As I read our PopWatch Duel with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, who revealed their geekiest/most-prized possessions, I started wondering what mine would be…
If we’re talking about something that I own and wouldn’t want to have to pay to replace, it would be my 20-disc Kids in the Hall Megaset. If we’re speaking of things that are priceless, I would say my now-abandoned collection of “Thanks for last night!” autographs, some of which decorate my office door. (Note to impressionable young EW staffers and all aspiring journalists: I did not obtain any of these autographs while conducting an interview. I am a professional.)
I’ve mentioned my collection before on PopWatch. It started 10 years ago, when I was at a book signing for Jon Stewart’s Naked Pictures of Famous People. We were given Post-its to write our names on, so he’d be able to spell them correctly. I heard him ask the person in front of me what he should sign in his book, so I wrote “To Mandi, Thanks for Last Night!”on my Post-it, and when it was my turn to hand my copy to Stewart, I told him I’d made it easy for him. He wrote it, added “Va Va Va Voom!,” and we were both happy. Two days later, I went to a signing for Steve Martin’s Pure Drivel, and asked him to sign “Thanks for last night!” He looked at me, in silence, then finally said, “Just don’t hold me to it in court.” A collection was born.
Other autographs include:
• Stephen Colbert — A 30th birthday present from a colleague three years ago.
• Trey Parker and Matt Stone — A present for being a friend’s maid of honor four years ago.
• Anthony Stewart Head (that’s him, dressed as Frank-N-Furter) — I got that one myself, at a Buffy fan convention, five years ago.
• Jimmy Fallon — He and his sister both signed a copy of their 2003 book I Hate This Place: A Pessimist’s Guide to Life. Twisted, but funny!
• Ryan Seacrest — A present from a colleague, from the early days of Idol.
• Dave Coulier — A present from a colleague, just because he was friends with Coulier’s publicist.
• Justin Timberlake — This was back in, like, 2000, maybe. He signed it “Thanx 4 last night!” — how cute was he? — and told the colleague who got it for me not to let it fall into the wrong hands.
• Coolio and Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell: I put them together because they were dining, separately, at a restaurant in D.C. years ago, when a friend had them each sign a cloth napkin (that I have framed in my office). Coolio wrote, “Thanx 4 last night & yesterday & the day B4. It was good!” Harwell added, “You bend like no other!”
• John Wesley Harding — He signed “Thanks for last night… when you let me play ‘Little Musgrave’” because I’d had the friend who met him ask him if he really wanted to play that song at every live show or if he just did it because there was always someone in the crowd yelling for it.
• Rudy Boesch — I accompanied a friend to the former Survivor contestant’s book signing (The Book of Rudy: The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch) in 2001. He kept repeating it: “Thanks for last night?” “Yes.” “Thanks for last night?” “Yes.” But he did it.
• Dave Karpen — A former colleague, also obsessed with Paradise Hotel, got it for me when she ran into him doing a signing at Sephora five years ago.
Your turn. (After the jump, a guide to my door.)
Row 1: Ryan Seacrest, Anthony Stewart Head, John Wesley Harding
Row 2: Stephen Colbert, South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Dave Coulier
Row 3: Paradise Hotel‘s Dave Karpen








My John Carpenter’s THE THING snow cone maker of course!
http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=334
It would have to be this:
http://larryfire.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/stan-lee-is-a-nice-guy/
My most prized & irreplaceable possession is my autograph from Hanson that says “Thanx for the quickie!” – it goes to show how an off-hand comment during an informal interview can snowball. It’s now a conversation piece on my home office wall.
As for replaceable-but-still-”priceless”, I’d say my Paul McCartney The Space Within US concert DVD, because I’m in it twice.
My picture with Justin Timberlake. We have our arms around each other, and we’re both cheesin’ like six year olds. We’d look like old friends if I wasn’t wearing an NSYNC tee shirt. For shame.
My Batman:the Animated Series collection on DVD
An autographed double CD – Deep Dish Global Underground 26: Toronto
A Doctor Who Scarf (don’t ask it’s a long story)
It’s not a specific thing per se, but I’d have to go with each of my nearly 700 DVDs. Seriously, I love those things, and I even talk to them sometimes (while my girlfriend pretends not to notice).
This answer was solidified a few hours ago when I popped in the “Dreamgirls” DVD and discovered a small scratch that made the movie skip during “And I’m telling you, I’m not going.” I was visibly upset for the rest of the evening until I made it work.
My X-Files Barbie & Ken dolls.
A TWoP Tuby shirt for ‘The Amazing Race’ that I gifted to one of my good friends. He then wore it to the TARCon in Fall of 2003 and had it signed by a ton of racers from TAR4, including Phil. He then regifted it to me a couple of years later.
Also, my Netflix disc holder from back in like 2001 when all the .com companies sent you swag just for being a member.
Snarf…I’m jealous of your complete collection of “Batman: The Animated Series”. I LOVED that show when it was on and only have vol. 2 on DVD (why Vol. 2 and not vol. 1 or vol. 3? I don’t know)
I have an official Survivor buff (present from my brother) signed by Rupert Boneham (waited in line for that myself). But it’s in a box somewhere–I think–so I’m not sure how “prized” that means I consider it.
OH! I would kill for that ASH picture. I’m insanely jealous of you.
My Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster (original, BTW) and my autograph from Andy Kaufman.
My collection of Adam Ant tour shirts from the 1982 Friend or Foe tour through the Wonderful tour in 1995. If I had any artistic talent I would make shirts for the years since that he has not toured but I also don’t want to appear nerdy. Hmmmm…Too late? I also have an Evita cd signed by Mandy Patinkin who I was too awed by to actually talk to when I handed him my copy. I’d like to take that moment back.
My autographed copy of the 40th anniversary edition of “The Outsiders”. S.E. Hinton was appearing at the Book Expo last year in New York, but you had to get a ticket to get her autograph and we got to the ticket counter too late. We happened upon her purely by accident on the show floor – she was signing copies of her new book at a booth for a small publisher and I got a chance to talk and fangirl her for much longer than if I had gone to the big autographing. She’s a sweet, funny lady.
Hi Laura! If you would ever consider selling this (very soon, as it is a gift for a sick friend) please contact me. I will pay you handsomely. Thanks!
I have a few: a photo of Bono and I during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005, my Almost Famous vintage hotel room key, and my copy of the Clerks/Chasing Amy screenplays autographed by Kevin Smith. It says, “Melissa … Don’t believe a word of this.”
I’m a NASCAR fan and have several things signed by drivers, but the most prized would be decals that would go on the car AND a personal note someone had taped on Greg Biffle’s steering wheel for a race. I matted and framed those, they’re just that freaking cool.