Seth MacFarlane of "The Family Guy"

Seth MacFarlane was appearing on a national television program so I went to get his autograph, as I had never had the opportunity to meet him previously. Just to show that you never know who you might run into when you are graphing in Los Angeles, Penn Jillette of the magic duo Penn and Teller, showed up unexpectedly, signing an autograph for me. Former NBA player John Sally also exited from the studio, posing for a photograph and signing an autograph for me. Soon a limousine pulled up and Seth MacFarlane exited, with the security guard telling us that MacFarlane would sign on the way out. There were only two of us waiting so it was a bit disappointing that MacFarlane did not take the time to sign at that point. After an hour or so in the studio, Quaid exited the building, signing and posing for a photo with each of us. About 5 minutes before Seth MacFarlane's show wrapped up taping, a rush of about a dozen collectors showed up. Having hoped that MacFarlane would do "The Family Guy" sketches for us, this was now doubtful as the rush of collectors now included super aggressive dealers. Sure enough, MacFarlane exited the building, grabbing a blue Sharpie marker. Seth signed my piece of blank art paper but ignored my request for him to draw "Brian" a character on "The Family Guy". Most collectors got 1 signature, a few got 2 but I actually ended up with 5 autographs. Besides the art paper, I also got 4 stills from "The Family Guy" signed. The autograph on the art paper was a very complete "Seth MacFarlane" but the photos looked more like a "SM", typical of MacFarlane's more recent signatures.

You Better Work!

RuPaul appeared on a radio talk show tonight so I was there, waiting for him to arrive. About 9:45pm a red Volvo pulled onto the street and past the studio, as it is a bit difficult to recognize. I saw right away that it was RuPaul. He turned his car around and I waved him into the correct driveway. He got out, came over, taking my blue Sharpie and signed my photo, one each for the two other collectors and then my four other photographs. He asked, "Do you want me to just sign this?" Since I didn't need it personalized. I replied, "Yes." It was cold today and even colder tonight. Forgetting this, I flipped my photos, accidentally smearing 3 of them in the process. A rookie mistake that happens to all of us from time time but a lesson re-learned nonetheless.

Courtney Loves Shows Me Some Love

Courtney Love appeared on a radio talk show 4/20/2010, promoting her upcoming release from the revamped "Hole" lineup. Love did not sign on her way going into the studio so there were about 20 collectors waiting when she left after midnight. Courtney exited the door, heading straight over to collectors. Unfortunately, some of the most aggressive dealers here in Los Angeles were also present, so it quickly escalated into chaos. Pushing and shoving ensued, so it soon became a battle just to get an autograph. Courtney signed several autographs but soon said that she was going to give priority to "newer" photographs. It was also obvious that she gravitated towards signing vinyl, LPs and records over photos. Love was great to me, signing 7 different items. I was elated as most collectors got 2 or 3 signed, with one of my friends scoring 4 signed photos.

Meeting "Sublime With Rome"

During 1996-1997, one of the biggest staples of Modern Rock radio stations was the band Sublime. "What I Got" soared to #1 on the Modern Rock Chart, followed by "Wrong Way", "Santeria" and "Doin' Time" from their popular self-titled release in 1996. Unfortunately, just two months prior to the trio's major label release of their most successful selling album to date, Sublime's front man, Bradley Nowell died from a heroin overdose. Surviving band members, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh had no interest in continuing Sublime, thus Nowell's death effectively marked the end of one of the most successful ska-punk bands to date. Sublime has sold 17 million units and even as a post-humous band, remain one of the most popular bands of the 1990's.

After a 13 year absence, Wilson and Gaugh reunited, bringing Rome Ramirez as the new lead singer of Sublime. A court battle ensued with the deceased Nowell's family and eventually the new incarnation became known as "Sublime With Rome". Getting ready to begin a North American tour and eventually traveling overseas for a European tour, "Sublime With Rome" appeared on a radio talk show4/19/2010 here in Los Angeles. I arrived at the studio a few minutes before midnight and soon the band members came out for a smoke break. I didn't bother them, as I knew that they would be leaving the studio in the next few minutes. The band went back in for a final segment and about 5 minutes later came out of the studio. I asked if they would sign some autographs for me and they obliged. Rome Ramirez took my silver Sharpie, signing the two photos I had of the "Sublime With Rome" lineup. Next Bud Garaugh signed these two photos, as well as three photographs of the vintage "Sublime" lineup that included Nowell. When Garaugh finished he handed the pen to Wilson who inked all five photos with no problem. I was the only collector there to meet them, so I thanked them for their time and left.

