High autograph prices

[lukask]

I met him and asked the crew member if I could have a photo with him to which I was told 'no BECAUSE he's doing a professional photo session' This has always annoyed me as we're told that guests we won't be denied photos for this reason

That really happens?

Edited June 30, 2010 by LucasCZ

[JacknDaniel]

It's not supposed to happen. And it's annoying as we're told that we should always ask the crew these things to avoid putting the guest in a difficult position. So I try to be a nice guy and get knocked back, whereas other people managed to get a photo with him. I wouldnt exactly stand and argue with the crew member as they're supposed to know how things work. I'm not saying the crew are useless by any means, just that often people don't seem to know how it works, or is supposed to work

[jos]

Some conventions charge 100 EUR just to get into the con.. and THEN you have to pay 20/30 EUR for each autograph and photo....

 

So I am quite happy with the LFCC and I am willing to pay more for big guests!

[CosmicAvatar]

Lots of good points made here. It's a delicate balance and I think SM have been managing it very well.

 

All I can say from my point of view is that I wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of meeting the guests I have any other way (I couldn't do the queueing-for-hours thing on the off-chance that I might get a hastily-scribbled autograph) and, for the right guest, I'd be willing to pay a higher price, within reason. I'm not a Tyson fan myself, but I was most impressed by the fact that SM have managed to get him, and while I hope it doesn't lead to higher pricing overall (e.g. when the other guests see how much is being charged for him), I would like SM to try for bigger guests if they can.

[nicky]

What if a guest see's another guest charging say �75 for their auto, while theirs is say �25, and cheaper guest now wants to charge more simply because they know people will pay more for an autograph and greed sets in?

 

You know that's not gonna happen.

 

For example, how many guests at this LFCC can say that they will be as big as Mike Tyson...I mean, c'mon really??? Even Shatner, Stewart et all would just be laughed at if they even dared to ask to be put in the same price bracket as Mike Tyson: historic figure and heavy weight champion of the world, famous to people all over the world who don't even have a clue about boxing. The same goes for (and I'm aiming high here to be realistic) Elijah Wood if he were to ask for the same price tag as Hugh Jackman.

 

The A'listers know who they are and those who are not A'list definately know who they are too.

Edited June 30, 2010 by nicky

[TerraHawk]

I think there's only about half a dozen people I'd pay more than £25 for, and most of those were in Attack Of The Clones!

[Queen_Sindel]

I met him and asked the crew member if I could have a photo with him to which I was told 'no BECAUSE he's doing a professional photo session' This has always annoyed me as we're told that guests we won't be denied photos for this reason

That really happens?

 

I've got no idea why this was said in this particular situation at CM: London, especially if George was doing photos before. There seemed to be a lot of confusion about the photo situation at CM: London, so maybe it was a mix up.

 

I remember that for one guest (LFACC a few years past) he wasn't doing photos at the table because he thought it would be unfair towards those who had paid for a photosession.

 

Normally photos at the table are not an issue unless the guest is really busy.

[DavidB]

I remember that for one guest (LFACC a few years past) he wasn't doing photos at the table because he thought it would be unfair towards those who had paid for a photosession.

That has certainly been the case with a couple of guests at least, and of course crew members are there to state this rather than it being the guest having to deal with it. So it can sometimes seem like the 'order' has come down from SMs.

[hobbitfanatic]

Most of the "stars" are there, because we have put them there, buying dvd's, t-shirts, watching programmes, films etc.

 

I get quite annoyed with this point of view. They do a job, for which they get paid a market rate. Acting is a profession, just like being an architect, a profession that requires a great deal of training and hard work. And they should be paid for it. They don't owe you anything. They've made a product (a film) that you've decided to buy. You really need to understand that you didn't put them there - what put them there was their hard work. By suggesting otherwise you devalue their profession. This also goes for writers, directors, musicians, any of them.

 

 

I have to agree with you here at the end of the day it is a job which many of them try for years to get higher up, doing parts for no money or very very little just so they are working doing a job they enjoy.

