A List Guests - Are you prepared to pay more for the right ones?

[nicky]

My Aliens poster has my name on currently 14 times and my Empire Strikes Back about 11....I prefer it that way as it shows the guests met and did it for ME right under my nose.

[Chris Quartly]

I don't think I'd pay more than £25 for a guest and I think that is even pushing it tbh.

 

If someone I really respected turned up and it cost £100 to get an auto, I'd probably lose respect for the guest.

[frosty]

I think its Safe to say if Sm got someone like Phiffer, Weaver, Ford etc that thay would prob cost between £50-£100!

But their autographs sell for around that any way!

Atleast if they attend the event - you get to meet them, maybe personalise.and if a photoshoot were on offer!

I'd pay £100..

 

 

With those kinds of guests- your paying for a once in a life time experience!

[Chris W]

I would willingly pay more than £100 for Harrison Ford's autograph (and I'd probably still get multiple items signed) but it would be nice if some of that money could be donated to charity.

 

It may even help to entice the likes of Harrison if they knew that some of the money was going to their favorite causes. Harrison seems to donate a lot of signed items to good causes, so this may be a good way of getting him to sign on (of course he also allows a particular autograph company to charge $499 for it!)

[MikeDonovan]

I would willingly pay more than £100 for Harrison Ford's autograph (and I'd probably still get multiple items signed) but it would be nice if some of that money could be donated to charity.

 

It may even help to entice the likes of Harrison if they knew that some of the money was going to their favorite causes. Harrison seems to donate a lot of signed items to good causes, so this may be a good way of getting him to sign on (of course he also allows a particular autograph company to charge $499 for it!)

 

I agree - for someone like Harrison Ford, a sizable proportion to charity is definitely the way to go. And I'd get him to sign at least 4 items - minimum :)

[Charmer]

I might pay up to 50 pounds, but only if it was someone I knew I'd pretty much never get the chance of seeing again. Having said that, most of the bigger names I have autographs from (Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, Daniel Day-Lewis etc etc) I usually just wait until they're at a premier as it'll be free that way (even though it wouldn't be guarenteed you'd see them).

[doghouse]

The amount I'd pay depends on how much I'd value a guest, and not on current popularity. I'd normally *try* to stay away from "currently famous" celebrities at conventions normally because of the queuing & photo policy. A few conventions ago, a popular BBC celebrity charged £20 for an autograph, had a no-photo policy and the queue stretched as far as the eye could see. A couple of weeks previous to this, he was signing his autobiography at a book store. All it cost was his book and significantly less queuing!

 

Some guests, I'd happily pay and queue more for... for example, Astronauts, Politicians and other historic figures.

This topic is going down a dangerous road as it gives certain guests a bigger ego over the others, and convention organisers the thought of, "How much do you think we can get away with?"

[MikeDonovan]

Some guests, I'd happily pay and queue more for... for example, Astronauts, Politicians and other historic figures.

This topic is going down a dangerous road as it gives certain guests a bigger ego over the others, and convention organisers the thought of, "How much do you think we can get away with?"

 

To be honest, I'm not sure why Astronauts can get away with charging £100, and Harrison Ford couldn't - sure, I recognize that Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the moon, and I agree that's a huge achievement. But it's all relative in terms of what you are interested in - I recognize Aldrin's achievement, and his importance in History, but Harrison Ford means more specifically to me.

 

And I don't agree with the 'slippery slope' theory - if we are only willing to pay £25, we are just never going to get the *really* big guests - but I don't agree that Jeremy Bulloch is suddenly going to start charging £50. It's just not feasible - no-one would pay it. Market forces would dictate what Bulloch can charge.

[Vanna]

I'd be willing to pay up to £50 for a few select people. I would consider paying £100, but offhand I can't think of anyone I want to meet that badly, and I'm not really in a position to, financially, anyway (at least, not very often).

 

Personally however, if there was a personalised only rule it would put me right off. I'm not a dealer, and I don't collect autographs for financial gain, but at the same time I like to think in the long-term, and I'm not as young as I used to be... LOL!

 

What I mean is that I'd like to think my family could at least recoup what I spend on my collection after I'm gone, and I am well aware that personalisation reduces desirability to anyone other than the named person...

 

To get to my point, if personalisation, for whatever reason, were insisted upon, I would not be interested in spending large amounts, or any amount, unless I really, REALLY wanted to meet the celeb in question.

