Book It, Buzz: A big name from a tougher autograph genre?

For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common. So, with that said, here's the first of what just might become a monthly department here on The Buzz.

Our fifth subject and autograph in this ongoing series? Grammy award-winning musician Melissa Etheridge.

THE RUNDOWN ... 
The Book: Talking To My Angels (autographed edition via publisher)
The Author: Melissa Etheridge
The Specs: HarperCollins -- released on Nov. 24, 2023 (214 pages)
The Price: $15 on sale ($30 cover price)
The Spot: Barnes & Noble for this one (no longer on sale)

Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've tried dabbling with sure-thing buys -- specific cards or items -- rather than take a shot at a bargain-bin blaster box more and more in recent times and, well, this one was still likely cheaper than most boxes and that made this an easy addition to my autograph stash. Why? Well, beyond books or occasional signed CDs or vinyl from some artists on spot occasions, I think music autographs are perhaps the toughest to land without paying a ton ... so I think most are worth a look and a hold. It's not uncommon for some names' autos -- even on simple CD covers -- to command much more than they originally sold for in just a few years, especially if they stop signing. (And a lot of musicians simply don't do signings.) This is her second autobiography looking back at her life and career, which began in 1988 and 16 albums since then with just as many Grammy nominations and a pair of wins.

Why this item: No particular reason other than it is what it is this time ... an easy addition to the stash of musical ink at a tiny sliver of what other autos have cost me as I've tried exploring the genre more. It arrived for Black Friday last fall and can still be found, which is good for collectors.

Chase ink on cards: Nope, nothing for her ... but you can hit BlowoutCards.com for non-sport cards

The Bottom Line: Etheridge doesn't appear to sell signed stuff on her own site -- at least based on a quick search just today -- so this is one of few ways to land a legit autograph. She's sold more than 13 million albums so there are people who might be interested over time, too, once these dry up. Just a thought ...

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