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In-Person Autographs on Cards
JimMeant
Posts: 351 ✭✭✭
It seems as if this niche part of the hobby has really gained momentum over the past few years. I’m seeing more and more high end cards being autographed and eventually slabbed. Some with very high asking prices in their displays. I must admit, I have enjoyed adding these types of cards to my collection.
Any collectors out there enjoy getting IP autographs on cards at shows? Any good experiences or bad experiences with athletes and their signatures?
Any tips on how to get athletes to give their best signatures on card?
-Collecting anything vintage
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This is all I collect, not necessarily all high end, but anything that I like. To get their best signature, get it from a paid signing. If you go to an event where a player is making an appearance, you usually get a rushed mess.
My new thing that I really like is using paint pen on newer cards. It can really pop.
This is also all I collect.
For me, it doesn't get any better than an autograph on a mid to higher grade card. And as Erba pointed out, paid signings allow for "best" autographs. I don't really collect new players - more older players cause, well, I am an older guy too. I'm a set collector and player collector so my sets include TTM, in person and paid signings. So far, I've stayed away from the modern signed insert cards but even those are really appealing given the card technology and creative colors for the autograph on card.
As for the autographs themselves, no tips on how to secure the best looking signature. Heck, they don't even teach cursive in schools anymore...and if you're a set collector, you need in person autos from those hard to get players who either won't do signings, or are not popular enough for a signing to happen. These are generally scribbles at times.
Just have the best writing instrument available and if in person and you could bring you child along to signing (if you have young children, lol), that always helps. Seems like athletes sign better and more legible when a child asks for autograph.
Question for those that have done in-person autographs at shows:
Would it be acceptable to place small portions of post-it note to the edges of the card as you hand it to the athlete for their signature? That way the autograph would stay in the middle area of the card and off of the borders?
If you're mailing in for a signing, then yes, you should absolutely put a post it note on it where you would like to sign, along with pen/marker choice. If you're getting it in person at a show, just tell them where you'd like it signed since you'll be standing right in front of them.
Most athletes I have gotten in person autographs from have been nice. I haven't had any issues with anybody being a grump, luckily. The nicest ones I have gotten autographs from are Ernie Banks, Andrew Shaw, Chris Zorich, Rocket Ismail, Ryne Sandberg, Jonathan Toews, and Doug Plank. Lou Holtz was also very nice, and a lot of fun to chat with for a couple of minutes. I wish I would have had more time to talk with Walter Payton, but the people running the event were really rushing people along.
I have to thank a few guys on various card sites about 10-15 years ago who were accumulating items within specific autograph categories and I got hooked and took it a few steps further. I have gravitated towards certified cards more lately, simply because the greater exposure and cost opens up more opportunity for fraud. I have always trusted my gut, but it's not perfect.
I have never been worried about getting a high value card signed, but then again my exposure to in person players has been fairly minimal. I ALMOST (probably more like I thought seriously about it) sent my Duke Snider Bowman rookie to him to sign, but in the end I was too afraid of losing it. I wish there would have been a safe way of doing it, as i am now regretful. Maybe my best card sent TTM would have been a 1939 & 1941 Play Ball Bobby Doerr before he passed away. Was hoping to land a 50 Drake and a 38 Goudey to send next, but he died before i could get it donw.
I've got a friend who has been doing TTM since the late 70's. All four
sports. Use to buy hundreds of stars and commons from several dealers,
Kit Young comes to mind. He'd visit family in Atlanta and Charlotte and
hit the shops. Has probably over 15,000. In the 80's at any one time
he would have several hundred requests out in the mail.
I’ll bet he has some real rarities, i.e. autos on cards from the year a given player died. Call it morbid but I collect those.
I'm sure he has a few. I haven't spoken with Bill in
over 10 years. He had lots of star cards but usually
in lower grades. He had at one time and I'm sure he's
added since Baseballs, bats, footballs, helmets and
other autographed equipment.
I have attended many paid signings and have almost always had great experiences with the athletes. most have taken the time to have a short chat with me. I like to get in line towards the end and then the big rush is over and the athlete/handlers are a little more apt to talk and take pictures. the only 2 I can think of that were not fantastic were willie mays and dave winfield. I got willie about 25 years ago. he would not allow flash photography as he was having some vision issues. he shook my hand but seemed pretty uninvolved in the signing. Dave took photos, but was pretty quiet. probably just had an off day.
frank thomas, wade boggs, ryne sandberg, robin yount, rickey henderson, rod carew, eddie murray, mike piazza were all fantastic. those are just a few off the top of my head.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
to add, mine were all baseballs. I guess i am old school. I have never liked getting cards signed. especially not rare/valuable ones. I know it is all the rage right now though.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
That's awesome.
My brother and I were big TTM guys back in the mid 80s. I still have them and a bunch of HoFers too. That was always fun for us because we were pretty young and not close to any MLB parks. There also weren't a lot of shows everywhere with guys doing signings.
II wish we'd kept it up.
Does Bill's last name start with a B? If so I know him also.
@Andylejeune Starts with a "C". I live in N.E. Tenn. I think
Bill still does, not sure after 10 years.
As a teenager, back in the 90s i sent a letter to nolan ryan for an auto. he sent back a post card sized card ¨signed¨ I thought it was the coolest thing ever, but a few years later I learned what an auto pen is...
I still have the card though. still a good memory.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
What makes you think it was autopen? If it was in the 90s, that was before the NRF and when autographs were directed through there. Autopen is typically pretty easy to spot for what it's worth.
because the auto was not smoothly signed. it has a very jerky/halting/shaky flow to it which is tell tale of an auto pen.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Ok, not the same. but I have a friend who got me into sending cards in the 80's to everybody's houses. There was a book that had all of the players home addresses. I got so many Mantles, DiMaggio's, Aaron, etc from sending to their house. No clue if they are real or not. They all look real though. The only one that I know was fake was Dale Murphy. It was pretty obvious he used an autopen. I live over in West TN.
Agree most attended signings with athletes were great. Don't think I had any bad experiences and done over 50 in person autos, except David Wells just looked like he never smiled, lol. I would not want to get on his bad side. All allowed nice photos with my son and great inscriptions. When getting an auto from Yankee closer John Wetteland many years ago, my young son noticed he was wearing his 96 WS ring. When he asked John if it was the WS ring, John replied yes it was, took it off and told my son to try it on. How cool is that.
Another great time was with Washington Senators HR hitter Frank Howard. He was outside having a smoke and was so entertaining. Told a story about a double header where he struck out all 3 times in the first game. In the 2nd game he struck out the first 2 times. On his 3rd at bat, he hit a weak grounder and running to 1st base all the players in the dugout stood and cheered. Everyone was laughing so hard at his story telling.