After seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert on 1980's "The River" tour, I knew I had just seen an amazing artist. However, it was the 1984's "Born In The USA" tour and the genesis of starting up my autograph collection at about the same time that I knew I just had to obtain his signature. But how?

Like many people fresh into collectability, I wrote to him. I wrote to him via CBS records, to Jon Landau Management, and to addresses found in Hollywood Celebrity shops that listed address in New York City and Rumson, New Jersey. In 1985/1986 alone, I must have sent out over a dozen parcels and spent and easy $300.00+ on the items inside my packages, S&H, and never once did I recieve a response or any return parcel.

It was soon after I learned that Springsteen bought a house here in L.A. off of Tower Lane, and this east coaster was now living west coast. I wrote then to that address, yet again met with not even a blip of a response. I even drove to this address and stuck a package in the mailbox myself. Same non response. I would take days off work and wait several houses down the street seeing if he might drive away and then I could ask him at a public place, perhaps for a signature. Never did that gate ever open. For 3 years I tried waiting, writing, writing and waiting. Always the big fat goose egg for a response. Finally, in 1987, during the "Tunnel of Love" tour I was able to obtain his autograph in person as he stopped to sign, very briefly, as he was leaving the L.A. Sports Arena and later that night at a resturant on Wilshire Blvd.

Yes, I have been able in the last 25+ years to obtain Bruce's signature in person here in L.A., in Phoenix, Denver, Cleveland, and feel ever so fortunate for every encounter, every autograph. With that said, wherever I go, the story remains so much the same in talking with other Bruce Springsteen fans.

I have heard dozens and dozens of stories from fans at concerts after concerts about the hundreds of dollars that each of these many, many fans have spent writing to Bruce Springsteen and never recieving a response, with their item is lost in the system. I have seen Bruce Springsteen 33 times in concert, and at about half during about the last 20 of these shows, I have heard stories from people who too have tried every concievable way of mailing a request for an autograph to Bruce Springsteen, all to no avail. I have no idea if this man has ever signed any autograph request "in the mail", but I as a fan and a collector have never heard of even one successful story (and I have heard many of these stories).

Here is the kicker, and basically the point of my post: Bruce really is one of the most friendliest and generous of autograph signers, just as long as he doesn't think you are requesting with the intent to resale. If he feels you are a fan, ...........you are in! Bruce also has a fairly nice and very selective shopping cart, through his website. Isn't it time for this very admired artist to marry his incredible fan generosity with the fan desire to have autographs? He, above all, is the prime example of why an artist should sell pre signed autographs through their web site. Fans are spending tens of thousands of dollars (if not so much more) on wasted attempts to get his autograph through the mail. Bruce Springsteen loves his fans and at times is incredibly generous by signing both before and after concert shows.

How hard is it to figure out that happiness for all, could be just "clicks" away, with easy profit for the Springsteen camp, should he simply decide to sell, what fans are allready spending so much money on. He could set aside one day (one day) of his very busy 365 day schedule (just one day, ....okay perhaps two) and sign a few boxes of tour books (he currently has 6 different ones for sale) or a couple boxes of 8X10's. Here is a link to his store:

http://brucespringsteen.fanfire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wa...

Bruce Springsteen if you are out there, there is a darkness at the edge of town when fans are wasting so much money trying to obtain your signature, when there is a safer, more profitable, and easier way for both sides to win/win. It would be glory days indeed if Bruce would sell presigned autographs through his website.