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Lost Soul
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The prices quoted have always been per autograph. Autographs mean the guests signature. That does not automatically include a personalisation, a kiss, a hug, a conversation, a meal for 2 in a private restaurant or anything else.

 

SM - if you charged £100 to take Jeri Ryan out for a slap up meal at the local Weatherspoons, I'd be up for it...

 

 

It may be that things are different/cheaper where Kalli comes from

 

What does that mean?

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At some events if I take my little lad with me he often gets free autos, posters, sweets etc. I don't expect it and we don't ask so it's always nice to get something for nothing (I am always paying for an auto for myself).

 

I remember Ari Lehman at LFCC signing 2 things for the person in front of me becuase they had a poster which he signed and then they asked for one of the photos off of the desk and he signed that too!!

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It may be that things are different/cheaper where Kalli comes from

 

What does that mean?

 

She's from Poland. Sometimes it differs a bit from country to country how conventions are run.

 

I have no idea if Poland actually has conventions, but in Germany autographs definitely are not cheaper than in the UK. Maybe a couple of Euros depending on the event, but nowhere near 2 for the price of 1.

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It's perfectly OK to pay for an autograph on a free photo provided by the con organizers. But it's not entirely OK to pay the same price for the autograph on an item you bought for quite big money earlier and want it signed, for example a DVD cover, a photo purchased from another company, a cover of the audio CD etc...

 

EDITED by QS: Please don't mention the name of rival companies, thank you!

Edited by Queen_Sindel
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Hi

 

I have no problems with the cost per autograph - we collect personalised autographs for my son (aged 6) and we have around 30.

 

What we are disappointed with is where personalisations aren't taking place but there's no notice of this. We queued to get Dom's autograph last year and when we handed over our money, we asked if he would personalise and we were told yes.

 

When we then met him (about a minute later) the Showmasters helper said he wasn't personalising. Even Dom looked disappointed he had to knock back a 6 year old. I appreciate the time factor, etc but he had time to write several words on the autograph. We would not have forked out the £20 if we didn't know it wasn't personalised.

 

Haydens wasn't personalised either, but we got her to sign a photo with another cast members signature and he had personalised, so we weren't fussed - it's just a shame that Dom's is the only auto we have in our collection that isn't personalised to our son.

 

On the whole though, no problems with the price per auto - showmasters have always made that really clear.

 

Stephen

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It's perfectly OK to pay for an autograph on a free photo provided by the con organizers. But it's not entirely OK to pay the same price for the autograph on an item you bought for quite big money earlier and want it signed, for example a DVD cover, a photo purchased from another company, a cover of the audio CD etc...

But that's your choice to want something else signed.

 

Why should I have to pay more just because I'm happy with getting a photo signed from the event?

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It's perfectly OK to pay for an autograph on a free photo provided by the con organizers. But it's not entirely OK to pay the same price for the autograph on an item you bought for quite big money earlier and want it signed, for example a DVD cover, a photo purchased from another company, a cover of the audio CD etc...

But that's your choice to want something else signed.

 

Why should I have to pay more just because I'm happy with getting a photo signed from the event?

 

Plus you're paying for the autograph. It's up to you what you have that autograph written on, be it a piece of paper you brought from home, DVD boxset whatever...

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Well I know that, and you know that, and others know that too .. there's just always someone who thinks they should be allowed to pay less because they've brought their own item.

 

I think some people just want to save money wherever they can. Which is a nice enough idea for them, but very unrealistic.

 

I suppose Kalli's still hurting financially from the Claudia Chevron cancellation, which was unfortunate.

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It may be that things are different/cheaper where Kalli comes from

 

What does that mean?

 

She's from Poland. Sometimes it differs a bit from country to country how conventions are run.

 

I have no idea if Poland actually has conventions, but in Germany autographs definitely are not cheaper than in the UK. Maybe a couple of Euros depending on the event, but nowhere near 2 for the price of 1.

 

Thanks QS. I was trying to imply that maybe all the problems Kalli has with this event stem from him/her being used different convention/signing meathods/structures and prices in his/her country.

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It's perfectly OK to pay for an autograph on a free photo provided by the con organizers. But it's not entirely OK to pay the same price for the autograph on an item you bought for quite big money earlier and want it signed, for example a DVD cover, a photo purchased from another company, a cover of the audio CD etc...

 

EDITED by QS: Please don't mention the name of rival companies, thank you!

 

You've got to be pragmatic. Patrick Stewart, for example, doesn't do this sort of event for free. He will charge £x. And Showmasters want to make x+y+z - y being the costs of running the event, and z being profit. If you're going to start giving away free autographs, or charging significantly less for personal items, it becomes very hard to get your hands on y and z.

 

No-one is saying that SM is a faceless corporate just looking to fleece us, because that's demonstrably not the case. However, they are a business, and as such they need to make a profit - or at the very least break even.

 

There are cases where a little common sense is needed by the staff, but by and large the staff are very good at identifying these. If Patrick Stewart had an open queue, I'm sure there'd be no problem with going up, saying hello, and having a quick chat. But SM's business model is such that it relies on charging for autographs, and as much as we'd all like it to be otherwise, we have an economy based on the exchange of money for goods and / or services - that's a reality of the world I'm afraid.

 

IMHO compared to certain other Con runners, SM generally kick it out of the park; but you've got to be aware of the fact that they are a business after all.

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Well I know that, and you know that, and others know that too .. there's just always someone who thinks they should be allowed to pay less because they've brought their own item.

 

I think some people just want to save money wherever they can. Which is a nice enough idea for them, but very unrealistic.

 

I suppose Kalli's still hurting financially from the Claudia Chevron cancellation, which was unfortunate.

 

At the end of the day, no one's being forced to go to the events and buy 1, 2, 3 autos from a guest, photoshoots etc. It's up to each person whether they can afford to pay the prices, and if they can, whether they're prepared to pay them or not. If you think £40.00 is too much to pay for 2 autos, don't buy 2 autos.

Edited by fray101
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It's perfectly OK to pay for an autograph on a free photo provided by the con organizers. But it's not entirely OK to pay the same price for the autograph on an item you bought for quite big money earlier and want it signed, for example a DVD cover, a photo purchased from another company, a cover of the audio CD etc...

 

EDITED by QS: Please don't mention the name of rival companies, thank you!

 

You just have to accept the fact that you pay by auto not for what you are getting it put on, if you choose to purchase something expensive to get a sig on that is entirely your choice. I don't know of any signing show in the UK that opperates differently.

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