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Josh Board's Blog (611)

The Latest From an Autograph Nut

So, my girlfriend and I are watching TV. I see a commercial for the latest animated movie, Planet 51 (I'm sure our resident Sci Fi guy will give us some good info on that film). Anyway, I hear a character say to an astronaut, "You're an astronaut! Can I have your autograph?"

And a second later, my girlfriend said "Hey...Johnny Depp signed..." and I interrupted her to say "Yeah, he's such a great autograph signer. He's been on the cover of Autograph, as the Top signer."

She… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 19, 2009 at 6:56pm — 4 Comments

Bernie Madoff Auction -- Are You Kidding?

I can't believe how much money they made auctioning off his items. I'm glad they did, because a lot of it went to the people he swindled.

A New York Mets baseball jacket with his surname stitched on the back, valued at around $700...sold for $14,500. The Mets team owners, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, were among the many victims of Madoff.

His Hofstra College ring was valued at around $350, and went for $6,000.

The hotel ballroom in Manhattan, was filled with… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 16, 2009 at 11:57pm — No Comments

Obama and Letterman Autographs

A guy in Wisconsin got President Obama to sign a cheesehead. If you aren't familiar with those...well, the Green Bay Packer fans where this styrofoam block of cheese on their heads at games. And, well, I'm guessing other times, too. We only see them when they're at the frozen tundra, supporting the Pack.

One lucky fan got the President to sign his, and he had planned on selling it on eBay. He decided at the last minute, to donate it to a museum.

I thought that was a great… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 13, 2009 at 11:15am — 4 Comments

Oh, the Humanity! An Autographed Beer Bottle from Hindenburg Disaster

A signed bottle of Lowenbrau beer, recovered from the 1937 disaster that killed 38, is going on the auction block. And they're hoping to get $8,000 for it.

But all you beer drinkers, be warned. Beer doesn't age like a fine wine. Or Twinkies. About 20% has already evaporated from the bottle, and it probably tastes horrid.

A New Jersey firefighter found it on the scene, and it has scorch marks. Most of the label is intact.

I'm not clear on WHO autographed the… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 11, 2009 at 1:43am — 2 Comments

Airline Miles Exchanged for Autographs

This is how you know you are way to into autographs.

Each year, I'm able to fly somewhere free, because of the airline miles I've acquired (mostly because I use my credit cards for everything now).

Well, they sent me this catalog. And, instead of using your miles to fly, you can get various products. I think it was 500,000 miles in exchange for some big screen, plasma TV.

And there were small items as well.

I'm a football fan, and I actually thought… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 10, 2009 at 4:36pm — No Comments

Ray Ramono Signing Autographs

On TMZ last night, I saw Ray Ramono hounded by the paparazzi. He answered their obnoxious questions, all the while signing autographs for a large crowd of fans.

At one point, his wife asks one guy "What are you going to do with all of those?" He must've had a stack of 8 x 10s. He then said, "Well, I'm going to keep some, and trade and sell some."

At least this autograph dealer was honest. I just wish they'd refrain from the large stacks of photos. It makes it so much… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 9, 2009 at 11:54pm — 2 Comments

Gandolfini Says "Fah'get about it!" and Manure Sculpture Sells!

James Gandolfini, from The Sopranoes, apparently threw punches at an autograph seeker previously. So it's not surprise that when a fan (not a paparazzi, although he probably didn't know that) started filming him, he yelled at the guy before pushing his camera down. The guy said he's not used to such treatment and is considering a lawsuit.

Another story that isn't really an autograph story, but something collectors might be able to appreciate....

New Zealand agricultural… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 9, 2009 at 8:34am — No Comments

Autographed Artist John Ruthven Bought Cheap

In the Union-Tribune here in San Diego, there was a story about a guy that bought a signed print for charity. It was a signed, limited edition print of a leaping mahi mahi, and went for $60 for Promises 2 Kids, which benefits abused children.

He Googled the Ohio artist, and discovered Ruthven was a renowned wildlife painter that had works in the White House, Smithsonian, Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, and other prestiges places.

This guy even contacted the artist's… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 5, 2009 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

Autographed La-Z-Boy Photo and Empty Box

So, this guy got arrested for drunk driving. Unlike the goofy woman who called 911 to report a drunk driver, only to tell the operator "I am them." And being asked to pull over, while a cop found her and arrested her for a DUI.

This guy drove his La-Z-Boy into a parked truck and got into trouble.

He's selling autographed pictures on eBay to raise money (I believe, for his legal defense). The first photo sold for $750, which baffles me. That's about the price I would pay… Continue

Added by Josh Board on November 3, 2009 at 9:30pm — 2 Comments

An Education -- Not in signed books!

I just saw the indie film "An Education". Emma Thompson is amazing in everything, as is Alfred Molina.

But the young girl in this steals the show. You'll be hearing about her during Oscar time.

Her much older boyfriend (she's 16), wants to convince the parents it's okay to let her go to Oxford over the weekend.

He claims to know C.S. Lewis. The mom states how much the girl loved the book "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."

