Cruise Loses Sign Value

Movie star Tom Cruise's generosity in signing autographs for fans has led to a massive reduction in the value of his signature.

THE LAST SAMURAI star is well-known for his premiere walkabouts, where he signs hundreds of autographs - much to the exasperation of serious autographs collectors who have seen the price for a Cruise signature fall to $289 (GBP170).

If the Minority Report actor continues with his crowd-pleasing antics, the price of his autograph could fall further to $204 (GBP120).

Expert RICHARD PURKIS of FRASER'S AUTOGRAPH INDEX says, "The fact that he never used to sign autographs meant his signature was always priced quite high.

"Many will still want his signature but it will be a lot easier to obtain.

"An example like this was Paul Newman. At one time he rarely signed autographs then went through a period of signing as many as possible."

Cruise delighted fans at the London premiere of The Last Samurai last week (06JAN04) by signing autographs for over two hours.