I have been collecting autographs since I asked Phil Esposito to sign a scrap piece of paper in 1981 at the age of eleven, but it was never a true hobby until twenty-one years ago.  It was then that I not only continued to collect in-person autographs, but also made quite a few purchases from dealers.  It was not until seven years later that I discovered Autograph Collector Magazine.

I was browsing through the magazine section of my local Borders bookstore when I noticed a…

The title of this blog might be a little of a bait-and-switch. Yes, I did get Bob Dylan’s autograph, but that was years ago, and that was purchasing a signed album from an auction. It was “Blood on the Tracks” -- easily his best album (that’s not even open for debate). It’s the other Dylan, his son Jakob, who I got in person recently. He did a great documentary that’s out now called “Echo in the Canyon” (you can read my review on it here:…

The new Spider-Man movie -- Spider-Man Far From Home -- was rather disappointing. I’ll be doing a review of it soon, but...the fact that I loved Spider-Man Homecoming and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, made this new film that much more disappointing (despite it having a few humorous moments).…

My friends give me a hard time for being one of those old-timers that still likes to read the newspaper. I’m not sure what it is, but I just like to hold it in my hands. Sure, the black ink on your fingers sucks. I just don’t want to sit at a computer and read my news (even though, I...uh...appreciate you guys sitting here reading the stuff I’m writing on the computer). I thought Autograph Magazine was so much more fun in the magazine form, looking at all…

I thought I’d be the one guy in San Diego that had a cool John Cena story. The former WWE wrestler and now action movie star (Bumblebee, Blockers, Daddy’s Home, The Wall, and the funniest movie nobody knows about -- Tour de Pharmacy), was at the CinemaCon convention a few years ago. When my wife and I went in for the awards ceremony, the ushers saw our “press credentials” and mistakenly thought that meant we were supposed to sit near the talent. So we were put…

One of my favorite “fake autograph” stories, is when Rod Stewart played a concert in San Diego, and a Stewart look alike showed up at a Radio Shack (remember those horrible electronic stores?). He got out of a limo, and had a bodyguard with him. Fans rushed him (well, the five people at Radio Shack), and he signed autographs, got back into his limo, and was off. Yet someone showed a photo to the newspaper, and they noticed he didn’t have a mole in his chin (or…

My wife said I needed help. I think she’s considering having an intervention for me. You see, she witnesses the autographed CDs that arrive in the mail. She thinks I have a problem and I need help. I try to explain...I’m a functioning autograph collector. I can buy autographed CDs and still make a car and house payment. In fact, it would be foolish NOT to buy an autographed CD by artists that sell them. They’re usually the same price.…

As a kid, I loved watching the San Diego Chargers. When my stepbrother got a job working at their practice facility, he got me Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts’ autograph. I would end up meeting him years later, at various functions, and he was always nice to the fans.

In 6th…

Nobody knows the name Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., but if you know music (and have good taste in music), you surely know the name Dr. John. He was more than just the hit “Right Place, Wrong Time.”

The first time I ever saw him was in the early ‘90s as part of Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band. He was relegated to just a few of his songs, but it was great. Since that time, I had seen him live three times. He always put on…

Tom Seaver yelled at me. I don’t hold it against him though. I thought about that when I read a story about how he wasn’t going to make public appearances anymore, but just spend time on his vineyard in California.

He’s 74, and his family has asked for privacy for the 3 time Cy Young winner. Seaver struck out almost 4,000 batters and had a lifetime ERA of 2.86, which is incredible. He was the Rookie of the Year,…