Question for those that collect HOF signed 8x10's
 

Hello,
can anyone tell me why Baseball HOF signed photos are so cheap. I mean, I can get a HOFer on EBAY with PSA/DNA authentication for almost the cost of just the PSA authentication itself! for some reason they are super cheap. you would think HOF players would be worh much more , players like trout, ichiro and derek jeter are a few hundred dollars but most HOFers you can get on EBAY for $20-30. I noticed that one time when I sold some HOF photos the auctions ended on some for $12-15!! at that low of a price I didnt even get what I paid PSA/Beckett, JSA, etc to authenticate them! Just wondering why 8X10's are going for so cheap...not only HOFers but all baseball players it seems. Thanks for your input.

8x10 Autographed Hall of Fame photos
 

Most hall of famers? $20-$30? Like who?

A lot of the common show signers from the 90s -- Feller, Slaughter, Wilhelm, Snider, etc -- signed a ton of "extras" for promoters. These signed photos exist in mass quantity. After that it is simply supply and demand.

Also, bear in mind that the TPAs will issue card certs for these low value players at a steep discount for dealers.

Another factor is that signed photos generally do not seem to be as desirable as signed baseballs.

Which TPA offers those steep discounts for 8x10s?

To my knowledge, they all make volume discount deals. Approach them at a show with a hefty stack of Bob Fellers, Enos Slaughters and Johnny Podres and the price will be a fraction of the posted website prices. Of course, this only works for COA cards (not full letters) for lower price items.

True. It depends on the player. Bob Feller was a frequent signer on the circuit. I would guess that the wholesale price on a Feller 8x10 is less than $15. Jim Palmer is the new Feller. Also, some members of the hall are just more coveted by collectors (Mantle, Koufax, Aaron). It is unlikely that you will find 8x10's of those three for $30 (forgeries).

This guy beats Bob Feller! :-)

Watch it on you tube. He's faster than they can move the pages :-)
https://youtu.be/e1GAa9A2Pf0

Also is there a set number of How many of the 325 HOFers are r
Possible to obtain on 8x10 photos? I thought I read some where the number is 150ish of the 325 members of the HOF?

Are you talking pure 8x10 photos or any photographic image ? Because there would be a difference . In theory every HoFer could be found on a signed photographic image of some sort and size even William Hulbert who died in 1882 but who could be found on a CDV or presentation or cabinet photo . The earliest autographed photo of a HoFer that I can quickly recall is of Mike "King" Kelley who died in 1894, which sold for over $200,000.00 several years ago ; and it was a presentation photo from a dinner honoring him as I recall.

I’m talking about pure 8x10 photos. Thanks

PSA/DNA will. The discounts start at about 50 items, from what i was told. I had asked a few months ago how much they would charge if I submitted 400 photos. They quoted me a price of $7 each.
As was previously stated, many of these guys signed a ton in the 80's and 90's and extra for the promoters. My father would purchase the extras that a promoter in St. Louis would have the guys sign at the end of shows. While he sold tons over the years, I probably have about 1000 photos, 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20's.... baseball, some basketball, football and a ton of hockey since St. Louis was a hockey town. While I know they are good, most of them aren't worth the cost to have them authenticated. I did take some 16x20's recently and had them done at a show for a higher price. A couple Favre's, Bob Gibson, Gale Sayers, one with Musial, Moore and Slaughter and my favorite one was of 4 1984 Cubs.... Sandberg, Dernier, Durham and Moreland.
Feller signed so many autos that almost anyone that can say his name should have one. He was always nice to talk to at shows. We spoke for a while at a show, I believe maybe Memphis, back in the 90's. He told me that at that point he basically lived in hotels. A promoter would pay to fly him to a show, pay for his food and lodging, pay him to sign then he would go on to the next show the following week. He was an interesting man and a great player, but can't imagine his auto will ever be worth much of anything. I have given plenty of them away and probably still have 30 or more left.

Agreed. Feller was always talking. He was an ambassador for the game. I am usually disappointed when a promoter announces a guest list. I have to stop myself and remember that there are new collectors entering the hobby who just might not have had the opportunity to get Jim Palmer or Gaylord Perry.

Feller's signature on a stock 8x10 will never be worth much, but on a unique item the price would be higher.

Any new thoughts on this?

Economics 101
Supply/Demand

In general I think 8x10's are among the least desired collectible of a player (in other words I would take a signed OMLB over an 8x10 of the same player any day).

Dealers aren’t paying posted authentication prices. So for a photo that sells for $30 they are most likely paying $7-$8 max per COA. LOAs are a lot cheaper as well.

I have collected HOF on several media in my time including 8x10s, and I have enjoyed collecting all of them, but it makes it tough when you want several different media signed by a HOFer, namely the newer expensive guys like Jeter, and older guys.

The previous poster said he preferred baseballs, but I disagree. Baseballs sometimes tend to develop spots and the signature can bleed into the ball or fade over time. I have almost never seen a sharpie signature fade and only rarely bleed on an 8x10. What I have seen happen to a sharpie signature on a glossy 8x10 is that the photo might stick to the plastic page it is stored in, so be careful about storage. Ballpoint signatures on glossy 8x10s sometimes fade or turn lighter, but ballpoint or fountain pen signatures on non-glossy photos are still clear after 100 years have passed. I have a Hoyt Wilhelm baseball he signed for me in 1983 that is 60% gone, but it has been exposed to a lot of direct incandescent light.

Also there is the storage issue. 100 signed baseballs take up a lot of space, whether you keep them in cubes or in boxes, whereas 100 signed 8x10s will fit in one 3-inch 3 ring binder. When buying or selling, signed baseballs are going to be more expensive to purchase, but should bring a higher price than an 8x10 of the same player when you sell. As has been said many times, collect what you like according to your own tastes and desires.

Thanks for saving me the time to write all of that and simply agree with you! :)

I'm not at all a fan of the 8X10s that have been signed for the card show circuit over the past 40+ years. I tire of seeing the same image(s) for each player ad nauseum.

On the other hand, a vintage Burke or Conlon 8X10? Now we're talking! There's the prefab feel of the card show 8X10s, then there are the vintage masterpieces! I'd still rather stick to smaller items for size constraints, but it's pretty difficult to pass up a vintage 8X10 with a high aesthetic appeal provided the price is right. If it has the right combination of image, clarity, condition, etc., you'll never have a difficult time moving it, either.

Baseballs...ugh. So cumbersome, so ridiculously temperamental. For the most part, no thanks. I have far more than I ever desired. Again, I am much more appreciative of vintage examples. Specializing in rare, obscure players' autographs, sometimes I've been forced to use a vintage team ball as a placekeeper for a particularly rare autograph until a flat comes along. For the most part, a combination of vintage fountain pen on the finer quality old leather looks pleasing. You can keep all your blotchy Haiti and Costa Rica Rawlings balls, as well as the newer OMLBs, upon which a ballpoint signature may or may not nearly disappear after even a couple of months. You had better bring your own ballpoint that you've had long-term success with if getting balls signed at a show.