Why do we like autographs so much in this nation?

I have wondered this for some time. This week I saw it yet again.

Why do we as a society place so much value on autographs? To be fair, I have two, but I got them after the men spoke. They signed autographs after. Actually the autograph was auto-pennned and they added our name. We got a pic with them. It was kind of a memento. I keep them because we met them. I also have a signed picture of Tom DeLay I used to hang in my office to show people someone famous that started as a PCO, as it was not a glamorous industry it was a recruiting tool.

But why people place such a high value? At the airport this week some ladies soccer teams were coming in for some kind of international match, I assume an exhibition. People holding soccer balls and other items. Not a huge amount, it is ladies soccer not one of our local pro teams. Still, even for a pro team is it such a big deal to stake out the airport or locker room for a chance signing?

For the three I have, I would not give $1. I will admit I admired DeLay so that one had a little meaning. I wrote to him, would never think to hassle him in public. Worse I think is paying for them. Discuss.

Quote: AZDuffman

I have wondered this for some time. This week I saw it yet again.

Why do we as a society place so much value on autographs? To be fair, I have two, but I got them after the men spoke. They signed autographs after. Actually the autograph was auto-pennned and they added our name. We got a pic with them. It was kind of a memento. I keep them because we met them. I also have a signed picture of Tom DeLay I used to hang in my office to show people someone famous that started as a PCO, as it was not a glamorous industry it was a recruiting tool.

But why people place such a high value? At the airport this week some ladies soccer teams were coming in for some kind of international match, I assume an exhibition. People holding soccer balls and other items. Not a huge amount, it is ladies soccer not one of our local pro teams. Still, even for a pro team is it such a big deal to stake out the airport or locker room for a chance signing?

For the three I have, I would not give $1. I will admit I admired DeLay so that one had a little meaning. I wrote to him, would never think to hassle him in public. Worse I think is paying for them. Discuss.

I only have one autograph but I treasure that autograph because its one on my favorite authors that passed away.
Its a signed book autograph that mentions my name.
It was Grateful Dead Summer tour 92.
I had concert tickets and airline tickets to fly out to Eugene Oregon to see the Grateful Dead.
Jerry Garcia became ill and the shows were cancelled.
I flew out anyway just to see the sights.
Checked out Crater lake, amazing.
There was a small replacement music festival in Eugene since the Dead cancelled.
Went to the festival and saw Ken Kesey's famous bus Further selling all kinds of stuff such as Ken's books.
I bought a copy of my favorite book "One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest" and had Ken sign it mentioning my name.
Wonderful guy. Shared a smoke with him later at the festival watching a band :-)
RIP Ken Kesey.

I have a few somewhere; one good reason to acquire one is to increase the value of an item. I have a Kenneth Davis signed rookie card, and a few more from Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Marv Levy, back when they held training camp in Fredonia. Obviously I can see that a first edition Hemingway is pricey, but a signed copy puts it into the stratosphere.

But other stuff, I don't get it either. I've met my favorite band (at the time), hung out with Cypress Hill, ran into Rob Ray seemingly yearly, and the rush to meet them or shake their hand or obtain some memento has never crossed my mind.

Even today, I'm in the position where I sign autographs. Little kids come up with their checkered flags or race programs and want them signed. I'm happy to do it... but why? Wouldn't you rather hop in the car and get your pic taken? Maybe come by the pits and check it out? Hell, I'll have you be a partner and involve you in prep. Now that's a memory. But me scribbling on an item? Why?

Some people just hang out to get an autograph to be able to sell it later.

As to why.

I started a collection of house keys when I was a kid. My family would go to rummage sales, and I would find a few old type skeleton style keys. Even modern shaped keys of older years had some fancy engraving once in awhile. All different sizes. Some mighty big ones. I would wonder what sort of things they had been used to lock and unlock.

Why? I don't know.

Quote: Face

But other stuff, I don't get it either. I've met my favorite band (at the time), hung out with Cypress Hill, ran into Rob Ray seemingly yearly, and the rush to meet them or shake their hand or obtain some memento has never crossed my mind.

Might be a star-struck things. I've worked rooms of athletes and had no idea who they were. At one they must have been watching for the hounds because in 6 years of working parties it was the only time I was ever challenged when just walking past the registration table to enter and set up. I don't even get nervous or anxious around them anymore.

Quote:

Wouldn't you rather hop in the car and get your pic taken? Maybe come by the pits and check it out? Hell, I'll have you be a partner and involve you in prep. Now that's a memory. But me scribbling on an item? Why?

I was offered to put a car on a trailer once. Six beers earlier I would have taken them up on it. I let my buddy do it since he was a sponsor anyways and if he ripped the fender off he was paying anyways. He said he could not believe the power it had.

Back to the kids, I think some of that may be them "acting like adults." They are not going to be able to ask for an autograph at a NASCAR race but on a local level they can pretend. Just a guess.

Quote: rxwine

Some people just hang out to get an autograph to be able to sell it later.

This presupposes there is a market of people who want the autographs for their own sake. When there isn't one but there is a fad for them, you get a bubble.

I know some people collect autographs. Just about any type of object is collected by someone. You could define museums as a storehouse of collectibles.

I've never really collected anything. Oh, I have lots of books, but I got them to read, not to have them. Anyway, I've gotten few autographs from minor celebrities now and then. I don't think I've kept a single one.

Quote: AZDuffman

Might be a star-struck things. I've worked rooms of athletes and had no idea who they were.
Back to the kids, I think some of that may be them "acting like adults." They are not going to be able to ask for an autograph at a NASCAR race but on a local level they can pretend. Just a guess.

As a kid, I stood outside Memorial Stadium after an Orioles game hoping to get an autograph.
As an adult, meh. I play poker sometimes, one of Bucs starting running backs liked to play, I would see him in there, take a look and then find my table.

As for collecting.
Us deadheads loved to collect recordings of their concerts.
A bit difficult before the days of the internet.
You would advertise in the magazine Relics classified section that you wanted to trade.
You were contacted, send each other list of collections and make a trade via snail mail.
The unique thing about this kind of trading was you shared, nothing was rare.
If I got a hot show via trade, my buddies would come over and make a copy for themselves.
It was collecting and sharing at the same time. A very fun community. No envy.

That the famous person actually signed the
thing you're holding is probably as close
as you'll ever come to them, and there is
the value.

I have 20 pieces of Hemingway 'junk' mail
from the 1930's. It's all addressed to Ernest
Hemingway, Key West, Fl. There are bank
statements, letters from people inviting
him somewhere, things like that.

The best is a Kodak film box with his signature
on it, and a letter he never sent with his
sig in the return address space.

Hemingway handled all this stuff, typed the unsent
letter on the same typewriter he wrote his
book on. That's the value. Same with autographs.

I only ever asked for one. While waiting for my flight at the airport here in Austin, eating a bite at the Salt Lick, Roger Staubach sat down at the table next to us.
I've never been a Cowboy fan but he is royalty here in Texas. So I went to the gift shop and bought a Sharpie, pulled out a fresh 100 dollar bill and asked if he'd sign it. He asked my name and I asked him to sign it to my son, who is a huge Cowboy fan.

I apologized for intruding but he assured me it wasn't a problem. A very nice guy. And to say it made my son's day when I gave it to him would be the understatement of the year. I earned huge "greatest dad in the world" points that day. It's framed on his wall next to the bar by his pool table.