Modern player signature prices: Time to check out?

[Mr. Zipper]

I was recently chatting with a few collectors about the insanely high cost of modern players, e.g., Trout $700, Jeter $800+, Rivera $300+, Griffey $400+, etc etc.

Seasoned collectors are checking out. And, how does the hobby attract new participants at prices like this?

I used to collect the HOF postcard plaks from every new class, and I've given up. Not that I technically could not afford it, but it's a matter of principle. I'll be damned before I pay $400 for a Ken Griffey signed postcard plak. I can't even imagine what a Jeter plak is going to go for. "On sale" at Steiner for $500?

The thing is, these are NOT investments. You'll never get your money back out. God willing, these guys will be around signing for many decades. Dealers are sitting on a ton of stock, and the market is being diluted daily by a steady and mass influx of fakes.

One could argue you do it for the enjoyment, not the investment. Maybe it's me, but I just can't "enjoy" being subjected to predatory pricing to keep a frivolous thing like a collection going.

I believe it's time to cut bait and run.

Am I alone?

[Johnny630]

I’m with you Steve +1 not fun anymore. Money and greed destroyed it.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

I’m with you Steve +1 not fun anymore. Money and greed destroyed it.

Perhaps I'm getting to the point in life where priorities change.

I could have:
* A night in a nice resort for the family; and
* Meals for the day; and
* Walking around cash for entertainment.

OR

* A Ken Griffey signed postcard that will sit in a binder and I'll look at it once or twice a year.

It's not like I have to pick one over the other, but I can't shake that kind of thinking when I look at the pricing of contemporary players.

It would be one thing if it was my absolute favorite player and it was an item I would display and enjoy for years, but honestly it's not. More often than not, it's just mindlessly following a habit out of some compulsion.

[ronniehatesjazz]

I've been thinking the exact same thing. When I was a kid (mid-late 90's) I could get auto 8x10's for the game's best at $40-$50 a pop. I remember picking up a Bonds autographed ball for $25 and a Griffey photo for $40. Can't imagine shelling out 10 times that for a Harper or Trout.

[Johnny630]

Agree again Steve. I’d much rather spend $400 on a day or two out with my family enjoying the weather at a national park or museum then spending it on a 2 second stoke of a pen on cardboard.

[btcarfagno]

I certainly agree that the price is insane. One thing I have to wonder about regarding the influx of players who made over $100,000,000 in their careers is if they actually will sign a lot as they get older. We as collectors are used to players who, as they age, need to do shows for the extra income, or even just to pay the bills. That will no longer be the case for most players going forward. If they don't want to sign, they don't have to. As such, I wonder if some of the current or future Hall Of Famers may end up actually being fairly tough simply because they can't be bothered to sign, or at least, to sign much.

Just a thought I have had.

[mr2686]

Totally agree with all of the above. Your priorities change, especially if you're like me and have retired. This doesn't help though if you have modern projects that you have to get signed. For me, I have a HOF book that I get signed, and if I went to the HOF show in July, it would cost me $1700 in autographs just to get caught up. That doesn't include needing those same players on single singed balls...there's another $1700. For the balls though, I try to find some of those same players doing private signings through card shops. A lot of times the price is a bit better.

[OlderTheBetter]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

Am I alone?

Prices are ridiculous and many of the players have no pride in their signature.
So I have no interest in collecting their scribble.

You are not alone.

[David Atkatz]

F#@k their greed. I'm lucky enough to have grown up at a time (1960s) and a place (the Bronx) where I could get player's signatures free outside the Stadium. In those days, players--for the most part--understood signing for fans was part of the job. I even got Mantle that way. And, hey, some of them even liked kids.

[Wihawk]

All you have to do is look at some of the great stuff you can get from Richard Simon E.g. that costs way under what the modern Bloodsucking bastards want for an autograph, to get something way more satisfying and be able to read it too.

