Baseball Hall-Of_Fame Autographs

[skyrunner]

I am thinking of obtaining Autographs of as many as I can afford, members of the Baseball Hall Of Fame. I would like your ideas on how you put your collection together and the items that you used. It is better to get all cards only? Or an autograph on anything, as long as you have an autograph of the ball player do just fine. I have about 30 autographs already on both cards and baseballs. Thanks.

[Maddog]

I would say it totally depends on the individual collector, their budget and really, what makes them happy.
Personally, I have baseballs, cards, index cards...
Don't worry about what others have, collect what you like.

[skyrunner]

Thank you Charlie for your perspective. When i do start, I would probably start with the easy and cheaper autographs.

[rsn1661]

I have 72 HOF autographs and I have cards, 3x5's, 8x10's and baseballs. I prefer cards as they are easier to store. I have my baseballs in a box in my closet out of the sunlight and they still get discolored. Having cards or even 3x5's or 8x10's makes it easier to store them in a book where you can look at them easier. That being said it just comes down to a matter of personal preference. Best of luck on your collection!

[Lordstan]

Al,
There is no magic formula for this endeavor. It's all about what makes you happy.
Do you like a certain medium more than the others?
How much room do you have to store or display?
How quickly do you want to do it? Are you patient?
How much money do you have to spend?

The last question only really factors into the second question (with the exception of certain very rare signatures). Meaning if you want to do it quickly, you will likely need more money. The budget doesn't really affect what medium you get. If you prefer to get a Ruth SS ball you may have to save up longer to get the money for it, but if that is really what is going to make you happy, then why not?

Remember, it's not a race or a competition. Collect what you really enjoy and you'll likely never b disappointed with your collection, no matter how big or small it is.
Best,
Mark

[theshleps]

I'd start with the deceased guys as in the long run the supply will be less on most of them and guys in that category will appreciate faster and be harder and more expensive to get later especially if you do cards. In the long run it might be better to get say a $100 signed card now like a Stengel than 3 very easy $30 cards.

[whyconform]

Been collecting for 7 years or so and have over 230 HOF'ers.


Simply put, if you stick to a certain type of item, it will get expensive......If you stuck to baseball cards.....you'll be getting expensive at over 100 HOF. Single signed baseballs? Forget about it......

Most important thing is that 1) it's authentic and 2) you like it.

I prefer flats, but do have 2 baseballs...

Also, I got stuck in the numbers game...get the cheapest autos of the cheapest guys...... But so far in...you'll really start wanting to replace the poor examples you have for some nicer ones...trust me.......Most of those were since sold and upgraded....

If I had to do it over, I'd suggest going for items with multiple autos targeting 1 or more rarer guy..., like team sheets/team baseballs/ etc.... You pay for really the most expensive player, and all the other guys are practically nothing.....

For example...Got a pirates autograph book from the 20's....I paid about 1,000 dollars.....and got Wilbert Robinson (he alone goes for that)..... But, also signed along with him were lee and paul waner, grimes, Bancroft, and traynor. If I bought those separately itd cost way more...

[Klrdds]

