1/15/98--Collector Steve Gruber has found a new autopen pattern of Ronald Reagan's. It seems that the former president may have stopped signing autographs completely now.
1/12/98--Several months ago Geocities made a very unfortunate decision to include a "watermark" at the bottom of members' pages. My page is exempt from this since it is a "GeoPlus" page. You can take advantage of this by logging into this url: http://www.oocities.org/~sbeck instead of www.oocities.org/hollywood/set/7962/index.htm. When viewing my page with the first url the watermark is not seen. Webmasters, please update any links.
1/10/98--Here is a summary of the new postage rates:
HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW POSTAGE RATES
* Effective January 10, 1999
FIRST-CLASS:The First-Class stamp goes up one penny, from 32 to 33 cents -- a 3.1 percent increase, the lowest in 27 years, and the second consecutive adjustment at or below inflation. The second-ounce price decreases from 23 cents to 22 cents. The single-piece rate for post cards remains 20 cents and the rate for a two ounce flat is 55 cents.
EXPRESS MAIL: The half-pound rate for Next Day Service to Addressee increases $1.00 to $11.75. The two-pound rate increases to $15.75.
PRIORITY MAIL: The Priority Mail flat rate for up to two pounds increases 20 cents, to $3.20. The Postal Service introduces delivery confirmation for Priority Mail. For mailers who apply their own barcodes and access postal information systems for electronic confirmation, the service is free. Retail service is available for 35 cents.
PERIODICALS: The advertising rate for publications brought to the destination sectional center facility decreases from 19 cents to 15.5 cents and from 15.9 cents to 15.5 cents for publications brought to the destination delivery unit. Separate 3-digit and 5-digit presort rates are introduced. The editorial discount increases from $0.0057 to $0.0059 for each one percent of a publication's editorial content. The rate for a typical local newspaper increases 8.3 percent, as required by the formula prescribed by the Revenue Forgone Reform Act of 1993.
STANDARD MAIL (A) (letters and flats): The single-piece rate is eliminated; customers may use First-Class Mail for most weights and get better service for the same price. The Enhanced Carrier Route Basic Letter rate is eliminated.
STANDARD MAIL (B) (parcels): An assortment of new parcel worksharing discounts are introduced and weight and size limits are expanded. For mailers of Bound Printed Matter, Special Standard Mail, Library Mail and Parcel Post, the Postal Service introduces a new delivery confirmation service.
1/9/99--I finally got a new computer, and will start updating the web page more frequently now. Watch for a few new scans and updated pages soon.
I hope everyone had a great holiday season.
12/21/98--Consumer Reports has an interesting article this month comparing mailing by Federal Express, UPS, or the US Post Office. Speed, promptness, and care of handling were compared. The results are surprising.
The Post Office fared very well in the tests, particularly with care in handling. Packages had special sensors that detected rough handling. Only 8 percent of packages that were mailed parcel post were handled roughly, compared with 10 percent mailed Priority, 16% sent UPS ground, 15% sent UPS 2nd Day, and 34% sent Fed Ex 2 Day. Of course other services were faster. Parcel Post takes up to 9 days, while the other services take between two and seven days. The article also mentions that eight of the 838 packages used in the tests were lost--three by the US Post Office, and five by UPS.
Also, don't forget that there will be a price increase in US postage effective January 9th. For details, see the official US Postal Service web site.
12/11/98--Mary Benjamin has died at the age of 93.
Ms. Benjamin was one of the most respected autograph authorities in the world. She was the daughter of Walter R. Benjamin, who started the nation's oldest autograph firm in 1887. Ms. Benjamin inherited the company and was the sole proprietor until she retired only a few years ago. She will be missed.
