How to Get a Grammy Award Winner’s Autograph for Free
As music’s best and brightest were recognized at the 53rd Grammy Awards, my wife and I were sleeping off another day of adventures (and pints of Guinness) in Galway, Ireland. While we made a conscious effort to unplug during our vacation, I snuck a peak at my iPhone when I awoke to see who came away with a golden gramophone. As I scanned the results, I thought of the Grammy-nominated musicians in my autograph collection and how I had obtained nearly all of them in the same way—for free, through Newbury Comics and FYE.
As music consumption continues to trend digital, many publishers are using autographs to spark CD sales. And while Jay-Z and Lady Gaga aren’t signing copies to move units, you may be surprised at the names you can grab if you get in before the supply runs out. I keep tabs on the two aforementioned retailers which offer free autographed booklets with select purchases. Newbury Comics offers a large selection through its website while FYE promotes offers occasionally through its e-newsletter.
Oh, and if you act fast, you can pick up a signed CD booklet from this year’s Best New Artist, Esperanza Spalding (NOTE: Newbury Comics raises prices on some autographed items as inventory wanes).
Purchasing autographs is never my preference, but when you can add a tough-to-obtain musician to your collection for the price of a CD, it’s a no-brainer. Here are the Grammy Award winners and nominees I’ve scored:
GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS
Chris Cornell (solo, with Soundgarden and with Audioslave)
Chris Cornell autographed CD booklet
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 autographed CD booklet
Scott Weiland (with Stone Temple Pilots)
Scott Weiland autographed CD booklet
GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEES
Disturbed
Disturbed autographed CD booklet
Godsmack
Godsmack autographed CD booklet
Jewel (How has she not won a Grammy?!)
Jewel autographed CD booklet
Katy Perry
Katy Perry autographed CD booklet
RZA (with Wu-Tang Clan)
RZA autographed CD booklet
Do you know any other retailers that offer signed CDs?
Nice! How do I sign up for these things, so I can find out when they come out?
On fye.com there is a form (left side, about halfway down) to sign up for their email list. For Newbury, I just check the site a few times a week.
I have bought from both sites and I can say that some are original autographs and some are just printed copies of one cd they signed! Just looked at the Maroon 5
“signed” copy on this site and it is exactly like the one that I bought! This is not fair to the buyer. If it is a hand signed original it should say so, but if it is a print of an original, we should know that too. ALSO, fye is VERY VERY SLOW at sending the signed covers out. I have been in it with them several times, as I collect them! I am waiting on one as of this post. They send the cd out and then a month or so down the road, the cover…..if you are lucky. Newbury includes the “signed” copy with the cd. Trust Newbury….not so much fye.
Thanks for the comment Larry but I completely disagree with you about the Maroon 5 covers. I purchased two and they are not identical. See for yourself:
http://www.autographu.com/images/Maroon5-booklets-800.jpg
I also checked eBay and the signed covers there each have unique aspects.
Dude I just stumbled upon your website by googling something like rza autograph… clicked on your link (who knows how many pages in, maybe it was even the first page?) and I’m sure glad I did!! So I have accumulated a bunch of rap cd’s/vinyls/collectibles over the last year- of which, some are signed. so anyways, i come upon your website and find out about newbury and that fye sells autogrpahed cd’s and im super stoked! Thanks for this post, this site, and such! You’re beyond awesome man! Gunna order my signed copies of wale, ice cube, rza, q-tip, and akon’s albums now! id list off some of the autographs that i’ve gathered, but i doubt that you’d know a majority of them (being underground hip-hop artists). But anyways, ill end this rant by saying thank you sooooo much lol!
Happy to help! Wu-Tang Forever 🙂
I’m looking for some good violin lessons for less in Houston Texas and the price range $20-$30. . so you think you can help me out?. )i(I would charge $19 per hour cash. It looks affordable and you can get good experience and make some jack.
Hello, my name is Chris, my email address is brassylizardd@gmail.com any one who is selling any of the older Newbury items, please contact me