind the desk supplied me with my necessary autograph materials.  She knew exactly what this 11-year-old kid was up to.  She smiled as she handed them to me.…

I had the pleasure of meeting comic artist and legend Neal Adams at New York Comic Con on October 6, 2016.  At the time, I had no idea what he charged for a commission.  I only knew how much I enjoyed his artwork on the covers of The House of Secrets.  I also told him that I would love for him to draw a picture of Swamp Thing for me.  Neal never illustrated the character of Swamp Thing, and I wanted to see his interpretation.

Neal seemed interested, particularly when I asked…

Another Star Wars Celebration just came to an end.  This time I only planned to get one autograph each day.  Four autographs total.  Katee Sackhoff would sign an action figure.  Carl Weathers would sign a photo.  Carey Jones would sign a comic.  Kelly Marie Tran would sign a photo.  Only planning to get one autograph each day would allow me to do many other things during the four days of Star Wars Celebration.

Everything was running smoothly until the fourth day.  I…

Remember the days when an autograph collector could attend a comic convention or a sports collectors convention, and pay one price for an autograph that could be placed on anything collectible?  Premium pricing did not exist.  Whether Mark Hamill autographed an 8x10 photo or a lightsaber, or whether Don Mattingly autographed a baseball card or a baseball bat, the cost was the same.  There was no charge for inscriptions.  Entertainers and athletes were happy to oblige.  What has happened to…