The Great American Pursuit: A Study of Athlete Signing Fees 1970s-present

[cjedmonton]

I recently made a post on another forum discussing the outrageous fees many athletes are charging for autographs at this year's National.

This got me to thinking; just how far above normal inflation have athlete's signing fees escalated since the advent of sports shows in the 1970's?

Of course, a promoter's cut and expenses have significantly risen over the years, but that can only explain part of the trend.

Therefore, I'd like to start a collaborative project to track the rise of signing fees over the years.

Hopefully, we can draw on the recollection/experiences of our more seasoned hobbyists who may have picked up a Mantle autograph for $5-10 back in the 1970s (for example).

To participate, please post an approximate price you may have recalled seeing/paying for a baseball or flat in any of the past 4 decades (70s-00s).

Let's just focus on key HOFers or elite non-HOFers such as Maddux, Johnson, Clemens, Bonds, Rose, etc...

Any/all input is greatly appreciated. I'll compile the data and draft up a chart as we go along.

Here's an example of what my bill would be if I got every player I wanted to sign my poster:

http://www.freewebs.com/cjedmonton/national.jpg

[clutch]

I remember my mom taking me and my brother to see Ken Griffey Jr. at a card show in 1990 in Michigan. An autograph was $8.00 (if memory serves me correctly). There were also tons of kids in the line which you don't see today either.

[perezfan]

Muhammed Ali signed for free at an LA Trade Show in 1994.

[RichardSimon]

Promoters used to give table holders free autographs about 20-25 years ago.

[chaddurbin]

those are show prices. just from looking you can probably slash 50% for these guys on private signings.

[mr2686]

If I'm reading this correctly, then you may be looking at this wrong. It's not what the signer is charging per autograph, but how much the promoter is charging the collector. The price per autograph is based, I believe, on how much the signer is charging for his appearance and then they factor in the cost to bring the signer to the show, how many hours they will sign and the average number of sigs they can reasonably signed in that time. The main problem is that there's no way to know what the signers fee is. For all we know, it hasn't gone up all that much and the promoter is taking a bigger cut. Now, that's probably only one possible senario but this would account for being able to save money on those private signings where those promoters might also be collectors that are then able to get their own stuff signed. There's no doubt that prices have skyrocketed over the years, it's just not clear how the blame should be distributed.

[boxcar18]

I helped promote shows in the 1980's and 1990's in the Midwest. Below are some of the prices we charged for baseballs and flats. We paid Mantle & Ford $12500.00 for four hours. DiMaggio got $25000.00 for four hours and we also had to pay first class airfair , limo from the airport, and a suite at the hotel in Springfield,Il. Most of the other Hall of Famers would sign for four hours for fees from $1000.00 - $2500.00 and they would get to the show on their own.

Mickey Mantle & Whitey Ford (one of each) $20.00
Joe DiMaggio $25.00
Ozzie Smith $10.00
Warren Spahn $10.00
Bob Feller $10.00
Lou Brock $10.00
Bob Gibson $10.00
Eddie Mathews $10.00
Al Kaline $10.00
Stan Musial $10.00
I also went to other shows and paid $20.00 each for Ted Williams and Mantle, Sandy Koufax $20.00, Bill Dickey $20.00. Carl Hubbell used to sign for us in the mail for $10.00 for baseballs.Purchased 5 dozen baseballs signed by Ted Williams for $250.00 a dozen when the show was hit by a snow storm and attendance was small.

[mr2686]

I will point out, if you're just concerned with overall charge per autograph, you can go on to the mab-celebrity website and access their upcoming shows. At the bottom of the page you can see past shows back to 2003 and they list the prices that were being charged. I recommend checking each year's HOF show in July that they put on.

[cjedmonton]

Great insight/feedback so far!

In my OP, I acknowledge that the promoter's cut has taken a steep climb, but that can't be the only factor to explain the jump over the years.

Surely, the athlete is privvy to the value of his signature and charges accordingly. They are also well aware of the opportunists whose main focus is to flip the signed item for a quick profit. I recall reading somewhere that many athletes build in a certain amount for "deterrent" in their fees so as to make it more difficult for someone to profit from their signature. If that is even partially true, I couldn't imagine what Mantle/DiMaggio/Williams would charge in 2013.

Either way, this is not easily proven/disproven. I was just interested in the overall trend over the years, rather than a year-by-year recap of prices from a single promoter.

