Pete Bendu's Posts - Autograph Live2024-03-28T13:27:18ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChukahttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/66041859?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2bni23ehav1rd&xn_auth=noThe Pen Testtag:live.autographmagazine.com,2016-12-24:3524372:BlogPost:10177072016-12-24T19:24:37.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p>Let me start by saying I am not a scientist. I have been collecting for decades, in that time I have purchased autographs, done TTM requests, traveled to conventions, and hit the streets in search of every possible signature that I wanted. I consider myself to be pretty successful at this hobby, and for years my answer to one question has been the same.</p>
<p>What's the best pen to use for an autograph? For 2 decades my answer has been a blue permanent overhead transparency marker called…</p>
<p>Let me start by saying I am not a scientist. I have been collecting for decades, in that time I have purchased autographs, done TTM requests, traveled to conventions, and hit the streets in search of every possible signature that I wanted. I consider myself to be pretty successful at this hobby, and for years my answer to one question has been the same.</p>
<p>What's the best pen to use for an autograph? For 2 decades my answer has been a blue permanent overhead transparency marker called Vis-A-Vis by the Sanford Company, the same company that makes Sharpie brand markers. The problem is that the Sanford company discontinued the Vis-A-Vis permanent blue marker about 10 years ago. Sure you can find some "new" old stock here and there, but the prices can get pretty crazy.</p>
<p>Yes, I have a box or two in reserve for those events, special enough to get me out of my comfy chair, but that isn't going to help me in telling people that the best option for them doesn't exist anymore. So I decided to do a little experiment. Did the results shock me? Absolutely, but I should add that I have been out of wall space for 10+ years. My collection now is mostly all stored away, and my answer remains the same. It is still 100% Blue Vis-A-Vis for me, but there is a really good possibility that it shouldn't be for you.</p>
<p>I grabbed an acid free white cardboard backer-board, the type you will find sealed away behind a comicbook or magazine in a polybag, then I grabbed some brand new Sharpies, Vis-A-Vis, paint pens, a ballpoint, and even a dry-erase marker, in a variety of colors.</p>
<p>Next, I used each pen and initialed the board repeatedly in four columns. One column for the baseline, the second for display under filtered fluorescent overhead light, column three was for display in a sunlit room (through modern UV protective window,) and of course column four for display near a regular 60 watt incandescent lamp. </p>
<p>Here are the results.......</p>
<p>10 days of exposure</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144677?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144677?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>30 days of exposure</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145147?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145147?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>60 days of exposure</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145791?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145791?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>So, the way I see it is if you plan on displaying your signed items in any light source at all, blue Vis-A-Vis may not be for you. Black Vis or black sharpie may be the way to go if you are collecting in the streets, if you are at a show, you may consider one of the paint pens,(just be sure togive it time enough to dry, before storing it in yor bag or poster tube.)</p>
<p>I still believe that blue is the way to go for me because of how wonderfully it pops on both color and b&w images. It's just not the best for long term display in a well lighted area.</p>
<p>I really hope this helps some of you, and I hope you and your families have a safe and happy holiday season.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Star Wars Autographs by the Numbers: Which are the Rarest?tag:live.autographmagazine.com,2016-12-18:3524372:BlogPost:10151262016-12-18T22:00:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144881?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144881?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Watching different Star Wars actors sign autographs for the last few decades, I started trying to figure out the numbers. How many pieces have been signed? How much value should be attached to each autograph? What are the prices that these actors charge vs. what the actual value should or could…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144881?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144881?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Watching different Star Wars actors sign autographs for the last few decades, I started trying to figure out the numbers. How many pieces have been signed? How much value should be attached to each autograph? What are the prices that these actors charge vs. what the actual value should or could be?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">So I started by using what I felt could be considered round average numbers for ease of understanding.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Using 20 weekend shows worldwide per year, with an average of 2,000 signatures per 2 or 3-day</span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> show in the last 25 years. If you feel the number of signed items per show is high, I can understand your concern, but it is realistic </span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">if the signer doesn't sign that much assume the remainders are easily filled out with private signings and trading cards for Topps etc. I believe these numbers are quite reasonable.