Your thoughts on Celebrity Fee's for Sigs

[musicmeta]

Celebrities can charge whatever they want. It's all based on supply and demand but I'll decide what I'm willing to pay.

I could care less what someone else will pay to get their sig. If it makes them happy then I'm all for it. We all decide how to spend our entertainment dollars and what we think is worth the cost.

[seanfingh]

If you are a multi-millionaire charging big bucks for you sig and pocketing the money from the very fans that paid the money that made you a millionaire, I think that is a pretty scummy move.

 

+infinity

 

Like Hemsworth charging $200 a pop, it's disgusting. I think part of is crowd control, the problem would be resellers having tons of items to sign of it were free. So I understand charging something to avoid the scummy resellers with no respect for others. It's a fine line unfortunately. Scummy celeb, or scummy resellers, average people almost always get screwed

 

So Chris Hemsworth is supposed to, instead of shagging starlets and jettsetting the globe, give you and your ilk free autographs?

 

Why else would he go to Philadelphia in the summer if not to make a quick hundred grand, or to help out a charity or whatever?

 

The entitlement theory in this country is devouring it from the inside.

 

 

 

If its for charity then it's different. If he chooses to go to these conventions than why not give a little to the fans. Not free but several hundred for a single autograph is excessive not to mention the appearance fee he gets to show up. No one forces them to attend, if they do it would be refreshing to see them be considerate of the fans, the same ones who make them a box office draw.

 

This has nothing to do with entitlement. Either you didn't understand the thread or your eager to regurgitate whatever you last heard in academia.

 

Oh, I understand completely. And it does make me want to regurgitate when free enterprise gets a deuce dropped on it, and the gist of the argument is that people should be given things of value for nothing.

[stanley1883]

Celebrities can charge whatever they want. It's all based on supply and demand but I'll decide what I'm willing to pay.

I could care less what someone else will pay to get their sig. If it makes them happy then I'm all for it. We all decide how to spend our entertainment dollars and what we think is worth the cost.

 

Well said. As its been mentioned, the price is there because people are willing to pay for it

[Designer Toast]

Wil Wheaton signed some stuff I got for my brother-in-law. He had a huge line and I waited at least an hour. He didn't charge me a dime, spoke with me, made eye contact, the whole deal. Nice guy. I think he's charging a fee now - $20 or $30, which I find reasonable.

 

Richard Dean Anderson was charging $90 a sig at the last Emerald City show

[Amadeus Arkham]

The most I've paid for an autograph was $50 for Mario Lemieux and that was for charity. I can't imagine an artist for whose autograph I would actually pay, maybe Todd McFarlane's on one of my ASMs or Chris Claremont if I ever get my hands on the DOFP books.

[stanley1883]

If you are a multi-millionaire charging big bucks for you sig and pocketing the money from the very fans that paid the money that made you a millionaire, I think that is a pretty scummy move.

 

+infinity

 

Like Hemsworth charging $200 a pop, it's disgusting. I think part of is crowd control, the problem would be resellers having tons of items to sign of it were free. So I understand charging something to avoid the scummy resellers with no respect for others. It's a fine line unfortunately. Scummy celeb, or scummy resellers, average people almost always get screwed

 

So Chris Hemsworth is supposed to, instead of shagging starlets and jettsetting the globe, give you and your ilk free autographs?

 

Why else would he go to Philadelphia in the summer if not to make a quick hundred grand, or to help out a charity or whatever?

 

The entitlement theory in this country is devouring it from the inside.

 

 

 

If its for charity then it's different. If he chooses to go to these conventions than why not give a little to the fans. Not free but several hundred for a single autograph is excessive not to mention the appearance fee he gets to show up. No one forces them to attend, if they do it would be refreshing to see them be considerate of the fans, the same ones who make them a box office draw.

 

This has nothing to do with entitlement. Either you didn't understand the thread or your eager to regurgitate whatever you last heard in academia.

 

Oh, I understand completely. And it does make me want to regurgitate when free enterprise gets a deuce dropped on it, and the gist of the argument is that people should be given things of value for nothing.

 

If you can show me where I'm advocating for free signatures I'll gladly fund your next trip comicon. The gist is and was thoughts on the prices charged. I explicitly mentioned the pitfalls of free autographs. I will now bow out of this line of dialogue.

 

 

[stanley1883]

Wil Wheaton signed some stuff I got for my brother-in-law. He had a huge line and I waited at least an hour. He didn't charge me a dime, spoke with me, made eye contact, the whole deal. Nice guy. I think he's charging a fee now - $20 or $30, which I find reasonable.

