the reason why i started this guide is because i like to collect autographs. also what to collect may be confusing to some people.  go to a popular search engine and look up autograph collecting. there are a couple of websites that are helpful in you collection

you must like what to collect in terms of autographs. i like to collect autographs from todays popular stars from television and films. some celebrities are accomodating through the mail and other won't respond just because some of the celebrities are just so popular. like for example will smith, tom cruise and matt damon for example. if you like to collect autographs from television and films i would suggest going after some of the older stars instead of the younger stars. you will be surprised. also the magazine websites do have celebrity address where you can write to them for an autograph.

also there are conventions where you can attend that celebrities would be there signing. they may charge a small fee but would be worth your time going there to meet them. if conventions is not your style you might want to try at some of the major studio lots where filming of major tv shows and films take place. you might want to get creative when it comes to autograph collecting. airports are also a popular place to go to when trying to get an autograph you will be surprised who might be cutting through the airport or waiting for their next flight. i once waited in front of a major casino in my area because a planet hollywood opened up and got pictures and a few celebrity autographs out of that one.

the real questions is what kind of autographs should you collect. well it depends what field interests you. do you like sci fi, movies, a television show. maybe astronauts do something for you. stick to what you like in any field and you will be surprised. like i said i like collecting from tv and films because thats what interests me.

where to buy autographs is a big key question. you must go to an  organization is a reputable and highly dependable place to go to for autograph collecting and finding great dealers that sell autographs. trust me no one can be the all mighty powerful in all autgraph collecting, so stick to what you know and like and you will be happy.

also what kind of autographs to collect on what kind of items. should you collect photos of celebrities with their autographs on them or should it be sports jerseys, trading cards or memorabillia. it all depends on your budget and what spaces you have available. if you are on a limited budget go with collecting autographed photos cards and the like. if you have a great budget the go for jersey bats and anything that your hearts desire. also space can be a factor. if you collect football helmets then space would be a factor. if you collect photos binders would work perfectly. even today a lot of celebrities have their own websites. check there if they do autographs through the mail or if they are selling it through ebay for charity.

at a future time i will add some photos and autographed items to this page.

you will be surprised how many celebrities use checks to purchase items. if you go to a reputable dealer that deals with checks that were signed by the stars they have some really nice ones. a ty cobb check signed by him is few and far between. you best bet like i said is to go a good dealer that deals with celebrity checks. i would not try to go to the stores themselves to ask for those checks because of privacy issues but your best bet is going to a dealer.

fakes forgeries stamped secretaries oh my. please be on the lookout for all these items. you can tell that an autograph has been stamped because it is usually lighter in color. also presidents will use secretaries and autopens to autograph documents and photos. but detecting those fakes and forgeries are tough if you know what to look for. my advice is do not buy any authentic autograph from ebay. there are a few people on ebay that do sell authentic items but 99% are fakes and forged. there is a book that will show you what a persons autograph would look like if you were to look for an authentic autograph. so please do your homehwork when looking for that right item. there are lots of autograph dealers out there but research is the key when looking for the right one. also if someone is selling a poster of batman the dark knight try to avoid this because this is a fake. heath ledger never had a chance to sign any posters or much of anything before his death so please be on the lookout. and also if someone is selling multiple autograph of elvis presley or even marilyn monroe more than likely they are fakes as well because no one would have an abuntant amount because these two autgraphs are just hard to come buy. i hope this helps you out in your autograph collecting quest.

also collect what you like, if you start collecting all the way around it makes you look like a packrat hoarding things. also budget is also another factor as well. how much are you willing to spend on autographs. also how much time do you have. also if possible keep your hobby as a hobby. don't try to turn it into a business. trust me this will cause major problems long term. but there are some hobbies that could be turned into business. it all depends. autograph collecting is about having fun and looking for that particular gold mine or treasure of an autograph. happy collecting.

check your local auction house. there are people that are liquidating their assets or a death in the family and needs to sell their items. there you can find good deals on autographed items and memorabillia. you will be surprised what you will find there.

also read a lot of the entertainment magazines. keep up with trends and see what the stars are doing. you might get lucky and go to a premiere and get autographs from your favorite stars as well.

collecting memorabillia can be tricky. your best bet is contacting the studios that make the movies because the studios are the one dealing with props clothes and anything that deals with the movies. if someone is selling movie memorabillia, check with the person and ask questions. where did they purchase the item is it from the movie and so on. also check the movie or tv show out. was it actually there. and sometimes it is too good to be true it probably is. so please be careful.

another good items are autograph sports cards. you will be surprised what kinds of autograph sports cards are out there. a lot of them are signed by the celebrities themselves and a lot of them are signed by the sports stars as well.

professional grading. there are a couple of companies that actually grade the autographs and sportscards. you have to go to a popular search engine and look for a company that does this. what the compnay will do is that for a fee will grade and determine if the autograph is real or fake and what kind of a grade you will get for the item at hand. there are companies that do autographs, sportscards and non sportscards and even comic books.

also keep your hobby fun and enjoy it. stay within a budget and also determine how much room you have in your home or apartment. don't be a packrat and start collecting thing at random. find something that you like and enjoy it.