The Terrible Catsafterme

The date was December 17, 1985. Christmas break had begun and I was dropping yet another four autograph requests in the mail, hoping to cash in on some last-minute Christmas spirit of the stars. I had spent the week before mailing out 15 requests and these would be my final four before the holiday came. Two of the victims I chose would be a bust: I had the wrong address on Michael Landon and the Sammy Davis Jr. that I received was clearly a secretarial (although I didn’t realize that secretarials were one of the big pitfalls of autograph collecting until later on in life). Read the rest of this entry »

Mom and Dad were still separated as of Christmas 1985 but that did not stop us from all getting together on Christmas Eve with Dad’s side of the family…Bill, Dottie, Lora, & Robby, Grandma & Oscar, Arline & Carl, and Harold. It does not appear that there are any photos from this gathering – and I can’t remember much specific from it – but if it was like all of the other Christmas Eves of the past, it was met with much anticipation. Although we generally opened a few gift on this night (one from each of my parents, Grandma Range’s gift, and small ones from Bill & Dottie and Arline & Carl), the gathering was more about the celebration. Read the rest of this entry »

All in the Family is certainly one of the greatest television sit-coms of all time. It definitely ranks in my top ten favorite shows. It has special meaning to me in a way too -because it was this show that was being broadcast at the time that I was born. My Dad still remembers watching the episode Archie in the Lock-Up in the hospital waiting room on that fateful evening of October 2, 1971. The show’s theme song “Those Were the Days” was one of the very first songs I ever learned. My Uncle Ed still remembers me singing “Dozer da Days” at the top of my lungs in the car during our visit to Washington D.C. in 1973. Read the rest of this entry »

Let me clarify this…My first foray into collecting autographs from the stars of The Andy Griffith Show occurred on December 11, 1985. I had sent out seven autographs requests the day before and I followed it up on the 11th with five additional letters. Two of them were unsuccessful due to having the wrong addresses – Tim Conway and Art Carney (again). But three were quite successful, one of them being Don Knotts. Read the rest of this entry »

As my one of my idols Jerry Seinfeld does, I have a healthy obsession with the Man of Steel. I like all things Superman. I collect the TV shows, movies, and cartoons. I even like the comic books although I haven’t really delved into collecting them – but I am fascinated with the legend. So naturally, being an avid autograph collector, I’ve made it my goal to get a signature from whomever I can associated with the legendary superhero, some of course being easier to obtain than others. Read the rest of this entry »