Smokin' with Cheech and Chong

Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, more commonly referred to as the stoner comedy duo of "Cheech and Chong", are still smokin' after all these years. At the height of their popularity in the late 1970's and 1980's, they teamed up on several albums, pairing with one another in a succession of "buddy films". Many of these films, such as "Up in Smoke", centered on their fondness for weed. By 1985 the two each split off on their own, with Marin finding success with the comedy "Born in East LA". In 2008 the two reunited for their first comedy tour in over a decade. Cheech and Chong continued touring in 2009 and 2010, appearing tonight on a national radio talk show to promote the release of their new DVD. Most guests generally arrive sometime between 9:30pm and 10:00pm. However, when we got there collectors informed us that Cheech and Chong had arrived before 9:00, signing autographs and taking photos with fans. So we stood around waiting, not sure if they would be leaving earlier or at the normal time of midnight. The taping ended as normal at midnight but it took Cheech and Chong a little longer to leave. Eventually, about 10 or 15 minutes past 12:00, Tommy Chong emerged, followed by Marin. Chong was already holding a black Sharpie marker and began signing for collectors. Cheech Marin came up to collectors, taking a blue Sharpie marker from a collector and began signing for collectors as well. Marin signed 5 photos for one person so I geared my attention toward getting Chong's autograph. My sister did particularly well, completing 4 pieces by both Cheech and Chong. She commented that if she had more items that she could have gotten even more things signed. I got 2 Chongs and 1 Cheech autograph before both stated that they had to be somewhere early the next morning so they had to leave. It was a bit disappointing but both rushed off without taking any photos with collectors.

More Purchases From 4/17

Here are some other items that my sister and I picked up on Saturday. Enjoy!

Paul Stanley is "The Starchild" personna in the legendary band KISS. As co-lead singer and guitarist of one the world's biggest rock bands ever, he's also a tough autograph to obtain, as are most of the members of KISS. The best chances of getting Stanley are during one of his solo tours as he actually does sign some during those. Your chances during a KISS tour are not good at all. Knowing how difficult authentic Stanley signatures can be to obtain, we didn't hesitate for a moment when we saw this photo for sale for $10 at a record store. After a 20% discount, the $8 paid for this over-sized picture was a steal!

Rick Wakeman was a keyboardist in Yes, after Tony Kaye's departure. He left the band in 1974, releasing several solo albums but has returned as a member of Yes throughout the years. His most recent tenure was from 2002-2008 and officially, he has once again left the band. When we saw this photograph, autographed in vintage, blue ballpoint pen, we could not pass the oppportunity to pick up this original black and white photograph for $16 ($20 - 20% discount). When Wakeman was with Yes in the late 2000's I went after the band at a hotel they were staying at in Columbus, Ohio. Lead singer Jon Anderson can be difficult and when asked to sign our albums, Anderson looked at us and replied, "Ebay". He also instructed Wakeman to not sign, so alas, I didn't get his autograph.

Another nice pick up was an autographed Christmas card by Ronnie James Dio in blue ballpoint. Dio has an extremely legible signature and generally, but not always, personalizes the autograph to the recipient. Thus, at $8 ($10 regular price) it was a deal picking up this card from the past that features the cover art from the Dio album, "Strange Highways" and promotes the February 8, 1994 release of that album. Thus, we can date this card as being from December 1993. We also picked up from $16 ($20 - 20% discount) a promotional lp single of "Time to Burn" from Dio's "Intermission" album. Released in 1986, this live album is signed by Ronnie James Dio, who has signed his name as "Magic" Ronnie James Dio. Being unpersonalized, this signature appears to be a vintage autograph signed back in 1986 at the time of the album's release. Being a promotional copy of a single from the "Intermission" album, this is the sort of item sent out to radio stations and people in the music industry to generate interest in the album. We also picked up a Ronnie James Dio glossy promotional photo photo, also signed in silver marker. Also signed with the "Magic" nickname, this photo probably also came from around 1986 and possibly was sent out along with the lp single. There is a likely chance that all three of these pieces originated from a contact with ties to the music industry, as that is the typical recipents of these type of items and the promotional greeting card.

