An old lady friend, Jane Newton, too was an autograph hound. Miss Newton would go up to Tanglewood with her ancient fountain pen and 1939 Ford Coupe and wait back stage for the famous of her time. I sold Jane's autograph collection in the Nineties for $900! Yes Virginia autographs can be worth a bundle. In 1986 I sold Benjamin Franklin autographed letter for over $3,000. Nice.
Selling autographs is one thing, successfully obtaining from the source is another. My first hit was in obtaining an LBJ autographed photograph while at St. Louis As you obtain correspondence you learn to discern autopen fakes from real. In itself, getting letters in the mail is fun. Having friends as autograph collectors is even better as we feed upon our enthusiasms.My late friend, Dick Daoust of Spencer was a master at the game. He taught me, I taught Dick. Naturally an autographed signed letter (ALS) is great as are autographed baseballs.
I have two sons that are accomplished autograph hounds. As boys I taught Ben and Josh how to secure autographs on baseball cards. It's simple JUST SEND THE CARD in a SASE to the park. This is a wonderful activity and is a lifelong pursuit for parents and children.
As individuals become famous, such as JFK and JBK anything that was theirs has skyrocketed in value. The New York Times deals in celebrity materials and folks pay fancy prices just to own "a piece of the rock." Myself? My thrill is obtaining and providing to dealers the goods.
Some Presidential autographs lead the fields. Even a guy like TRUMP may prove to be fair play if he does get elected.I have been successful in obtaining a signature from 'J. Carter'. George H.W. Bush and Clinton's which I obtained "In Person." I was in the right place at the right time, shook his hand and asked Bubba "How Can An Old Boy's Stater Obtain a Presidential Signature Card?" It worked.
If you notice all of the politicians in the race today, signing autographs and posing for a selfie is the way 2016 is. I swear nobody poses for more photographs than politicians. Giving away autographed photographs is boilerplate good will. Finally, my hounding days saw me write 100 senators for autographed photographs. Sneaky maybe, but a hound for sure.
Most celebrities are flattered in the autograph process. A couple of years ago I handled an estate of signatures. There are buyers out there for those who enjoy the hobby. Getting autographs is nothing new but today with e-mails, correspondence from the rich and famous is fading. It's fun when these treasures surface.
Yes, a hound to the end, not being afraid to ask ' MAY I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH? And the secret of getting a response to your letter is TO SEND A SMALL GIFT! This technique works for me almost every time as I understand some of the cognitive skills necessary to get to "yes!"
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