[Lordstan]

I know they aren't the big stars, but her are 2 flyers from show my dad and his partner at the time promoted.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/lordstan/Mancave/2013-05-10150842.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/lordstan/Mancave/2013-05-10150925.jpg

My father and I started setting up at shows in 1979. At that time Mantle and Dimaggio were $7. Williams was around there, but higher in Boston area. This quickly eslcalated through the 80's to $10 for pics and $25 for balls by 1985. By the early 1990's, Mantle, Dimaggio, and Williams were all over $100 per flat, with IIRC, Dimaggio being $175 for balls at a big Atlantic City show in 91-92.

[cjedmonton]

Gwynn at $4 in '85 is interesting. At that point, he was still in the very early stages of his career, while Wynn was already a HOFer for $5.

Does any one have a rough figure for Gwynn from the 90's, and then after his HOF nod?

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Did Tri-Star release the prices for the signings?

[mr2686]

I paid 25 for Gwynn to sign a ball in 1991 locally in San Diego, and 99 for him to sign my HOF book in 2008

[Mr. Zipper]

Mickey Mantle & Whitey Ford (one of each) $20.00
Joe DiMaggio $25.00
Ozzie Smith $10.00
Warren Spahn $10.00
Bob Feller $10.00
Lou Brock $10.00
Bob Gibson $10.00
Eddie Mathews $10.00
Al Kaline $10.00
Stan Musial $10.00
I also went to other shows and paid $20.00 each for Ted Williams and Mantle, Sandy Koufax $20.00, Bill Dickey $20.00. Carl Hubbell used to sign for us in the mail for $10.00 for baseballs.Purchased 5 dozen baseballs signed by Ted Williams for $250.00 a dozen when the show was hit by a snow storm and attendance was small.

Add the cost of a ball and the signing fee and adjust for inflation, they are all losers with the exception of Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams and Koufax.

[cjedmonton]

Did Tri-Star release the prices for the signings?

Yes,

http://www.tristarproductions.com/National/tickets.html

$200 min. for Clemens
$180 min. for Piazza
$140 min. for Pedro

Wow.

[Lordstan]

I think the reasons come down to good old fashioned business math mixed with greed and entitlement.

If a player sees a line out the door at $7 per auto, then why not charge more? You can make the same amount and do less work. If the same line exists at $10, then the same logic follows. Keep repeating. As long as people line up at the door, even at ridiculous prices, they'll keep charging it. How else can Steiner sell Jeters at $600 per? It's because there are enough of the nonchalant buyer, who just wants a pic or ball to show off to their friends, and the obsessed crazy collector(myself included), who needs their item completed(see below), who will keep paying.
I think players use the resell angle to justify some of this, but I think it's BS. Most of the star players we are talking about did very well, in comparison to others living in the same time. They may not have made millions, but guys like Mantle, Dimaggio, Williams, etc were never working at Sears selling dishwashers over the winter. The newer players, and not just the stars, have it even easier. MLB minimum salary is, what, $1.3-$1.5 mil. Hard to feel sorry for them trying to justify charging some fan, who is directly responsible for that salary because they BUY the ticket to the games, BUY Direct TV MLB ticket, BUY sports apparel with their name on it, etc, etc, $50-100 to sign their name. Who cares if they sell it? Many other businesses seem to be OK with this model. Home Depot buys locks from Schlage at one price and sells them to the consumer at another. The athletes feel they should be they only ones who should be able make a profit from their autograph. Why? Greed and entitlement. They have been made to feel special their entire life, because of their athletic prowess. This entitlement will then overflow into this area.

I see signing at the park as being different. I totally understand the player who is frustrated by the guys who shows up with 5-10 items, each day of the series, and expects you to sign them. Those people have, to an extent, ruined it for the more casual fan. In this situation, I can sympathize with them feeling taken advantage of, but I don't think being rude is the answer. If you want to cut down on profiteering only sign one per person, personalize everything, or do both. A real collector would be grateful for one item and might ever prefer to have it personalized.

As far as other causes, sure, costs for staffing, venues, pics, balls, bats, and other items have risen. The promoters obviously want to make money so I'm sure their cut has gone up as well. I think these factors are responsible for a small percentage of the cost increase.