Record Store Day

April 17, 2010 is Record Store Day, a celebration of all the independent record stores out there. Many stores participated by giving customers a discount in appreciation of their loyalty and business so we headed out to support the cause and do some shopping at the same time. The irony of the situation is that at two of the three stores I visited, workers were either borderline rude (unfriendly at best) or disinterested, exhibiting zero social skills whatsoever.



I don't care what your business is, with an economy like the one we are currently experiencing, every customer DOES matter. Sluggish sales, big box store competition and electronic downloads are certainly competitive challenges to the independent record store but it also comes down to basic kindness and appreciation. Treat a customer with no appreciation and loyalty goes out the window. At the first record store we visited, the worker made no attempt at small talk and seemed "bothered" when we asked for assistance in finding a certain artist. At another store, I first-hand saw a customer ask to play a 45 record on a record player, only to be told by the employee that it was for records "more than $2.99". The employee "allowed" the customer to listen and preview the record prior to purchase, but just once "this time". Honestly, I would have told this store employee what he could do with that record and walked out. There is no doubt that people right now have less discretionary income to spend on music and records but part of the blame also lies with the disinterested, "I think I am better than you are" typical record store worker attitude. So that's enough of my rants, on to the good stuff.

At one record store my sister and I found several autographed pieces for sale. We both were surprised that they were all authentically-signed as many times I come across at least a few, if not all the signed items being offered for sale not being authentic. Some of the items were personalized to the same name and several others were dedicated to another name, so it was apparent that these had come from someone's collection.

Van Halen is my favorite band so we were excited when my sister spotted a signed, limited edition "Van Halen 3" tin autographed in red Sharpie marker by all 4 members, Eddie Van Halen, Gary Cherone, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen. Having dealt with numerous Van Halen signatures in the past, we immediately had no doubts as to the authenticity of the item. A store employee told us that the item had just been acquired by the store on Thursday (it is now Saturday). Priced at $50, with a 20% Record Store Day discount, I never imagined that I would ever be able to pick up a genuine, completed piece by Van Halen at anywhere near that price. Even though "Van Halen 3" featured their least popular front man (at least in terms of album sales), $40 is an unheard of price and this was a fantastic deal!

Children Mending Hearts Host 3rd Annual “Peace Please” Gala

Children Mending Hearts hosted the 3rd annual “Peace Please” Gala on Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood tonight. Boasting an advance guest list of Ben Affleck and Jimmy Kimmel, this had the potential to be a high profile event. I missed the arrivals but other collectors told me that Alyssa Milano and Rosario Dawson were the best "names" that signed going in. "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Patricia Heaton signed an index card for me as she left. Tate Donovan had told collectors on the way in that he would sign when he left and he kept his promise. Donovan signed everything put in front of him and I was able to get two photographs and an index card autographed. Tate even joked about a photo I had from his former hit show "The O.C." Donovan's "Jimmy Cooper" was holding a bottle of wine, while standing next to tv daughter "Marisa Cooper", played by Mischa Barton. "Look, I'm trying to get my daughter to drink wine," he quipped. Sharon Lawrence always is pleasant and signs for collectors and this evening was no exception. Lawrence took my blue Sharpie marker and signed a photo for me. Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robatille also signed for us and I was able to get a signed photograph of him as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Robitaille also autographed an index card for me. Steven Weber signed a photo for me but unfortunately autographed the photo in a dark area. Since it was difficult to see, I asked if he could resign the photo in a lighter, more visible area, which he obliged. Recent "Dancing With The Stars" castoff Aiden Turner showed up late and happily signed an index card. He has a gorgeous autograph with is extremely legible and contains every single letter in his name. Turner truly has one of the best-looking autographs you will ever see. "True Blood's" Sam Trammell started to leave through the front doors, spotted several collectors and then had second thoughts. Trammell left through a side door instead so we ran over to the exit to get him. Unfortunately, Trammell did not stop and sign for collectors. Unfortunately, we did not see some of the attendees leave. This included some of the bigger names including Ben Affleck, Elizabeth Berkley or Alyssa Milano who apparently exited through the side door as well. Just as I was getting ready to leave, I spotted "Spin City" actor Richard Kind and called over to him. He came over and signed an index card for me. It was funny as he was eating corn on the cob and apologized when he handed my Sharpie back that it was "buttery."

