Collecting Autographs

When I was very young I was given an autograph book and a rather smart pen as a birthday gift. I was a bit puzzled since I didn't even know what an autograph was. Fortunately the girl next door soon put me straight and explained how it was to let people write their names in it.

I can even remember what she wrote as the first entry. By hook or by crook I will be first in your book. It seemed a rather clever thing to say at the time but we were only about eight years old back then.

Sadly I have misplaced that book now, though it may turn up one day. I have continued to have an interest in collecting autographs though these days I would want something a little more special than just my school friends who filled the autograph book all those years ago. These days I suspect my work colleagues would be a little puzzled if I asked them for their autographs and some would probably think it was some sort of scam to take out credit cards in their name or otherwise cheat them of some money. Such are the times we live in.

You have to wonder how many celebrities have been scammed by people who have got hold of their autograph. How do they avoid people using their signature and claiming to be them? I have no idea on that but collecting celebrity autographs is a significant business these days.

There are people who will attempt to get celebrity signatures purely to sell online on auction websites. It seems a shame that such an innocent hobby has become a business for some people. It is a double edged sword in many ways as it also makes an autograph collection valuable and makes some celebrities suspicious of the motives of people who want to get their autograph.

True fans will always want their favorite stars autograph and may have to resort to paying for them so they probably do end up in the hands of genuine fans but it is a shame money has to be involved. I guess I am showing my innocent side here but I do think back to the days when I was a child collecting autographs and they were only valuable because of what they represented, and made me feel close to those famous people whose autographs I did manage to collect.

So what do you need to be an autograph collector? The answer is not a great deal and when you compare collecting autographs with just about any other hobby or interest.

You need an autograph book but you could use scraps of paper and old envelopes and keep them in a folder at home. It doesn't matter what you use as it's the signature that counts.

You will need a selection of pens, as the last thing you want to do is be in a position to get a famous autograph is find your pen has stopped working at that crucial moment.

You may need some good weatherproof clothing if you plan to hang around at stage doors or premieres as you could be standing around a long time in all sorts of weather.

Autograph collecting is a simple hobby to start with and you can go out autograph hunting as frequently as you like but it wouldn't matter if you didn't go out for a year. You are in total control and you decide how important it is it try to add to your collection. It is something you can do over a period of many years and many people never even leave their homes to get famous autographs as you can purchase autographs online.