I slowly began to re-submerge myself in the hobby of autograph collecting around the holiday season of 1985. Like most things I have been interested in my life, my great desire was to share these hobbies with other people, even if it meant forcing it down their throats. Clearly my best friend at that time was Jeff Flinn, a schoolmate at Ankeney Junior High. He and I had both taken advantage of our seventh grade science teacher Mr. Seilhamer earlier in the year by delaying class while we stood at his desk, showing him my autographs and keeping him talking. Now it was time to try and actually get Jeff involved in the hobby.
So I had caught wind that Spanky McFarland, the popular Our Gang member, would send you an autographed photo if you sent him $5.00. Spanky was picky about what he would sign, not agreeing with the fact that vendors were selling his photographs while he received no royalties or residuals. I had met him in 1980 and had him sign one of his authorized photos. He would also agree to sign any original photo or lobby card – and I had him do just that for me earlier in the year when I dropped off a lobby card at his hotel in Dayton. Since I was trying to build up my autograph collection – which I adored – I sent off for one more Spanky autograph, being one of the $5.00 signed pictures he was offering…and talked Jeff into doing the same. I had my Dad send George McFarland a check for $10.00 to cover mine and Jeff’s signed pictures on December 10, 1985. Spanky sent them out to us and they arrived on January 4, 1986. As an added bonus, I retrieved the cancelled check which bore the signature George McFarland – kind of rare in that form, I’d presume.
I don’t know if Jeff still has his autographed picture of Spanky, which has surely increased in value by now, but I do know that he never did pursue any further autograph collecting. I remember that I kept after him to do it for a while though, and telling him that Meinhaardt Raabe, the coronor from The Wizard of Oz, was scheduled to appear at the 1986 Sons of the Desert convention. I offered to get his autograph for Jeff to which Jeff responded with the classic line: “Nah. The coronor’s autograph would enhance your collection. It would just make mine look silly.”
And if you think $5.00 is cheap, Spanky would later make another Sons convention appearance in 1988 and sell virtually the same photos for $1.00 each!
Autographs of December ’85 will continue…
Leave a Reply