As every hobbyist knows, there often comes a time when the item they collect hits the proverbial wall. Either they run out of collecting things, they love it too expensive, or they tire of using the same methods of their collection. It is from there that many people bury them for burial, and many people rarely return to their collection.
As a collector of sports autographs sports, this happened to me a few years ago when I went to local card shops and picked up a few autographed items. he lost That’s when I started looking for alternate routes to build through the collection. Here are five ways I’ve been able to continue my Nursery autograph collection without burning out;
- Visit Your Local Sports Card Store
Sports card shops often offer a variety of ways to get autographed games. Since sports card shops do well, especially for sports, movies, there are often many autographed cards on display. Almost all sporting card companies feature for collectors to pursue, and most are autographed, leaving a variety of signed cards available to enthusiasts. Some companies such as Tri-Star or feature collections that only deal in autographs. Finally, many dealers will also have other various autographed items available for purchase, such as signed jerseys, basketballs, baseballs, hockey pucks, or other sports equipment< /a>. Sports card shops are often one of the best places to start when collecting sports autographs, because many autographs and autographed cards can cost as little as a few dollars, door openers to almost anyone looking like a hobby in a tight economy.
- Sign autographs
Attend
Another way to get autographs is to attend autograph signings. If you live in or near a major city, you can potentially find several of these a year if you look hard enough. You will also be able to find national exhibitions online or through the game card price where you can send items to be signed for you. Your playing card dealer is another great resource, as they often know about some brands in your area. While this is another great way to build your collection, most athletes are in charge of signatures at these events, and often the cost can be quite high depending on the athlete’s credentials. If you’re going to fork over a hundred dollars for an autograph at one of these signings, remember to bring items that are worth the signing price, even if you don’t plan on leaving the autograph. If you are going to pay the money, you have a stamp that can become the cornerstone of your collection.
- Frequent games
While the chance of going to a major league event and getting an autograph of your favorite player is almost nil today. and age, attending minor league games is a great way to build your collection. While not all players pan out, it can be a great way to build your collection. Athletes often want to sign and some even stop to have a few minutes of conversation and take photos. You might even be lucky enough to get the autograph of someone who will go on to have a great career. I grew up near the Syracuse, NY area, the home of three Syracusan nobles. In attending my games, I was able to get the autographs of Vernon Wells, Adam Dunn, Alfonso Suriano, AJ Burnett, Jose Canseco, and Dion Sanders. I also got to see other great players, like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Manny Ramirez, and Curt Schilling, plays in rehab games.
- Send applications to Team Mail or the Baseball Hall of Fame
Another, but more dangerous, way to get autographs is to look up the teams’ addresses and request them at the stadium where the athlete plays. While this can be an effective way to get autographs, it’s important to send your most valuable notes since there’s no guarantee you’ll ever see the item back if the player doesn’t decide to sign your item. So I’ve built up a good collection of trading-cards, but I never send stuff that I’m afraid to share. when When he goes to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, he can send letter inductees to the players, so that might be another way to get autographs. Another point to remember when sending items by mail is to include a net envelope with proper postage. Never return an item otherwise.
- 5. Item by Send
The last way I get autographs via email is to search player email addresses online and send items directly to the homes of current/former players. There are many forums on this site and many of these forums want to share addresses and highlight signing habits so you know what players aren’t signing. I have used this method to obtain signatures from previous players many times with great success. Some of the signature players from (although some have since passed) include: Duke Snider Bobby Thomson Jim Palmer, Joe Dumars, Terry Bradshaw , Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams and Whitey Ford. This is one of my favorite methods when you wait all day fun day to see how many items the next postman will deliver! Again, if you choose this method, don’t forget the income tax!
As with any autograph game, there is no guarantee that you will receive an autograph. Forgeries have plagued the market for decades and there are several websites that provide useful advice on the issue. So whatever method you like, be informed and entertained as collecting sports autographs can be a fun, rewarding hobby!
Brandon Max is an avid sports fan and has collected sports autographs for over 15 years.