</span></p>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Sure at some events t</span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">he guest may sign less, but there are certainly </span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">events where they will sign far more. Remember, even if you don't see lines for these guests at a show, that doesn't mean that the promoter doesn't have a mountain of stuff that the guest is contractually obligated to sign. </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">These figures put our most common Star Wars signer at about 1,000,000 autographs. <strong>Dave Prowse</strong> is likely the best candidate for this number. <strong>Jeremy Bulloch</strong> and <strong>Peter Mayhew</strong> are probably really close.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145005?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145005?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-full"/></a>Kenny Baker</strong> likely made as m</span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">any appearances but was a much slower signer, while the number may seem low, I am putting Kenny at the 500,000 mark.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong>Anthony Daniels</strong> has limited his signing appearances sometimes to only 1 or 2 per year. I put Anthony at the 150,000 level.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144974?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74144974?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-full"/></a>Carrie Fisher</strong> didn't really start on the show circuit until 4 or 5 years after the other cast members, but her draw at shows has easily put her in the 150,000 range.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145067?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145067?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-full"/></a>Mark Hamill</strong> has done a handful of shows but the fees he or his agents have charged for his signature have always been higher than the rest. I am putting Mark's numbers at about 50,000-75,000.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145111?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145111?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-full"/></a>Harrison Ford</strong> for decades was the guy that you had to go out and try to meet in public. He still doesn't do autograph shows, but he has done some private signings and has signed some material for specialty products and trading cards. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">If we guesstimate the number of these private signings to maybe 10 events with an average of under 500 pieces signed. We can put Harrison in at under 5000 nice sit-down autographs. </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145089?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145089?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-full"/></a></span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><strong>Alec Guinness</strong> and <strong>Peter Cushing</strong> were both generous signers via their home addresses. My rough estimates place Alec's Star Wars signed items at about 2000 pieces. Peter likely signed maybe 200-300 with 90%+ of those items inscribed to the fan.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145095?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74145095?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">Speaking to a number of active TTM autograph hunters and dealers, if they attempted</span> mailing <span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">requests to Mr. Cushing between 1977 and 1985, a large percentage of material sent was Hammer Horror film stills and Sherlock Holmes items. Star Wars images were not good sellers and only existed in press kit images and lobby cards. By 1986 Star Wars was forgotten by most, and it did not see a huge resurgence until 1995-1997 (a year or more after Peter passed). </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"> </span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">I know we don't live in a perfect world, but if you crunch the numbers:</span></div>
<div><ul>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Kenny should be twice as valuable as Dave, Jeremy or Peter Mayhew. (With Kenny's passing this is likely now skewed, and will likely even be higher today).</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Anthony should be roughly 3 times as valuable as Kenny during his active signing years.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Anthony and Carrie should be pretty close in value.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Mark should be 2 to 3 times the value of Carrie.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Harrison's sit down clean autographs should be as much as 10 times the value of Mark.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Alec should be about twice as valuable as a nice Harrison.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Inscribed Peter items could be as much as 10 times the value of an Alec.</span></li>
<li><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Uninscribed Peter Cushing Star Wars items should be worth a small mountain of Dave Prowse signed photos.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;">You can adjust the main numbers anyway you want.....cut down the number of shows a year, the number of years the signer appeared at shows, or even the average number of pieces signed at a weekend show.</span></div>
<div><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">The fact remains that some Star Wars related autographs are in such great supply, you should be very careful in what you choose as a good autograph to collect. That is, of course, i</span><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">f you are seeing your hobby as a possible future investment.</span></div>Autograph Common Sensetag:live.autographmagazine.com,2016-11-05:3524372:BlogPost:9990452016-11-05T12:00:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p>Let's take some time to talk about autographs, sounds silly right? In the last few weeks a number of new & old collectors have popped in here on this site and elsewhere with items they want to know about...Is this real? What's the value? and so on. </p>