[MikeDonovan]

What if a guest see's another guest charging say �75 for their auto, while theirs is say �25, and cheaper guest now wants to charge more simply because they know people will pay more for an autograph and greed sets in?

 

You know that's not gonna happen.

 

For example, how many guests at this LFCC can say that they will be as big as Mike Tyson...I mean, c'mon really??? Even Shatner, Stewart et all would just be laughed at if they even dared to ask to be put in the same price bracket as Mike Tyson: historic figure and heavy weight champion of the world, famous to people all over the world who don't even have a clue about boxing. The same goes for (and I'm aiming high here to be realistic) Elijah Wood if he were to ask for the same price tag as Hugh Jackman.

 

The A'listers know who they are and those who are not A'list definately know who they are too.

 

Before you know it, Jeremy Bollock, Dave Prowse, and Colin Baker will all be charging £100 per autograph!

[TerraHawk]

Before you know it, Jeremy Bollock, Dave Prowse, and Colin Baker will all be charging £100 per autograph!

 

Colin was £10 until this year, he's only recently gone up to £15. But he's writing books now so is usually happy to sign extras within reason for purchase of book.

[nicky]

Before you know it, Jeremy Bollock, Dave Prowse, and Colin Baker will all be charging £100 per autograph!

 

Don't forget 'Tom Welling'...whoever he/she is.

 

I remember that for one guest (LFACC a few years past) he wasn't doing photos at the table because he thought it would be unfair towards those who had paid for a photosession.

 

That annoys me. For the people that chose to buy a photoshoot that was their decision to do it that way - they chose to buy a photoshoot instead of getting a posed pic over the table so it's not a case of 'it's not fair on them' at all.

Edited June 30, 2010 by nicky

[stanstill]

Over the past few shows I have attended I have found I am spending less and less and meeting less people. I think it will be good and refreshing for the show to have much bigger guests even for a bigger price.

 

If you don't agree you don't meet them simple as that. I assume showmasters will still have lots of other guests at a smaller price to meet.

 

Bring it on jason.

[Janeway72]

I agree with most people here. If you can't afford an autograph, then you don't get it. That's real life. I want a BMW but can't afford it...so I do without. I think the regular guests at these events know how much they can charge feasibly. Bearing in mind that most sci-fi actors are cons regularly, no one is going to pay over the odds for their autograph and the actor and their agents know that! I laughed at CM16 when one of the stalls were selling a signed Patrick Stewart photo for £40 when you could meet Patrick and get him to sign a photo for £25.

 

If that's how much it's going to cost to get Mike Tyson to LFCC and people are willing to pay that, then that is fine. Personally, Mike Tyson would have to pay me to give me his autograph. I don't think there is anyone who I'd be willing to pay £75 -£100 for an autograph but then that's a personal thing too

[DJHicks]

Normally photos at the table are not an issue unless the guest is really busy.

 

I was told to come back with a decent camera by Linda Hamilton to get a pic of me and her holding a terminator scuplt i'd made as she was so impressed with it...

 

I did as she asked.. returned and she (surprisingly) had no one queing and staff said no... also walking past our table at the end of the day said hello to me so i suggested it to her (after all she told me to return with my good camera) and as she was taking off her hand bag ready for it i was blocked off by 2 staff members saying no move on, no posed pics etc...

 

I was annoyed to say the least and Linda wasn't too impressed either apologising over and over.... (could have had 30 pics in the time she spent apologising)

 

Witnessed it with other stars too... staff saying no but then the stars saying its ok and even going around the other side of the table for them etc.

 

Its understandably hard to manage issues such as these but surely clear rules or guidlines could be in place... and then of course those voided at the stars request.

[Queen_Sindel]

I said "normally".

 

Unfortunately these stories come up from time to time.

 

It's really hard to tell the reason for any decision sometimes if you were not directly involved when it was made.

