HOF Autograph questions?

[hawaiian bam bam]

hey guys, a few questions regarding HOF autograph collections. When it comes to HOF autograph collections/collecting:

1. Do you prefer your autographs to be authenticated or not authenticated (such as PSA slabs)?

2. Of the 310 HOF members, how many of the 310 members autographs can be "reasonably" obtained? (I thought I read somewhere than not every HOF is possible and only about 220 of 310 are possible?

3. Whats the best way to store PSA slabbed cards?

4. Who here has the best HOF autograph collection? Lets see it!

Thank you

[Klrdds]

Dear bam,
Welcome to the site and congratulations on deciding to collect HOFer autographs. I do not know your level of collecting expertise so I will assume none and offer my opinion based on 40+ years of collecting.
Saying you want to collect HOFer autos is an open ended statement . First of all are you going to try to get all of them, or as many as you can collect knowing that you will never get all of them...a complete set is impossible under any circumstances.
First of all determine what you want to collect-- a niche or all of them that you are able to get/afford.
Develop a knowledge of authentic signatures yourself, do not rely on TPAs or LOAs to do your work for you....do your due diligence and educate yourself on the authentic and non- authentic/ forgeries in the market. No matter what you do you will still make mistakes and buy a bad one every now and then, we all get fooled. Even after collecting for 40+ years I have to be careful and not get caught up in the excitement of a new find.
Develop a relationship with a group of dealers or AHs that you trust.
Use the expertise available on this site .....there is a wealth of knowledge here and people are honest on here because they have no interest but the truth and to help and educate....but do your work also, it is the only way to succeed.
Your ability to collect HOFers is limited by your desire, autograph availability/scarcity, and your wallet.
Addressing your points:
1. There is no need to buy slabbed autographs unless you want to resell or you want them slabbed for piece of mind. But remember TPAs make mistakes too, and you will pay for the slabbing.
2. You can acquire 200 easily depending upon the medium you want them on and your financial ability. It is possible to get into the 270-280s with deep pockets and some luck and patience. This is a long journey not a sprint. It has taken me 40+ years to get into the high 280s.
3. Storing slabs is a matter of your decision and whether you want to display or not display the autos.
4. I won't get into who has the best collection on this site. Anybody over 200-250 has a great collection, but any HOFer collection is great on its own merit showing determination and a search for what each collector wants and can afford. I started a long time ago and feel fortunate to be in the 280s and have no idea how I will get more or upgrade my collection.
Good luck because you must be patient , lucky, determined, well financed to a degree , willing to be taken every now and then, and know it is a project you can never complete( more on that later if you want to know more and why).
Good luck and Happy Collecting.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

1... But remember TPAs make mistakes too, and you will pay for the stabbing.

This Freudian slip made me laugh.

Great response though. I'm not an autograph collector but found it very interesting & worthwhile. Thanks.

[Klrdds]

I will correct. Thanks for pointing it out . I hate auto check for spelling .

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

Dear bam,
Welcome to the site and congratulations on deciding to collect HOFer autographs. I do not know your level of collecting expertise so I will assume none and offer my opinion based on 40+ years of collecting.
Saying you want to collect HOFer autos is an open ended statement . First of all are you going to try to get all of them, or as many as you can collect knowing that you will never get all of them...a complete set is impossible under any circumstances.
First of all determine what you want to collect-- a niche or all of them that you are able to get/afford.
Develop a knowledge of authentic signatures yourself, do not rely on TPAs or LOAs to do your work for you....do your due diligence and educate yourself on the authentic and non- authentic/ forgeries in the market. No matter what you do you will still make mistakes and buy a bad one every now and then, we all get fooled. Even after collecting for 40+ years I have to be careful and not get caught up in the excitement of a new find.
Develop a relationship with a group of dealers or AHs that you trust.
Use the expertise available on this site .....there is a wealth of knowledge here and people are honest on here because they have no interest but the truth and to help and educate....but do your work also, it is the only way to succeed.
Your ability to collect HOFers is limited by your desire, autograph availability/scarcity, and your wallet.
Addressing your points:
1. There is no need to buy slabbed autographs unless you want to resell or you want them slabbed for piece of mind. But remember TPAs make mistakes too, and you will pay for the slabbing.
2. You can acquire 200 easily depending upon the medium you want them on and your financial ability. It is possible to get into the 270-280s with deep pockets and some luck and patience. This is a long journey not a sprint. It has taken me 40+ years to get into the high 280s.
3. Storing slabs is a matter of your decision and whether you want to display or not display the autos.
4. I won't get into who has the best collection on this site. Anybody over 200-250 has a great collection, but any HOFer collection is great on its own merit showing determination and a search for what each collector wants and can afford. I started a long time ago and feel fortunate to be in the 280s and have no idea how I will get more or upgrade my collection.
Good luck because you must be patient , lucky, determined, well financed to a degree , willing to be taken every now and then, and know it is a project you can never complete( more on that later if you want to know more and why).
Good luck and Happy Collecting.