FWIW
The most I've ever spent for a living baseball autograph was $175 for Hank Aaron to sign this magazine. The signing was through Steiner. He was the next to last person to sign. I definitely would've gone higher if needed to complete the book. I have to go take my meds now. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/lordstan/Lou/1986ASYearbook.jpg

Chris,
Tony, who is arguably the nicest player I ever met, told us at the time that this was his very first show appearance.

Best,
Mark

[cjedmonton]

I paid 25 for Gwynn to sign a ball in 1991 locally in San Diego, and 99 for him to sign my HOF book in 2008

Thank you.

Gwynn's pricing is still holding steady, it seems. I can get an oversized item signed for $99 this year.

[Lordstan]

After thinking about it, I might have spent more total for the last 4 to sign that program, than I did for the first eleven.
I had Berra($55), Musial($70), Aaron($175), and McCovey($70), for a total of $400 with shipping, all done in the past 2-3yrs. I probably spent less then $200 to get all the other guys in the 1980"s.

To quote Dylan..."The Times They Are a-Changin"

[cjedmonton]

In my opinion, nothing rings truer than your last post, Mark.

That's a wonderful program, by the way!

[Lordstan]

Thanks Chris.
Your poster is pretty spectacular as well.

[cjedmonton]

Now that I'm seeing actual prices I'll have to pay to continue with my item, I'm torn.

Now, I'm a realist by not promising I'll hold the item forever, but that is certainly my intent at this point.

Although I could shave a good chunk from that $1,200+ quote for those 11 names by waiting for private signing opportunities, any savings would easily be offset by the time, shipping cost, and increased risk of loss/damage by sending it out multiple times.

Coupled with the unknown cost of future names I'd like to add to the theme (Maddux, Griffey Jr., Bonds and Clemens if they are ever elected), well it's hard to digest, to say the least...even if it is spread out over several years.

[Lordstan]

Chris,
With a piece like yours, that has so much value already, I would say the less you have to send it out, the better. If you can afford the money, go for it.
If you're not in a position to spend the money right now then I would go with older and more difficult guys first and then send away or travel to shows where multiple players you need are appearing together.
While they are all greats, I doubt that your poster would be that much less valuable because any one of those listed wasn't on it. Certainly not enough for me to risk sending it out over and over just to get a guy like Ozzie Smith on it. I mean no offense to Oz, but he sig is common and not likely to add much, probably not even the cost of the signature, to the value of the poster.
Value to cost ratios aside, the completist in me probably wouldn't be happy without all of them on it.
Good Luck,
Mark

[cjedmonton]

Chris,
With a piece like yours, that has so much value already, I would say the less you have to send it out, the better. If you can afford the money, go for it.
If you're not in a position to spend the money right now then I would go with older and more difficult guys first and then send away or travel to shows where multiple players you need are appearing together.
While they are all greats, I doubt that your poster would be that much less valuable because any one of those listed wasn't on it. Certainly not enough for me to risk sending it out over and over just to get a guy like Ozzie Smith on it. I mean no offense to Oz, but he sig is common and not likely to add much, probably not even the cost of the signature, to the value of the poster.
Value to cost ratios aside, the completist in me probably wouldn't be happy without all of them on it.
Good Luck,
Mark

And that, my friend, is my hobby Achilles! Any pre-1990 MLB alum who made the HOF is in my sights!

Only these players/managers could have signed the poster before passing:

Dick Williams
Joe Sewell
Leo Durocher
Richie Ashburn
Ron Santo

The completist in me wants everyone else.

[Deertick]

MLB minimum salary is, what, $1.3-$1.5 mil.

Mark, actually it is under $500K, with the avg being about $3.2M. But there is a vast difference between say Reid Brignac and Arod ($.5M to $28M!)

And I think you underestimate the greed of some promoters. While some used to look at autograph guests as a means to get feet in the door (for added admission revenue, as well as justification for higher table fees), many saw the craze as a way to print money. I remember many guests where the price per auto was double or triple what was charged a month or two before at 'lesser' shows. And the price would drop back down the next time they were at a 'hotel' show.

And how about autographs that were only allowed on "Authorized" items (photos, balls, bats) purchased only at the promoter table? Of course you could have something else signed for a hefty penalty....

I personally think that the day that autographs stopped being in the $6-$10 range was the day that killed memorabilia shows.