Walter R. Benjamin Autographs deals mainly in high-end merchandise, and its catalogs are unique in that they are half-newsletter, half-catalog. The current issue is number 1000, and in celebration the first issue of the catalog from 1887 is reproduced. A David Crockett ALS sold for $3.50 and a Thomas Jefferson ALS was only $6. There was also some interesting news--"When Mr. [Robert] Browning or any other poet of his fame goes for a holiday, he takes care to conceal his tracks, and avoid the letters of all but intimate friends. The author's only chance is to give a wrong address, that all autograph hunter's epistles may be sent to a sagacious agent, who will destroy them." There was also the news that William Gladstone was sending out pre-printed autographs in response to autograph requests.
12/7/98--My computer had a major crash last Thursday, and I haven't been able to use it since. I will not be able to answer email on a regular basis or update the page as frequently--the "autograph of the week" will suffer the most as I won't be able to scan new files. Please help me by not sending large files or scans via email until I get the computer fixed (or buy a new one).
11/29/98--I was very impressed this week in obtaining a photograph from Oscar White Archives. I have been searching for a particular group photograph for months, and a simple query to Oscar White (through email at owhitearch@juno.com) yielded the correct photograph. Although he did not have it in stock, Oscar located a copy of it and sent it to me within the week according to my specifications. The photograph was expensive at $17, but I am delighted with it because it is an ultra-rare image that I'm sure no one else has had signed. (I'm purposely being vague to protect the uniqueness of the photo!) I was very impressed with the service and encourage those of you searching for difficult images to contact him.
Speaking of photographs, I finally completed my next article for the UACC entitled "Photograph Sources." In the article I share information on how to get obscure but interesting photographs from commercial photography studios, government sources, news agencies, stock photographers, and other places. Most of the information is covered here in the web page.
I hope the article will inspire collectors to find interesting photographs to have signed or matted with autographs. I much prefer unusual photographs over common portrait photographs. For example, if I were to choose a signed photograph of John F. Kennedy I would prefer a photograph of him at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin or signing the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty rather than a plain studio portrait. The first two show the president in a historical context.
If this article or web page information is of benefit to collectors in obtaining rare images please let me know.
11/27/98--Bookstores can be a great place to get rare autographs inexpensively. The Booksmith in San Francisco is especially friendly to autograph collectors and hosts a large number of celebrities at booksignings every month. They also sell books that were signed in earlier booksignings.
Currently the Booksmith has paperback copies of "Living Faith" signed by President Jimmy Carter (signed on a bookplate) for only $13, which is an excellent value. They also have books signed by Jerry Mathers (very rare autograph!), Walter Koenig, Tony Bennett, Bill Bradley, Mel Brooks/Carl Reiner (only $10!), Grace Lee Whitney, and Karl Malden. Orders can be placed by email or by telephone.
11/22/98--Recently fellow collector Michael Lombarczki told me about a great web site. Unicover is a philatelic company that sells recent issues of world stamps at face value. This is wonderful for autograph collectors who wish to send self-addressed stamped envelopes to foreign celebrities.
I purchased several stamps from Russia, France, Australia, and New Zealand through the web site and received my order within the week. I have already used some of these stamps for requests. (Wish me luck.)
I now have a supply of stamps for this use from many countries, including England, Germany, Norway, France, Russia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain. It's certainly beneficial to be a prepared collector!
11/19/98--I am excited to announce an important development for those of us who collect space-related autographs through the mail. Jeremy Theoret, the owner of the Internet's best space-related website, is now selling excellent high-quality photographs. Currently two images are available, the famous image of Aldrin on the moon facing the camera, and a magnificent "earthrise" taken during Apollo 11. More images will be available soon.
I received an order from him today, and I especially like certain features of these photographs. First, they are cropped to provide maximal area for signatures. Second, they are sharp images with great detail. Third, they are matte finish, which I strongly prefer over a glossy finish. Fourth, they are competitively-priced in relation to other sources of space photographs. Because of these reasons I think Jeremy will soon be the best source of photographs for signing.
Further information can be obtained directly from Jeremy Theoret at jtheoret@oocities.com.
11/13/98--For UACC members: the February 7th show in Houston will feature two moonwalkers as guests, Bean and Duke. Follow this link for more information.
