how celebrities could control the autograph market
Joe Snyder
http://www.semaphorecorp.com/misc/tiger.html...
If I were Tiger Woods (or any other celebrity whose autograph is in
demand), I would make it the duty of a member of my entourage (say, my
go-fer "Fred") to keep track of every time I chose to sign anything.
For example, when a fan comes up and asks for an autograph, I'd say "Fred,
what's the next number?". And Fred would say "6,873". Then I'd sign that
golf ball and -- here's the important part -- INCLUDE the number after my
signature. Fred would enter "6,873 on 4/12/01 for Timmy Johnson" into his
Palm Pilot, and Timmy Johnson's golf ball would now have "Tiger Woods
6,873" on it. Fred would also be responsible for uploading the day's list
of signings to the Internet for public viewing.
As a result, counterfeit items would be impossible, authentic items would
be more valuable than ever, and an item with a lower number would always
be worth more than an identical item with a higher number. And if I
didn't want to sign anything, I'd just have to say "Sorry, my autograph
counter isn't here!"
Mijacojeo
--
-Mijacojeo
"......I may be going to hell in a bucket,
at least I'm enjoying the ride....."
"Joe Snyder" <j...@semaphorecorp.com> wrote in message
news:js-150102...@semaphorecorp.com...
evil troll
"Joe Snyder" <j...@semaphorecorp.com> wrote in message
news:js-150102...@semaphorecorp.com...
Joe Snyder
"evil troll" <psych...@remailer.anon> wrote:
> nobody has time for that
The issue isn't _time_, the issue is _control_ and _money_.
Celebrity X exits a limo, walks up to a crowd of fans, spends 15 seconds
signing 5 autographs, then enters a restaurant.
Celebrity of-equal-stature Y exits a limo, walks up to a crowd of fans,
spend 15 seconds signing just 2 or 3 numbered autographs, then enters a
restaurant.
Both used the same amount of _time_, but Y exercised much more control.
As a result, Y's autograph is rarer, more valuable, and easier to
authenticate.
Now fastforward 30 years, when X and Y are over-the-hill, no longer in big
demand, and having to work a little harder for a salary. Who do you think
will be able to demand more for an autograph signing session? X, with an
unquantified autograph history of hard-to-authenticate memorabilia? Or Y,
with a well-documented history of easy-to-authenticate memorabilia?
(Remember, X and Y are otherwise "of-equal-stature".) X will be kicking
himself for not numbering his autographs.
Can you guess which celebrity's memorabilia will be more actively traded?
Geez, Y could even have a retirement income charging for authentication
services! "Yes, number 3,423 was a football... No, number 4,664 was not
a jersey..."
If I were a celebrity, I would _definitely_ serialize my autographs.
In fact, I predict that some day athletes' and entertainers' and authors'
contracts will _require_ all autographs to be serialized so that
contractors and contractees will have yet one more way to squeeze dollars
out of the generally short shelf life that most celebrities have. In
fact, I predict that special autograph pens will be developed that,
instead of just laying down a line of ink, also embed a barcode or
microdots or similar digital data right in the signature, including
anti-fraud encryption, to document and serialize when (and maybe even
where, via gps) the autograph was applied.
You read it here first.
PeterL
in the first place.
--
=========================================
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RMS Majestic -- Doctor Who -- Irish Setter
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"evil troll" <psych...@remailer.anon> wrote in message
news:%N518.34678$Vz3.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Barefootmk
reguarding this business. hats off to you for thinking of it. but you need to
use your time more wisely thinking of a cure for cancer or finding bin laden's
body then wondering about celebrity autographs.
evil troll
"Joe Snyder" <j...@semaphorecorp.com> wrote in message
news:js-150102...@semaphorecorp.com...
ben
celebrities must think of day and night is where their autographs,
fake or real, go. The fact of the matter is they don't think about
it, and for the most part, do not care in the least. Tiger Woods has
so much money he will NEVER need to sell his autograph. I know he
does, but that income is peanuts. Jason Priestley has more money than
he knows... and he has been washed up for years. Do you think that he
thinks about how he is going to make $20 a signature next month? The
only reason that anyone in today's day and age of huge dollars would
ever do shows is greed, or to give a little back, while lining his own
pockets with beer money.
Ben
Joe Snyder
golfnt...@cs.com (ben) wrote:
> Tiger Woods has
> so much money he will NEVER need to sell his autograph.
Didn't he appear on Oprah just to plug a book? Do you think that was his
idea, or his publisher's idea?
When celebrities do book signings, are they just selling books? Are they
selling autographs? Both books and autographs? Consider for a moment the
market forces that attempt to generate and control celebrity activities...
Big celebrities won't actually be the ones to eventually control
autographs, their sponsors will be!
Celebrities go out of their way to appear on talk shows to plug their $30
books, $8 movies, and free commercial-laden TV shows because that _pumps_
the market and generates more $ for publishers and producers and
themselves. Endorsements, voiceovers, biographies, etc. are all
additional ways to make money off celebrities, and sponsors will continue
to try and find new ways.
Autographs are still small potatoes because they're easy to forge and
difficult to authenticate. Big companies have yet to realize they can
influence, even control, the autograph market. But when they do, things
will change.
