Vin Scully
 

Back in April, Vin Scully did a private autograph signing where prices started at $250. No offense to Mr. Scully, but do Ford Frick Award Winners autographs really hold their value?

I would pass on that opportunity.

It depends. Not all Ford Frick award winners cost near that much. Some, especially on balls, cost more if they won the award years after they passed away. There are a lot of collectors that do not consider FFA winners to be hof'ers, and some do...but then again, some don't think execs and umpires are either. For my collection, I consider them hof'ers and quite frankly I consider Buck O'Neil a HOF'er even though they just have an award named for him. Besides the obvious collectors that want any FFA's, there are collectors that add announcers to their team projects, and Vinny would fit the bill for several Dodger championship teams especially the 55 team. I haven't seen too many Scully baseballs for under 150 and he's getting up there in age, so to me $250 from a private signing doesn't sound too too bad, but then again I'm a big Vin Scully fan.

While I agree that this seems extremely high, and I would never pay it myself, I hope you weren't diminishing him by lumping him as just a "Ford Frick winner." He is widely accepted as the best announcer of all time, so placing him with Dave Niehaus is like comparing Honus Wagner to George Kelly.

Ken

lol

i don't understand the rant of this thread. vin scully is an icon and a los angeles treasure. he's the voice of our greatest sports memories spanning 2-3 generations. i'd more likely pay $250 for an ip vin scully autograph than sandy koufax. there are worse injustices then paying $250 to meet the man.

I don't think the OP was asking if paying $250 to meet and get a ball signed by Scully was worth it. He was asking if FFA winners retain their value over time.

While Scully is a great announcer, perhaps the best ever, the answer to his question is probably no. If you pay $250 for a signed ball of Scully, will you be able to sell it for the same in the near future? I doubt it.

Demand - The market for announcers, no matter how great, is much much smaller than players. There certainly will be some, like the examples Mike stated, who will collect these guys.

Supply - The guy has been announcing for over 50 yrs and was given the FFA in 1982. That means that most of the people are currently collecting HOFers autographs have had 30yrs to add him to their collection.

None of this has anything to do with whether $250 is worth spending to meet Vin, shake his hand, ask a question, and have him sign a ball. That is a personal decision.

Good point, but can you name anyone whose in-person signing price matches what you could sell for in the near future? How much is Jeter in person versus finding a legit one on ebay? AROD? Mays? Aaron? Even Johnny Bench or Boog Powell.

Also, check the prices that Brickhouse, Carey, and Jack Buck go for nowadays. After their deaths, their values went WAY up.


Ken

PS: Heck, I just checked out what they've sold for recently on ebay, and I have changed my mind: $250 to meet him and get your ball signed is a deal! Decent-looking ones range from $200-$350, and I'm not even looking at the authenticity.

i didn't realize scully balls go for that much. i just took offense to the OP starting a thread singling out scully charging $250...where in a world jeter charges multiple of that, at the nat'l where players charges between $50-$250 where i can buy their autos all day on ebay for $10-$50, where even mike trout who's been in the big league for 3 months is charging $80 for a card. maybe i interpreted the OP's tone wrong.

As a comparison, the Jack Buck I got back in the day through the mail is now worth $150.

Ken

Just to clarify, I was just asking if people that that Ford Frick Winners autographs retain their value. Not giving my commentary of what I think about Vin Scully nor about his fee just referencing it. It does not seem that Jack Buck, Harry Carey, Ernie Harwell, etc... sell that well in general. Like anything else, the value is only what someone will pay for it. Pujols has a signing comping up and the starting price is $325.00 some people are willing to pay for it and some won't. Not that it matters but on the Scully signing it was a private signing and the public was not invited to meet him.

You're right about this when it comes to generic items like a ball. Unfortunately, if you have something unique like a multi-signed item, the only way to add the player you want is to pay through the nose. You may never recoup the full value, but you probably didn't get it signed strictly because of resale value.


Wow. I guess I am wrong. I would've never thought he would be that expensive. Perhaps I am biased because I can't see myself ever spending that much on an announcer or writer.

JimStinson
 

from a dealers standpoint the autograph of Vin Scully IS extremely popular, & sells at a premium. Probably more popular than any other announcer that I can think of except for BOB PRINCE (Died-1985) ....Why ? I have no idea. I don't think it has anything to do with any Hall of fame connection probably longevity 60 years as an announcer is a long time.
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Jim, I can't speak as to why Vinny is so popular everywhere else, but if you grew up like I did in the Los Angeles area during the 60's and 70's, you were tuned in to your radio every game to listen to Vin Scully paint verbal pictures of the wonderful game of baseball. I've heard a few other announcers that I like almost as well, but never anyone better. As kids we were very fortunate to have both Scully and Chick Hearn to listen to.

Based on that number, I would imagine that the great John Sterling would start at $500

Vin Scully - Beautiful Signature
 

Blasphemy, John Sterling mentioned in the same thread as Vin Scully. Aside from Tim McCarver probably the most irritating out there with Susan finishing a close third!

Vin must have come off the rails a while back? He used to sign ttm like a champ. I haven't sent him in years.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s.../vinscully.jpg

LOL

Scully paints a picture of a game with artistry and understatement. Sterling manufactures self promotional, rehearsed calls to draw attention to himself. Just awful "look at me" announcing.

BTW, I am a die hard Yankee fan who wouldn't pay a nickel for a Sterling autograph, but gladly have a Scully in my collection.

:D

Just curious as to how generous . . .
 

.

Vin Scully has been over the years in providing his autograph gratis?

Ernie Harwell was just a gem (no pun intended), and gave his out freely (for the most part; some book signings did charge a nominal fee). So it is no surprise there are many Harwells available in the marketplace, and have influenced the market value of his autograph. I do not ever recall hearing that Scully was nearly as generous. Prices are a reflection of supply and demand. No doubt about the demand.

I absolutely concur with Mike on this statement. Vinnie is one of a kind!

Vin Scully always signed for me from the 1970's to the late 1990's. I never got shut out, FWIW. I wish I had been smart enough to have gotten him on a single signed ball, but I never thought about it. :(

I wish I had thought about it as well, but now I need one for my 55 Dodgers and it will probably cost me 300 bones. Aghhhhh