Stopping the selling of autographs on eBay?

[canadagraphs1]

I have been getting autographs for over 20 years & all that time I have sold, or hung out with people who sell.

Before ebay, the excuses were just more varied...but just as often as they are now.
"your going to sell this at the local card/comic store", "your just going to sell this at a card show", "your going to sell it at the flea market". I even had 1 guy tell me I was going to sell them thru ads in the newspaper.

All ebay is, is a centralized excuse. It was bad for 2-4 years where ebay was the hub of everything....but now that its become a garbage heap of junk & has lost most of its business, I RARELY hear that excuse too much anymore from the stars....you usually hear it more from the hanger ons. Friends, peon workers on the set etc... the stars generally, dont seem too concerned.
Stop ebay, it will be "craigslist/website/discussion board/collectibles shows etc" as the focal point of their whining.

I havent noticed TOO much more of an increase in whining about selling since ebay became so commonplace. It might be up, but its SLIGHTLY at best, I am talking maybe 1/2-1 1/2% more...on an excuse that you hear only 2-3% of the time as it is.

Yeah if its not ebay it will be something else because there will always be people who try to make money from everything,wouldnt you rather not be part of the problem canadagraphs1 and just get a real job and leave the autographs for actual fans so they have a chance of getting their fav peoples autographs
??? Seriously...100 years ago you would have been selling snakeoil lol

Well, I cant work more or less. I cant work manual labour. I cant work anything in an on the floor sales capacity because of varying medical issues...so my options for income are limited. Its something that interests me, so why not do it? Theres a need for it, as long as people idolize celebrities.

That being said.... I would rather the fans that want an autograph buy from a legitimate source like me, than the multitude of fakers out there. When you consider somewhere between 40-70% of the items you see out there are fake, I am the lesser of two evils by far.

Who would you rather the fan buy an item from? Me, or the forgers?.. and dont say "I'd rather they not buy at all" because we all know, that clearly isnt an option to the people that are going to buy one anyways. Its a practical solution for them. Pay a fee for something you dont want to put the limited time you have into, but still want to have. Same reason people call a painter or a decorator. They would rather have someone else do what they could do themselves...if they just put in the time.

[Heyheyyou]

If they really want the autographs they can get it via venue. Dealers are scum I am sorry you can say all you want I need to make money blah,blah,blah but you ruin it for others. Don't you get it?? I hope celebs stop signing for you.

[chriscollector]

So working is not an option, but standing in airports, arenas, theatres, and in celeb filled areas for hours and hours on end is just fine??? You can't stand at a cash register, yet all the work you do in tracking down stars seems to be fine???

I would respect you sooo much more had you just flat out spoke the truth. You don't want to work a 9 to 5 so you sell autographs. In a day of successful graphing you can get 3-5 big items and profit 50-100$ each and that's why you do it.

I think known dealers should be treated as any other business. Register with the BBB, get a tax ID, business license, carry liability insurance, and pay taxes then the dealers will fade into the sunset.

[jdp3577]

I think the personal attacks on members need to stop now. Its really none of your business how someone makes a living. This site even has a section to sell autographs

[vjw0307]

So working is not an option, but standing in airports, arenas, theatres, and in celeb filled areas for hours and hours on end is just fine??? You can't stand at a cash register, yet all the work you do in tracking down stars seems to be fine???

I would respect you sooo much more had you just flat out spoke the truth. You don't want to work a 9 to 5 so you sell autographs. In a day of successful graphing you can get 3-5 big items and profit 50-100$ each and that's why you do it.

I think known dealers should be treated as any other business. Register with the BBB, get a tax ID, business license, carry liability insurance, and pay taxes then the dealers will fade into the sunset.

Sorry, but I somewhat agree. Its people like this who are the reason some celebs and athletes no longer sign...people are selling autographs, probably not reporting it as income, and causing signers to be skeptical about signing.

[packrat]

I think known dealers should be treated as any other business. Register with the BBB, get a tax ID, business license, carry liability insurance, and pay taxes then the dealers will fade into the sunset.

It's not just that, it's the sneakiness of it all. They pose as collectors and request autographs on premium items only to turn around to sell the unsuspecting celeb's/sports personality's autographs.

I do a ton of IP graphing in my neck of the woods during baseball season. I pretty much know everyone who graphs here and I know who the dealers are. I have never once seen a dealer be upfront and tell the player what their intentions are. That is why celebs and sports personalities are becoming more and more reluctant to sign. They don't know by looking at us who is a collector and who is a dealer, so they'll only sign one or sometimes simply don't sign. Or they give really lousy autographs to lessen the value of the item.

The only way to stop the selling is to stop the buying. As long as there are idiots who purchase autographs there will be idiots who will sell.

[Heyheyyou]

Exactly Packrat you understand. I don't collect sports autos but I have heard from my friends who do say alot ( not all) refuse to sign for adults because they assume you are going to sell them. Which stinks for collectors..... And BTW everyone is entitled to an opinion on dealers.

[Jackathus]

I agree with everyone that thinks its wrong selling autographs. I'm pretty sure if you loved the celeb enough, you would rather have the knowledge that this precise autograph was for you. If you buy them I think that you can't be as big a fan as you think (unless of course, its from someone who has passed away or no longer signs, so buying is the only way), becase if you were, you would put the time and effort in, and think it was an achievement.

[kennedyniles]

I think the personal attacks on members need to stop now. Its really none of your business how someone makes a living. This site even has a section to sell autographs

I agree.

[Nathan1872002]

eBay is a great tool for collectors. I have used eBay several times to further my collection with certain "untouchables" and it has worked out well for me. I'd hate to see them stop the sale of signatures on eBay. I am only one of the many, many collectors who use it as a great tool. There are snakes out there that sell fakes, sure. There are people who get them and resell them, sure. But that is what makes collecting what it is. A big part of it is being smart and doing your homework before you buy, of course and I feel sorry for those who get hosed by it all and are immature collectors. But should the selling of autographs stop on eBay? Absolutely not.