10/30/98--AVD/The Space Source now has an online catalog of pre-signed space-related autographs.
Speaking of space autographs, now that John Glenn is in orbit for the second time I had a lot of fun this week reviewing my autographs from him. Two of my favorites are a TLS and a signed photograph.
10/27/98--Today I added a new feature to the page on document preservation. The page includes a section written by UACC President Bob Erickson.
Please be sure to note that I am asking for help with a mystery. The owner of the photographs on this page is requesting assistance at identifying images of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
By the way, how do you like the "Halloween page?"
10/25/98--William Linehan has been expelled from the UACC. A noted autograph dealer for many years, Mr. Linehan was expelled for failure to respond to ethics board correspondence related to a complaint filed by another UACC member. However, there is an extra twist to the story. On October 14 it was reported in the Concord Monitor Newspaper that he has pled guilty to criminal mischief in the destruction of over 300 books in the Concord public library, by cutting blank pages from the front and back of library books. Police in Concord, NH, speculate that Linehan was using the paper, which is of a certain vintage, to forge autographs.
I personally have dealt with Linehan many times in the past and thought him to be a reputable dealer. (I carefully reviewed items in my own collection after the scandal and believe all to be genuine.) However, it has come to my attention that in recent years he has been in severe debt and could not pay his bills. I do not know if he is guilty of the horrible crime of forging autographs in his stock, but I think the evidence is clear that his company should be avoided when purchasing autographs.
Linehan is only the latest in a series of prominent autograph dealers who are no longer in the UACC. Herman Darvick and Stephen Koschal are also no longer members--(Darvick was expelled and Koschal resigned). This is a particularly disturbing trend to me.
10/22/98--Caleb Gluck of Golden State Autographs has come online. For those of you unfamiliar with Golden State it is a superb source of celebrity signed documents, such as contracts and checks, and in-person signed entertainment photographs. This company is one of the very few that I highly recommend. Contact Caleb at his e-mail address GoldenSt82@aol.com for a sample catalog.
10/19/98--After careful deliberation I have decided to remove addresses from my site. There are several reasons for this. The first is that it is too difficult for me to keep the addresses current. Secondly, there are others who are much better at maintaining address lists than me, such as Jim Weaver. But the most important thing is that I feel somewhat guilty that I have published some private addresses of celebrities to a mass audience. I never expected that so many people would visit my website in so short a period of time.
So instead of putting addresses and signing habits on this site I will now maintain a list of celebrities who charge for their autographs, complete with their addresses. This should make it easier for me to stay current with the page and also will free my time so that I can create new features of interest to beginning and advanced collectors.
If anyone knows of additional celebrities who charge a fee for through-the-mail signatures, please e-mail me.
10/16/98--I had some spare time today so I browsed inside an interesting old used bookstore in uptown New Orleans. The shopkeeper was very friendly and the conversation turned toward the subject of signed books. He said that he has frequented many estate sales to find rare books and has acquired some incredible items for his inventory over the years, the best being books signed by Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. He added that most of the books he's bought in this way have been family heirlooms for generations.
I wonder how many great autographs are held by people who have no idea of historical significance or value. When I was in high school we were given an assignment to research our family histories. I went to a friend's house after school one day and found my friend with a number of old documents spread across his floor. The papers had been passed down in his family for many years, and he was using them for the geneology project. Being an autograph collector even back then I asked him if he had anything that was signed by a famous person, and he nonchalantly replied that he had one paper signed by "one of the presidents." It turned out that it was a beautiful commission authentically signed by Millard Fillmore as president, and the members of my friend's family had no idea that it was of any value at all.
I also have a friend who is distantly related to Ulysses S. Grant, and who inherited a large number of books from his personal library. Each book was signed by Grant denoting ownership. I pointed out that they were quite valuable, more so than he realized at the time, and the collection was sold at auction for a tremendous sum several years ago.
10/15/98--I am very pleased to add yet another feature to the web page. I asked several serious collectors to provide scans of the best autographs in their collections. These items represent their personal favorites and are very special in one way or another. The result of this project can be seen on the Favorites page.