Kevin,
Very eloquently stated!

[Lordstan]

Bam,
Welcome to Net54. You may recognize me from SCN (same username).
The crowd is is a bit more advanced than the group over there. Many here are also over there. I think Kevin's answer is pretty much perfect.
The only thing I have to add is that most, but not all, collectors here are lukewarm, at best, on the TPAs. We talk freely about the good and the bad. My opinion on them is pretty consistent
1) Having a cert doesn't mean I'll accept it's real above the opinion of the group here.
2) Having a Cert/Slab doesn't change what I will pay for a sig.
3) I won't send something in for a cert until I am about to sell it and only if I think the cert will increase my selling price dramatically. Remember, all the TPAs are one big scandal away from becoming GAI, so spending my money beforehand makes me concerned that could be wasted.
Mark

[mighty bombjack]

Welcome to net54. This is the place to discuss HOF autographs and constantly learn about this hobby niche. I have learned a ton since I joined and I love looking at other collections and rare exemplars here.

My answers to your questions:

1. Not to be glib or obvious, but I prefer my autographs to be authentic, nothing more. When I started out, PSA and JSA gave me added peace of mind, but that is no longer the case. I won't buy anything that has an alphabet sticker affixed to it, but the presence or absence of a slab no longer has much effect on my decision to buy or not (though for the time being it does make an item more liquid if I ever need to sell, something that may change as alphabet companies have gone out of favor quickly in the past).

2. I am at 240 and am pretty much stuck, as we are talking at least 3k to add anything at this point. If I had the money, I could easily add 10 or so names right now and 20-30 over the next year from the high end auction houses. As you can see from klrdds and his amazing collection, higher numbers are possible, but they take time and money. The journey is fun, though, so don't rush it!

3. I don't think there's any best way to store autos. I keep my most valuable items in a safety deposit box, but I have everything scanned so I can still enjoy looking at them...

4. There are some really incredible collections here. Mine is viewable in the link in my signature. I don't think it's "the best" but I'm proud of it. Feel free to show off what you've got.

[hawaiian bam bam]

Hello and Thank you all for your responses I appreciate it!

Hey Mark! I do remember you from SCN! So nice to see friends like you also on this site. That makes it even more cooler to be here!

Im glad to be here, so far this site has been awesome. The wealth of knowledge here and the collections here are the best in the hobby!

I have been collecting for awhile, but trying to focus my collecting. it is so easy to be sidetracked if you dont have a focus, im learning that the hard way(and expensive way)

im starting to think the knowledge here is WAY better than the TPA out there, even PSA.

Is there a list out there somewhere of all the possible HOF players to obtain so I know who is possible and who isnt? What players for sure are unattainable or no possible? That would be cool if someone has a list of the possibilities.

Thank you all for your help, I am glad to be here.

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

Is there a list out there somewhere of all the possible HOF players to obtain so I know who is possible and who isnt? What players for sure are unattainable or no possible? That would be cool if someone has a list of the possibilities.

Thank you all for your help, I am glad to be here.

Best bet is to buy Ron's Book-It is not the perfect, but it is close. And if you see a Frank Grant autograph offered for sale, I would pass on it.

http://stinsonsports.com/product/bas...ference-guide/

[Klrdds]

http://www.psacard.com/dnasetregistr...tion.aspx?c=37

This a link to the PSA registry site which lists the HoFers in alphabetical order. Forget all the values which are related to scarcity for the signatures and just use it as a list of HoFers, it is up to date with this year's 4 electees already listed. The top part is in black, they are the "readily" available autographs with no mention of value. The bottom part is in red , they are the ultra rare signatures ( it includes some that are unattainable and some that appear in the market rarely). The weighting given each signature as to rarity is by no means scientific , it is just the opinions of the people who have submitted their collections to PSA for ranking.
I think you will find it helpful and the weighting scores are interesting and a good conversation starter.

[hawaiian bam bam]

Thank you both so much for your help, I appreciate it. I will order the book and also have printed out the list. that list is awesome and exactly what im looking for! thank you...it looks like about 50 or so players are unattainable or rare, leaving about 260 or so HOF players that are reasonably obtainable.

[whyconform]

Bam I believe I came across you in another forum a few years ago. This is the best site if you plan on collecting HOF'ers. There are a number of interesting collections on here, many collectors with deep pockets and a passion to have the best.

