Autographs- Do you collect? Do your care?

[Tim Kindler]

With a bunch of recent threads about fake, fradualant autographed material that seems to be everywhere out there; my question to everyone is: DO YOU COLLECT AUTOGHRAPHED MATERIAL AND WHY?

Personally, autographs mean very little to me. Yes, I have a few items that I have personally had signed in front of me, but none of it comes with a letter of authenticity, and I could care less about how much it is worth. These autographs are valuable to me because they are players that I like(d). I guess I have always looked at these people as equals, not some God-Like figure who is any better than me or anyone else, so I have never really gotten the obscession that people have with autographs of famous people/athletes.

Really scary to think that Stump purposely signed a bunch of stuff as Ty Cobb, Yikes!

Just curious of your thoughts'
Tim

[carrigansghost]

I use the ones that I have obtained as companion pieces only, but would hope all are real. I have some legal documents signed by Carrigan that I use as guides.

Rawn

[D. Broughman]

I have several autographs that I got when my son and I would go to signings that have special meanings. Some HOF players and some where they only played a short time. They all take me back to that time no mater who they are. He lives on the other side of the state and we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. The memories are worth more than any autographs.

[drc]

I've collected autographs over the years. I think they're interesting. Nobel Prize winning scientists are amongst my favorites. Though I've collected sports, Hollywood, military and political. I don't buy anything particularly expensive or stuff like Babe Ruth signed baseballs. A letter from a Nobel scientist or a minor WWII General would be as as interesting as anything to me. That an autograph has a $10,000 price tag on it doesn't make it interesting to me. A Babe Ruth baseball doesn't particularly excite me.

In any area, some collectors are attracted to the price tag not the item. The only reason they have any interest in a T206 Honus Wagner or Babe Ruth signed baseball is because they're expensive.

[slidekellyslide]

The only autographs I collect are team signed baseballs and 3x5's of Lincoln minor leaguers...the only ones that anyone would try to fake would be Nellie Fox and maybe Dick Stuart.

[thetruthisoutthere]

My days of collecting autographs are behind me. The few autographs I've gotten in person or through the mail I certainly do cherish. Tom Tresh (Rest In Peace) is my all-time favorite Yankee. When he lived in Michigan I would send him a card to sign once a year and he would return the card with his signature every time. Below is a photo of just one of those cards. Also pictured below is my one and only team-signed baseball. It is from the 1985 Yankees with Billy Martin on the sweet spot. The ball also includes sigs of Don Mattingly, Rickey Henderson, etc.

TRESHMINE.jpg

TEAMYANKEES.jpg

[keithsky]

My days of autograph collecting are over to. To much garbage out there. Ebay doesn't do anything to police the fakes, Coach's Corner ruined the hobby also. I thought when Operation Bullpen was finished it would have cleaned up most of the bad stuff and scum bags in the hobby but just as it tried to Ebay and C.C put it all right back. I'm starting to get into game used stuff now and even that is getting shacking.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by Tim Kindler

I guess I have always looked at these people as equals, not some God-Like figure who is any better than me or anyone else, so I have never really gotten the obscession that people have with autographs of famous people/athletes.

But an obsession for little pieces of cardboard with ballplayer's pictures on them makes sense?

[perezfan]

And...

Would you stop collecting Cards, just because there are reprints and altered/trimmed cards circulating out there?

Would you stop collecting early posters, ad signs and broadsides, just because some clown from Ohio tries to reproduce and profit from them?

Would an art collector stop collecting original art, because there are fakes and reproductions passed off as authentic?

Would you stop wearing your Rolex because they sell so many fake ones in Tijuana?

Of course not! As long as you know your stuff, it's just as rewarding to collect autographs as anything else. If it's not your "cup of tea", so be it... But you shouldn't stop collecting just because some idiots out there are producing bogus items.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by perezfan

And...

Would you stop collecting Cards, just because there are reprints and altered/trimmed cards circulating out there?

Would you stop collecting early posters, ad signs and broadsides, just because some clown from Ohio tries to reproduce and profit from them?

Would an art collector stop collecting original art, because there are fakes and reproductions passed off as authentic?

Would you stop wearing your Rolex because they sell so many fake ones in Tijuana?

Of course not! As long as you know your stuff, it's just as rewarding to collect autographs as anything else. If it's not your "cup of tea", so be it... But you shouldn't stop collecting just because some idiots out there are producing bogus items.

I would never let anyone or anything influence me to stop doing anything. Just a personal decision on my part.

[bbcard1]

I don't really collect autos, but I do have two projects I enjoy. I have a negro league bat that is pretty much full...it's just as well as there are few of those guys still around. I also have a Baseball Encylopedia with more than 180 signatures across the appropriate entry.