I won't tell you what… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 29, 2009 at 3:05am — No Comments

TV Showing Autographs and More...

At one of the Indian casinoes in town, in late November, Bob Eubanks and Jamie Farr (Klinger on MASH) are going to be hosting some gameshow type of contest. I'm sure they'd be available for autographs, if anyone is interested. It's at Sycuan.

On TMZ yesterday, they showed baseball stud A-Rod leaving a restaurant. A few other players were leaving, and signed autographs for the 10 children waiting. A-Rod only signed three, before hopping into a car. The TMZ staff commented on how mean… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 28, 2009 at 7:00pm — 1 Comment

The Most Interesting Man in the World...Likes to sign autographs!

You've all seen the commercials. The Dos Equis beer spots, where actor Jonathan Goldsmith walks around, as a narrator says he's the most interesting man in the world. I believe they give him a different name. Something that sounds Latino. But I'm not positive on that.

Goldsmith was featured in the Parade, syndicated newspaper magazine in a variety of Sunday papers. Someone named Pat Scranton in Lodi, California asked if he was really that interesting. Parade… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 27, 2009 at 3:55pm — 1 Comment

Brad Pitt in Motorcycle Crash

Fight Club star Brad Pitt, had his motorcycle get into a fight with a parked car.

He was trying to manoeuvre between cars in LA traffic (gotta love that LA traffic), and his handlebars clipped a parked car. He toppled to the ground after swerving to avoid hitting another car stopped at a light.

No ambulance was needed, but a tow-truck was. His bike wouldn't start, and the tow-truck took him and the cycle home. I'm guessing the driver also got an autograph, although...no… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 26, 2009 at 3:06pm — 2 Comments

More Than a Game, More Than a Zombie

I just saw the documentary More Than a Game. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than the critically praised "Hoop Dreams" from a decade ago.

It showed LeBron James in high school, and even years before that, playing with the same group of kids. It was so interesting following their stories. One kid was only 4'10", and the crowd laughed when he entered the game. Until he made six 3-pointers in the span of about five minutes!

It was great watching the boys being asked to sign… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 25, 2009 at 2:17am — 1 Comment

Martha Stewart -- A Recipe for a Good Autograph

I'm not a fan. In fact, I don't think I've ever turned the stove on in the condo I'm currently living in.

But she came to Costo here in Carlsbad, California, a few days ago.

She signed 1,000 copies of her book, even staying 45 minutes after her alloted time. The publisher said that's a record for the amount of books she's signed at one time.

One lady caught Stewart as she left the store, and she still signed for her. I had always wondered if people did that,… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 22, 2009 at 3:56pm — No Comments

Ted Danson and Gerard Butler

This blog is gonna lack substance. Hey...it's after midnight (isn't that a song?), my back hurts from trying to play basketball with people half my age (I just turned the big 4-0), and...well...I don't always have gems, folks. So take what I give ya, and shut up already!!!

On TMZ tonight, they were showing video of Gerard Butler. They seem to get him on that show a lot, and he's always nice and playful with the parazzi -- a great sign for autograph collectors.

Today was… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 21, 2009 at 12:28am — 2 Comments

Auction items -- From the King to Babs

So, Elvis Presley's hair pulled in around $17,000, from the barber that shaved him before the Army.

I've told this story before, but my friends mother was a barber. She cut Elvis' hair in the early 70s, and she kept some of it. When she told her friend, her friend told someone, that offered her a hundred bucks for some. So, she sold some. Then others requested hair. And she saw she could make some money, so you know what she did? She waited until she cut hair from another person that… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 20, 2009 at 6:50pm — 1 Comment

Leonardo da Vinci Drawing -- for $19,000 !

I'm always fascinated when old paintings by the masters, are discovered in some attic or garage sale. Partly because, I realize there's a lot of fraud, and the entire thing can be bogus. But more so because of the possibility, that it could be real.

In Toronto, there's a portrait, supposedly by Leonardo da Vinci. And there's a forensic art expert involved, because there's a finger print that might prove it really is da Vinci.

The drawing is of a young woman, and a Canadian… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 17, 2009 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

Autograph Signing Ends with Punching

Singer Leona Lewis, a chart-topper more well known in England, was assaulted at a book signing in London.

She was autograph copies of her new autobiography. Witnesses told the BBC that the attacker had waited in line, then walked up with a book. She signed it, and as she looked up he punched her.

I immediately thought of John Lennon, and how the guy that killed him got his autograph on the Double Fantasy album earlier in the afternoon.

Security grabbed the guy,… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 15, 2009 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Babe Ruth -- Not a Rare Autograph, but Rare Video!

On the east coast, some video footage showed up of Babe Ruth striking out, and looking mad about it. He then glanced at the umpire while leaning on his bat. He uttered something, but there's no sound. The legendary Lou Gehrig, who probably never had a nasty word to say to umps, awaited on deck, leaning on his bat as well.

Ruth walked away with his head down, and bat dragging through the dirt.

This footage, along with 8 seconds of never before seen stuff of Ruth playing in… Continue

Added by Josh Board on October 12, 2009 at 2:48am — 2 Comments