 

Also, I think it unlikely that dealers could make a viable profit anyway if they had to shell out £100 a pop.

[Purple]

Having read all the above posts, some very good points have been made, both pro- and con- charging £100 for an A-lister.

 

Unfortunately for me, it all boils down to one thing: I simply couldn't afford it.

 

I'm on quite a tight budget anyway, and generally only get one or two autographs at MK, so even if it was David Tennant and Joss Whedon signing together I'd still just be watching from the sidelines (cough*hint*cough Well I can dream... )

 

Having said which, it would be great to get people of that calibre here! Just cos I can't doesn't mean no-one else can and it would be great for the event! I'll just, y'know, stand and gawp

[nicky]

I'm not a dealer, and I don't collect autographs for financial gain, but at the same time I like to think in the long-term, and I'm not as young as I used to be... LOL!

 

I'd like to think my family could at least recoup what I spend on my collection after I'm gone,

Ok, so you dont collect autos for your own financial gain, just your family's?

[Bev]

Probably a better investment than putting money in the bank these days!

[wyrdsister]

Thing is if you have a big guest, you don't want to charge too much or it is likely you won't cover your costs.

 

If the celebrity/actor puts in a clause to say they will only sign x amount of items/ see x amount of people, the organiser can then come back and say, there are only x amount of tickets for, say, £100.00. That way they can agree to book the guest with this condition. That way, the attendees who can pay also have a guaranty, of sort, that they are paying for quality as they will not have to be rushed.

 

On the other hand, if the guest agrees to sign as much as physically possible, then the price should be dropped to a reasonable amount to maximise sales.

 

So asking for more money might not actually be the most cost effective way of doing things! It all depends what the actor/ celebrity is willing to do.

 

This is my opinion, I don't work for SM, so I can't say that's how it operates, but it makes sense to me

Edited October 12, 2008 by wyrdsister

[Zagreus]

I've said this elsewhere, and I fully expect to be shouted down for it, but here goes;

Is it not better just to keep quiet about how much you would be willing to pay and hope the guest will have a (relatively) reasonable price? If you have X many people saying they would pay X pounds, would that not plant the idea in the heads of the agents/organisers and risk possible price increases?

[sbuffy]

I agree with you Zagreus.

without any doubt if the guests can get paid more, no more autograph will belong to 15 or 20£. collectormania will lose of the friendliness.

[Zagreus]

I just feel that Showmasters are experienced enough to know how much to charge whithout us volunteering to pay more.

[nicky]

I've said this elsewhere, and I fully expect to be shouted down for it, but here goes;

 

Is it not better just to keep quiet about how much you would be willing to pay and hope the guest will have a (relatively) reasonable price? If you have X many people saying they would pay X pounds, would that not plant the idea in the heads of the agents/organisers and risk possible price increases?

IT COULD GO EITHER WAY AS ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY WOULDNT PAY MORE THAN "X" (I'M SHOUTING. GRRRRRR. AAARRRRGGGHGH!!!)

Edited October 13, 2008 by nicky

[bunnies_frighten_me]

I'd never pay £100 just for someones autograph. The kind of guests people are naming as "worth paying £100 for" are multi-millionaires with fans across the world who pay to go see their movies and buy their dvds which keeps them and their careers successful. I think charging that sort of money for a few SECONDS meeting and a quick auto would be terrible.

 

However .... if there was an event like "An Evening With Sarah Michelle Gellar" or someone who I like equally as much, and you got to spend an hour or two listening to them talk about their careers, and ask questions, and then have a bit of time afterwards where they would let you take a photo with them on your own camera or whatever, I'd happily pay £100+ for that. But for a few seconds in front of them at an event like Collectormania while they have their head down so they can sign their name? No thanks

 

Also ... at a LFCC I got a VT for the Patrick Stewart autograph session (I think he was £25) but in the end I didnt even go, as alot of people I spoke to that day were angry and said their item was taken off them and given to his assistant and then him before they even had time to get to the table. So by the time they got up to him, their item was already signed, he was signing for the next person, and didnt even speak. Can you imagine someone like Harrison Ford was there, how rushed it would be? And there'd be no personalising cos we'd get the old "we want as many people to meet him as possible" (not that I even like Harrison Ford, that was just an example)

 

The most I've ever paid was for Carrie Fisher in 2006, but she asked me did I want the items personalised and happily did it for me, and then she posed for a photo and she even got up out of her seat and leaned in for the photo. Some guests just sit there and when you look at ur photo it just looks like youve photoshopped yourself in standing next to them. So I was happy to pay £25 for each of her autographs.