10/2/98--Gene Autry died today. I consider myself very lucky to have obtained a magnificent signed photograph of him several years ago. He was a kind man, and very generous to autograph collectors for many years. I am sorry to see that we have lost him.
10/1/98--Today I received five checks that I purchased, two from Jack Haley (the Tin Man of the Wizard of Oz), and one each from astronauts Walter Schirra, Jim Irwin, and Charles Conrad. I am particularly happy about the fact that my check collection is growing. I began to collect checks about two years ago and I find them much more fascinating than signed photos or cards, while still inexpensive.
Here is a list of celebrity checks I currently own: Buzz Aldrin, Walter Schirra, Charles Conrad, Jim Irwin, Deke Slayton, Jimmy Carter, Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Charleton Heston, Jimmy Stewart, Vincent Price, Jack Haley, Andy Griffith, Carrie Fisher, George Caron, Jacob Beser, and David Hockney. I also have a vintage check of James Fenimore Cooper from 1832, and endorsed checks from Jim Lovell, Alan Bean, Charles Conrad, Paul Tibbets, George Caron, and Jack Webb.
I would like to hear from anyone who has checks from astronauts other than those listed above. I know that checks are on the market from Richard Gordon, Scott Carpenter, and Gus Grissom. Do others exist? I would also like to know if anyone is interested in trading a check of Conrad's for Carpenter's.
I also had a very strange occurrance today. I got a large envelope in the mail stamped "Office of George Harrison" in the return address space. I opened it and inside was a photograph of the Beatles that I sent him YEARS ago! I don't remember the exact date, but it must have been in late 1992. The photo was unsigned. Also included was an orange envelope. I opened that to find a poem written by Swami Sivananda entitled "Why Meditate." There was also a small photograph of George Harrison, and a neat little gold pin with Hindu letters on it. Nothing was signed, but this definitely sets the record for the longest wait for a reply.
Good luck to everyone in the UACC/Waverly Auction in two weeks.
9/19/98--There is an interesting article about presidential autographs at this site. (Special thanks to Steve Gruber for telling me about the article.)
I have updated my Photos page to include many more links with updated information. This is the result of research I have done in preparation for my next article I will submit to the UACC for hopeful publication in the Pen and Quill.
9/18/98--There is a new feature on my web page, entitled "How I Got This Autograph." Please let me know what you think about it.
9/17/98--Today I received my moonwalkers photo from AVD.
9/2/98--Autos and Autos, an autograph dealer owned by the West family, has come online. Visit their web page to see a selection of their stock.
Candy Clark, an actress best known for her performances in "American Graffiti" and "The Man Who Fell to Earth," has started a web site from which she sells signed photographs. I am eager to see if other celebrities will follow suit! Other celebrities such as Adam West and George Wallace already have similar web sites.
9/1/98--I am sorry to report that George Sanders has died. Sanders was the author of "The Sanders Guide to Autographs" which revolutionized the hobby of autograph collecting by providing the first definitive guide to autograph prices. He is survived by his wife Helen Sanders.
His association with members of the entertainment field started a lifelong interest in autographs. During his life, Sanders had a variety of jobs within the entertainment and collectibles industries, including news commentator, columnist, public speaker, teacher, radio and television emcee, businessman, actor, talk-show host, disc jockey, autograph dealer, and author. His price guide, though sometimes controversial, made an enormous impact in our hobby.
8/30/98--Every autograph collector should read this New York Post article on in-person autograph hounds and what sports celebrities must endure these days. The article demonstrates how in-person autograph dealers and others are harassing famous athletes. (Note:link now outdated)
I am certain that celebrities in every field are currently experiencing similar behavior from autograph seekers who only desire personal financial gain. Is this a golden age in which it is still possible for autographs to be obtained by mail, and will it be impossible to get them in the future? That is hard to say. I personally am optimistic as I believe that the prices of autographs will stabilize or fall in the future (similar to what happened in the rare coin market in the mid-1980's), and that investors will be scared to buy autographs. Perhaps this may help to solve the problems that currently exist.