<div>Many of us collect different things, some only collect sports, some mostly music, astronauts or presidents, whatever you collect this topic will fit into any category, for my purposes, seeing as I collect celebrity autographs, these…</div>
<p>Let's take some time to talk about autographs, sounds silly right? In the last few weeks a number of new & old collectors have popped in here on this site and elsewhere with items they want to know about...Is this real? What's the value? and so on. </p>
<div>Many of us collect different things, some only collect sports, some mostly music, astronauts or presidents, whatever you collect this topic will fit into any category, for my purposes, seeing as I collect celebrity autographs, these are the examples I will use.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There are so many things that should be looked at when you are deciding what you should collect and where the actual value can possibly end up.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Lets start with the item. Is it a photograph? Maybe a poster and is it original or a cheap copy? What size is it? Was it produced in a photo lab or printed out on your computer? All of this matters.</div>
<div>Maybe it's a size that the signer rarely autographs. As we saw recently with an oversized Armstrong photo selling for 10 times the normal price.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A photograph should be a good size to display with a strong autograph that you can see clearly ...even from across the room. If the celebrity signed in a dark area with a dark pen (as many do).....the value will be different..... far different.</div>
<div>Avoid magazine pages or flimsy paperstock lithographs, they will not last for the long term, and computer printed images will fade and look horrible in time, that is if the sharpie doesn't bleed into the image. Good lab produced photos have a lifespan of 100 years or more. Paper stock magazine pages will crumble to dust over time....think about old newspapers.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>While we are on the subject of images.....is that image from the celebrity's most famous role? The one character which he or she is know for worldwide? This is also of huge importance but it is also a double edged sword on occasion. Certain celebrities are so well known for a specific role that nearly everything signed by them in their career is images of that role. Sean Connery will always be James Bond, and for 50+ years he has been singing James Bond images, posters and memorabilia. He has certainly signed far fewer pieces from Highlander or Indiana Jones, both of those franchises will always have a place in collections and will have collectors who want them.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Other examples of this would be Joe D on a Mr. Coffee ad photo or a shot swinging a bat in uniform, Armstrong in his NASA jumpsuit or a business suit. Roger Maris in pinstripes or in a Cards jersey. Which do you think will be more valuable to the average fan? Sure a shot of Joe D holding a Mr. Coffee coffee pot would be a fun piece for someone who owns a dozen Yankees shots of Joe, but what would the "normal" fan prefer? </div>
<div> </div>
<div>There are rare celebrities whose career has given them multiple characters with far reaching long term recognition. Al Pacino will always be Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. Harrison Ford has both Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Other celebs aren't that lucky, but if they are recognized forever as one character ....that is nothing to sneeze at, and it is probably a good bet that if you want to add that person to your collection, it is probably wise to be sure you get the right item signed. Marlon Brando on a Godfather photo would likely sell for 20 times what a standard Brando image would bring. Heath Ledger photos as the Joker ( I only know of about a dozen) will sell for far more than any other Ledger graph.....no offense to the Brokeback fans.</div>
<div>Be smart about what you add to your collection and if you are in a position where you have to be buying a piece.....save up and holdout for the right piece</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Posters, props and costumes are all options for signing, but again.....quality always matters, both in the item signed and the autograph ......choose wisely.</div>
<div>Of course sometimes you have no choice but to compromise, especially when you are in search of a celebrity that is no longer with us, just take your time and be patient, don't jump into anything without doing your homework.</div>
<div>I am sure there are dozens of other factors.....these were just the few that popped into my head in the last day or so. Please add to the list.</div>A Complete Collection: Is It Happiness or The Saddest Thing Ever?tag:live.autographmagazine.com,2016-07-16:3524372:BlogPost:9557792016-07-16T12:29:36.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<div><div><font color="#333333" face="Verdana">I think Steve Buscemi nailed it in Ghost World as</font> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" title="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Seymour</span></a><span>: "Well, you think it's healthy to obsessively collect things? You can't connect with other people, so you fill your life with stuff. I'm just like all the rest of these pathetic collector…</span></div>
</div>
