Anyone collect signed photos anymore?

[Chris-Counts]

I always have an eye out for signed snapshots from the 1930s through the 1950s. Here are a few of my favorites.

[Topnotchsy]

I think I'm with most people in not caring for modern signed photos that are readily available, but love them for vintage etc.

I bought collections of signed photos from the 1931 and 1934 US Tours of Japan. Doesn't have Ruth of Gehrig, but here are a couple of examples.

[GoCubsGo32]

I collect signed & non signed snapshots. The images are more personal and different each time. The repetitiveness of 8x10s at shows is fatiguing. Easy skip.

Even if...it's a player I want to get auto 8x10, the show prices are freaking ridiculous! An inscription is almost the same amount as the auto itself.

Another factor is storage space. 8x10s take up more storage space than a 4x6, 3x5 etc snapshot photos.

[doug.goodman]

I'm a bit surprised that nobody has mentioned that autographs have become virtually unreadable. It seems that each year it gets worse.

I'll bet that nobody stares at the average current autograph the way we all stared at all of the ones in this thread...


Actually, people do stare at newer autographs - in disbelief.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Doug,

As I've written elsewhere, I was always a "completest" collector: I wanted an autograph of every man to ever play in the Majors. While a complete collection is an impossible undertaking, I made very strong headway.

By the 1990's, the new players' signatures were becoming truly disgusting. Not as bad as the garbage from today's kids, but horrid enough that I finally said "Enough!". Sometime during that decade, I made the decision to stop wanting the modern autographs altogether and set a target end date with all the year 2000 debuts. That year had a very defining "The End" feeling, so a perfect finishing point. Coincidentally, I also lost any and all interest in following baseball around the same time the autographs started getting too nasty to enjoy. The 1994 strike was the nail in the coffin there.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I'm a bit surprised that nobody has mentioned that autographs have become virtually unreadable. It seems that each year it gets worse.

I'll bet that nobody stares at the average current autograph the way we all stared at all of the ones in this thread...


Actually, people do stare at newer autographs - in disbelief.

This is something I've talked about in past threads. The new signatures are quite frankly terrible. We are long gone from the days of the picture perfect penmanship of guys like Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, etc. I was at one point, interested in acquiring a Mike Trout signature, until I saw what it looked like. Absolutely terrible.

Back to the point at hand, I've collected some 8x10's, Mantle, Williams, and Aaron, mostly because of their prices. I think at this point I'd rather have them on baseballs though however.

As for their signature on cards? At this point, forget it. I wish I was around in the 60's and 70's when everything I wanted was available on the cheap!

[chaddurbin]

i come from cards so i prefer signed pictures/photo over index and gpc anyways.

a new pickup, always nice to be able to get something from the esteemed Mr. Stinson.

[cnote08]

I still collect signed 8x10 photos but only if they’re personalized to me OR if they’re from older HOF players. My bank account thanks me for not being interested in awful illegible current player autographs.