Introduction

As the world's greatest living Magician, David Copperfield has an autograph that everyone wants.  Here's a guide to his autograph, with tips on eBay sales, in-person experiences, and autograph-by-mail opportunities.  My name is San Diego Magician Michael E. Johnson, and I'm a big fan of David Copperfield.  I've collected lots of his autographs over the past twenty-five years.  Thanks to eBay, my collection has grown tremendously.  Here's some of my experiences collecting David Copperfield's autograph.

Autographs In-person

The best way to get a David Copperfield autograph is in-person.  Go see his show, and wait around after the performance.  I know tickets are expensive, but it's well worth it.  You'll see the magic show of a lifetime, and you might even get a great autograph.  I've attended at least a half a dozen shows, everywhere from San Diego to Hollywood to Santa Cruz.

Copperfield has a long history of being nice about autographs.  I've seen him sign hundreds of autographs after shows, meeting and greeting his fans.  He's very open and approachable, as long as you're polite.  Below is a picture of me getting his autograph in San Diego in the early 1990s.

Copperfield tours around the world, so there's a good chance he may visit your neck of the woods some day.  Visit his web-site for tour updates.  You can even find tickets for sale on eBay.  Enter "David Copperfield" as a buy search, then add the parameter of "highest price first".  You'll see Copperfield tickets for sale at different venues around the country.

He performs on a regular basis in Las Vegas, so that's one guaranteed location to find him.  His shows are at the MGM Grand Hotel.

If you decide to buy tickets to a Copperfield show, get your tickets early.  The closer the seats, the more amazing the show.

When you arrive at a Copperfield magic show, check out the merchandise table.  Sometimes there's autographed copies of his books.  At one show, I picked up a signed copy of his Project Magic book. 

At the merchandise booth, ask the staff person if Copperfield will be signing autographs after the show.  If the answer is yes, you'll know what to expect, where to line up, and when.  If the answer is no, you'll have to adopt another tactic.

Either way, buy some merchandise, like a tour program or a poster.  That will give you something to get autographed.  Maybe it's economics, but celebrities seem partial about signing objects they sell to you.  You can also bring your own items for signing.  The item below was a magic magazine that Copperfield signed for me after a magic show.  I personally think his flying illusion is the best trick, ever, in the history of magic.

If there is no formal autograph session, then wait around after the show near the stage exit door.  You can even ask a Copperfield staff member where the best place to get an autograph after the show.  In all of my experiences, they've been pretty cool to fans.

With a little patience and luck, you might catch Copperfield as he exits the theater.  Have your autograph materials ready, including a pen.  If you have a portable camera, you might even get a photo.  Just ask Copperfield if it's ok to get a photo.

The last time I saw Copperfield perform, my wife and I waited after the show and met him as he left the theater.  We got great autographs and even greater photos with the man!  He is so cool.

Autographs By Mail

Another way to get a Copperfield autograph is to write him a fan letter, and ask for it.  Copperfield has a positive history of sending autographs through the mails.  I've written him letters in the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s.  Almost every single time, he responded with an autograph.  The signed photo below is a standard type of item he sends out to fans.

When you write to him, or any celebrity, always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.  I recommend a 9 x 12" manilla envelope, with about two first class stamps (enough to cover two ounces).  This type of envelope is large enough to accommodate a signed 8" x 10" photo.

Copperfield sends out lots of autographs through the mails.  If you write a really good letter, you might even get a letter back in response.  The above item was sent to me by Copperfield on June 21, 1988, on his personal letterhead.  It mentions his Asian tour and Project Magic, a program that uses magic for hospital rehabilitation. 

If you write to Copperfield, you may be pleasantly surprised!  His address can be found on the internet and on his web site.  It's worth the price of a few stamps.

Autographs by e-Bay

There's an incredible amount of David Copperfield autographs selling every week on e-Bay.  Copperfield is the most-sold Magician of all.  Check out "completed listings" for any magic autograph.  The other guys have lots of unsold material, but Copperfield consistently sells quantities.

As a buyer, your first goal is to identify potential Copperfield autographs for sale.  I like to do specific searches, such as:

• David Copperfield autograph
• David Copperfield autographed
• David Copperfield signed
• David Copperfield signature

This might seem repetitive, but it's tough to sort through every "David Copperfield" listing on e-Bay.  Unfortunately, Charles Dickens pirated that name long ago.  If you have too much time on your hands, you can search "David Copperfield -Dickens" to narrow to choices.  There are some real gems hidden away, because sellers don't always mention the logical words "autograph" or "signature" in the listing.

Here's something I bought on eBay.  The item above is an 8" x 10" black and white photo signed by David Copperfield in the upper right hand corner of the photo.  It was purchased in auction on November 22, 2004, from seller jettaaron of Roslyn, New York.  There were four bids, with the winning total at $8.00.  (Postage and handling was $2.00).  The auction drew 21 views.

I've also purchased many types of signed Copperfield items, including first day covers, programs, books, index cards and posters.  Prices are pretty reasonable.  Here's some recent examples of Copperfield's autograph selling on eBay:

• A signed photo in a matt sold for $4.95 on May 27, 2006, with 1 bid; seller was amazingautographs from Chicago, Illinois; buyer was johnfrankie21 (eBay item #7620151383)
• A signed photo sold for $3.99 on May 19, 2006, with 1 bid and 39 views; seller was autographs_extraordinaire from Eunice, Louisiana; buyer was sorcerer9 (#7729907207)
• A signed index card sold for $4.51 on May 15, 2006, with 4 bids and 24 views; seller was aacsautographs; buyer was buybuymagpie (#7617883676)
• A signed color photo sold for $1.86 on May 13 with 1 bid and 31 views; seller was lucky-v.i.p from Germany; buyer's name was private (#7616713584)
• A signed color photo sold for $9.99 on May 11 with 1 bid and 2 views; seller was signatures!; the buyer's name was private (#7616713584)
• A signed photo sold for #7.99 on May 10, 2006, with 1 bid and 38 views; seller was brainomac252 from Madison, Wisconsin; buyer was ddowell500 (#7616199999)
• A signed photo sold for $5.50 on May 8, 2006, with 2 bids and 30 views; seller was autographs_extraordinaire from Eunice, Louisiana; buyer was evestreasures123 (#6627038214)
• A signed color photo sold for $15.50 on May 9 with 7 bids; seller was jgautographs from Boston, Massachusetts; buyer was notturnotubo5 (#7615878248)

As you can see, signed photos are quite common for Copperfield.  Things you seldom see are handwritten letters, signed contracts, and oversize photos (bigger than 8" x 10").  Early items are especially desirable.

Buyers should always be careful about sellers who offer "reproduction" signed photos.  These are pictures of signed photos, which might look authentic to the untrained eye, but are fakes.  I've bought a few of these on eBay, just to see what they're like.  The sellers were always upfront and honest about the item, but I still worry about this type of junk getting mistaken for a real autograph.  Below is a sample of a fake "printed" autographed photo.

Good luck with your own collecting!  Let me know about your Copperfield experiences, and I'll try to keep this Guide updated.  Now I have a favor to ask.  Could you please leave feedback below?  That would make me super happy.  Best wishes, and have a magical day!