Page "Autograph" Paragraph 16

Realizing the potential profit in the sale of pop culture autographs, many dealers also would wait for hours for a celebrity to emerge from a location, present several photos for the celebrity to sign and then sell most of them.

Michael Jackson's experience was typical ; he often signed just a handful of autographs as he rushed from his hotel to his vehicle.

Some collectors take note of which celebrities are the most gracious or the least forthcoming.

Some dealers would locate a celebrity's home address and write to them repeatedly asking for autographs.

The celebrities soon grew tired of the practice and limited their responses.

Because of the many autographs a celebrity might sign over time, some check requests against a record of past requests.

Boxer George Foreman, for instance, records the names and addresses of every person requesting an autograph to limit such abuses.

Canadian sculptor Christian Cardell Corbet has his assistant research all requested autographs and also records all sent out.