 

One guest I was in line for at a past Comic Con was doing posed photos quite happily, but then right when I was at the table I heard his agent asking staff to please stop photography because the line was getting too long.

 

I know it's annoying (been on the receiving end of that too a couple of times), but someone came up with that rule and it was enforced.

 

Jason has posted his comments on posed photos a couple of times now, and I really can't add anything to that.

[bunny-summers]

Normally photos at the table are not an issue unless the guest is really busy.

 

I was told to come back with a decent camera by Linda Hamilton to get a pic of me and her holding a terminator scuplt i'd made as she was so impressed with it...

 

I did as she asked.. returned and she (surprisingly) had no one queing and staff said no... also walking past our table at the end of the day said hello to me so i suggested it to her (after all she told me to return with my good camera) and as she was taking off her hand bag ready for it i was blocked off by 2 staff members saying no move on, no posed pics etc...

 

I was annoyed to say the least and Linda wasn't too impressed either apologising over and over.... (could have had 30 pics in the time she spent apologising)

 

Witnessed it with other stars too... staff saying no but then the stars saying its ok and even going around the other side of the table for them etc.

 

Its understandably hard to manage issues such as these but surely clear rules or guidlines could be in place... and then of course those voided at the stars request.

 

I went up with my friend to meet George Takai at a previous event and he was happy to do a table photo but the SM staff stopped him. I wish there were more table photos like there used to be but i guess times are changing. It's just annoying when the guests don't mind but SM staff do for no apparent reason.

 

Anyway...I personally could never really afford to spend over £30 on an autograph being a student because i have to take into consideration the cost of getting there and the entrance fee. I'm lucky i have been doing these since C:4 so i have met a lot of people i wanted to meet but i sometimes come up with my SFX society from uni - sometimes around 20 of us and soon if things start to get 'bigger' most of us won't be able to afford to do it - and i know many people like us that would be in the same situation. I worry that some stars will start charging what they charge for the US shows to bring it all into line and if everyone starts saying " yeah go for it, we don't mind the price" the days of £15 autos will be long gone soon.

 

I get that people want a bigger variety of guests but maybe having fewer guests that are A listers may not be feasable for more people than they would like to say. Maybe keep the A listers to londonFILM? Seriously, if there are 4 A listers at one event that could mount up to £400 in just autos, than you have the entrance and the travel and maybe a hotel. In my mind i could never afford to do this. I think maybe go for it, see how it works and then maybe limit certain guests to the 'bigger events' so people still have the chance to meet them.

 

Tbh i had hoped that C:London would just be another Collectormania but from what Jason has said it looks like it will be packed if there a a few A listers. It's not a massive hall like Earls Court will be so it may just get a bit claustrophobic but i could be wrong. For me last time the stalls were packed and the stairs were really busy. Imagine this with double the number of people.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad thing but i think people should think about the number and price that the A listers will be. I knowa lot of people on this board don't really like the fact that there are kids at these things and i guess you'd get a whole new set of customers without kids if they were serious auto collectors. Does anyone else not think that the atmosphere at these events will be different?

 

Sorry for the long post i'm just trying to rationalise the pros and cons.

[DavidB]

I'm not saying it's a bad thing but i think people should think about the number and price that the A listers will be. I knowa lot of people on this board don't really like the fact that there are kids at these things and i guess you'd get a whole new set of customers without kids if they were serious auto collectors. Does anyone else not think that the atmosphere at these events will be different?

 

Sorry for the long post i'm just trying to rationalise the pros and cons.

I think they'll certainly take into account where they are, and how they can manage the number of high profile guests etc. They've learnt a lot from previous events and how busy things get, so I don't think they'll overdo it. Not only from a 'busy-ness' perspective but also keeping a lineup varied to appeal as widely as possible.

[talie]

Yeah, I go for photos > autos as well. I like the photo as a wee memory thingy and cuz I'm not an autograph collector they dont really matter to me.

 

Only autos I really get are Twi-ones.