(After writing this, I realized I don't really miss doing shows. :D )

[Scott Garner]

Chris,
With a piece like yours, that has so much value already, I would say the less you have to send it out, the better. If you can afford the money, go for it.
If you're not in a position to spend the money right now then I would go with older and more difficult guys first and then send away or travel to shows where multiple players you need are appearing together.
While they are all greats, I doubt that your poster would be that much less valuable because any one of those listed wasn't on it. Certainly not enough for me to risk sending it out over and over just to get a guy like Ozzie Smith on it. I mean no offense to Oz, but he sig is common and not likely to add much, probably not even the cost of the signature, to the value of the poster.
Value to cost ratios aside, the completist in me probably wouldn't be happy without all of them on it.
Good Luck,
Mark

Mark,
I believe that this is all around outstanding advice.

I would also mention that it's possible that some of the high priced autograph guests likely will get less costly after the halo effect wears off. Many of the recent HOF'ers and future HOF'ers are still young. Wait a few years and I suspect that their price will soften in some cases. Just my 2 cents...

[travrosty]

wow, dimag got 1st class airfare paid to go to the signing. he's going top shelf all the way!

[r2678]

First class fare is common. A friend tried to get Rocky Colavito as a guest a number of years ago and he demanded a 1st class ticket.

[Mr. Zipper]

wow, dimag got 1st class airfare paid to go to the signing. he's going top shelf all the way!

DiMaggio would trade in the first class ticket for coach and pocket the difference. Then when he showed up at the gate with a coach ticket, he would usually get comped back into first class anyway. He really knew how to work the system.

[RichardSimon]

DiMaggio would trade in the first class ticket for coach and pocket the difference. Then when he showed up at the gate with a coach ticket, he would usually get comped back into first class anyway. He really knew how to work the system.

Despite what many thought he was not a very classy guy.
Would squeeze two nickels together for an hour if he thought he could get a quarter out of it.

[1880nonsports]

while it's interesting once in a while to watch two or three dogs trying to wrestle each other to the ground on the internet (well maybe not) - this is is what I come here for - autograph and memorabilia discussions and banter - along with a backstory and a few side angles that relate to the game of baseball......

[Duluth Eskimo]

This thread proves why prices have gone up. Because people are willing to pay it. It has very little to do with what a player is charging, unless he is a recent HOFer or a current player. The promoter is always the one setting the fee unless the player is doing the signing on his own and paid for his booth.

Back in the 80's and 90's if a player like Mantle or DiMaggio was charging 50k, the promoter would divide that by the number of signatures the player could / would sign (say 1000) and that was your fee ($50).

Nowadays the promoter thinks what will 200 rubes pay for player X and how can I maximize my profits. Say the player charges 10k to do the signing and the promoter can get 200 people to pay $59 per autograph, then they are already ahead. Now the promoter will still get his 800-1000 signatures out of the player meaning the promoter can wholesale the rest and make even more profit or wholesale some and keep another 300 items to sell himself. Either way he is making great money because those 200 people paid the whole bill.

I am rounding numbers, but that is the game. If more people knew it, they would not pay those prices and the autograph hobby would be better off.

Bottom line is back in the day the promoter was hoping to break even on the appearance fee or make a little or get a little bit signed for resale. Now, it's rape and pillage time.

This doesn't go for all promoters, but the prices at the national and most big shows it does. Wake up and smell the coffee!

PS: many players will still show up for a very small fee and a first class ticket

[Exhibitman]

This was around $12-$15 as I recall:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/Aaron.jpg

[Scott Garner]

This was around $12-$15 as I recall:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/Aaron.jpg

Adam,
Aaron actually charged $25 at this show. I attended it as well. I knew the guys at Ball Park Promotions- they were in Orange, CA.
That was the most I had paid for anyone but Mantle at that point for a paid signing (Mantle was $50).

FWIW, $25 now seems like a bargain, plus you actually could somewhat read Aaron's sig...

[mr2686]

Adam,
Aaron actually charged $25 at this show. I attended it as well. I knew the guys at Ball Park Promotions- they were in Orange, CA.
That was the most I had paid for anyone but Mantle at that point for a paid signing (Mantle was $50).

FWIW, $25 now seems like a bargain, plus you actually could somewhat read Aaron's sig...