The Lovely Lacey Chabert

Tonight was the premiere for "In My Sleep" at the Arclight Theathre on Sunset. Lacey Chabert from "Party of Five" was the biggest name in the cast and collectors were all eager for her arrival as she's not seen out in Hollywood very often. I was one of the first two people who spotted Chabert coming into the premiere and she told us that she would sign everything but had to make a phone call first. By the time she was off the call, several other collectors had noticed and Chabert was now encircled with photos of all shapes and sizes thrust in front of her. In the chaos I still able to get Lacey to autograph three photos. She told us that she had to get to the red carpet but would sign afterwards. I posed for a quick photo with her, as did two other collectors. On the red carpet Alexandra Paul, most famously known as one of the lifeguards from "Baywatch", signed a bunch of photographs for prepared collectors. After a few minutes, true to her word, Lacey made her way to us and began to sign a bunch of autographs. I was fortunate to snag four more autographs on photos, before she was whisked off into the premiere. About five minutes later, I was in the parking garage when I noticed Lacey heading towards her car. There were only four of us and Lacey said that she was in a rush and had to leave but she would sign one each for us. Laughing and joking with us, I told her I only had one more and she obliged by signing a second one. So it was a great night, with a total of 9 Lacey Chabert signatures for those keeping score. After that I called it a successful night and decided to forgo the after party.

Phillip Winchester of the short-lived "Crusoe" television show also signed for me on his way into the premiere. I was also able to secure a signature from the very friendly Doug Jones, best known for his work in horror and sci-fi films. With the aid of lots of makeup and prosthetics, Jones often portrays scary creatures but there is nothing scary about him when it comes to how he treats his fans. Jones willingly autographed an index card for me. Character actress Beth Grant also signed and posed for a photo with me. Socialite Phoebe Price also graciously autographed an index card for me and signed around 20 photos for another collector.

Alyssa Milano Ignore Collectors

Alyssa Milano of "Who's the Boss" fame, appeared on a late night talk show this evening (4/14/2010). When I arrived, I was told by other collectors that she didn't sign on her way in, but we were all hopeful to get different and better results when she left. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as Milano completely ignored our calls for her to come over and sign, not even waving or looking in our direction. Most celebrities when they choose not to sign at least acknowledge our presence. What made this even tougher to swallow was the fact that it was a smaller crowd than usual, with less than ten people waiting around for Milano.

Pamela Anderson Signs For Collectors

Pamela Anderson continued her recent good signing ways, autographing collector's items on the way out after her appearance on Larry King Live earlier tonight (4/14/2010). Anderson hit a couple of items on her way into the building but signed more when she was leaving. She signed 7 or 8 total autographs before jumping into her awaiting SUV. I was one of the lucky ones, securing Pamela in beautiful blue Sharpie on a photograph. The autograph in this instance is her typical large-sized "P" and a connected loop that resembles the number "2."

"Kick A**" Premiere is Kick A**!

Tuesday, April 13 was the Kick Ass premiere at the Arclight and to sum it all up, it was pretty kick ass! Things were looking bad at arrivals as they were dropping the film stars off in the front on Sunset Boulevard. There was a red carpet on the sidewalk in the front and only a small area for fans and collectors that had poor access. Jon Voight was in the courtyard of the Arclight, posing for pictures and signign autographs for fans. I got four autographs from Jon Voight. He seemed in no rush whatsoever, being his typical cordial and corteous to fans. I also got Stephen Fry, who was recently the Chesire Cat in the new "Alice in Wonderland" movie. Fry signed multiples and posed for photos with us, being extremely cordial. Jonah Hill arrived late, just before the movie started and I got him to sign an index card on the run. I was the only collector who was able to get his signature. While these were all welcome additions to the collection, this was beginning to look like it would be a very unsuccessful premiere. However, things turned for the better at departures.

Sometimes the big stars show up to their premieres but take off early. This makes sense as they have already seen the film multiple times generally already, from screeners to private viewings for cast and crew members. Nicolas Cage is the biggest star of "Kick Ass" so I wanted to be sure and get his autograph. I noticed a large number of collectors at a side entrance on the other side of the theatre and Cage's SUV waiting. Sure enough, a few minutes later Cage came out, signing about 7 or 8 autographs total. I was fortunate to snag two of them, even with all the pushing and shoving.

Once the film let out, I was able to get Aaron Johnson to sign two photographs. Chloe Grace Moretz quickly signed a photo for me but most collectors did not get her autograph. I got Clark Duke of the recent comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine" to ink a photo from that movie for me. I was also able to add "Kick Ass" script writer Jane Goldman to one of my cast photographs from the movie.