Good luck on making the decision to start collecting HoFer autographs. It is a common thing to hear from people and see on this site, but in reality it is much more than just "collecting HoFer autos".
My best advice is to buy the best auto you can find and afford that way you will be less tempted to try to upgrade that HoFer later. Decide how you want to collect, that is on what mediums ( flats, pics, balls, etc... ) you want the auto on, if that is a concern. Also do I want to display or store them ( framing and matting costs can eat into a budget rapidly), do they have to be PSA or JSA certed ( the best advice is to educate yourself on the player's signing characteristics and not rely solely on TPAs but yourself first and foremost), are you going to start with a particular category of HoFer first ( Yankees, 500 home run HoFers, umpires, etc...) because having a focus will help avoid confusion when multiple HoFer autos that you want become available all at one time: additionally and importantly is how many will I try to get of the total number of HoFers (310) in the Hall and what is the top end price I can afford to spend on a HoFer auto ( you will be able to get approximately 1/2 for under $400.00 easily if you don't want balls, contracts, letters, or photos of those HoFers). You should be very aware of the values and availability for the top 75-100 HoFer autos if you are not already. That may very well decide how "deep" you will want to go in your HoFer collecting.
You will also need to decide is this for fun or as an investment, because you will also need to figure out is it better to spend $300 for 1 auto or $100 on 3 autos... that is do I want to buy a harder to find auto or do I want to just get numbers of HoFer autos.
Realize that you will make mistakes , that is inevitable . We all have done it and it always happens , sorry to say.
I say this NOT to put a damper on your enthusiasm because I truly love to hear people say that and get pumped for it but to give you pause to consider the journey you are about to undertake. You can't just wake up one morning and say I am going to collect HoFer autos to any significant degree any more than you can say one morning I want to climb Mt. Everest. HoFer autograph collecting is the Mt. Everest of all categories of sports autograph collecting and without proper knowledge and preparation it will be hard yet ultimately rewarding!!!!!
I started this journey approximately 25-30 years ago and I am in the 280s-290s with little hope to get a complete set (310) of HoFer autos.
I did not mean to ramble but want to wish you GOOD LUCK on a great pursuit no matter how deep into it you go.

[joed25]

I would start collecting single signed baseballs. They are more expensive and many hall of famers are very rare or don't exist on a ball. But nothing looks better on your shelf than a single signed baseball IMO. Good luck!

[parker1b2]

The autograph part of my collection is now really just focused on HOFers. Currently at 110. I pretty much collect anything, but for the older deceased players I really like the way 3x5 index cards frame up with a nice photo. Also they are usually less expensive then photo or ball.

[skyrunner]

Thank you guys for all the input. There are so many ideas and thoughts. I will give each idea a good look and I hope that in the very near future, I will start and I am pretty sure that I will adjust the way that I approach collecting these great ball players.

[mighty bombjack]

I know a guy who only collects them on 3x5s, and has a bit of ocd about that. Me, I prefer the variety and very much like unique items. I have a few baseballs, some cards and postcards, lots of books, scorecards, tickets, cuts, etc. I like GPCs because of the added history of the return address and postmark. I also love contracts and other documents.

I guess I'm just repeating what many others have said: buy what makes you happy!

[ocjack]

I spent the better part of 15 years taking two of these art posters from show to show. I was able to obtain 50 Hall of Famers on one display piece. (Well, 49 really because I had Pete Rose sign the bat - and I assumed he'd eventually make the HOF). Excuse the glare on either side of the poster from the holder I have it in. I was fortunate to obtain many signatures of now deceased players, including Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams. Every signature was obtained in-person.

[almostdone]

Originally Posted by ocjack

I spent the better part of 15 years taking two of these art posters from show to show. I was able to obtain 50 Hall of Famers on one display piece. (Well, 49 really because I had Pete Rose sign the bat - and I assumed he'd eventually make the HOF). Excuse the glare on either side of the poster from the holder I have it in. I was fortunate to obtain many signatures of now deceased players, including Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams. Every signature was obtained in-person.

That is a really cool piece. Great pen choices against the colors of the balls. What great memories you must have meeting all those guys. Very nice piece indeed.
Drew

[bender07]

Originally Posted by ocjack

I spent the better part of 15 years taking two of these art posters from show to show. I was able to obtain 50 Hall of Famers on one display piece. (Well, 49 really because I had Pete Rose sign the bat - and I assumed he'd eventually make the HOF). Excuse the glare on either side of the poster from the holder I have it in. I was fortunate to obtain many signatures of now deceased players, including Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams. Every signature was obtained in-person.

That's awesome. Who was the last one you added? Plans for more?

[ocjack]

Thanks guys. It was troublesome carrying two posters from show to show, but I think the results were well worth it. Berra was the last autograph on one poster and Schmidt was the last on the second poster.

And no plans to continue although I still have about 6 posters without signatures ( I originally purchased 12 from the art gallery and sold a couple when I was set up at shows).

[skyrunner]

Wow OCJack. That poster looks great. I can only imagine all the work you went through. I am trying to put some ideas together now on how I will approach this major project.

