Signatures

This evening my daughter found a book on the shelf. It was one of my wife’s books from before I knew her and on the title page was a signature in sharpie. Apparently she had gone to a book signing to meet the author and got a copy signed. Many people do this and it is a great way for authors to make some extra money from their book sales, but why signatures?

Look! Someone defaced my book!

It seems like a strange item to get. You can prove that you were in the presence of someone famous, or slightly famous, is that all it’s worth? I would say no because a signed baseball card sells online for more than the unsigned version, same with books, posters etc. What value is there in a signature? I don’t have an answer, it probably is part of the mystery behind celebrity.

One of my friends recently received a Cameo message from the frontman of Goose, his favorite band. It was a several minute well-wishing birthday greeting and the dude really put in effort to take in my friend’s qualities. He genuinely did a great job. I can understand this type of celebrity interaction. If we look up to these people we take what they have to say or think about as having importance. When they are talking to you specifically about how great they think you are, or what they think about you at all, it is a connection you wouldn’t have normally, but you definitely internalize with value.

I guess my personal values therefore line up with: dump useless interactions, stick to heartfelt contacts. Unless you are supporting yourself through selling collectibles, then do you.