Is it worth it?
 

Just wanted to voice an internal debate I have had for years and just listen to different viewpoints. With the National coming up, it has again resurfaced in my mind as I look at some of the costs for flats and do a double take.

If I can easily get an auto that is to my liking (meaning no risk of getting a smear or bad sig on the fly), and already encapsulated and ready to roll for, in many cases, far, far less than paying for a flat and encapsulation myself...is it worth it to you to get the couple seconds of a "Hi, how are you?"

Sometimes I have had a great experience with a signing (granted, nowadays I don't do that many), I romanticize the mall signings of my youth that were either free or if someone great showed up, maybe 5 or 10 bucks.

So, the question is...are you still entrenched in spending well into the hundreds for standing in the line for those seconds or have you turned into what I have? Which is someone who let's someone else do it and I feel like they must always be taking a huge loss on the investment.

I just want to hear some thoughts because I am open.

Personally, there is nobody I would stand in a huge line for anymore and pay quadruple the resale value, except one or two people who I "idolized" as a kid. (Kent Tekulve, maybe.) but 100+ just to say I got Frank Robinson who I can get on eBay for 30? No thanks.

Spending your hard hearned money on crazy in person autograph fees is never a investment. They make their money from fans who are emotionally attached to said player or moment. Best investment advice I can give you on said issue is to walk way.

It was fun when you Paid Mantle $50 and he would put in no7. Now to pay someone $200 to put down MVP is outrages.
Find the ball you like on Ebay and forget about waiting in line to spend a fortune on someone who might not even look up.:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::m ad::mad:

I am having the same thoughts. I have a 1981 minor league SGA Pawtucket bat I would love to get Wade Boggs to sign. Same problem as has been said already. I can buy a store model bat already signed for half of what it would cost to have him sign my bat at the National.:(

IMO, The values in signings today fall into one of 2 categories.
1) It's worth paying it if you have a specific item that is important to you.
As an example, I paid $325 for Aaron to sign this program a few years ago to complete it. Personally, I think $325 is crazy for Aaron, but it was the last one I needed on it.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/...4297bdf8_c.jpg

2)The second scenario I see is for people who need some something signed to complete a set(like cards). Sure, you might find one much cheaper on ebay, but the less common the set the less likely you'll find it. Same applies for say a ball with a specific inscription that is off the beaten path.

If it's not something you are likely to find elsewhere, It might be worth spending the money so you can enjoy it. I would never pay the prices for something generic.

Mostly in agreement with everything already said. I collect HOF single balls (as well as other things) but I'm not going to pay an over the top amount for a player to sign a ball, when I can go on the secondary market and pay far less. This, however, does not help me when I need my HOF book signed or a lithograph or multi-signed bat...things I would never send in the mail and would only want to get in-person. If I knew then what I know now, my collecting focus would have started out differently.

+1

There is only one person at The National this year that I would consider paying to sign and that would be Oscar Robertson. If you want a signature of him other than 'Big O' you have to pay. I have two items that I would pay to have him sign as his signature is very nice - a 1960 Olympic gold medal ticket and a special postal cover issued by the Italian Olympic Committee. They issued covers for all of the gold medalists at the games. The Cassius Clay one shows up on ebay every so often. I have some of them signed so it would be nice to have him sign it. West and Lucas would be challenging, but the other living members of the team - Haldorson, Arnette, Imhoff and Smith are all pretty good TTM. If I just wanted a full name signature on anything I would buy a copy of his book on biblio or abe. I just picked up an early 1960's clip for $14.00

Well, I was thinking I would maybe be in the minority. I am wondering who all those people in line are?

I agree with the special items thoughts. Whereas I am at a point I just don't stand in line and pay up anymore, I do have one card I have been watching to get signed. If I was going to the National (I had to back out for health obligations) I would likely drag myself to the line for Dale Murphy. The reason being is that I still do not have a completed signed Lance Parrish rookie and I have always wanted to add one to my player collection. I do have one with the really hard Bo Diaz already out of the way and just need Murphy and Whitt. I guess I would knock one off that list if the line was decent, so I agree with those folks.

I agree that there are times that you have a certain item to be signed. It is expensive but necessary'
Like I said in my above post. Don't spend money on baseballs or bats or items you can buy on the secondary market.

To me, the issue isn't necessarily the cost of getting the signature, but the regret I may have at never meeting a particular player. For instance, I wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunities to get Mantle and Musial to sign at shows years ago. There aren't that many players in that category for me and I almost never go to signings anymore.

Look at any amusement park, theater, ballpark or any other place where people come for entertainment and you see the same thing. I marvel and the $$$ spent on things that seem entirely unnecessary. I tend to be a bit cheap in general, so I can't see spending ballpark prices on food and beer, for example, when I can eat before and/or after a game for a fraction of the price. I will sacrifice just for the principal of it. That is a trait my family doesn't care for when we are out doing things though, so sometimes I just have to loosen up and spend.

I guess money is only good for spending when it comes time to cash in the chips, so to speak though so why not enjoy. I guess as long as it is worth it and you aren't going to run out too soon, people will spend like there is no tomorrow.

If there is a piece I need signed like a multi-signed cast poster, stormtrooper helmet, cast photo, etc., I much prefer just to pay someone else to get the graph for me, even if I'm going to be at the same show doing other stuff. I have no desire to spend hours in line standing on concrete lugging crap around.

However, for a run of the mill cut, photo, ball, single signed piece etc, I'll just buy it already signed.

I enjoy the photo ops so much more than the signings these days anyway. Too much signed crap out there of most of these guys/gals that work the show, comic con circuit.

I I want a specific player to sign a specific or unique item or add very specific inscriptions, I might bite the bullet and pay to stand in line with full knowledge that I'm almost certainly not making an investment. If this is not the case and I just want a ball signed with a HOF inscription or something like that, I'm probably buying that off of eBay or similar, with certification, for a cheaper price.