Although my pockets are not very deep, patience and timing has helped me to get into the 230's since I started in 07. And although a new addition (outside new inductees) is now few and far between, it is still fun surfing the site, looking at what people have added to their collection(s), and becoming more knowledgeable.

I think the "what I can get under $1,000 ea" mark is probably around 225-230?

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by whyconform

I think the "what I can get under $1,000 ea" mark is probably around 225-230?

I have always wondered this myself, 225 is probably fair if you don't mind medium/condition, plus a little bit of luck.

[Klrdds]

I agree with your assessment of the under $1000.00 availability. It all depends on the medium you want it on.
You know the under $1000.00 availability is significant but think about how many signatures are available for under $500.00 , depending on the medium, maybe 150-200? And many of these can be acquired quickly too.

[hawaiian bam bam]

Hey how are you friend! I do remember you! Glad to see you here as well. I am so, so impressed with this site. Im not sure why i didnt find it years ago. Just in my short time here I can already tell this site and its members are the very best in the hobby. I feel like I have been in the minors all thsi time and just got called up to the majors! these guys are awesome, just very knowledgeable and very nice guys here. what i love is everyone is so helpful here. on other sites, you post a question, you will get 40-60 people viewing it and not a single person answering the question. here the knowledge and help is just amazing. and the collections here are world class, these guys have some serious collections here that are fun to see. for me, i focus on brooklyn dodgers and hofers. im at about 160 of the 310. im trying to collect all of the hofers but just learned that about 50 hofers are impossible to collect. i would be happy to get to the 225-230 range. again, o glad to see you here too!

[btcarfagno]

Watch for an Oscar Charleston in the next Love Of The Game Auction.

On this board that is known as a shameless plug.

Tom C

[tazdmb]

Stop advertising it, I want to win it for under $100!

[btcarfagno]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

Stop advertising it, I want to win it for under $100!

Nice.

No thank you...but nice.

BTW it kills me that I had to fork over $250 so that JSA could give their "blessing" to the thing. C'est la vie.

Tom C

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

Nice.

No thank you...but nice.

BTW it kills me that I had to fork over $250 so that JSA could give their "blessing" to the thing. C'est la vie.

Tom C

Seriously?! Don't the auction houses cut some sort of deal to get a reduced rate on bulk submissions?

Bam Bam-Sorry we are hijacking your thread.

[btcarfagno]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

Seriously?! Don't the auction houses cut some sort of deal to get a reduced rate on bulk submissions?

Bam Bam-Sorry we are hijacking your thread.

Yes but Al was great in helping me with the purchase, so I picked up the tab on the LOA. It's just highway robbery what JSA charges on something like this.

Tom C

[Cmount76]

Hey Bam Bam,
Like all others, let me welcome you to the board. I am fairly new here as well and the wealth of knowledge is unmatched, and typically entertaining at the same time.

I am not going to offer you any more insight that you haven't already heard, but as a fellow HOF auto collector, I am always on the prowl for "in person" autos. With that said, on March 14th, Juan Marichal is going to be signing in White Plains. I need him for my collection, so if you would like, I will happily pick one up for you and pass it along. On Sunday, Ozzie Smith is going to be there as well. I already have him and wasn't planning on getting in line, but if you need him, I can always do the favor.

This is the link to the show http://www.nyshows.org/white-plains-...ograph-guests/.

If interested, let me know.

Thanks

[Klrdds]

Tom,
Did you consider selling it / auctioning it without a COA. I believe knowledgeable people would have bought it without a COA... I know I would have just based on what I have seen of it.
I will be bidding on it I imagine with a lot of others.
Sorry Bam about the OT topic .

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

I will be bidding on it I imagine with a lot of others.

Well, looks like I am out even before I got in....

I think all items now in auctions need at least an auction LOA, if not full LOA. However, for that money I would have insisted on PSA, if I had a choice. Sounds like Tom had to sell through LOTG.

[tazdmb]

Originally Posted by Cmount76

I am always on the prowl for "in person" autos.
Thanks

Like you, I have met every living HOFer and really into IP autographs. Have quite a few future HOFers as well IP (supposed to get Jeter last Thursday, but he was big no show for an event). I am sure you already subscribe, but if not-join www.signingshotline.com

OK, now this thread is really hijacked.

[btcarfagno]

I was looking for a cute little image to show for a proper thread hijacking and think this one is the best. So I'll post it.



Unfortunately with an item this valuable (over $100...sorry taz) it seems like a prerequisite that it has to have been annointed by one of the big two. But $250? Kinda sucks.

Anyway. Carry on.

Tom C

[Klrdds]

Does she come with a COA? I will only take her if she is certified authentic by JSA or PSA, but JSA might confuse her with Cheetah?