<div><div><font color="#333333" face="Verdana">I think Steve Buscemi nailed it in Ghost World as</font> <a title="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=tt_trv_qu"><span class="character">Seymour</span></a><span>: "Well, you think it's healthy to obsessively collect things? You can't connect with other people, so you fill your life with stuff. I'm just like all the rest of these pathetic collector losers."</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>As autoggraph collectors we spend days, weeks, months, years, even decades....searching for that last signature to complete the collection. The thrill of the hunt, searching high and low, in old musty shops or scanning web searches for that ever elusive name. Then it happens, you have stumbled across that missing piece. Your collection is complete. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>Now you are no longer a collector. You have the set....you own it, but what now?</span></div>
<div><span>Withdrawal .....that's what comes next, especially if you have an addictive personality.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>I remember back in the 1990's telling myself that when the day comes that I get my hands on a Jack Purvis signature, (little person actor from the first 3 Star Wars films) I would call the collection done and stop. I sit here in 2016, now knowing that Jack couldn't sign due to an accident, and that he passed away in the late 90's. There are 7 or 8 of Jack's autographs in my collection now, and I haven't even slowed down. I tell myself, yeah I have an album page, but I need an 8x10. I find an 8x10, but now I need him in character. Find the right one, then I need a white index card for the matted set, and so on. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>Collecting is an addiction, there is no doubt about it in my mind. They have addiction specialists in all kinds of fields.....be it drug addiction or hoarding, it seems every possible affliction known to man has specialists in the field ready to help the person suffering from the disease.</span> <span>Where are the people who can break us of this collecting habit?</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>I was born a collector, I know this now, i</span><span>t's not a new thing, back in the 70's I had to have every action figure, in the 80's every comic book and every baseball card. The people making these items designed them to be sure that you had to have them all. Autographs weren't as easy but they were always there, then by the 1990's we had the internet and collectors groups and a way to track down that missing autograph without traveling 7 states away. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>Sites just like this one aren't helping us with our problem, they are making it even more addicting, yet I find myself here every day.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span>I have heard people day that happiness is a complete collection, but I have also heard the exact opposite. I am leaning towards the fact that there is nothing more sad than a complete collection. A complete collection only opens us up to the next collection. It's a never ending cycle for me... but I guess it is safer than heroin. </span></div>
<div><span>Back to the title I suppose....what's your opinion, Happy or Sad? </span></div>
</div>We Are Not In Control!tag:live.autographmagazine.com,2016-07-08:3524372:BlogPost:9517692016-07-08T16:30:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">In today's 24-hour news cycle, a celebrity's career can be undone in the blink of an eye. The story doesn't even have to be true in some cases, but if it is reported, the public forms its own perception, usually without all the facts. It can even go to trial...yet the presumption of innocence doesn't count in the world of public opinion. No matter what the jury concludes, no matter the final verdict....people's minds are…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">In today's 24-hour news cycle, a celebrity's career can be undone in the blink of an eye. The story doesn't even have to be true in some cases, but if it is reported, the public forms its own perception, usually without all the facts. It can even go to trial...yet the presumption of innocence doesn't count in the world of public opinion. No matter what the jury concludes, no matter the final verdict....people's minds are already made up.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Newspapers love to plaster nasty headlines all over the front page if they have a couple of sources. Yet when these stories are refuted, retractions tend to be buried on some inside page printed in a box the size of a postage stamp.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">What in the world does this have to do with autographs? That is what you are thinking right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">In the last 30+ years, I have collected more than my fair share of autographs, mostly those of living celebrities. This is where things get dangerous, a living hero can very likely do far more besides disappoint you. I have known plenty of collectors who specialize in just a single celebrity, spending decades going to shows, chasing this celebrity from game to game, or shoot to shoot. Amassing collections of hundreds of signed items of a single person. Sure it's a collection but it also becomes an investment for the future.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">What happens when the future isn't so bright?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Hardcore hoarders fall into every category of autograph collecting. You might be lucky enough to have your hero remain untarnished but think about those that were less fortunate,.... good, solid, learned fans who collected nothing but Mark McGwire, or Jose Canseco, or Barry Bonds, or Alex Rodriguez, or maybe Pete Rose.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Baseball isn't the only field we are talking about here, there were Michael Vick and O.J. Simpson collectors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">People who put directors on a pedestal like Woody Allen or Roman Polanski, they have seen that pedestal eroded away.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Mel Gibson used to be one of the most sought after autographs, not so much after his drunken rants.