Once the digital-barcoding-tracking celebrity autograph pen is available,
do you think Nike would give anyone a $40 million contract without
autograph stipulations? The celebrity might not understand how and why to
control autographs, but believe me, their sponsors will. Nike will be
more than happy to be the exclusive authenticating clearinghouse for all
digitally signed athletic memorabilia (only $3 per authentication!).
Don't be afraid of the idea of a controlled authograph market. Once
forgeries are minimized and authentication becomes easier, autograph
collecting will be able to become as mainstream as stamp or coin
collecting. (Of course, some current collectors may consider that to be a
bad thing.)
NapaValley
> You have to be kidding. All you people on this group think that all
> celebrities must think of day and night is where their autographs,
> fake or real, go. The fact of the matter is they don't think about
> it, and for the most part, do not care in the least. Tiger Woods has
> so much money he will NEVER need to sell his autograph. I know he
> does, but that income is peanuts. Jason Priestley has more money than
> he knows... and he has been washed up for years.
He isn't washed up. Three months ago he wrapped a Canadian feature
film called "Call Me Irresponsible" in which he costars with the
legendary Dave Thomas. Earlier in January he joined American A-list
celebrities like Glenn Close at a fundraising ski tournament in
Calgary for an organization that promotes proper sewage disposal in
Canada. Jason is a native Canadian so he could care less about the
short memories and tunnel vision of Americans who automatically label
the entire cast of a dead American TV series as washed up without
checking the Internet Movie Database. Don't forget Precious Jason's
turn as a psychopath in the American feature film "The Highwayman"
costarring the highly respected veteran Lou Gossett.
ben
First, Joe. Tiger plugs his book on Oprah because the publisher paid
him millions to write it, and undoubtedly it is part of the contract
to do talk shows to promote it. He would not go on Oprah or Larry
King for no reason. He has pressure from those who put out many more
millions than those paid to him.
As far as the movie stars go, same thing. Studios pay an actor at
most $20 million, but the movie may cost over a hundred million. To
pay an actor that much money, they have to have some guarantees that
they will stand behind their EXPENSIVE product. They must do 3-day
press junkets, attend premieres and do the talk show circuit. That is
how the game goes. Nike has no interest in a 3 million dollar
industry, as you say. They are interested in a 30 billion dollar
industry.
Next, Kenneth...
Who in America saw any of those things Jason was in? What his fan
club, and 100 others? My point was that he has too much money to
care, even though he is basically out of work that pays well and that
the public sees, and collecting syndication checks from 90210.
Autographs are a hobby for most and a business to very few.
Can you imagine getting a signature and afterward having some lacky
not let you leave until you give him your name and address? Come on,
you would want no part of it... Better yet, who would pay this lacky
to plug the info in the palm pilot? The celebrity, I think not. Back
to my point: CELEBRITIES DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO BOTHER...
NapaValley
> First, Joe. Tiger plugs his book on Oprah because the publisher paid
> him millions to write it, and undoubtedly it is part of the contract
> to do talk shows to promote it. He would not go on Oprah or Larry
> King for no reason. He has pressure from those who put out many more
> millions than those paid to him.
> As far as the movie stars go, same thing. Studios pay an actor at
> most $20 million, but the movie may cost over a hundred million. To
> pay an actor that much money, they have to have some guarantees that
> they will stand behind their EXPENSIVE product. They must do 3-day
> press junkets, attend premieres and do the talk show circuit. That is
> how the game goes. Nike has no interest in a 3 million dollar
> industry, as you say. They are interested in a 30 billion dollar
> industry.
> Next, Kenneth...
> Who in America saw any of those things Jason was in?
He doesn't care that they missed it. He's Canadian, so he's happy to
have a fan base there.
What his fan
> club, and 100 others?
There are no fan clubs anymore. They've been outmoded by the
Internet. Women don't gather for meetings anymore like they did in
1950s fan clubs for Johnnie Ray, Elvis and Sinatra. Many women have
full-time jobs now. They can find out all they want about their
fantasy partner on the Internet. Usually they never meet other women
who share similar fantasies.
My point was that he has too much money to
> care,
Have you ever met him? How do you know his money influences his
caring? I've never met him, but I know he's a motor sports friend of
Paul Newman, whose selflessness has been well publicized for forty
years.
even though he is basically out of work that pays well
How do you know the films "Call Me Irresponsible," "The Fourth Angel"
and "Cherish" paid Jason poorly? Just because Americans have missed
or probably will miss them doesn't mean they're disappointing him
financially. Someone would have to research how much money those
feature films have made or will make in Canada and other countries.
The different tastes of Americans versus Europeans are well-known, and
many Europeans feel more in sync with Canada than with the USA.
and that
> the public sees, and collecting syndication checks from 90210.
At some point during its ten-year run Jason owned part of the show,
possibly continuing the ownership during its last two years when he
disappeared from the screen but kept a producer's credit. He's
getting more than syndication checks now. He has earned whatever he
gets from it. The show's high Nielsen ratings between 1992 and 1994
depended largely on him, Luke Perry and (to a lesser extent) Shannen
Doherty and Jennie Garth. Few males watched the show regularly or
would admit to it, making the good looks of its male stars more
important than the attractiveness of Doherty and Garth.