I was at the same show, and you're right, Aaron was $25. Although prices are much different now, it's nice to know his personalitiy hasn't changed over the years. :rolleyes:

[GasHouseGang]

I was at a show in Kansas City in the 80's (National I think) and DiMaggio's signature was something like $300 and Mantle wasn't far behind at around $250. I walked by and looked at the stars signing, but there was no way I was going to A) Stand in that line which would take hours to get through and/or B) Pay that kind of money for a signature. I remember thinking I'd much rather spend my limited resources on the cards I needed.

[Mr. Zipper]

I was at a show in Kansas City in the 80's (National I think) and DiMaggio's signature was something like $300 and Mantle wasn't far behind at around $250. I walked by and looked at the stars signing, but there was no way I was going to A) Stand in that line which would take hours to get through and/or B) Pay that kind of money for a signature. I remember thinking I'd much rather spend my limited resources on the cards I needed.

Wow... That seems crazy high... Especially for the 80s.

I recall them doing shows on Long Island in the 90s and the prices were much less than that.

[cjedmonton]

What started as an attempt to track athlete signing fees over the years has quickly morphed into a much more enjoyable read of 1st hand accounts of the early days of the sports show scene. Thanks to all who contributed.

On a personal note, I am becoming more and more resistant to spending this kind of money on autographs (as much as I'd love to continue with the HOF theme). I'm now leaning toward just enjoying what I have. Any enjoyment I may have with getting the added signatures would certainly be offset by the (gasp) thousands of dollars it would cost....wouldn't it?

[tazdmb]

I was at a show in Kansas City in the 80's (National I think) and DiMaggio's signature was something like $300 and Mantle wasn't far behind at around $250. I walked by and looked at the stars signing, but there was no way I was going to A) Stand in that line which would take hours to get through and/or B) Pay that kind of money for a signature. I remember thinking I'd much rather spend my limited resources on the cards I needed.

I find this hard to believe. I remember Mantle at the National in 94 in Houston, he charged a whopping $80! (Unheard of at the time!), as he just signed with UD. He had by far the smallest lines of any HOF there. That was the last time I passed on a HOF just because of cost.

I also was at the Anaheim National with DiMaggio in 96 in Anaheim and his last show in AC in 1998 (it was the Yankees Great show, also Catfish Hunter's last public show) and both times he was $150.

[Duluth Eskimo]

I agree with the "hard to believe" statement. Mantle, Williams, and DiMaggio were generally $20-25 until the early 90's. I paid $50 for flats and $200 for ball at a east coast show for DiMaggio in about 91-92 and that was outrageous. Mantle was still lower. DiMaggio would not sign baseballs at the time unless he got more and everyone thought it was crazy. I figured it might be the last time I would have the opportunity to get one signed in person so I bit the bullet and still have that one for my collection.

[GasHouseGang]

OK, I'll take your word for it. My wife says I can't remember anything. I know they were both terribly expensive, but I have no proof of the prices. I do remember Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors trying to sell his autograph at a show I went to in the 80's. He had his own table, and was asking around $5 per autograph. No one was going to his table. I felt bad for him.

[Mr. Zipper]

OK, I'll take your word for it. My wife says I can't remember anything. I know they were both terribly expensive, but I have no proof of the prices. I do remember Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors trying to sell his autograph at a show I went to in the 80's. He had his own table, and was asking around $5 per autograph. No one was going to his table. I felt bad for him.

Ironically, a nicely autographed Connors SP would be worth a few bucks today. Certainly much more than the common, show circuit HOFers.

[Exhibitman]

$25 for Aaron? Wow, I guess I forgot. My recollection was that Aaron's plane was delayed by weather and that he was cordial and courteous to the collectors when he finally arrived.

I recall a show in L.A. near the airport where the admission got you a random free signature from Jim Brown, Sandy Koufax or Muhammad Ali. I also recall another show down there where Ali was a free signing guest. That would have been around 1987. I also recall paying $12 for a Koufax in 1988 at a show. I know it was then because I got it for a co-worker at a summer job I had. Koufax signed my colleague's 1966 Topps card. I did not want anything signed but I did ask if I could shake hands with him and Koufax obliged. I guess that would cost me an extra $80 today...

In the summer of 1988 or 1989 I went to a show in S.F. at the Moscone Center and paid $6-$8 for Brock and Gibson, and $12 for Musial.

During the early 1990s I picked up signatures of Luke Appling, Billy Herman, Rick Ferrell, Lou Boudreau for well under $10 each at various shows. I think Boudreau was a freebie at a small show.

