Card show autograph advice

[donmuth]

Growing up in the mid-late 80's I got a lot of in-person autographs at card shows and the FedEx St. Jude golf tournament pro-am. Initially, I started getting cards signed (Mays, Lou Brock, Carlton, Richie Ashburn, etc.) but then switched to baseballs because I could get them for about $7/each rather than hunt and find an affordable, good looking card to get signed. I have a few 8x10's too, but no bats (yet). Back then the common wisdom was to not get rookie cards signed.

This fall I'm planning to hit a couple of card shows in the Nashville area with the following players scheduled to sign autos:

Howard Johnson
Tony Perez
Johnny Bench
Reggie Jackson
Wade Boggs
Andre Dawson

I am sure there will be other shows with autograph guests too.

I am questioning whether I should get baseball cards signed of the above players or stick to baseballs, or some other media. Having some custom cut trading cards made from signed index cards similar to those Stuart Gilbert (rajah424) has here on the B/S/T board is very tempting because they would be really unique, but I would have to have someone else make them for me.

If I go for baseball cards, should I get rookie cards signed? For the ones with multi-player rookie cards, is it still best to get those signed if the one player will be the only one to sign it? Or should I get another card? The player's second year card, last year, just one that will look good with an auto??

What is today's wisdom on which cards to get signed? What does the board recommend?

Thanks!

[Republicaninmass]

Since most wont be worth the cost of the card and auto, get what you like as a memory or display or a personal unique item signed.

When you say best, the best priced way is to buy ones already signed. In person, I always liked the players reactions when I presented a rookie card

[Lordstan]

The idea of what is "Best" is very subjective in the collectible world. There is no objectively best item to get signed. Its all about personal preference. Our opinions about specific items really mean nothing.
Personally, i would not spend the money on any of those players unless i had some specific item in mind that i could not find anywhere else. You can most times buy the usual items already signed for cheaper than the combined cost.of.the item and sig at the show. OTOH, i f i had an item that was signed by others that i wanted to add one if them to i might. Even then, the reality is that the expense of the auto, with rare exception, will not likely increase the value of the item as much as the cost of the sig you are adding. For example, if you have a poster signed by 30 HOFers that is worth $2k, adding a Rickey Henderson sig for $150 is not going to make it worth $2150.
This is why my advice to you is this. If you really want to get something signed in person by these players, find something you will enjoy looking at over time regardless of the value. Don't worry about resale values, etc. That way you can enjoy the experience of meeting the player and the story you can tell.


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[Michael B]

Mark said it perfectly. If you are thinking about investment or future value, you are not going to get a great return by paying 'retail' fees for a signature at a show.

[Celtics18]

I collect signed rookie autos. The best way to maximize non licensed autographs as an investment, is to have them sign on a players main rookie card. Now most players signed rookie cards sell for the cost of the rookie card + signing + grading cost, so very little room for profit in short term. In the long term, I think signed rookies are extremely under appreciated with more and more sticker autos. Hard to beat a card that was held by the player and signed by them on card. Otherwise, I'd go with what others said, any personal items or a signed baseball is cool. Hope that helps

[egri]

I think Mark said it better than I could, but I agree with him. It’s been a few years since I’ve done TTM, but I recall Dawson and Boggs having low ($10-20) fees, which I’m sure is a fraction of what the show will charge.

[Case12]

Going to National this week. I don't meet a player for those listed prices so that I can resale their stuff. That would be a terrible ROI. Those autos will be for me.
Years ago I stood in line for Stan Musial and Frank Robinson. Awesome guys. I sold their autos 15 years later in a bulk sale. Probably made less than a buck.
I still have the memory of meeting those guys. But will never be able to meet them again. Their gone to field of dreams. I should have kept their autos.
This show I will get Rich Goosage, Dale Murphy and Rollie Fingers. Maybe Fergie Jenkins.
The Chicago Sports Spectacular a month later has a ton of players. I plan to meet Randy Johnson, Rickey Henderson and more.
I love to meet as many as I can and get their auto....for the memories....

[robbieg]

As many of these guys said, there is no room for you to profit at all in the short term getting paid autographs from these these guys at shows. However, you can have the invaluable experience of making memories by meeting them. That is what I do. At the National this week - as I have done for a few years now, going to shows and participating in the paid signings - I have had a wonderful time getting rookie cards (and a few other items) signed by a variety of guys from Emmitt Smith to Ozzie Smith to Bill Walton to Johnny Bench. I took care to pay for them to do cool inscriptions. Completely worth the money for me.

The actual profit and money making in this hobby - as far as I’m concerned - is for the guys who invest more time and emotion into flipping a high volume of low dollar, low profit margin items or for the guys who trade in the insanely expensive items. My actual professional endeavors do not afford me the time or energy to mess around with flipping high volume/low dollar stuff, which I find not to be fun and kind of low brow anyway. And I simply won’t gamble/play the market on the six figure stuff, such as LeBron James and Mike Trout. So, it all keeps me focused on enjoying the hobby for the hobby’s sake. And whoever gets my collection when I die can worry about making money off of it. I hope they are able to do something they love with whatever they sell it for - or better yet, maybe it will even spark a love of their own for the stuff.