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Bill Cosby is a funny guy, there is no doubt there, as a stand-up comedian, he is among the greatest to ever take the stage, his tv shows rank among the best to ever air. Yet no one seems to be bragging about their dozens of items signed by Bill today.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">If Michael Jackson had lived, would we have ongoing threads about his autograph and artwork? Innocent or Guilty, just the idea of wrong doing turned off lots of fans and collectors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">People talk about not putting all their eggs in one basket......it might be high time to listen.</span><br/> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">Whatever you do, whatever you choose to collect, mix it up a bit, the word of the day is</span><br/> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">diversify.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-3">As Michael Conrad said every week on Hill Street Blues..."Let's be careful out there."</span></p>Star Wars Autographs: Deciding What to Collecttag:live.autographmagazine.com,2015-12-08:3524372:BlogPost:8462712015-12-08T18:00:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p><span class="font-size-4" style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Someone asked me about the most important info for the more advanced autograph collector that has decided to expand their collection to include Star Wars. There is so much to know that I feel that this post may ramble a bit as I put things in as they come to mind. Many of the items I will mention are helpful facts for any type of collector.…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Someone asked me about the most important info for the more advanced autograph collector that has decided to expand their collection to include Star Wars. There is so much to know that I feel that this post may ramble a bit as I put things in as they come to mind. Many of the items I will mention are helpful facts for any type of collector.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Decisions decisions and more decisions...you will have to make plenty of them. How will you collect?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Through the mail? In person only? Will you hire an in-person aut</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">ograph hunter? Try to find the right dealer?</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Maybe the convention scene is for you. You may choose to do your collecting via auctions or maybe even eBay if you are bold enough. Whatever you choose, the likelihood is that you will find yourself mixing and matching from all of these methods.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Next will be what type of item to collect: trading cards, toys, reproduction props, index cards, 8x10 photos, 11x14 photos or larger? Maybe posters?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Photos are an interesting subject lately with the majority of collectors choosing 8x10 photos for the ease of storage. There are lots of things to consider here and it isn't just color or B&W.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">In the earliest days of Star Wars autograph collecting, all we had</span> were <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">the B&W press stills. Lucasfilm was strict about the sale of non-official photos and would send out cease and desist letters to any photo shop offering Star Wars images. If you found a shop that would sell you any, they were always out of view.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Then Classico released their series of quality postcard images, that</span> is, <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">until they lost the license. That was followed by Official Pix, who held the license for over a decade. They have recently let that license go.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Today we are back to no official source for the images we want to get signed. Disney, the new owner of the Star Wars franchise, will likely be even quicker to get their lawyers involved. If you had $6 Billion invested in a property, you would do everything you could to protect it too. My guess is we are headed back to the dark ages, photos only available thru underground means, sneaking around dark, dingy, little shops that sell photos hidden in the back.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Seeing the last few private signings and hearing quite a few stories from in-person graphers, it seems that</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"> the new thing will be "licensed material only." If the item isn't an official Lucasfilm/Disney product, some of these celebrities will refuse to sign them. The old guard, the ladies an</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">d gentlemen who have been doing the convention circuit for decades don't seem to care very much what they</span> sign, <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">unless the show is being run by the Mouse. In that case, there will likely be a representative at nearly every table making sure that everything autographed is officially licensed.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">The modern printing era of Walmart, Costco and </span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">home computers, has plenty of people capable of printing their own images, but that leads to one of the bigger problems facing collectors of authentic autographs:</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Those real autographs that look great online may very well be signed on blanks. "Blanks," you say, "what in the world are blanks?"</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Today's in-person runners find themselves unprepared for run-ins with celebrities they don't expect or last minute knowledge of where to find a celebrity they want to sign. So they grab a blank sheet of computer photo paper. They will carry this paper in their bags and get the celeb to sign that blank white sheet.