A word to fandom about autographs

I am getting ready for Shoreleave where there will be actors who will be doing panels, meeting fans and signing autographs. There have been a number of rumblings recently and some essays about the cost of these autographs and photos with these actors across the Internet. Some fans are upset because of the prices that some actors are charging for autographs these days and additional money for photo ops. How can they think they (the talent) think they can get X dollars for (fill in the blank)?

Want the quick answer? Anyone can look at E-bay and see what an autograph is going for. It is any wonder that the signer of the autograph wants reasonable cut of that? And don't they get to decide how much their time is worth to them? Also every fan has the choice not to buy the autograph or photo op.

Then there are those who howl when an actor cancels at the last minute. How could they is the cry. This was my whole reason for coming to this stupid convention I hear them say. It's the conventions fault that so-and-so didn't show up.

Well, let me let y'all in on a little secret. These days there is a contract between the talent and the convention. It spells out what is expected of the talent and what is expected by the convention. It also has several clauses about what will make this contract null and void with no hard feeling by either party. One of these is that the actor has work which precludes them from participating. Adam Baldwin has cancelled on DragonCon a couple of times. The first time he couldn't say why but the reason was that Chuck had gone to series and he was still shooting the first season. Believe me an actor earns a heck of a lot more from doing a TV series than they do signing autographs for a weekend. And it is nothing personal about the fans, it is just economics.

Peter doesn't charge for autographs since he figures he got "his cut" when you bought the book or comic or whatever. This seems to surprise some people because they are use to authors charging for autographs.

So fans need to stop and think before they start ranting all over the internet about the cost of doing business with their favorite (fill in the blank). The actors aren't dumb and they can figure out how much their time is worth and charge accordingly. If no one buys it at that rate, then maybe it would come down in price but as long as some people are, the rates will remain as they are now. The fans and speculators created the fair market price that talent can charge. Not the other way around.

I am grateful for people who support my friends by buying their autographs.

A word to fandom about autographs

I am getting ready for Shoreleave where there will be actors who will be doing panels, meeting fans and signing autographs. There have been a number of rumblings recently and some essays about the cost of these autographs and photos with these actors across the Internet. Some fans are upset because of the prices that some actors are charging for autographs these days and additional money for photo ops. How can they think they (the talent) think they can get X dollars for (fill in the blank)?

Want the quick answer? Anyone can look at E-bay and see what an autograph is going for. It is any wonder that the signer of the autograph wants reasonable cut of that? And don't they get to decide how much their time is worth to them? Also every fan has the choice not to buy the autograph or photo op.

Then there are those who howl when an actor cancels at the last minute. How could they is the cry. This was my whole reason for coming to this stupid convention I hear them say. It's the conventions fault that so-and-so didn't show up.

Well, let me let y'all in on a little secret. These days there is a contract between the talent and the convention. It spells out what is expected of the talent and what is expected by the convention. It also has several clauses about what will make this contract null and void with no hard feeling by either party. One of these is that the actor has work which precludes them from participating. Adam Baldwin has cancelled on DragonCon a couple of times. The first time he couldn't say why but the reason was that Chuck had gone to series and he was still shooting the first season. Believe me an actor earns a heck of a lot more from doing a TV series than they do signing autographs for a weekend. And it is nothing personal about the fans, it is just economics.

Peter doesn't charge for autographs since he figures he got "his cut" when you bought the book or comic or whatever. This seems to surprise some people because they are use to authors charging for autographs.

So fans need to stop and think before they start ranting all over the internet about the cost of doing business with their favorite (fill in the blank). The actors aren't dumb and they can figure out how much their time is worth and charge accordingly. If no one buys it at that rate, then maybe it would come down in price but as long as some people are, the rates will remain as they are now. The fans and speculators created the fair market price that talent can charge. Not the other way around.

I am grateful for people who support my friends by buying their autographs.

Belated Happy Birthday to Dr. P aka my brother Patrick

It was yesterday. I KNEW I was forgetting something yesterday. I had a feeling all day but only after people started pointing out today's date did I figure out what it was.

Well if you are reading this Patrick, I hope it was a good one.

I am grateful that my brother is forgiving.