In the meantime, I ask collectors to please respect the efforts and generosity of those who still provide autographs in person and through the mail.
8/29/98--Charles Sweeney, commander of Bock's Car which dropped the second atomic bomb used in combat, is now charging for his autograph. He will send a signed photograph for $30 or will signed index cards or photographs for $10 each.
This week I obtained some great photographs from Pounds Labs, which has access to NASA photographic images. The photos are superb. The order took one month as the photographs are uncommon and are not stocked by Pounds, and the price was $10 per photo. However, the images which are stocked by Pounds are much less expensive. For more information on pricing, contact Pounds Photographic Labs at 901 Regal Row; Dallas TX 75247-4402. Any photograph from the NASA Digital Images Server may be obtained through Pounds.
Today I was notified by AVD that my moonwalkers photograph had an interesting experience! I sent it away four months ago for Aldrin's and Scott's signatures. Apparently it was sent to David Scott with a photocopy indicating exactly where to sign, but instead Scott accidentally signed the photocopy only! To make amends, AVD requested that Buzz Aldrin sign it as well, but with the "golden" inscription of "We came in peace for all mankind, Buzz Aldrin, Apollo XI." No charge was incurred for this inscription! It has been returned to David Scott for his signature. Needless to say I am elated about this development When it is returned it will be autographed by nine of the twelve men who walked on the moon.
On the same subject, I am interested in items signed by all twelve moonwalkers. In my 17-plus years of collecting, I have seen only one photograph for sale signed by all twelve, and have heard of only one other. Surely there are more--these men were generous signers for so many years. I would be interested to hear from any collectors who know of the existence of other items signed by all twelve.
8/17/98--I wrote an article for this month's Pen and Quill entitled "Autographs and the Internet." I have posted an online version of this article for anyone interested in reading it.
Buzz Aldrin has a new policy of selling his autograph for $125 each. Requests should be sent directly to his office.
Hank Ketcham and Mort Walker now require donations to the International Museum of Cartoon Art in exchange for their autographs. Ketcham is charging a $15 donation and Walker is charging $5. Requests should be sent to their respective offices, and checks should be made out to the IMCA.
8/5/98--I recently learned of an online source of first day covers that may be of interest to autograph collectors. The site is Smith and Son and they have a large selection of FDCs that may be obtained online.
7/23/98--Several weeks ago I reported that I bought a note dated June 1940 and signed by Bob Hope. (For fans of Hope, 1940 was the year that he completed his first "road" movie, the "Road to Singapore.") The note read "Thanks for the memory, Bob Hope. It's Yahoodi-a-ya. With a long hood and an eye. Bob." I was intrigued by what this message meant, so I wrote to Bob Hope to ask him. Today I received a kind reply from an assistant, who obviously asked Mr. Hope directly what the message meant. Here is the reply:
Dear Dr. Beck:
Yes, it is indeed Mr. Hope's handwriting and you have a very unique note from Mr. Hope when he was only 37 years old.
"Yahoodi-a-ya" was on old vaudeville expression used by a comedian of that time. The expression was carried over to radio and was used by many during that time. Unfortunately Mr. Hope is not able to remember the name of the man who first used it.
Thank you for taking the time to write, and all good wishes to you.
Sincerely,
Marie Boren, secretary to Mr. Hope
Also of interest was the fact that the letter was printed on the same letterhead that Hope used 58 years ago.
Also, I recently discovered an incredible forger on Ebay who has sold about a dozen obviously-forged autographs, including a ridiculous "signed" letter from Albert Einstein printed with a laser printer! (He is also selling items from "Gus Grisom" and "Ted Willams"--obviously he is as poor a speller as he is a forger!) I sent a message to Ebay to report this person. Here is the response I received today:
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, but we are only a listing service and we can not be authenticators of any item that is listed on our site. Sorry we could not be of more help."
Now, who still believes that Ebay is a good place to trade?