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I've never had much money to throw at my hobbies so most of my collecting in every area (and I have MANY) has been done on the cheap. I've been incredibly lucky with my collection of horror autographs, meeting many wonderful actors and actresses associated with the genre and getting signed photos from them in person, or writing to them and getting photos I sent them signed, and in a few cases just stumbling into incredible finds like a signed late 30s 5x7 Karloff portrait in the original Universal Pictures envelope it came in (flea market, $9), an authenticated Dwight Frye signature on a piece of stationery signed by all the members of a play in 1923 (eBay, less than $20), and a vintage double-weight c. 1950 inscribed and signed portrait of Lon Chaney Jr. (antique store in SC earlier this year, $25).
I also collect autographs and signatures from other genres including crime/mystery movies, A- and B- westerns, TV shows, and serials. The last one may be my very best collection, and I think I spent the most money on two signed photos from cliffhangers, both on eBay, and both around $100 (at a time when I had more money than I do now):

* a vintage (early 30s) 5x7 paperweight photo of TOM TYLER in a white cowboy outfit, bought from an elderly lady in Alabama who met him when she was a child and got his pencil signature on the photo given to fans when Tom came to her small town with the Wallace Bros. circus. Here it is:



* a vintage double-weight photo of "The Scorpion" the cowled, robed villain in the great Republic serial THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL. A number of things from the estate of film producer Alex Gordon were being sold on eBay, and I won this gem, signed by the actor who is revealed to be the villain in the final chapter -- whose name I won't reveal here lest I spoil this wonderful cliffhanger for you... but Alex (and probably Richard Gordon too) met this actor somewhere (presumably in Hollywood) around 1950, dug up a great photo of his most memorable role, and got him to inscribe and sign it. I'll have to scan the photo and post it later (unless I saved the eBay image); I'm currently 500 miles away from my collection.

Of course you need to be very careful when buying autographs on eBay, but in both of these auctions (and the Dwight Frye) there were particulars which provided provenance enough for my satisfaction.

Oooooo -- Stan and Ollie! If I were a rich man (ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum) THAT's the kind of thing I'd be spending loads of money on, even above horror star autographs. Also a good John Wayne, a Bogart... and then, of course, the almost impossible and/or very expensive horror genre stars I don't already have.

Another one I thought of that I got on eBay, also well-authenticated, and for about $100, was an autographed early 30s double-weight 11x14 closeup profile portrait of LESLIE BANKS. It was being sold with other items from the estate of the late great KING KONG and FORGOTTEN HORRORS historian GEORGE E. TURNER, who had gotten it from MERIAN C. COOPER, to whom it was inscribed in appreciation of the actor and producer working together on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. Leslie appears to be wearing a military tunic from the collar that shows; I believe the portrait is from a stage play rather than a film. A portrait of Zaroff would really have been wonderful but probably way too much to wish for!

Does anybody have a signed photo or even the signature of the great NOBLE JOHNSON?