[stewbacca]

I am a longtime autograph collector that is slowly getting rid of his collection. Got within 150 of getting the whole 1974 topps set done. Decided it wasn’t worth $300 per auto for Hank Aaron to get the first 6 cards of that set signed. I tried one of the Topps Heritage minors sets a few years ago and you cannot read any of their signatures. So I sold that. I teach high school and penmanship is getting worse and worse. I got Joc Pederson while he was in the minors and I got 2 letters, J P. It is getting bad. I have a topps 40 years of baseball book that has over 700 autographs in it. I though maybe I should go to the tristar show in San Francisco a few weeks ago and get the few Hall of Famers I needed. They were going to cost me nearly $100 each and with the others I wanted it was closing in on $800. I decided to skip the trip into SF and save my money. Tom Orr with Atommic Sports does some great private signings in the St Louis area, but it still adds up. Ugh.

[mrmopar]

I think most collectors who have more than a couple decades into this hobby, and maybe even some who came as recent as the 90s boom, have seen how the card and autograph industries have turned into something completely different than what came before. I got into the autograph side of it a lot later than many, but still saw prices rise more and more out of control.

I was trying to assemble as many of the Topps all rookie team cards as I could find signed. Even with some pretty solid players, it was not too tough to find most each year. I had nearly all of them through the early 2000s, aside from a few toughies and modern absurdities ($). The likes of Jeter & Ichiro started a trend that would only get worse. Now, I rarely even see any of the newer ones signed at all as it seems other sets like Heritage and Ginter are the rage and with an onslaught of high end players getting trophies each year, I gave up.

I wouldn't mind just getting the first 40 years worth, but even that has proven near impossible. Aside from Munson, which I do not have, I still need Jeter, Ichiro and a few others that never seem to show up ever.

Hoever, read through a few threads on Blowout, especially the showoff type threads and you'll quickly see that there are plenty of folks who have no issues dropping 4 & 5 figures on shiny new stuff. I have never been in a better position to spend more money on cards then ever, but I just don't get the same thrill anymore and certainly don't see it being worth it when there is so much more to spend your money on that leads to greater enjoyment.

Here is another example that just sickens me. I try to get a signature of every new Dodger player or Dodger card. More and more I miss out because of speculators. Maybe I can come back behind in 25 years and pick up some of these guys for $1-2 like I have done with late 90s/early 00s duds!

Forgive my ignorance, but is every single Dodger prospect now a gold mine right out of the gate? Who is this guy?

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...&LH_Complete=1

[Runscott]

I was in a liquor store in Annapolis the other day and saw a bottle of wine signed by Cal Ripken that came in a box with a baseball also signed by him. On sale for over $500. Looking at the prices Steve quoted, I guess this was a bargain - as you walked out the door you could re-think your purchase, realize how stupid you were, and at least sit on a street corner and get drunk (but save the empty bottle to sell on ebay.)

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

I was recently chatting with a few collectors about the insanely high cost of modern players, e.g., Trout $700, Jeter $800+, Rivera $300+, Griffey $400+, etc etc.

Seasoned collectors are checking out. And, how does the hobby attract new participants at prices like this?

I used to collect the HOF postcard plaks from every new class, and I've given up. Not that I technically could not afford it, but it's a matter of principle. I'll be damned before I pay $400 for a Ken Griffey signed postcard plak. I can't even imagine what a Jeter plak is going to go for. "On sale" at Steiner for $500?

The thing is, these are NOT investments. You'll never get your money back out. God willing, these guys will be around signing for many decades. Dealers are sitting on a ton of stock, and the market is being diluted daily by a steady and mass influx of fakes.

One could argue you do it for the enjoyment, not the investment. Maybe it's me, but I just can't "enjoy" being subjected to predatory pricing to keep a frivolous thing like a collection going.

I believe it's time to cut bait and run.

Am I alone?

Not exactly, I'm way ahead of you. At least a 3 years head start. It's a retarded hobby plagued by the most disgusting people in the universe. Complete scum bags PERIOD. Trout's a great guy but At 700 per snap it's neither fun nor funny.

[vogl13]

I agree totally Steve. Let me see; Teddy Ballgame, Joe D or Mickey vs Jeter or Griffey are you kidding me. 30+ year old deceased legends and your going to greedily gouge the market place with guys that will be signing for the next 30+ years. Ridiculous.