The after party was held at Sunset Towers and there were about a dozen collectors and 5-7 paparazzis there. Chris Kilmore of the band Incubus signed a couple of index cards for me. Actor Eli Roth of "Inglorious Basterds" signed up a storm for collectors, hitting two index cards for me. Vinnie Jones is one of my favorite actors, appearing in "Eurotrip" among other movies. Often playing a "hooligan" on film, I found Jones to be quite the opposite. Being a nice guy, Jones signed two index cards for me and also took a photograph with me. I've heard that he's not around Hollywood that often and can be a somewhat difficult to obtain. Yancy Butler and Lyndsy Fonseca also signed for collectors upon leaving the after party. Jaime King left the after party, rolling down the window of her vehicle, but only signed 5 or 6 autographs and I did not get one of those. Xander Berkley also signed multiples for collectors. I saw Hayden Panettiere and Joaquin Phoenix leave the party but neither signed.

Mark Ballas Concert at The Mint

I just got home from tonight's concert (4/12/2010) at The Mint, Dancing With The Stars' Mark Ballas. He plays with his band at the venue every Monday and his DWTS colleagues turn out to support him, so it's a great opportunity for the autograph collector as well.

There was a red carpet out front of the event and Skating legend and Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi arrived. She signed quickly at the end of the red carpet but is a notoriously difficult autograph, just as she was during her hey days in the completitive skating world. Mark Ballas spent a lot of time on the red carpet, even going inside The Mint and coming back out onto the carpet twice. He signed every time and multiples to boot. Cheryl Burke was also on the red carpet but I missed her as I was getting someone else's autograph. Chelsie Hightower signed several photographs for me and I met up with her inside the event and got a photo with her. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls signed as soon as she arrived, after the red carpet and even a couple for me inside the event. She also signed a couple on her way out the door but tended to skip over a scantily-clad picture for collectors, saying, "I don't like that one." However, she did sign one for me when she first arrived to the event. Fellow Pussycat Doll Ashley was also on hand, signing and posing for pictures with fans. British sensation Pixie Lott is billed by some as the "next Lady Gaga" and she was pleasant, signing anything put in front of her and taking pictures with those who asked. In fact, when I left the event, Pixie was still loitering around on the sidewalk in front of The Mint with some of her friends. "Bachelor" Jake Pavelka also showed up but I didn't have any items for him to sign. Dancer Anna Trebunskaya signed an index card for me on her way in.

Russell Crowe Goes Above and Beyond the Call of Duty!

Russell Crowe appeared on a late night talk show here in Los Angeles so it was a good opportunity to go after his autograph. On the way in, Crowe's SUV drove past the 10 or so of us waiting for him. So we were left with having to wait until after the taping for another shot at obtaining Crowe's signature. The weather also was not cooperating, as it began pouring rain just before the show let out. The number of people waiting also grew quickly numbering in the 20's, 30's and then in the 40's in just a matter of a few minutes. The studio audience let out before Crowe departed so this only added even more people to the already large crowd. A security guard came over to the crowd, saying that Crowe would sign one each, so to get in one line and we would be allowed to approach him one at a time. With over 75 people now waiting, Crowe's SUV soon made it's way out of the gate and pulled over towards us. I was the first one in line so I made my way up to Crowe, greeted him and asked if he would please sign my "Cinderella Man" photograph. Crowe said, "I'm just going to sign one." I replied that was fine as that's all I was asking for. He took my blue Sharpie, signed the photo nicely and told me, "Cheers!" as I was walking away. I must say that Russell Crowe spent a lot of time with each person, also posing for pictures with those who asked. Since I was the first person who got his autograph and the sheer number of people in the crowd, I figured that I would be able to sneak back in line for another autograph. I stood at the end of the line and 5 or 6 other collectors eventually ended up going back for seconds as well. This time around I also had Crowe autograph a still from "Cinderella Man", which he did just as nicely as the first time around. I also got a photo with Crowe at this time. Not many celebrities would take the time to stop for a crowd of this size so credit needs to be given to Crowe for taking the time to sign so many autographs and pose for so many photos with fans. Crowe received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this morning and at that ceremony he only signed a total of seven autographs. He also is and has been known as a difficult autograph to obtain for several years now which makes today's success all that much more sweeter!