 

Richard Dean Anderson was charging $90 a sig at the last Emerald City show

 

I guess he agreed with you, he wants 75 for the Phx CC. Still don't see it. 20-30 is very reasonable. $50 is about my threshold, anything more for a celeb I tend to stay away from

[Amadeus Arkham]

Plus you have to figure it's $50 cash plus an hour or two of your time standing in line. For that kind of monetary and chronological investment, I'll take a day at Kennywood,

[slym2none]

Richard Dean Anderson must charge by the pound for his sig.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[ttfitz]

Nicest guy mention - George Perez

What does he charge ?

 

He was at the last con I attended - Awesome Con in DC - and he charged nothing for signatures, but would accept donations for a charity (I forget the name). I'm not a signature kinda guy, but my daughter talked me into standing in the (fairly short) line, and we said hello and thanks for all the great work. Buzzetta is right, nicest guy around. I told him I wasn't really a signature guy, and he said, "Well, we should at least do a picture." And he got up and took a picture with my daughter and I.

 

He's the best.

 

[N/A]

If you are a multi-millionaire charging big bucks for you sig and pocketing the money from the very fans that paid the money that made you a millionaire, I think that is a pretty scummy move.

 

+infinity

 

Like Hemsworth charging $200 a pop, it's disgusting. I think part of is crowd control, the problem would be resellers having tons of items to sign of it were free. So I understand charging something to avoid the scummy resellers with no respect for others. It's a fine line unfortunately. Scummy celeb, or scummy resellers, average people almost always get screwed

 

So Chris Hemsworth is supposed to, instead of shagging starlets and jettsetting the globe, give you and your ilk free autographs?

 

Why else would he go to Philadelphia in the summer if not to make a quick hundred grand, or to help out a charity or whatever?

 

The entitlement theory in this country is devouring it from the inside.

 

 

 

 

Yuuuuuuuup!

[Meeklo]

I forgot what it was I was watching but it was some show back in the 90s. A kid had a baseball card or something of a person he idolized and he finally got to meet this person and asked for the item to be signed. The guy then told the kid he charges something like $50 for his signature and the kid just looked at him with disdain and "you're a feminine hygiene product". When I saw that, I felt so bad for the kid.

 

I never…EVER…pay someone for their signature. You should not be charging money just because you are a celebrity. Your job is to act, sing, play sports, or even read the news in front of a camera.

 

I do have some Signature Series slabs but luckily I didn't pay for the signature. Sure I bought the slab for a higher premium than one not signed but I did not actually pay the celeb, and I'm okay with that.

[N/A]

I remember for example Adam West was charging $50 for autographs at SuperMegaFest 6 yrs ago and inscribed on personal paraphernalia to the sadness of some of his fans. He was not the nicest of people and dealers thought his signing prices were overly expensive then.

 

Now he wants $100? I have to say the Canada wide comicons have jacked up prices for autographs. I can get photos from reputable dealers at a fraction of what they want at a show. To me there is some gouging going on there for sure.

 

 

And the $7 bottles of water are from polar ice flown in and bottled by Tibetan monks. Price gouging a captive audience? Never heard that before.

[N/A]

I forgot what it was I was watching but it was some show back in the 90s. A kid had a baseball card or something of a person he idolized and he finally got to meet this person and asked for the item to be signed. The guy then told the kid he charges something like $50 for his signature and the kid just looked at him with disdain and "you're a feminine hygiene product". When I saw that, I felt so bad for the kid.

 

I never…EVER…pay someone for their signature. You should not be charging money just because you are a celebrity. Your job is to act, sing, play sports, or even read the news in front of a camera.

 

I do have some Signature Series slabs but luckily I didn't pay for the signature. Sure I bought the slab for a higher premium than one not signed but I did not actually pay the celeb, and I'm okay with that.

 

Ok then. The alternative is they never sign anything. Work for you?

[Meeklo]

I forgot what it was I was watching but it was some show back in the 90s. A kid had a baseball card or something of a person he idolized and he finally got to meet this person and asked for the item to be signed. The guy then told the kid he charges something like $50 for his signature and the kid just looked at him with disdain and "you're a feminine hygiene product". When I saw that, I felt so bad for the kid.

 

I never…EVER…pay someone for their signature. You should not be charging money just because you are a celebrity. Your job is to act, sing, play sports, or even read the news in front of a camera.

