Broadway Cares

I may be a little new to this Broadway Cares donate-every-single-penny-you-have deal, but something is really confusing me. The last go round I managed (without going to the theatre) to get a window card and playbill signed by the cast of 'It's Only A Play'. I paid for them, of course, and was happy to do so for a great cause. Who wouldn't? So that was late last year (I gave them to myself for Christmas...). After I won a contest for 'It's Only A Play' and redeemed it in March, I was supposed to get a signed copy of a 'selfie' card saying thanks for donating (which, technically I didn't, but it was part of the prize I won), and a cast signed playbill.

I got both in the mail today. When I looked at the 'selfie' card, I noticed it was not real autographs but photocopied. I assumed it would be because I had previously seen one online and suspected it was. Then, I checked out the playbill. The whole thing was photocopied. There was NOT one original, real autograph on either.

Naturally, I check out my window card and Playbill from December, and they too are photocopied. So, I spent so much money on something that is fake?

My question is: is this normal? Or are the good old folks over at 'It's Only A Play' screwing me over here? I would think if something is mass produced and you pay 300.00 for it, you should be told that it's not authentic, that the autographs are NOT real and therefore to a collector, useless.

Am I asking too much? I know it's for charity and you can't really expect a handful of actors to just sit down for three days signing hundreds of items, but really? Photocopied signatures? To me, it doesn't seem right at all.

I'm not complaining, I'm really just asking if this is the norm?

I'd also be curious t see photos since I've seen many signed I'ts Only a Play signed posters & Playbills and they've all had original signatures.

Also, since you didn't go to the theatre, where did you get the poster & Playbill?

You didn't answer the question of where you got the Playbill or Poster in December.

If you're just being paranoid it seems a bit excessive to create a post using the name of a non-profit as the subject line & implying that the charity is selling fake items.

https://instagram.com/p/1TR1xbh02g/?taken-by=stockardguru

That's the latest. And the others, BwayLady999, I got from Valerie Lau-Kee Lai, producer Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Thank you very much. You don't have to be nasty. I stated in my original post that I was 'curious', not that I was accusing anyone. I just want to now if I'm getting what I thought I was getting.

https://instagram.com/p/1TTDSRh047/?taken-by=stockardguru

That was the original I received in December. Sorry about quality, but that 'add picture' link wasn't adding any pictures. I now how to do this, it's just that THIS particular link was not working for me. 

Hey, I just want to make sure that I'm getting what I paid for. It was only a question. If you're gonna be rude, don't allow me ton 'bother' you with my idiotic questions! 

It's hard to tell from the photograph. The most recent one you received does seem like a strange quality on the printing - it's darker and the tone seems off on the word PLAY.

Did you try rotating the actual Playbill under a light and looking at it from different angles? You can usually actually see another layer where the Sharpie ink sits atop the glossy paper and there would be a reflection of the light. I don't have a Playbill in front of me but I happened to just use a Sharpie to write on a previously printed glossy document and it's pretty clear to me.

You started your post off with a rather negative tone when you stated "I may be a little new to this Broadway Cares donate-every-single-penny-you-have deal" so you set the tone.  

I also don't think my statement is "nasty" as I was simply stating that you immediately went to an accusatory place.  

I concur with Kad that it seems like it would be rather impossible to print up a whole new Playbill with the autographs included.  And as others have stated, all the other signed items from It's Only a Play that people have purchased/received were hand signed.

I can't speak to the one you received from another source, but I am completely confident that anything you purchased directly from BC/EFA was hand signed. 

Seems like you're maybe just making SH*T up to stir SH*T up.

I'm NOT trying to cause trouble or stir things up. I just wanted to know if that was something that is possible. The first set I got was  from Broadway Cares, and I only questioned those because the second one that I got looks as if it IS a copy, but it is from a different entity. I assumed (stupidly) that the people on this board would be kind and relay their own experiences, but clearly half of you are more offended than anything else and two of you were just plain rude. But thanks for the help, to the few that actually did help.