How Do Meet & Greets At Wizard World Work Opposed To Other Cons?

[MikeandRaph87]

I go to one con a year that is independently run,the local comic shop set it up three decades ago,Heroes Convention. It attracts a variety of A list talent from the past and present. I noticed that Wizard World has B list celebs that are apart of cult followings alongside comic creators many I am used to seeing on the guest list at Heroes Con. Wizard World is starting a convention stop in Richmond which has me intrigued with Adam West & Burt Ward and Jason David Frank as guest. However looking at Wizard World's website something caught my eye the second time I went on the site. $75 tickets for each guest or more in a package deal. Can I not met Adam and Jason's autographs for free after standing in line a couple hours apiece? I am not going to shell out a large amount to see guys I grew up with watching on TV but if its just for some personal time and panel entry fee and I can get signatures from them for a single admission ticket I will work it out to attend it. Someone who has attended Wizard World events please clear up my confusion.Thanks.

[HayaMika]

I was just at Philly Comic Con last week (and its run by Wizard World Cons) and pretty much everyone charges for signatures. I met Rob Paulsen there and he was charging 20$ per picture that he signed and so on.... So you can wait in the line to meet them but you most likely will have to pay for a signature...

And you can't get into the event or any of the panels unless you buy a ticket. And sometimes, depending on the panel, the panels cost extra to go to unless you buy a special VIP pass (The Doctor Who related panels were like that at Philly...).

[MikeandRaph87]

I was just at Philly Comic Con last week (and its run by Wizard World Cons) and pretty much everyone charges for signatures. I met Rob Paulsen there and he was charging 20$ per picture that he signed and so on.... So you can wait in the line to meet them but you most likely will have to pay for a signature...

And you can't get into the event or any of the panels unless you buy a ticket. And sometimes, depending on the panel, the panels cost extra to go to unless you buy a special VIP pass (The Doctor Who related panels were like that at Philly...).

I am interested in meeting Adam West and Jason Frank just to shake their hands and get an autograph on something I already have for them to sign. I saw these tickets to meet an individual priced at $75. I am not used to paying anything over $10 for a creator's autograph. I realize these two are sci-fi icons but would not have thought I would be charged that much at all. I am considering attending the new Richmond one but if its going to cost me an arm and a leg I won't go. Meeting Kevin in Charlotte was free if you had something for him to sign but it looks like those who did not attend Charlotte but would in Richmond have to pay big bucks.

[Roseangelo]

Wizards World shows pretty much gouge you for as much money as possible. And in a world driven by eBay, autographs are almost never free anymore. I would not go to a show for the sole purpose of meeting a specific person. Or, if you do, go willing to spend whatever the asking price is. But if you do, don't expect more than a passing 30-60 seconds with the person.

Smaller independent shows have better face time opportunities, although autographs still won't be free.

[JamieH]

Adam West charges for his signature regardless of the appearance, Burt Ward too. I think West is around $90, while Ward is around $70.

[Mayhem]

Well, there's not much more I can add here, apart from saying the OP definitely hasn't been to many shows. Charging for autographs is standard now in the general sense for celebrities. When the likes of Kevin Eastman and Stan Sakai, two of the nicest people I've met in the comic biz, feel obligated to charge for even sketches now because people would flip the free ones they did, then you know the situation is bad.

The most I've ever paid was $100 for Mark Hamill, and that was at SDCC. Most of the autographs I own have come in the $20-30 bracket. I remember back when autographs were NOT the business they are now, and I was getting multiple signatures from various Star Wars actors in the UK for two quid a pop in the late 90s! Oh for those times again :lol:

(you can see my Star Wars autograph set here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mayhemers/sets/72157603543346959/ . In many cases, I've just picked the best example to display, I've got 3+ other examples on different cards in my collection as well)