One definition of the word "philography" would be "the collecting of autographs, especially those of famous persons" which of course is a rather unusual way of putting it as we all have our own ways of defining someone who is famous.
The hobby is something that I started when I was very young at approximately six years old when an older relative had given me my first autograph that came from a touring musician.
I remember hearing stories from older generations of people that they had collected an autograph of someone at some point in their life and they cherished it as one of their most prized possessions. They would go on and on about how valuable it was and how much it meant to them.
As a young child, my world was full of people who I believed in my own childish head to be famous, and I really thought that it would be a wonderful thing to achieve getting their autographs. I went on a mission to collect autographs all the way through life ...... up until a few years ago.
I collected autographs and obtained them through what I believe, in the most curious of ways as I have had just about anything and everything written upon from bed sheets to unused rolls of toilet paper to the standard photograph and paper.
Until 2018, I had one of the largest autograph collections out there with various signatures. I am not saying that it was the best collection in the world, nor am I saying that it was the most valuable. But to me, it was satisfying. And then one day in October I lost it all.
So why do I collect autographs and why do people often ask for them of other people?
First and foremost, the autograph is a tangible possession. It is a personal connection between the person signing it and the person receiving it.
When it comes to someone famous, it is a way of showing that the person asking for the autograph did in fact meet someone considered to be famous. And it becomes a part of their memories of meet that famous person. Other people seek out certain autographs for their monetary value, or their perceived monetary value. In this day and age, a person can "go viral" and be worth at least a little something. But as that fades away and someone else becomes viral, then maybe there's not so much value, monetarily speaking. But nobody can actually sever that connection between the person who went viral and the other who either witnessed it or was around at the time or what not.
TO FINALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION: I tend to ask people for their autograph for nearly the same reasons, but also, I want something that I can be reminded of them. To reflect and smile and be happy with those memories of that person to why I asked them to start with. I never ask for someone's autograph because I have this idea or thought that the signature is worth something monetarily and therefore I must have it so that I can cash in on their "popularity" but instead I ask for it so that I have a reminder of my interactions with that person.
The hobby is something that I started when I was very young at approximately six years old when an older relative had given me my first autograph that came from a touring musician.
I remember hearing stories from older generations of people that they had collected an autograph of someone at some point in their life and they cherished it as one of their most prized possessions. They would go on and on about how valuable it was and how much it meant to them.
As a young child, my world was full of people who I believed in my own childish head to be famous, and I really thought that it would be a wonderful thing to achieve getting their autographs. I went on a mission to collect autographs all the way through life ...... up until a few years ago.
I collected autographs and obtained them through what I believe, in the most curious of ways as I have had just about anything and everything written upon from bed sheets to unused rolls of toilet paper to the standard photograph and paper.
Until 2018, I had one of the largest autograph collections out there with various signatures. I am not saying that it was the best collection in the world, nor am I saying that it was the most valuable. But to me, it was satisfying. And then one day in October I lost it all.
So why do I collect autographs and why do people often ask for them of other people?
First and foremost, the autograph is a tangible possession. It is a personal connection between the person signing it and the person receiving it.
When it comes to someone famous, it is a way of showing that the person asking for the autograph did in fact meet someone considered to be famous. And it becomes a part of their memories of meet that famous person. Other people seek out certain autographs for their monetary value, or their perceived monetary value. In this day and age, a person can "go viral" and be worth at least a little something. But as that fades away and someone else becomes viral, then maybe there's not so much value, monetarily speaking. But nobody can actually sever that connection between the person who went viral and the other who either witnessed it or was around at the time or what not.
TO FINALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION: I tend to ask people for their autograph for nearly the same reasons, but also, I want something that I can be reminded of them. To reflect and smile and be happy with those memories of that person to why I asked them to start with. I never ask for someone's autograph because I have this idea or thought that the signature is worth something monetarily and therefore I must have it so that I can cash in on their "popularity" but instead I ask for it so that I have a reminder of my interactions with that person.
Of all the autographs that I had in my collection, there were very few signatures that I had from people whom society would call "famous" at all, yet it still meant something to me and to nobody else, regardless of what the person thinks about themselves from whom I am asking to receive their autograph.
I have even signed a few autographs myself in my lifetime. When I was eight years old, I appeared on television for a statewide aired commercial. I remember being taken out of school early for that day to record two commercials. One where I was standing the background while an adult spoke, and the other commercial where I had "dialogue" with a girl who also appeared alongside me.
It was a fundraising campaign for disabled children in the area. Once that commercial hit the TV air waves, I had teachers and even the elementary school principal asking for my autograph.