 

Also I find that the "smaller" guests tend to be the nicest anyway, and in some ways its better to meet them, cos the big stars do movie premieres and television appearances and stuff and there are many ways to get their autographs for free, whereas for some of the actors this is the only way they meet their fans. Like loads of people always request Alyson Hannigan ... she did a West End show a few years ago and when she came out she signed for everyone whatever they wanted. I asked her to sign my program of the play she was in, and she signed it and then asked me would I like my ticket signed too as she seen I was holding it.

 

So yeh ... I'd pay £100 for the right guest but only if there was some sort of special event around it, not a rushed/busy signing as part of a Collectormania/LFCC.

Edited October 13, 2008 by bunnies_frighten_me

[nicky]

Also ... at a LFCC I got a VT for the Patrick Stewart autograph session (I think he was ?25) but in the end I didnt even go, as alot of people I spoke to that day were angry and said their item was taken off them and given to his assistant and then him before they even had time to get to the table. So by the time they got up to him, their item was already signed, he was signing for the next person, and didnt even speak. And there's the no personalising cos we'd get the old "we want as many people to meet him as possible"

Yeah, I got that - well he signed in front of me and I managed a hello but it was so rushed the question I had for him came out wrong and he didnt sign it where I wanted it. I wanted my X-2 poster signed in the top where ALL THAT BLANK SPACE IS and ALONG WITH Alan Cumming's auto, not next to Xavier's Goddman picture FFS. Anyone with intelligence should have seen that was a more appropriate place the fecking sign. GODDAMMIT. I guess that's probably all down to ""we want as many people to meet him as possible" TM too.

 

The most I've ever paid was for Carrie Fisher in 2006, but she asked me did I want the items personalised and happily did it for me, and then she posed for a photo and she even got up out of her seat and leaned in for the photo.

You were one of the very lucky few. As far as I knew she didnt do pics for anyone unless you were one of the first in the queue or were her crew/assistant.

Edited October 13, 2008 by nicky

[MikeDonovan]

Also ... at a LFCC I got a VT for the Patrick Stewart autograph session (I think he was �25) but in the end I didnt even go, as alot of people I spoke to that day were angry and said their item was taken off them and given to his assistant and then him before they even had time to get to the table. So by the time they got up to him, their item was already signed, he was signing for the next person, and didnt even speak.

 

He did speak to me - at the point of the queue I was in, he was motoring through endless 8 x 10s of Captain Picard just as you say, and then suddenly he saw my program for the RSC's Anthony & Cleopatra. He said "Oh!", looked up at me, and asked "Did you see this?". I said "I did! The only thing I was disappointed at with the entire season was that I missed the Tempest (my favourite Shakespeare) - please try to stage it again at some point!" He smiled and said that he'd try. And that was that.

 

I guess he gets bored with constant Picard 8 x 10s. I often wonder what Shatner would have said if I'd have put a flyer for "The Brothers Karamazov" under his nose.

 

 

he didnt sign it where I wanted it. I wanted my X-2 poster signed in the top where ALL THAT BLANK SPACE IS and ALONG WITH Alan Cumming's auto, not next to Xavier's Goddman picture FFS.

 

I sort of had this with John Rhys-Davies - he signed "Sallah" under his name, which I didn't want - but to be honest, I had such a good chat with him that I don't mind too much at all :)

 

 

I've said this elsewhere, and I fully expect to be shouted down for it, but here goes;

Is it not better just to keep quiet about how much you would be willing to pay and hope the guest will have a (relatively) reasonable price? If you have X many people saying they would pay X pounds, would that not plant the idea in the heads of the agents/organisers and risk possible price increases?

 

Think about Jeremy Bulloch charging £40. It's just not going to happen is it? Think about any other commodity. Anything. How about Cars. Let's say 10% of people are willing to pay £40k for a new car - maybe a Mercedes. Are you suggesting that that means that all the Renault Meganes on the market will suddenly go up in price by £10k?

 

Look at a supermarket. There's Tesco Finest tomatoes, and there's basic tomatoes. If you want a Finest tomato, you pay x. If you just want a regular tomato, you pay less.

