So, what's an autograph collector to do? LONG POST AHEAD

[mighty bombjack]

Let me ask a practical question of the board: In your opinon(s), what's a high-end autograph collector to do?

You can answer now or bear with me through a long and meandering post.

I collect baseball HOF autographs and have been doing so for many years. I have 225 different players, managers, umpires, and executives (see link in sig), and have spent a lot of money and very enjoyable time searching and researching the history and the autos themselves. I'm proud of my collection. I have sold a few duplicate autos here and there, but am far from a dealer of any sorts.

I think I am familiar with the vast majority of outlets for purchasing high-end autos. I have purchased from ebay and a large number of different auction houses. A certain amount of my collection consists of IP autos, while the rest consists of company-certified cards, JSA or PSA/DNA certed (the horror!), or autos purchased from ebay after completing my own research.

I have seen the rise of TPAs and card grading and looked at both of them skeptically. I view both of them as flawed but somewhat helpful services. The saying on the other side of the board is "Buy the card, not the slab!" Most of those guys probably recognize the value of grading when buying online, even if it is not the end-all-be-all. That goes for autos as well. It seems that many simply buy a cert instead of an auto, but I actually enjoy the research that goes into a hobby purchase and view it as a big part of the hobby for me.

I have only ever sent one item into PSA/DNA to be slabbed. I used their Quick Opinion service a few times before realizing that I was always coming to the same conclusion on my own and was not going to follow up my sending autos in anymore, so why waste the $7.50. The fact remains that JSA and PSA/DNA certs add a lot of value to autos, though I have several autos that were certed by GAI back in the day and have seen what has happened to the value of that cert. Of course, a big part of me thinks it would be crazy to assume that little pieces of paper with scribble on them will retain any type of value in the future, but I digress.

Down to brass tacks: I have been reading all of the autograph posts (and the links therein) and noticed (as has everyone else) the similar pattern that they have all followed. I think I understand the issues and concerns that various members here have with FDEs, ABCs, etc. I am on the verge of abandoning this board altogether because very little of substance appears in autograph posts anymore. It's just squabbling that seems beneath what has been a usually very high level of discourse on net54.

Yes, there are clearly numerous problems in the autograph portion of this hobby. They've been rehashed here ad infinitum. So, after reading autograph posts here, I keep coming back to my question: What would the various members here have an auto collector do? Is it as simple as not actively using TPAs (as in sending anything to them)? Only purchase autos that have not been certed at all? Ignore any and all certs? Act as if they are all created equal (while I currently believe that they are not)?

What needs to change on the part of collectors, as opposed to dealers? There has been a lot of complaining. Now let's be constructive.

(On a side note, I have only ever come here once to post an auto and ask opinions as to its authenticity. I will not do so again. I would, however, love for any- and everyone here to take a look at my HOF collection in my sig. There are many autos there with and without TPA certs, some of which can be told from scan and some of which can't. I feel as though my collection is totally authentic, but I'm admittedly not 100% on any of them that weren't obtained IP. If anyone has opinions on the authenticity of anything there, PLMK. I'd be happy to listen).

Thanks for your patience and any and all responses.

Wayne Walker