FAQ's
When and where is the show?
Autographica is being held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole England. From April 18th - April 20th 2008How much are the tickets and where can I buy them?
Ticket prices for 2006 have been held a the same price as those for 2005 and can be found on the tickets page. Accompanied children under 15 are free. Tickets are available direct from Autographica. For details click here..Admission is more expensive than some other shows I have attended, why?
There are plenty of other events held in the UK which are far more expensive than Autographica, and often offer less in the way of guests too. Many of our guests will be flown in from the USA, and some from Russia! especially for our show. Secondly, we impose a limited capacity on the venue (1000 per day max), this is so that we can ensure that there are no long queues, and that everyone will get an oportunity to meet most if not all of the guests in one day.Many of the larger venues often have 20,000 plus capacity, divide that by say 10 guests and you could have at least 2000 people in a queue in front of you! Our guests are normally contracted to sign all day from opening to closing, they will sign your photos or you can buy theirs, and you can have any number of items signed. We have even made sure that our guests will not object to photos being taken, in fact we encourage it (although it is polite to ask first). We also try to keep the signing price for each guest as low as possible. We try to make your meeting our guests a pleasure, not a mugging!
Is this a convention?
Not exactly, this is an event dedicated entirely to the autograph dealer, collector and fan only, so there is no need to wear a funny costume! You can have as many items signed as you want, and guests will be available virtually all day for signing etc. You simply pay per signature. Autographica is however a weekend when you do get an opportunity to mix and party with the guests, as we have a drinks party organised for Friday evening, plus the drinks and dinner on Saturday (subject of course to you having the right ticket!). We also have many lectures and Q and A sessions available too, again these are subject to availability and your early booking.Will food and drink be available?
Yes, in addition to the drinks bar and tea/coffee bar within the exhibition area itself, the Radisson hotel has a 2 other bars serving drinks and light meals, plus 2 excellent restaurants, plus the McDonalds situated just to the right of the hotel (just a few yards walk). Pass outs will be available. The Exhibition area at the hotel is also fully carpeted and air conditioned for your comfort.How much are the guests charging for a signature?
All the guests will be charging for signatures (prices do vary from guest to guest), and would sign any item you could carry and within reason any quantity. All guests will have suitable photographs etc available for signing, but will also sign your own items at their discretion. A full list of guests and which days they attending will be put onto the website just as soon as we can.Can I be sure of getting a signature?
If you speak to anyone who has ever attended any of our shows, you will know that everyone always goes away happy. We know approximately how many people our guests can sign for in a day, so by selling only that number of tickets we can be fairly sure you will get to see them. Virtual queuing will be in operation as needed, and Gold and Trade pass holders will get low number VQ tickets for both Buzz Aldrin and Ursula Andress with their pass.Will the guests be signing all three days?
No, it is expected however that most guests will be signing all three days, from 9am to 5.30pm (Saturday and Sunday) tea breaks excepted, Friday evening 6pm until 8pm. Check on the guest page nearer the show for full details.Can I take photos?
Photography will not be restricted as such, so do bring your camera, but we do not encourage organised photoshoots with multiple guests, as this can restrict the time available to others. However, as in past years we hope to have a team of professional photographers on hand all over the weekend who will be able to take professional quality photos of yourself with the any guest during the signings, these will be available for purchase sometime later from the photo stand. If you would like to take a photo with a guest, It is always polite to ask first, and if you want to have a picture with the guest always at least have the courtesy to buy something from them first.How many other guests will there be?
At this stage apart from the ones already listed we are not sure, as we are always talking to a number of other people, many of whom are not able to confirm until much nearer the date.Will I actually get to meet the guests?
Yes yes yes!. Unlike some book signings and conventions, you will actually get to meet the guests, they will not be hiding behind a huge table, or have minders that pass your items over to them or keep you away from them. You will personally speak to/shake the hand of etc. any of the guests. And as our guests are available all day you can get to see as many as your time allows, although we cannot guarantee that you will be able to see all the guests in one day. Buy a seat at the dinner and you could spend the Saturday evening with them too! And don't forget the lectures!!Is Autographica really the largest autograph show in the world?
Well it does depend on your definition of an autograph show, but we certainly do not know of one that has more dealers, either here or in the USA, and we have visited almost all of them, Autographica is acknowledged by many of the best dealers in the world as the largest. And remember this show is aimed at the autograph/signed memorabilia collector and dealer only, not the Beanie/toy/comic etc fan! We expect to have over 60 dealers signed up for this event (that is dealers not tables!) and every one of them is related directly in some way to autograph collecting. Most of them are dealers mainly from the UK, but we also have dealers coming from Europe and America. We try to keep a full up to date list on the site. If you are an autograph/signed memorabilia collector or dealer we are sure you will find something of interest for you here.I have heard there are a growing number of unethical dealers around, how can I be sure that none of these will be appearing at Autographica?
We are very aware of the problem with these dealers, which seem to be proliferating with the rapid expansion of the internet. One of the best ways to find a good honest dealer is to meet them in person, this way you can have a good look at the type and depth of stock they carry, ask them questions as to where and how they obtain their stock, and if you are happy, then you can build up some form of working relationship with them. With 60 plus dealers to choose from at the show you will have quite a choice.You should also look for one that is a registered dealer member of some recognised organisation, the UACC for example, and they should also always offer a 100% money back guarantee. People often offer certificates of authenticity, but these alone should never be relied upon. We have been very careful about which dealers have taken space at Autographica, All of the dealers at this show are either UACC members or are known and have been approved by us personally, in all dealers have their stock vetted by our own vetting team both prior to and durin the show.
All dealers at the show offer a full lifetime authenticity on all the items sold by them. We also have a list of dealers which we refuse to allow at the show, however it should be made clear that just because a dealer is not attending this show, it does not mean that he is on our no entry list. In addition the UACC, isitreal.com will be in full attendance at the show, so if you are in any doubt as to anything you have purchased please have a word with them, they will be happy to advise or help.
isitreal.com and Richard Davie at AMI will also be offering some talks on how to purchase autographs safely on ebay etc, and these should be well worth attending.
