Autographs...why can't I get more interested?

Hallco

I have little to no interest. Maybe I would feel different if I was standing in front of the person and they signed it and handed it back to me directly. They are very popular among most collectors. So what's wrong with me??

bking

<< <i>I have little to no interest. Maybe I would feel different if I was standing in front of the person and they signed it and handed it back to me directly. They are very popular among most collectors. So what's wrong with me?? >>



Whatever it is, I suffer too. My problem is that I'm a worrier, and I would be 100% dependent on others to tell me if an auto is legit or not.

mrmint23

I was the same way until Navarro started displaying his collection. Think of it this way you have the card and the person actually touched that one unique card. Card values may go down but unlikely for both the card and autograph to decrease in value.

Garabaldi

I have never been big on autographed cards. I used to have 16X20 framed pics and the they started to fade after a while so I basically gave up on them.

itzagoner

i find it vastly more interesting to have a bit of personal contact with the person who is signing, but in this day and age it is rather difficult to accomplish such a task when surrounded by chaos.

i recall very fondly the time several years ago when my son and i hung out in the parking lot at Tempe Diablo Stadium waiting for a large group of Anaheim Angels to leave their practice field and walk to the stadium.....as they passed, we managed to get some autographs and have a few laughs with the players, most of whom were very patient and polite.

John Lackey took the time to stand with us and take a few photos as well as discussing my son's high school baseball pursuits, then he signed a few items for us and went on his way.....he instantly earned my respect and still remains one of my all-time favorite players....

it makes a huge difference when you actually have a tangible memory to go with the tangible item which you've legitimized yourself and don't need a high-priced authenticator.

i realize this doesn't usually apply when discussing the value and provenance of autographs, but it's nice when it happens.

alifaxwa2

For me its all about having piece of the person I enjoy/follow. I'm the type that gets starstruck in person, some people just aren't like that. I would much prefer 30 seconds of interaction and a pic with, but sometimes the autograph is the best/only option.

byronscott4ever

<< <i>I have little to no interest. Maybe I would feel different if I was standing in front of the person and they signed it and handed it back to me directly. They are very popular among most collectors. So what's wrong with me?? >>



Not everyone has access to autographs in person. If you collect autographs, chances are the IP version is the best. Of course, it's gotten a lot more corporate in recent years and you don't see the big names of today available like they may have been a few years ago. I think if you have a personal interest in the person, it's even better. The downside is that you may find out someone you follow/collect is a db so that's always the risk. When you do TTM, you eliminate that aspect of it as not everyone who fails to return your letter tells you why they didn't return it. The nice thing with autos is that if you decide to collect, you can go about it so many ways depending on what you like and how much you have to spend.

Brick

I have just a few autographs. I really enjoy meeting the person even if only for a brief time. I have several I purchased after the fact but they don't mean near as much to me as the ones I got in person. I speak as a collector. I have never that I remember sold an autograph.

fkw

Youre not the only one disinterested in autographs today.

90+% of the autographs signed today are a joke, and cant be read or identified by the average human.

Go back 50+ years and over 90+% can easily be read/identified by your average 5th grader.

Modern players need to catch a clue and try to write their name so other can read it. These lazy scribblers have ruining the hobby,...... more than forgeries IMO


Can you read these?.....

onebamafan

Most hobbyist tend to change goals/focus every so often, i think i didn't like them and then i did. I sold most off and then came back with a new plan buying 8x10 authenticated and cards. I think its a phase.................i do however like on card autos versus stickers. There is no wrong answer.

Sportsamerica

That is because the players today never had to right anything in school. They had computers to type up the report/etc which leads to poor handwriting... Just my 2 cents.




<< <i>Youre not the only one disinterested in autographs today.

90+% of the autographs signed today are a joke, and cant be read or identified by the average human.

Go back 50+ years and over 90+% can easily be read/identified by your average 5th grader.

Modern players need to catch a clue and try to write their name so other can read it. These lazy scribblers have ruining the hobby,...... more than forgeries IMO


Can you read these?.....


>>

Ironmanfan

<< <i>That is because the players today never had to right anything in school. They had computers to type up the report/etc which leads to poor handwriting... Just my 2 cents.




<< <i>Youre not the only one disinterested in autographs today.

90+% of the autographs signed today are a joke, and cant be read or identified by the average human.

Go back 50+ years and over 90+% can easily be read/identified by your average 5th grader.

Modern players need to catch a clue and try to write their name so other can read it. These lazy scribblers have ruining the hobby,...... more than forgeries IMO


Can you read these?.....