Though in my lifetime, I have probably signed my signature maybe 50-60 times. I have been on television being seen with the mayor of the city, and back with the governor of the state of Arkansas. A man by the name of Bill Clinton. Ironically enough I never got HIS autograph for my collection which today I think is a wild error in hindsight.
It was a fundraising campaign for disabled children in the area. Once that commercial hit the TV air waves, I had teachers and even the elementary school principal asking for my autograph.
Though in my lifetime, I have probably signed my signature maybe 50-60 times. I have been on television being seen with the mayor of the city, and back with the governor of the state of Arkansas. A man by the name of Bill Clinton. Ironically enough I never got HIS autograph for my collection which today I think is a wild error in hindsight.
The reason for this post is because I most recently asked someone for their autograph and they stalled and stalled and stalled for days before finally sending me their autograph.
They kept making excuses that they were not famous enough to sign autographs and the number one excuse that I receive when asking someone for their autograph is because they say it has absolutely no value at all and is worthless.
You know what though? Considering someone to be famous is a matter of personal opinion. I don't really care for the celebrities that we see Hollywood and the like. I prefer to receive the signatures of someone more down to earth for lack of a better term. Someone who isn't tainted by their fame granted to them by the industry of Hollywood. Admittedly I did have a lot of those because there were a few years where obtaining autographs were as easy as just asking and I would receive them, even if they were from people with the worst reputations or attitudes.
I had musicians and actors/actresses and politicians and sports players and professionals and television identities and national and international alike. All in all, I had over 200,000 signatures. From random napkins or pieces of paper to a randomly signed unused roll of toilet paper that was still in the wrapping to a "used hotel bed spread" that was signed by someone in the adult film industry and that's all I will say about that.
It gives you an idea of what this large collection looked like, that I had neatly put inside of a box and stashed upon a shelf in the bedroom closet as I kept getting more and more signatures. Even to the point when I would go out into the downtown area to enjoy live music, I would always have the musicians sign their setlists.
It had been documented that I had the SECOND LARGEST privately owned autograph collection in the state of Texas.
The person with THE ABSOLUTE LARGEST collection belonged to a Texas millionaire. But I didn't care about that. I collected what I wanted.
If I am asking you for your autograph, then you can be assured that I have already found plenty of value in you and/or what you do. Therefore, I shall seek it and will do so until it is received.
And the collection that I had ever since I was a child? The number of signatures were in the thousands. Not the world's largest collection by any means, but it was decades of working with the hobby. And I will note that in 2020 I decided to start over again.
The collection today is very small by comparison. I have started out with collecting autographs from live streamers and musicians who perform on Twitch. And so far, I have a few from Canada and the United States of America, and a two from Bulgaria.
But a hobby is a hobby, and I enjoy everyone's signature that I have collected since starting the collection over again.
They kept making excuses that they were not famous enough to sign autographs and the number one excuse that I receive when asking someone for their autograph is because they say it has absolutely no value at all and is worthless.
You know what though? Considering someone to be famous is a matter of personal opinion. I don't really care for the celebrities that we see Hollywood and the like. I prefer to receive the signatures of someone more down to earth for lack of a better term. Someone who isn't tainted by their fame granted to them by the industry of Hollywood. Admittedly I did have a lot of those because there were a few years where obtaining autographs were as easy as just asking and I would receive them, even if they were from people with the worst reputations or attitudes.
I had musicians and actors/actresses and politicians and sports players and professionals and television identities and national and international alike. All in all, I had over 200,000 signatures. From random napkins or pieces of paper to a randomly signed unused roll of toilet paper that was still in the wrapping to a "used hotel bed spread" that was signed by someone in the adult film industry and that's all I will say about that.
It gives you an idea of what this large collection looked like, that I had neatly put inside of a box and stashed upon a shelf in the bedroom closet as I kept getting more and more signatures. Even to the point when I would go out into the downtown area to enjoy live music, I would always have the musicians sign their setlists.
It had been documented that I had the SECOND LARGEST privately owned autograph collection in the state of Texas.
The person with THE ABSOLUTE LARGEST collection belonged to a Texas millionaire. But I didn't care about that. I collected what I wanted.
If I am asking you for your autograph, then you can be assured that I have already found plenty of value in you and/or what you do. Therefore, I shall seek it and will do so until it is received.
And the collection that I had ever since I was a child? The number of signatures were in the thousands. Not the world's largest collection by any means, but it was decades of working with the hobby. And I will note that in 2020 I decided to start over again.
The collection today is very small by comparison. I have started out with collecting autographs from live streamers and musicians who perform on Twitch. And so far, I have a few from Canada and the United States of America, and a two from Bulgaria.
But a hobby is a hobby, and I enjoy everyone's signature that I have collected since starting the collection over again.