 

I do have some Signature Series slabs but luckily I didn't pay for the signature. Sure I bought the slab for a higher premium than one not signed but I did not actually pay the celeb, and I'm okay with that.

 

Ok then. The alternative is they never sign anything. Work for you?

 

Honestly? I'd rather have a picture with them. A photo of the celeb and me, I feel, is cooler than them signing their name.

 

Now, if it is a comic artist…I'd probably take the signature on a piece of their art. So losing out on that would suck.

[N/A]

I forgot what it was I was watching but it was some show back in the 90s. A kid had a baseball card or something of a person he idolized and he finally got to meet this person and asked for the item to be signed. The guy then told the kid he charges something like $50 for his signature and the kid just looked at him with disdain and "you're a feminine hygiene product". When I saw that, I felt so bad for the kid.

 

I never…EVER…pay someone for their signature. You should not be charging money just because you are a celebrity. Your job is to act, sing, play sports, or even read the news in front of a camera.

 

I do have some Signature Series slabs but luckily I didn't pay for the signature. Sure I bought the slab for a higher premium than one not signed but I did not actually pay the celeb, and I'm okay with that.

 

Ok then. The alternative is they never sign anything. Work for you?

 

Honestly? I'd rather have a picture with them. A photo of the celeb and me, I feel, is cooler than them signing their name.

 

Now, if it is a comic artist…I'd probably take the signature on a piece of their art. So losing out on that would suck.

 

Do you pay for photos?

[dupont2005]

I am not sickened or disgusted or really viewing a popular figure negatively for charging for a sig. I think those who give sigs away for free are super cool, but I do not expect that to be the standard. If I were a celeb I'd probably give one personalized non witnessed sig away to anyone in line, and everything else costs money.

[Meeklo]

I forgot what it was I was watching but it was some show back in the 90s. A kid had a baseball card or something of a person he idolized and he finally got to meet this person and asked for the item to be signed. The guy then told the kid he charges something like $50 for his signature and the kid just looked at him with disdain and "you're a feminine hygiene product". When I saw that, I felt so bad for the kid.

 

I never…EVER…pay someone for their signature. You should not be charging money just because you are a celebrity. Your job is to act, sing, play sports, or even read the news in front of a camera.

 

I do have some Signature Series slabs but luckily I didn't pay for the signature. Sure I bought the slab for a higher premium than one not signed but I did not actually pay the celeb, and I'm okay with that.

 

Ok then. The alternative is they never sign anything. Work for you?

 

Honestly? I'd rather have a picture with them. A photo of the celeb and me, I feel, is cooler than them signing their name.

 

Now, if it is a comic artist…I'd probably take the signature on a piece of their art. So losing out on that would suck.

 

Do you pay for photos?

 

No, all the celebs I've met I've gotten the photos for free.

[Tony S]

To me, whether the price is reasonable or unreasonable can be determined by a quick look at the line of people waiting for the sig. Big price, big line? He's obviously priced his signature well. Big price, no line? He's unrealistically self-impressed.

 

Like when Joey Lawrence wanted $40 a sig at WW Chicago. His line consisted of air and a single tumbleweed that kept crossing the front of the booth.

 

Adam West? He's not getting a single dime out of the DVD release, the toys, the comic, his likeness that's been used everywhere over the last couple of years with the release of the new toys and games, and memorabilia. He's the main reason people love that '66 TV show and he's not seeing a single licensing dime out of the millions being made, mostly off of images of him. I don't begrudge him, almost 40 years since the last time that show paid him a royalty check, from getting paid.

 

There are Hollywood actors, in the prime of their earning years, charging far more. Quinto was charging $125. Hemsworth $200. They are making millions and will for the near future. They'd have 2,000 people in line to flip their sig if it were $50-75.

 

Then there are the guys set for life...like Harrison Ford...his one signing was either $400 or $500 a pop. He doesn't need the cash (it was going to go to his charity I think), but the demand set the price.

 

I don't know if you saw this, but at last year's NYCC Sly Stallone was signing....$500 a pop...the guy with the $275 million net worth. I don't remember a mention of a charity there.

 

So it's all relative. I personally have no problem paying a guy who created a franchise a half century ago and doesn't share in the wealth being generated off of it.

 

+1. This says it all for me. So I'll leave it at that.

[Psithyrus]

Please, no "if you don't like it, don't get it" comments. That goes without saying, I want to get other thoughts and get some discussions going.