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Limit of items to be signed


aseefsid
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Please could the organisers leave those who have with over 10 items last please as there was a guy in Alan Beans line with 70 items today...

Took over an hour to get signed plus each item was being photographed which wasn't helpful either on time for those who had lined up all the way outside.

felt sorry for those who had to miss him due to that git. It is really unfair plus I'd waited 30minutes.

It was half past three when I saw him, he then had to sign things quickly as he had a talk at 3:45.

Do stop those with more than double numbers. It's not fair for others who want to meet celebrities.

You just know that that rude annoying git with 70 items will flog off the photo's later on.

Earlier he was in my line with Rhea behind myself and my mum, and started coughing as if to say hurry up.

And he decided to move to the next line for the astronaut next to her to get something else signed.

Do stop this happening in future.

Thank you for reading my post.

Edited by aseefsid
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This guy sounded like a complete BLEEP. I had someone like that once when i was meetingMalcolm McDowell in Manchester. The fella behind me kept loudly tutting and shaking his head with each item I produced and I only had 5! I didn't rise to it but it does leave a nasty taste and takes away from the enjoyment of meeting the guest...

70 items is a bit much, I thought there were restrictions of 5 items per person?

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Thanks Dwarfbabe, didn't know that!

 

Still all the same, you would think one of the organisers would have said something when 70 items were produced, unless of course these were the pre-orders or items for people who couldn't attend? Is that possible?

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Thanks Dwarfbabe, didn't know that!

 

Still all the same, you would think one of the organisers would have said something when 70 items were produced, unless of course these were the pre-orders or items for people who couldn't attend? Is that possible?

 

You're welcome.

 

I can't comment on what happened on this occasion as I'm not at the event but anyone who has issues really should raise them at the time. It may be possible to get them resolved.

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My wife and I were in the queue in front of aseefsid (hello!) and I can confirm what he says. I waited for one hour and when Alan arrived and started to sign we were by the stall that sells meteorites, i.e. not very far away from Alan's desk but it took ages to get there. Because of that, I missed Barbara Bain's talk (fortunately, the organisers refunded my ticket: I greatly appreciated that). In my opinion, dealers do their job and it is probably fair enough that they sell their stuff on ebay five minutes later, this is not the point. The point is that Showmasters should put in place rigorous limits to the number of items any person can get signed and organise a different route for dealers; for instance, they could gather up their items aside, pay in advance, and have them signed by the guest in a moment of calm and collect them later or even dedicate 20-30 minutes to dealers only at the end or the beginning of the show, perhaps, or similar measures - bottom line is: you can't get more than X number of items signed, possibly with 1<X<10. It doesn't make sense that some 50 people have to suffer, worry to miss lectures, photoshoots etc just for the benefit of one. A little Spock's wisdom should be used, here.

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Dwarfbabe, yes the issue was raised with Alan's attendant. Anyway, when somebody turns up at the desk with such large requests, it should be automatic that this is going to become an issue in one microsecond; I think it shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.

We have all been convention goers for many years and we support Showmasters and their wonderful team all the way but I really hope that they will do everything they can to avoid such issues in the future.

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If someone is allowed in line with such a large number of things there is usually a special reason for this. Unfortunately I am not at the event either, so this is pretty much all advice I can give although I know it doesn't really help. Pre-orders etc. are normally handled when it's a little more quiet, so I really don't have any idea what was going on.

 

I am going to ask for someone who actually was at the event to reply to this, but this won't be before tomorrow. The guest assistant won't be of much help there as he/she can't leave her table for various reasons during the signing. For issues like that the Organisers Booth or the Pit Boss is the best person to address.

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Thank you Bergman,

It was nice speaking to you and your wife.

These type of people should be band I think. My mum and I pass on our regards to you and your wife.

Hope you enjoyed the rest of the day.

We left soon as we got Alan.

If we see you again do say hi, loved another chat next time.

Hopefully not like this post :-)

I'm usually a nice guy when things are nice and smooth.

Edited by aseefsid
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Okay guys - I understand that this upset you. But please stop making threats to "people like that." Even if you mean this in a joking way, it does often not come across like that on the internet. We are not tolerating threatening other attendees on here. That's why I have had to remove a couple of posts.

 

As I said above, I have asked for someone who knows more than me if they have more details of the reason why someone was allowed in line with that many items. Until that has been clarified we don't even know anything for sure.

 

Also please remember that the events live because people come and buy autographs. Again I understand it is upsetting if you are stuck in line behind someone getting a large number, and on behalf of everyone involved I sincerely apologize. Normally this is why the limit system is in place. Why it was not enforced here - again this is a question for someone at the show. I have messaged them, but as the show is still going on I have no idea when there will be an answer. Please be a little patient, there will be a reply to this eventually.

 

I highly doubt there will ever be a system (besides the Virtual Tickets) that forbids a person from going through again. Just imagine - you got an autograph from guest A who doesn't have a VQ ticket system even and decide to have a photoshoot later. You love the photo so much that you decide to get it signed. If everyone could only go through once you couldn't do this. You'd be majorly disappointed, and the organisers do not want that to happen.

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Thank you Queen, there is no hurry to know what happened, we can certainly wait a couple of days to solve the mystery.

 

"Just imagine - you got an autograph from guest A and decide to have a photoshoot later. You love the photo so much that you decide to get it signed. If everyone could only go through once you couldn't do this."

 

Nobody wants that. I think it is fine to have as many autos as you wish, provided you don't get more than X items in a single visit. After that, if one wants more, he/she can join the end of the queue again and again. That chap yesterday really spent some 25-30 minutes at Alan's desk. What is done is done, the aim of this discussion is to realise that things like that may happen, so next time we (staff and fans) are all prepared. And, yes, rudeness should be avoided, regardless how annoying it might have been.

 

-----

 

Thank you aseefsid. I am sure we'll meet again at the next Autographica or LFCC (hopefully not because we are stuck in a queue :smile: ), we are regular goers. After getting Alan's auto, I tried to get to Barbara Bain's lecture but it was about to end (I later got a report from my wife :thumbup: ) so I went to get Bruce's auto. Then queued for Buzz and Alan photoshoots before going back to sunny Clacton. Nice day, after all.

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I do understand that dealers are vital to boosting the takings for the day. I don't have a problem with that - good for them - but perhaps it would be a good idea to have a set aside time, for those people with uge numbers of items they want to get signed, rather than holding the whole queue to ransom while waiting for perhaps one or two autographs from the celebrity. It interferes with bookings people have made for photoshoots/lectures etc. Since you have no idea how many items each person in front of you in the queue has to have signed you cannot possibly estimate the time you will spend before reaching the front.

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Perhaps, in that case, an option should be opened up for people to contact the organisers IN ADVANCE to sort out arrangements for their "dealer" needs.

 

70 items is a total joke, and should not be allowed to occur in a public setting. Get the star to do this "backstage". The five item limit for regulars is fine, and if they have more (say an extra 2, taking them up to 7), they have to go to the back of the line?

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Here is the info I have received so far.

 

There was someone with about 40 items in line in the morning. That doesn't seem to be the person this post was about though as that doesn't match the time given here with Saturday afternoon. After that person was in line the crew realized this was taking too much time and they were not allowing a number of items that high anymore.

 

There was one person getting a larger amounts of autographs in the afternoon, but that person had way less than the above mentioned amounts, even way less than the big morning sale. The autograph sales are recorded and while there were some bigger sales the biggest sale was the one of the person that prompted the rule change. But I imagine that if a photo was taken for every item it may have seemed like 70, no matter how many it were in the end.

 

More to come hopefully when someone from the local team gets near a computer. I hope that helps for the moment.

 

Autographica very rarely has used VQ tickets and higher amounts than the usual 5 so far didn't seem like much of a problem. If this is turning into a problem now I'm sure Dave and the crew will have a look at the process.

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this happened when Joanna Lumley did Autographica a few years back. the guy would unpack a poster get it signed the put it back before getting something else signed. He took a good 1/2 hour before he finished.

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My understanding of the incident, through ‘over hearing’ a conversation was that it was a ‘special’ item being autographed. It wasn’t just some bloke with a bunch of photographs.

Where does this stop though, some people in front of me were having one signature, but multiple photographs. A few more minutes of waiting didn’t ruin my once in a lifetime experience.

…..and you’re still not going to convince me that my ‘queue minder’ lady was anything other than perfect!. :wub::clap:

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Stan Lee will be 110 percent sure on the 5 item limit. The non-five-item-limit thing happens more at Autographica because it is a much more quiet show. At the bigger shows it's normally very strictly enforced with only a handful of exceptions. I wasn't at the David Tennant show, but one of these exceptions I remember was Denis Lawson.

 

Like farmer said above, it's usually just a few more minutes more at Autographica even with the extra photo/autograph requests simply because Autographica is less big than LFACC and is generally considered more relaxed.

 

Gold are allowed to just rejoin again anyway aren't they?

 

Yes. Gold Ticket holders at LFACC are allowed to rejoin the back of the queue if they wish.

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70 items!?!?

 

I work for a major orgainsation and have to sign loads of forms, after about 10+ my wrist aches, what did Al Bean's wrist ache like? It must be unfair on the guests, they are going to be worn out!

 

I would add if the subject of huge signings has been brought up it means summat - wether we agree or not. I'd say limit to punters to around 5 items and have a special 'hour' for industrial bulk signings.

 

I usually look at the queues for the folk I want to meet and if too long go to those who are short, then go back to the first queue and see if its shrunk. I was only in there about a hour-1/2.

 

Great debate, don't stop...

 

von Dawson's Express

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Was talking to one of the crew Sunday, who said it wasn't 70 items, but the bloke was certainly taking his time and holding things up. I don't know, I wasn't there.

 

In Al Bean's queue Sunday they were trying to keep things moving best they could, but at one point a couple were trying to get a conversation going between someone on video call on a tablet and Al -WITH A QUEUE BEHIND THEM! That was a tad much. Good idea, wrong place to do it.

 

I don't know what the answer is. Max 5 items in a queue, above that have time set aside away from the queues? Who knows.

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