My mother started to refer to them as FPs. Since the age of 10, I’d been thinking about famous people pretty much constantly. These were the people who resided inside my TV, on my hi-fi, and now I knew they were real. At that strange moment when the famous came into view – the flashing lights, the rude reality – it felt as if I’d summoned them up myself out of the ether. Jazz great McCoy Tyner wanted to know where he could get hold of a good pizza. Miles Davis, Michael Caine, Whoopi Goldberg and Liz Taylor had all looked directly into my eyes. I’d had that type of moment a few times before.
I’d be scared at first I’d hide my face from the orange Beatle haze, but then I’d fall to my knees on the Wembley industrial estate and cower in the presence of true greatness. He and I had both been born into bondage-type situations, after all – his, the ancient Egyptian kind, mine more modern Jewish suburban. “I am here,” I’d announce humbly, just like Charlton. It would be like that scene in The Ten Commandments when Charlton Heston comes upon the burning bush on Mount Horeb. If this worked out, I mused, if I actually met a Beatle after school, I’d surely have arrived. The guy could literally write his own money. Ultra-tricky through the mail, he signed very little and his squiggle on a piece of paper was worth £100 even back then. An autograph pen pal of mine had informed me that Paul McCartney would be performing an unplugged session at a recording studio in Wembley, so I hotfooted it there after school. I had my schoolbag over my shoulder, a blank piece of card in one hand, a ballpoint in the other. He is an asset to the ACOA expert team.I t was 1989. He is widely known amongst the autograph community and various fan communities from coast to coast.īob currently resides in Western Illinois with his son, and continues to collect in present day. In addition to being one of the most experienced autograph seekers in history, Bob's personal collection of photos with celebrities ranks amonst the greatest of all-time, surpassing 10,000 photos with nearly every famous person possible. He has been an autograph staple at major events, for 3 decades, regularly covering the Grammys, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, numerous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions, and the MTV Awards. His pursuits have taken him throughout the USA.īob has direct experience obtaining autographs from countless legends and historical figures, including Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, the Stones, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, 6 US Presidents, the Beatles, and countless others. He is a proud vegan, web entrepreneur, celebrity photographer, and pop culture aficionado.īob first began obtaining music and celebrity autographs in person almost 30 years ago, in 1989. Today, Justin resides with his wife and two children on the East Coast and acts as the Lead Authenticator and CEO of AutographCOA.
Some of Justin's most memorable autograph experiences include touring coast to coast for Paul McCartney and Simon & Garfunkel, hanging out with Willie Nelson on his tour bus, and spending a day backstage with the Beach Boys. He is also a YouTube Silver Button award recipient with over 100 million video views. Justin has also worked extensively as a celebrity photographer and his images have been featured throughout entertainment and news media, including Rolling Stone magazine, the Today Show, SNL, People magazine, and even in feature films. Justin is the co-founder and lead moderator of the Real Autograph Collectors Club (RACC), an online community of in person autograph collectors and sellers with 13,000+ members in over 100 countries. tour documentary, has made appearances on A&E and Fox television, and once appeared on the cover of both the NY Post and the NY Daily News while pursuing autographs. Justin was featured on Paul McCartney's Back in the U.S. He has personally met and obtained autographs from the majority of legends in music and Hollywood during his pursuits, and thousands of other famous people ranging from reality stars to U.S. Over the span of nearly two decades, Justin collected autographs in nearly every State and major city nationwide. Justin is passionate about helping the collecting hobby and approaches every authentication with great care and diligence.īorn in Connecticut, Justin began meeting stars and obtaining autographs in person as a teen before relocating to New York City.
Justin Steffman is a lifetime autograph enthusiast and leading authenticator with over 20 years of experience in the field.