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Then they go back home and find the right image and print it on the signed blank. The piece looks fantastic while it is for sale, and it will likely continue to do so for awhile. But given time, the Sharpie or Vis-A-Vis marker they used will bleed into the color of the photo, leaving a feathered halo look around the signature. A little more time and the image itself will start to fade. Some printers and ink last a bit longer, but these home printed images will all look like garbage in the coming years, sooner or later.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">These print-overs will likely be 8.5x11 inches as long as the seller doesn't trim them down.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Lab printed photos are worth the bit extra,</span> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">and finding a dealer or runner who only uses lab printed images is well worth the extra investment in the long run.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Another thing to be aware of when shopping online is inscription removals. Not all dealers and graphers ar</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">e good at it. Certain Star Wars celebrities, Frank</span> Oz <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">for example, for about 20 years now, will not sign anything unless it is inscribed to the person standing before him.</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">That's right, every real Frank Oz piece that you see in a dealers stock or online without an inscription </span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">has been altered. You will have to find a piece from 1997 or older to have one that hasn't gone through an inscription removal, and if you have fallen in love with one that is newer, you will need to be sure that you have the right to return it, if you are unhappy with the removal that has taken place.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">What's next? What photo from what film?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Most Star Wars characters that people want to add to their collection appeared in more than one film, so what image do you choose? Han Solo in his vest or stormtrooper disguise from A New Hope? His snow gear or flight jacket from The Empire Strikes Back? Maybe you dig that camouflaged duster from Return of the Jedi? Or you only want scenes from the films or the studio shots. You will have to decide what works for you.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Most of us can't have it all...or</span> at least <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">we can't afford it all. Most often you will have to accept what is available. Only in rare circumstances do you find the perfect piece, but when you do, trust me, you will likely pay dearly for it if it is genuine.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Like I said earlier, decisions are part of your everyday life...and more so collecting autographs, especially Star Wars autographs.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Maybe you will decide that you can't stand the modern versions of Harrison Ford, George Lucas or Mark Hamill's autograph. Maybe you will decide that you want vintage autographs on non-Star Wars</span><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"> images. Maybe you will decide to get samples of their signatures from the different eras of their careers.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Better signature, better placement, better photos, better quality of the item signed, it is all up to you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">There is no right or wrong way to collect Star Wars autographs. Whatever you decide...that's right for you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4"><strong>About the Author</strong></span><br/> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">Pete Chuka can be found right here on Autograph <em>Live</em>. He is also known as Bendu on the Rebelscum autograph forum and he still doesn't charge for his opinion.</span></p>Star Wars Autographs: Striking Back at the Dark Sidetag:live.autographmagazine.com,2015-12-03:3524372:BlogPost:8436282015-12-03T12:00:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p><br></br>Collecting Star Wars autographs is possibly the best hobby in this world or any other. But the hobby, just like the films, has a dark side. Forgeries, secretarial signatures, dealers without the proper knowledge and mistakes by authentication companies can give even the best collectors heartaches and nightmares.<br></br> <br></br>With all the hype surrounding the release Star Wars Episode VII: <em>The Force Awakens</em>, and the promise of the remainder of the new trilogy and stand-alone films…</p>
<p><br/>Collecting Star Wars autographs is possibly the best hobby in this world or any other. But the hobby, just like the films, has a dark side. Forgeries, secretarial signatures, dealers without the proper knowledge and mistakes by authentication companies can give even the best collectors heartaches and nightmares.<br/> <br/>With all the hype surrounding the release Star Wars Episode VII: <em>The Force Awakens</em>, and the promise of the remainder of the new trilogy and stand-alone films in the coming decade, more and more people will join the ranks of Star Wars autograph collectors.<br/> <br/>The first step for someone jumping into this hobby tends to be an internet search. That usually leads to eBay, where you will find nearly 10,000 listings related to Star Wars autographs on any given day. The vast majority of those autographs are worthless forgeries.<br/> <br/>While there are nuggets of gold on eBay that pop up here and there, I strongly recommend that new collectors avoid the pitfalls of eBay, at least until you have a good handle on the fact that they do not even attempt to police their autograph categories for fakes.<br/> <br/>Nothing compares to adding the signature of your favorite character to your collection. That feeling of having something that very few people will ever have the chance to own.</p>
