Hi everybody. Welcome to #4 in a series of tips for both beginning and advanced autograph collectors! You may be wondering to yourself, "Self, in-person autograph hounding is the best thing ever. What downsides could there possibly be?" Well, Self, there are upsides, and when there are upsides, there have to be downsides. Upsides include (but are not limited to): --Meeting the celebrity or athlete --Taking a picture with them --Talking with them (if there's not a large crowd) --Getting their autograph --Being 100% confident that the autograph is authentic But the downsides are: --Dealing with harsh environment conditions (rain and cold are the two biggest enemies to any in-person grapher) --Dealing with rude fans who push and shove you out of the way --Getting a sloppy, illegible autograph that NO ONE will believe is real, even though you personally saw it get signed! A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting? no, running into, "The Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence at a popular Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills. She was in a hurry to leave, but I managed to convince her to sign just one photo for me. The problem? It looks nothing like any of the examples you have ever seen (see image). She took my pen and scribbled a curly thing that might be a "J" only if you've had way too much to drink. I'm not complaining really, she could have just brushed me off. At least I got something, right? Friends, if you're ever in the market to buy autographs and the signature looks weird to you, talk to the seller first. Ask them where and when they got it signed. Sellers with nothing to hide should be glad to tell you this information -- if not, stay away! Be sure you look at their other items and see if those look okay, too. Ask experienced autograph collectors for their opinions if you're not sure. The seller may be an in-person grapher like yours truly. We're at the mercy of the celebrities and athletes. If they sign, it's usually anywhere and everywhere on a photo. If your signature is perfectly placed (i.e., in an ideal spot and not over their face, for example), take a closer look at the signature. Forgers always place their "autographs" in the best spot. Now, don't get me wrong: this post is not an advocate for buying or selling autographs, but to inform the community that there are samples out there that look nothing like the real thing, yet they are real, and there are others that look good but they are forged. You also have everything in between. You've heard us say it before and we'll say it again -- do your homework before you buy an autograph! Authentic signatures are out there, you just have to know what you're looking at. Catch you on the flip side, Drew
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Welcome!If you've ever wanted to know the ins-and-outs of In-Person (IP) graphing, or if you've ever wanted to know what goes through a grapher's head, this is the place to be! Archives
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