Aye when I went to the NMA's I only bothered getting Gwynth Paltrow's and Chris Noth's I got photos with all the other people even though photos aren't technically worth anything other than to me.

 

I don't see why people are panicking tbh, it's not like Jason or SM have said we're gonna stop getting the guests they get and just pack the hall out with these A list guests, personally I would've thought they'd get like 3 or 4 of these max and stick to the usual .... but that's just my opinion.

 

SM have been doing this for a long time I'm sure they're aware of what they're doing.

[touchthesky]

Yeah, I go for photos > autos as well. I like the photo as a wee memory thingy and cuz I'm not an autograph collector they dont really matter to me.

 

Only autos I really get are Twi-ones.

Aye when I went to the NMA's I only bothered getting Gwynth Paltrow's and Chris Noth's I got photos with all the other people even though photos aren't technically worth anything other than to me.

 

I don't see why people are panicking tbh, it's not like Jason or SM have said we're gonna stop getting the guests they get and just pack the hall out with these A list guests, personally I would've thought they'd get like 3 or 4 of these max and stick to the usual .... but that's just my opinion.

 

SM have been doing this for a long time I'm sure they're aware of what they're doing.

It's change Talie..people don't like change!

 

That said...get Taylor Lautner and charge £34835908340593485903480598345345 for him and I'll make sure I am the only person who has that money.

[TerraHawk]

I agree with most people here. If you can't afford an autograph, then you don't get it. That's real life. I want a BMW but can't afford it...so I do without.

 

Ah but do you go in BMW showrooms, see other people buy them and gloat about it, or just stick to cars in your price range?

 

Considering a high price, quality event already exists in the form of Autographica, surely it makes more sense to bring guests to that rather than the more generic family events?

[DavidB]

Ah but do you go in BMW showrooms, see other people buy them and gloat about it, or just stick to cars in your price range?

 

Considering a high price, quality event already exists in the form of Autographica, surely it makes more sense to bring guests to that rather than the more generic family events?

I think they'd be pretty crazy to limit themselves to Autographica events in terms of having very little dates to offer 'more expensive' guests to attend.

 

I've never really seen Autographica as a 'this is where all the expensive guests are!!' sort of event anyway. Yes, the Space guests and ones like that are far more expensive than the norm, but they don't have the wider appeal to attend a signing event anyway.

 

The 'more expensive' guests that people are discussing here would absolutely be more appropriate for a casual audience event like Collectormania or LFCC rather than Autographica regardless of price.

[talie]

It's change Talie..people don't like change!

 

That said...get Taylor Lautner and charge £34835908340593485903480598345345 for him and I'll make sure I am the only person who has that money.

Clearly lol, I mean im one of the 'poor' peopple I have 4p to my name, Id love to get a PS with tyson just cus of his legend status, but i cant afford it sure im jealous of the people who can but im hardly about to say WAH WAH I WANT ONE AND CANT HAVE IT HE CANT COME

 

yah u do that, then ill mug u*

 

*in the nicest way possible

[touchthesky]

It'll all be transferred into a photoshoot ticket by the time you see me though!!

[XLcatloveress]

I agree with most people here. If you can't afford an autograph, then you don't get it. That's real life. I want a BMW but can't afford it...so I do without.

 

Ah but do you go in BMW showrooms, see other people buy them and gloat about it, or just stick to cars in your price range?

 

I haven't really seen anyone gloating here, as in 'neener neener neener, you poor losers won't be able to afford it but look what I'M getting' .. so I wonder what makes you say that? I might not be able to afford buying a BMW, or, for a different analogy, an oldtimer, yet, I'll go and check out the shiny beautiful cars at car shows nevertheless, and don't feel their owners are gloating over poor li'l me who can't afford one of my own. Same thing with the stars - if they are there, I might get to at least see them from afar, might be able to snatch a photo also from afar - and if I really, REALLY want the photoshoot or autograph, I'm gonna find a way, or be sad that I can't make it .. but at the very least SM has offered the chance to me, and might do so again in the future when MAYBE, I can afford it then.