<p>Maybe you spent a large chunk of your paycheck with an autograph dealer, or maybe you sent a fan letter and received a signed photo as a response. Then you bring your treasured item to the framer and have it custom framed to hang on your wall. Weeks or months pass and you decide that you want to grow your collection. You find yourself here on Autograph <em>Live</em> and hear the most horrible news: your prized possession is an outright forgery or a secretarially-signed through the mail response.<br/> <br/>Autograph dealers, by the nature of their business, have to be jacks of all categories. They likely deal with Hollywood of all eras, sports, political, music, historical, astronauts and other types of autographs. There really is no way for a dealer to know everything about every possible autograph that they may carry in their stock. They must trust the people that they buy from and like every aspect of life, there are people who will take advantage of them if given the opportunity.<br/> <br/>Celebrities today, especially those involved with the Star Wars universe, likely receive more fan mail than most any famous people in history. Many of these actors and actresses cannot live normal lives or keep normal work schedules if they answer all the mail that shows up at their door. Instead of disappointing their fans, they will have family, assistants or secretaries sign photos to be sent back in response. It's not meant to be mean-spirited, but it certainly can ruin a fan’s day when they realize their collection is mixed with autographs signed by someone's wife or mother instead of their hero's signature.<br/> <br/>There are ways to guarantee that the autographs in your collection are real, but they are not for the faint of heart. You can drop a small fortune in travel expenses and convention tickets to stand in line for days to meet some of the cast and crew, or take time away from work hoping to catch your favorite celebrity while they are in New York or L.A. doing press for a film. These options are your safest bet. You witnessed the celebrity signing your item and you will never have any doubts about what’s hanging on your wall.<br/> <br/>You can hire a reputable in-person autograph hunter to go out there and get the signatures for you, or find a dealer that specializes in Star Wars autographs. Until recently there was a company that held the license for Star Wars photos and signed memorabilia. They no longer hold this license, but plenty of their material remains in the marketplace.<br/> <br/>Other steps you can take require even more time and effort. Study the signing habits and history of the celebrity you want in your collection. Take your time, collect image samples of autographs that are known to be authentic, and once you have a good sized exemplar file, you will start to recognize signing patterns that do not change. Before you know it you will be able to tell the real autographs from the forgeries and pick out the secretary signatures too.<br/> <br/>You have taken your first step into a larger world, just by being here on this forum. Now it's time to use the resources available to you. It is a well-known fact that you don't have to know everything. You just need to know where to find the answer. You are in the right place.<br/> <br/> <strong>About the Author:</strong></p>
<p>Pete Chuka has been collecting autographs since 1979, specializing in Star Wars, science fiction and comic book related autographs. He was an autograph panel member and presenter, at both Alphacon in 2001 and The Star Wars Celebration III in 2005. He is not a dealer or autograph authenticator, yet he has made it his goal to educate fans about Star Wars autographs. He has never charged anyone for his opinion.</p>1981 Rochester Red Wings vs The Baltimore Oriolestag:live.autographmagazine.com,2015-01-13:3524372:BlogPost:7135082015-01-13T18:45:00.000ZPete Benduhttps://live.autographmagazine.com/profile/PeteChuka
<p>I picked this up the other day at the shop I work in, and I thought it may be of interest to some of our Baseball collectors.</p>
<p>The Ball is marked 1981 Baltimore Orioles, but half the signatures just did not fit. It took a bit of digging and searching but it all made perfect sense when I found a couple of youtube videos about the Exhibition Game the O's held every year pitting the Major League Franchise against its AAA club.…</p>
<p></p>
<p>I picked this up the other day at the shop I work in, and I thought it may be of interest to some of our Baseball collectors.</p>
<p>The Ball is marked 1981 Baltimore Orioles, but half the signatures just did not fit. It took a bit of digging and searching but it all made perfect sense when I found a couple of youtube videos about the Exhibition Game the O's held every year pitting the Major League Franchise against its AAA club.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140264?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140264?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140453?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140453?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140486?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140486?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140652?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140652?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140628?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74140628?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a> From what I can tell, the youngster on the field was Rochester's hero for the day some kid named Cal Ripken Jr. </p>
<p>Some of the Orioles that have also signed are Eddie Murray, Lenn Sakata, Rick Dempsey and Tippy Martinez. </p>
<p>Not in the greatest shape but a pretty cool item for any fan of Baseball's Iron Man, snagging a signed ball from when he was just an Iron Kid. </p>