Connors I remember was a cheap signature at some show I attended in L.A. and I got one for some cousins who were big Hollywood autograph collectors. As I recall he was a really fun, 'big' personality. Again, did not get anything for myself. Many years later I overpaid for a signed exhibit card.

[mr2686]

$25 for Aaron? Wow, I guess I forgot. My recollection was that Aaron's plane was delayed by weather and that he was cordial and courteous to the collectors when he finally arrived.

I recall a show in L.A. near the airport where the admission got you a random free signature from Jim Brown, Sandy Koufax or Muhammad Ali. I also recall another show down there where Ali was a free signing guest. That would have been around 1987. I also recall paying $12 for a Koufax in 1988 at a show. I know it was then because I got it for a co-worker at a summer job I had. Koufax signed my colleague's 1966 Topps card. I did not want anything signed but I did ask if I could shake hands with him and Koufax obliged. I guess that would cost me an extra $80 today...

In the summer of 1988 or 1989 I went to a show in S.F. at the Moscone Center and paid $6-$8 for Brock and Gibson, and $12 for Musial.

During the early 1990s I picked up signatures of Luke Appling, Billy Herman, Rick Ferrell, Lou Boudreau for well under $10 each at various shows. I think Boudreau was a freebie at a small show.

Connors I remember was a cheap signature at some show I attended in L.A. and I got one for some cousins who were big Hollywood autograph collectors. As I recall he was a really fun, 'big' personality. Again, did not get anything for myself. Many years later I overpaid for a signed exhibit card.

Adam, that 1988 show must have been right before Koufax jumped up in price because I got his auto I believe in 1989 at a big show at the Shrine auditorium in L.A. and he was in the $30 - 40 range. I remember because almost all the others were very cheap (Barlick, Doerr, Spahn, B. Robinson, etc etc) all in the 8 - 15 dollar range. Geez, a buck really bought you something back then. :D

[PowderedH2O]

I'm not positive, but I think I paid $10 or $12 for Aaron at a show in Milwaukee in the mid to late 80's (1987?). I do remember paying $7 in 1991 for Lou Brock in Sacramento and getting the chance to chat with him for about ten minutes. What a SUPER nice guy he was!!! At the same show, my friend paid $40 for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and was the only person in line. He asked for Kareem to sign "Kareem" instead of just "Abdul-Jabbar" and Kareem refused.
My best experience was in the summer of 1988 outside the huge convention they had in Arlington, TX. Inside were hundreds of dealers plus Mantle, Mays, and a dozen other HOFers. I was broke, and I couldn't afford the ticket to get in, much less buy anything. My wife and I decided to go to the mall across the street from the convention center to get some air conditioning. While we were pushing my daughter's stroller I could see a giant baseball in the distance. As I got closer I saw that it was Bob Feller and Lou Burdette sitting at a table. I guess the mall figured they could draw in show traffic by having autograph signers of their own. But nobody was talking to them. I went into a dime store and bought a couple of baseballs and some index cards and went over. Both Feller and Burdette were super nice, and at one point Bob Feller put my baby daughter on his lap and sang songs to her. They told me stories for about 30 minutes before we finally left. All for free. Better than any show signing!

[frankbmd]

Don Larsen $10-12 at the 1991 (?) National at Anaheim
Yogi Berra $35 through the mail in 2006.
Ticket Stub $50 in 1990.

Combination - Priceless

[tazdmb]

I still have all my old becketts from the late 80s-Early 90s. I went through these about a year ago and noted that Mantle and Aaron were staples at the shows in those days. I will have to peel through them to see what autograph fees were.. Give me a week to peel through and I will see what I can find.

[shelly]

Tommy Lasorda has his pants made so he cant reach the bottom of his pockets.:D

[cjedmonton]

Great tales, keep em' coming!

[shelly]

I was the first to have Mantle on the West Coast. 10 dollars and got hate mail. Lefty Gomez 6 Banks 5 Joe Torre showed up signed for free.

[Wymers Auction]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. I remember going to Riverfront stadium and waiting by the cage where the players exit. Some of them would sign for free some of the nice people I met were Jack McKeon, Eddie Taubensee, Aaron Boone, Ron Oester, and more. I recently went to a show where Johnny Bench signed in 3 tier price ranges of 40/60/80. Pretty reasonable for such a great player.