[Scott Garner]

No doubt, I have always been an autograph hawk (stalker). I primarily have collected baseball players that I liked through the years, and each has a great story that accompanies it. Too many of these to list here. Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken were great signers and always personable. Albert "don't call me Joey" Belle was the all-time biggest tool without a doubt! That's a story that isn't fit to print.

BTW, I've also been fortunate to have gotten the autograph of quite a few of my favorite golfers (Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Corey Pavin, Johnny Miller, Tiger Woods, Bruce Lietzke, Ricky Fowler (current young gun on the PGA), Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, etc.). I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I did enjoy the LA Lakers for many years. I managed to catch Jerry West, Magic Johnson and James Worthy one-on-one and each were nice enough to sign for me. Magic Johnson was one of my favorite autograph experiences of all time. Julius Erving was another awesome experience.

These days my major autograph pursuit is trying to get the signature of every pitcher that ever threw a perfect game since 1893 (the year that they moved the mound distance to the modern standard of 60' 6"). I have personally gotten the signature of about 106 living no-hit pitchers. Additionally, I own the sig of another 140 that are no longer alive. Several of these I got in person. In order to complete my goal I still am looking for about 18 more early names. It's a brutally hard challenge, but I love it.

Collect what you like!

[bbcard1]

I had a guy in his early 20s who used to work with me who was fearless. He had a couple of monster boxes full of cards. He was about 6 foot 3 and had an athletic build and he used to take his card stuff in a bat bag and walk into minor league clubhouses posing as a player. Rarely got busted...really worked it in an organized and systematic way. Was just as glad to get autos from single A players as major leaguers.

[ksfarmboy]

Mickey Mantle ruined it for me when I was a kid. Most of the ones I have were personally obtained at shows in the late 70's, early 80's. The others I have are ones that nobody would fake like local minor league ones. Now there are so many fakes and I don't know or care to learn the difference between real and fake. I have no problem with collecting them they are just not for me. As the previous poster said the ones I got at shows take me back to when my dad and I used to go. The memory means more than the auto.

[margoaepi]

I am an autograph collector and I enjoy it more than cards because I like the idea that the player has had some connection with the item. I understand its not for everyone, and I am still learning, but I truly enjoy it.

To Tim, if you "have always looked at these people as equals, not some God-Like figure who is any better than me or anyone else, so I have never really gotten the obscession that people have with autographs of famous people/athletes", then isn't it a little weird for you to want the likeness on cardboard? I'm just saying . . .

(I see that I am echoing David's point, but I still think its a fair question)

[Tim Kindler]

David, Perezfan, and Josh,
Points well taken. Let me say again that when I posed my question: Do You Collect Autographs and Why? I clearly stated at the end I was curious to hear everyone's thoughts. I wasn't implying that if you collect autographs that there is something wrong with it and you are crazy idolizing someone like a teenage girl at a Justin Beiber concert, I just wondered why people collect them. My comment on "Godlike" status of those in which we collect autographs from, probably wasn't clearly stated by me, and I don't know if I can clearly state it at all, but what I'm trying to say is that when SOME (NOT ALL) autograph collectors clamour and pay hundreds of dollars to get someone's autograph, you can't tell me that these people feel like they have a status that is above the person seeking the autograph. Now I do get that when we buy a card, jersey, etc, of say A-ROD or somebody, I guess we are essentially doing the same thing....like I said point well taken.
There is one difference in cards as related to autographs and that is that there aren't nearly the amount of fake/fraudulant cards out there as there are fake/fraudulant autographs and the ones that are are certainly more easily detected than bad autographs and fake letters of authenticities.

Good topic to debate on and again, I'm just curious on peoples' thoughts; not criticizing any of us on what we collect and I'm especially not criticizing anyone who collects autographs, I have a few from my childhood.

Tim

[Jay Wolt]

I collect signed checks be it personal or business to me they are
a bit safer, authenticity wise then buying a file card or a photo.

Here are a couple of Catfish Hunter Yankees & A's payroll checks
both endorsed on the back by Catfish.

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by Tim Kindler

There is one difference in cards as related to autographs and that is that there aren't nearly the amount of fake/fraudulant cards out there as there are fake/fraudulant autographs and the ones that are are certainly more easily detected than bad autographs and fake letters of authenticities.[emphasis added]

Really?

[Exhibitman]

I collect some. For modern era I prefer the mfg certified and issued cards. I mean, where else can you get a genuine sig of a HOFer for $10-$20? Great value for the collector IMO.

I also collect sigs I get in person.

I have a few vintage sigs of people who've done something I admire, like several of the 506th PIR (Band of Brothers) soldiers from WWII.

And I have several sigs of my cousin in various formats:

1951 Topps Ringside card, contract and TLS referencing autographing Topps Ringside cards:







Poster, secretarially signed:



Autographed photo: