"And bad mistakes/ I made a few..." A beginner's story in life lessons (part two)

By Adam Halloran

Apr 28, 2018

I only really started to get in to collecting music related autographs back in 2011, with my first major purchase being a signed Ringo Starr art piece. Previous to that, I had gone to a few horror conventions here or there throughout the years which really was my starting off point into collecting autographs.  

I was really into cult films and the horror genre when I was younger. I use to get DVD sleeves signed (which I later found out was not the best idea) I got to meet some icons pf modern horror like Tom Savini, Michael Berryman, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace and many many other B-list names that honestly probably in hind sight weren't worth the amount of money I had spent.

Maybe looking back now had I thought about having something like laser disc sleeves signed at least...Or something bigger that could have been displayed easier! I just wasn't into posters and I had a killer DVD collection already (no pun intended) and thought it was awesome having them signed. NowI think not so much...

If you are going to pay for someone to sign something make sure it is worth it. ESPECIALLY with the rising con prices nowadays. You can't really expect to get your money back out of an item after time spent, travel expenses, and the cost to just get in to see them.Try to use the foresight on the type of item to have signed that it is either an original or easily displayed item that wows. 

I would also suggest asking yourself is it even worth it to yourself? Do you want to start a piece you might never finish? It is easy investing hundreds of dollars into an item that will never take the shape you thought, due to people passing away or even spending so much money on the background cast that you made your own money pit.

I think I only ever paid $20ish at the time, also I was young and didn't have half the responsibility I have now. It also was a good time seeing and meeting some of these great horror icons.

As a younger collector not taking the time to think about the value spent versus the quality of item signed was maybe my first mistake. 

Flash forward to 2012...

After already having purchased my Ringo piece a year earlier, I was desperate to find an authentic Paul McCartney. At the time eBay was my go to place! I had started off right however, at least in my mind, that if I was going to buy an authentic piece that PSA/DNA was the only way to go!

The problem was my budget. I didn't realize what value of some items were and what I should reasonably be paying. PSA items carried a higher value on ebay, but they were ALL real! At least in my mind that was true...

I bid on a few items, but didn't win. I started to get frustrated and desperate because I needed to have a Paul to go with my Ringo. This rash decision was probably my biggest regret. Instead of taking my time I went with an item that I felt could not be fake, simply cause who would fake it! 

I decided to purchase this signed playbill programme for the play "Mass Appeal" which ran at the Booth Theatre in New York from November 12, 1981 after 16 previews. It closed on May 16, 1982. I did a ton of research on it. It was certed and had its image online in their database with a full LOA. It was golden in my eyes. 

https://www.psacard.com/cert/M00918

The problem being, I had no emotional attachment to it. Not to the play for sure...Heck! Paul McCartney didn't even act in it! He had to have been in the audience or signed passing along in the street, but there was no story that came with it 

Also It is signed only Paul. Thats it. The other issue being how much I paid...$600! What was I thinking?! I was so worried about finding an authentic Paul McCartney that I over paid for a subpar item!

The money I spent at conventions wasn't close to this blunder I made here. Which leads me back to, make sure that if you are purchasing an autograph that you will be able to at least get the same amount of money back out of it later...

On this Paul autograph, I got only a little over half back out of it...Yep...$300 down the drain when I sold it a few years later. The only positive was I used approximately $100 of that on one of my favorite items that I will NEVER part with because of sentimental value being much higher...I will save that for another time.

Adam Halloran

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