[Big Ben]

This brings back a lot of good memories of going to regional (Illinois) shows in the early 1980's through the early 1990's.

Dimaggio, Mantle, Musial $9

Dimaggio made an appearance at a local high school which had yearly shows to raise money for their athletic department. Only one baseball per person because he claimed to have arthritis. Joe D stood up and shook my hand at the show. One of the firmest handshakes I have ever experienced. Fun show!

Mantle and Ford allowed people to take pictures of them with many people having their toddlers sitting with Whitey and the Mick... No charge!


Musial was reluctant to sign my Chesterfield cigarette ad until I told him that I did not smoke. Nice guy!



Bob Feller-- $2 and a couple of times at $4. Feller was everywhere and would sign anything. Nice guy.


Whitey Ford $8

Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, Johnny Mize, Enos Slaughter, Willie Mays, Luke Appling, Buck Leonard $6

I felt sorry for Buck Leonard as it was obvious that he had arthritis and the guy in front of me had him sign a box of baseballs. :(

Lou Boudreau, George Kell $5

I am not into chasing the autographs for the prices that are currently being charged. I have made a few exceptions.

Ernie Banks $75 for a baseball and $120 for a jersey. Ernie was signing for a local charity.

Of the people signing at the National...

Sugar Ray Leonard and Dan Hampton--Free :)

Steve Garvey $5 for a bat circa late 1980's

Fun times!!! :)

[dapro]

This brings back a lot of good memories of going to regional (Illinois) shows in the early 1980's through the early 1990's.

Dimaggio, Mantle, Musial $9

Dimaggio made an appearance at a local high school which had yearly shows to raise money for their athletic department. Only one baseball per person because he claimed to have arthritis. Joe D stood up and shook my hand at the show. One of the firmest handshakes I have ever experienced. Fun show!

Mantle and Ford allowed people to take pictures of them with many people having their toddlers sitting with Whitey and the Mick... No charge!


Musial was reluctant to sign my Chesterfield cigarette ad until I told him that I did not smoke. Nice guy!



Bob Feller-- $2 and a couple of times at $4. Feller was everywhere and would sign anything. Nice guy.


Whitey Ford $8

Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, Johnny Mize, Enos Slaughter, Willie Mays, Luke Appling, Buck Leonard $6

I felt sorry for Buck Leonard as it was obvious that he had arthritis and the guy in front of me had him sign a box of baseballs. :(

Lou Boudreau, George Kell $5

I am not into chasing the autographs for the prices that are currently being charged. I have made a few exceptions.

Ernie Banks $75 for a baseball and $120 for a jersey. Ernie was signing for a local charity.

Of the people signing at the National...

Sugar Ray Leonard and Dan Hampton--Free :)

Steve Garvey $5 for a bat circa late 1980's

Fun times!!! :)
Those were the days. You won't find many athletes will do that now at that price.

[shelly]

Just to add to the topic about gambling on paying high prices for guys that just started playing.
How about the guy who spent $40,000 on a Strasburg Bowman 1/1 card. I bet he wished he had a few Ruth cards instead.:D

[dapro]

Just to add to the topic about gambling on paying high prices for guys that just started playing.
How about the guy who spent $40,000 on a Strasburg Bowman 1/1 card. I bet he wished he had a few Ruth cards instead.:D

wow, really? I rather spent that on a ruth ball or two. :p

[Exhibitman]

The boxing signers at the National are impressive and expensive:

Shane Mosley $49
Tommy Hearns $59
Larry Holmes $69
Roberto Duran $79
Sugar Ray Leonard $99

Granted that Hearns, Duran and Leonard are 1st tier HOF caliber all-time greats by nearly anyone's reckoning, but that's a lot to pay for relatively young men who may spend the next 20-30 years signing stuff.

[Michael B]

The boxing signers at the National are impressive and expensive:

Shane Mosley $49
Tommy Hearns $59
Larry Holmes $69
Roberto Duran $79
Sugar Ray Leonard $99

Granted that Hearns, Duran and Leonard are 1st tier HOF caliber all-time greats by nearly anyone's reckoning, but that's a lot to pay for relatively young men who may spend the next 20-30 years signing stuff.

And with the exception of Larry Holmes, all signed or sign for free at the Boxing Hall of Fame inductions when they are there.