>>

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Also, the demad for their autograph is prob 100 x more than it was for players from the past....The people who solicited them back in the 1940's thru 1970's really wanted them, whereas the majority of the people who want them today, wish to re-sell them

RookieWax

<< <i>I have little to no interest. Maybe I would feel different if I was standing in front of the person and they signed it and handed it back to me directly. They are very popular among most collectors. So what's wrong with me?? >>



I am the same way. One reason is that it kind of takes away from the eye appeal from the card when it is signed sloppily in thick ink across the entire card. But mostly I believe its because there is no way a buyer can know if its real or fake. So buying them from someone you don't know never made sense to me. There is a dealer at a local show who always has a table filled with them. When I spot it, I walk as fast as I can past it to get to the next table- absolutely no interest there for me. Getting an autograph in person is another thing, but I hate fighting crowds and would rather spend that money on cards anyway.

TheHun

<< <i>Youre not the only one disinterested in autographs today.

90+% of the autographs signed today are a joke, and cant be read or identified by the average human.

Go back 50+ years and over 90+% can easily be read/identified by your average 5th grader.

Modern players need to catch a clue and try to write their name so other can read it. These lazy scribblers have ruining the hobby,...... more than forgeries IMO


Can you read these?.....


>>



This is so true. Several years ago I interviewed a well know athlete. While waiting to do my thing, he signed a few autographs which I observed to be pretty sloppy. When we finally completed our interview, I asked him why he rushed his signature and did it so haphazardly. Before he could answer, I reminded him that there will be a day that he is no longer active and in the public eye. That will be the day he will be remembered for his autograph and how he treated his admirers.

To this day, I check to see items on ebay that bear his signature - and see that they are pretty neat and legible.

For those "stars" that do not care about fans now, it will reflect how fans will not care about them later.

bking

<< <i>That is because the players today never had to right anything in school. They had computers to type up the report/etc which leads to poor handwriting... Just my 2 cents.

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Ohhh, the irony....

WalterSobchak

Not my thing either. I respect the hell out of the energy, dedication, and cash it takes to put together a great auto collection like thenavarro's, and I always enjoy seeing his new additions- but I have never had the slightest bit of interest in collecting auto'd cards/memorabilia myself. Not entirely sure why.

I think part of it is what Bob alluded to earlier: unless I watched the player sign the card in person, I could never be 100% certain that it's really his signature. And that would probably bug me.

zendude

I have no interest in autographs either. With so many fakes out there it's just not worth the trouble. I agree that nice handwriting seems to be a thing of the past. I was taught to take pride in my penmanship because it's a reflection of your personality and character similar to a handshake. I guess I'm just getting old.

otwcards

Interesting point about many modern signatures being illegible. Even the consistent ones like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera are not really legible although their signatures are immediately identifiable. One of the neatest and most legible of the modern guys has to be Bruce Chen, but then again, no one really wants his autograph.

Don't even get me started on the hockey guys. Have you ever tried to read an Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundvist, Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Ilya Kovalchuck or Mario Lemieux autograph? Here they are . . . which one is which?:










Answer, in order: Ovechkin, Crosby, Lundqvist, Stamkos, Malkin, Zetterberg, Kovalchuck, Lemieux

VitoCo1972

Why do you want to get interested? It's a hobby. Do whatever suits you. It's supposed to be fun, not a chore.

Sportsamerica

<< <i>

<< <i>That is because the players today never had to right anything in school. They had computers to type up the report/etc which leads to poor handwriting... Just my 2 cents.

>>



Ohhh, the irony.... >>



I see you are the only one who picked up on that

otwcards

<< <i>That is because the players today never had to right anything in school. They had computers to type up the report/etc which leads to poor handwriting... Just my 2 cents. >>



And how many of these people do you think actually did a report or any school work on their own? And I don't think it is computers as much as the fact that penmanship is no longer taught or reinforced in most schools. I know my kids never had the repetitive exercises that I did back when Lincoln was President and we had to burn the end of a stick to write anything after we made our own papyrus.

Stone193

<< <i>Autographs...why can't I get more interested? >>

That's how I feel about going to Craft Fairs with my wife.

Tabe

I don't really care about autographed cards either. Honestly, I'd rather have a game-worn jersey or patch card from the same player.

Tabe

lawnmowerman

<< <i> So what's wrong with me?? >>



How much time ya got buddy?

eagles33

I think psa/dna got me more into auto cards. Back in the day there was no way of confirming if an auto was legit or not so i would never get a valuable card signed. Even if it was in person.. i would know its real but there was no way for me to prove to a potential buyer that i was legit. Also the funniest auto i have came accross is God Shammgod. he was a basketball player for Providence college and played a game or 2 in the NBA. His auto looks like a kid in the 4th grade and just learned cursive.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemNext&item=160563535275&pt=US_Basketball&autorefresh=true

Hallco

<< <i>

<< <i> So what's wrong with me?? >>



How much time ya got buddy?


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