[ocjack]

Thanks skyrunner. The most daunting part was trying to get the player to sign the baseball I requested. For example, DiMaggio was upset because he had to stand up to be able to reach the spot I wanted him to sign. After he signed, he told the person next to him that was collecting the tickets "I'm not signing anymore of these posters."

[skyrunner]

Man OCJack, these guys can be jerks at times. I think that they would glad to sign something and sign it where you want them to sign. Maybe his legs where hurting.

[Klrdds]

Unfortunately Joe DiMaggio did that more than one time at shows. He had a running fued with a photo dealer named Joe LiCata over signing some of the photos he sold, and they were beautiful photos also. All of them were 16x20 with a few 11x14 poses. All in black and white. I was at the show in 1989 when it started and it lasted for several years until Joe D died. However he signed a few for me and a buddy at a show a few years later because we had so many items for him to sign he just signed our stuff without paying much attention and we covered the majority of the photos with other photos to avoid him seeing the whole photo. Joe had a tremendous memory for knowing what he would and would not sign , as well as what his contract for a show stipulated.
Also an incident when he stopped adding Yankee Clipper inscriptions to his stuff in the middle of a 2 day show. This refusal lasted for a little while because his "damn" name was Joe Di Maggio not the Yankee Clipper, and he wasn't getting paid extra to sign 2 things per item...1 price= one name only and it was Joe DiMaggio.

[jimjim]

I have been collecting baseballs with HOF inscription for sometime now. I have pretty much most of the guys who would include HOF except for a few of the high priced ones. Unfortunately, I am considering stopping collecting baseballs with HOF, as the prices for the new guys are out of hand. I have everybody with HOF including the 2014 class except Mantle, Drysdale, Gehringer, and a few others. The guys in the 2015 class have crazy high prices, which I cannot stomach paying. I was watching three auctions last night on eBay for John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. All of these balls were recently signed at MAB shows with HOF 15. The total for all three at the final hammer was $500. That is just too much for me to justify. I will continue to collect the HOF plaque postcards, at least I don't have to pay for the inscription fee!

[Cubswin82]

When I first started...I had no focus...I just wanted an auto from each HOF player no matter what medium it was on so I had autographed cards, index cards, cuts, baseballs, photos, posters, etc Years later, I tried to focus that so now I collect HOF signed baseballs and RC's. I do also have several multi-signed HOF pieces going on at once. Multis are probably my favorite to collect.

[rsn1661]

Matthew, l completely agree with you, the newer members prices are more than l will pay.

James, that is a beautiful collection of signed balls and bats. I love multi signed items also.

[Klrdds]

James that is a nice collection you have. Did you get the autos in person or did you start with buying a ball with the most of the sigs on it?

[Cubswin82]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

James that is a nice collection you have. Did you get the autos in person or did you start with buying a ball with the most of the sigs on it?

Thanks guys. For most, I picked up a ball that already had a few sigs and started adding to it over time. The bat I picked up with all of the sigs on it with the intentions of adding to it...but I think I'm just going to keep it as is

[Unclefloyd606]

Originally Posted by skyrunner

I am thinking of obtaining Autographs of as many as I can afford, members of the Baseball Hall Of Fame. I would like your ideas on how you put your collection together and the items that you used. It is better to get all cards only? Or an autograph on anything, as long as you have an autograph of the ball player do just fine. I have about 30 autographs already on both cards and baseballs. Thanks.

I started out with the 64 HOF Yellow Plaques already PSA/DNA (Burleigh Grimes was my first) and you can get many of these already authenticated for under $40, some as little as $15. I'm up to 146 and what is very cool about this set is that it grows every year. They just issue new post cards.

[JimH5]

I would think long and hard about how you want to use your autographs. Do you want them for investment only? To display in an office or den? To connect to a certain era or team?

I have limited my collection to HOFers whose careers ended by 1950, all on 3x5, GPC, or other white flat items.

I started about 25 years ago and have about 90 pieces, each framed and matted with a B&W photo. Now I'm down to guys who are $1000+, which is frustrating, but probably also a relief, since I'm running out of wall space, too.

Framing has been $175-$300 per item (kind of stupid on a $50 item), and I get photos from the HOF library for $30 or more for larger ones.