Why Do We Love Autographs So Much?

Do you have any autographs? Is there anyone you would love to have an autograph from? Just why do we like autographs so much, in the first place?

I remember one Christmas, when I was a kid, my mom got my dad a baseball autographed by Johnny Bench. Johnny Bench was Dad's favorite baseball player. He was so excited when he saw whose name was on the ball. It's unlikely that any of us kids got more enjoyment out of any of our toys than Dad did out of that baseball.

I happen to own a copy of 'Spider-Man' #1 autographed by Todd McFarlane (yep, that Todd McFarlane. The one that spent $3 million on Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball). Unfortunately I wasn't able to get it autographed in person - the comic book was given to me - but even so, I can't imagine ever getting rid of it.

Another autograph that I have in my collection is on a baseball card, which is signed by former St. Louis Cardinal Todd Zeile. Mr. Zeile was in Hannibal as part of a St. Louis Cardinal Caravan when I was about 9 or 10. I still have the card he signed for me.

The Cardinal Caravan will be in Hannibal again on Saturday. I wonder how many of the kids that attend and get autographs will hang on to them as long as I've held on to my Todd Zeile card?

Do you have any autographed items among your belongings? What is it about someone's signature that makes having a copy so special? Is there anyone whose autograph you would like to have?