 

Same applies - if you want Harrison Ford, you pay £100. If you want Dave Prowse, you pay £15. SM are not going to suddenly start charging £40 for Dave Prowse, anymore than Renault would start charging £25k for a basic Megane, or Tesco's would charge £1.59 for a regular pack of tomatoes, just because a minority have shown an interest in pricier fare.

[Zagreus]

That's not what I'm saying. The discussion was in relation to A-list guests, and that is what my comment was about. What I said was, it has the possibility of putting a higher price in the minds of the agent/actor/organiser, than they might have originally planned. So an (in some people's minds) A-list actor or their agent may have planned a specific amount, then sees people volunteering to pay a higher price, they may decide to go with that higher price. And since prices are never explained to the general public, we would never know if it was us who hiked up the price ourselves.

[MikeDonovan]

That's not what I'm saying. The discussion was in relation to A-list guests, and that is what my comment was about. What I said was, it has the possibility of putting a higher price in the minds of the agent/actor/organiser, than they might have originally planned. So an (in some people's minds) A-list actor or their agent may have planned a specific amount, then sees people volunteering to pay a higher price, they may decide to go with that higher price. And since prices are never explained to the general public, we would never know if it was us who hiked up the price ourselves.

 

I think you have to define what you call A-List. Would you not agree that there are a number of tiers above the "big" guests we've had so far? If Bill Nighy's worth £25, what's Kurt Russell worth? Surely more?

[nicky]

He did speak to me - at the point of the queue I was in, he was motoring through endless 8 x 10s of Captain Picard just as you say, and then suddenly he saw my program for the RSC's Anthony & Cleopatra. He said "Oh!", looked up at me, and asked "Did you see this?". I said "I did! The only thing I was disappointed at with the entire season was that I missed the Tempest (my favourite Shakespeare) - please try to stage it again at some point!" He smiled and said that he'd try. And that was that.

 

I guess he gets bored with constant Picard 8 x 10s. I often wonder what Shatner would have said if I'd have put a flyer for "The Brothers Karamazov" under his nose.

That kinda pisses me off that he feels compelled to single some fans out like that just cos they like what he likes and thereby privelidges and rewards them with his attention and special treatment - he should be giving attention to all his fans, not just ones that like Shakespeare. He is at a con after all and he knows even ST fans will be there. Is some cheese-fest gonna reply and shoot me down now for saying that? Then come get some, BIATCH!

 

He's pretty sick of all the ST stuff and being tied-down to all that kinda fanboy geek stuff so why did he commit to another equally big geeky-fanboy franchise with X-Men seeing as he so desprately wants to be more known for Shakespeare/theater and shake the geeks off?

Edited October 14, 2008 by nicky

[Count Fooku]

I'm not defending it but I guess he's only human, certain things are bound to pique his interest more than others. I don't like speaking for other people but I suspect he sees things like X-Men and ST as a paying job whereas Shakespeare is more likely to be a passion of his, if that is the case then it's perhaps no great surprise that he might make more effort with people who have bought him something different to sign.

 

At a more basic level as well, maybe there's a part of him that thinks if he shows more interest in signing Shakespeare related items and word gets round about this, it might just encourage more people to go and see the plays.

[Zagreus]

I think you have to define what you call A-List. Would you not agree that there are a number of tiers above the "big" guests we've had so far? If Bill Nighy's worth £25, what's Kurt Russell worth? Surely more?

 

Again though, that's not what I am saying. Obviously there are a number of different prices that can be charged. From £10 for extras in Star Wars, to George Lucas, who would charge charge... a bit more than £10. My point is that volunteering prices gives the people who set the prices ideas. Some may think it's a good idea as it lets them know how high you will go, but it also has the possibility of raising the planned price. Whether it's an "A-list guest" or not, I don't think it's good volunteering high prices. What if the guests people are willing to pay £100 for would all have been happy with £60? They may not take it all the way up to £100, but what if they go halfway and charge £80? Same applies to any guest. If you have enough people saying they would be happy to pay £15 for rare Star Wars extras, is it not possible people will take notice and raise the price.

 

 

 

It's the same as if you're taking part in an auction. If there was something you really wanted, you wouldn't eagerly shove your hand right up and say "I'd pay £1,000 for that!" You don't reveal your limit to the people who set the price, otherwise they will set the price AT your limit.

Edited October 14, 2008 by Zagreus