Question about autograph collecting?

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Posted By: Joe Drouillard

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday I received this lot of autographed 1969 Topps. Seven of the cards are signed on the front, and ten, including the Gaylord Perry, are signed on the back. It was an impulse by that I paid less than .50 cents per card for, on a poorly advertised auction on eBay. My intention was to flip them. However, after receiving the cards I thought they looked pretty neat, and I was wondering if it might be a cool diversion to start collecting autographed cards from the sixties, just for fun. My main collecting interest is T206s, I thought it might be cool to have a cheaper hobby for the times when I cannot afford pricier stuff.

I already have a large collection of HOF signed baseballs that I add to each year when I go to the Induction ceremony at Cooperstown. But I don't know anything about collecting autographs on signed baseball cards. Does anyone else collect this kind of stuff who would be willing to share some of their experience. I have lots of questions: Are most of the signed cards sold on eBay forgeries? How much should I expect to pay for common players? stars? Are autographs on the back of cards worth the same as those signed on front?Is there a better way to collect them?






Thanks for any help or advice,

Joe

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Posted By: DJ

I collect signed cards and I can tell you with the invention of eBay, it's never neen easier and you can get some bargains out there.

If you stick to the level that you stick at (your purchase), you don't necessarily have to worry about fraud (which mostly takes place in the current guys like Bonds and Pujols).

I have started and stopped a 1953 Topps complete set in signed form now for about ten years and everyonce in a while, I will pick up a small lot for like $4-6 each. People buy these massive signed card lots from auctions and try and flip it (with a lot of hard work) on eBay in smaller lots or individually.

What ever direction you take in collecting, have fun!

DJ

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Hmmmm...Is it possible to complete the 1953 set in autographed form?

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Possible? Yes. Probable? Unlikely. I collected signed 1953 Archives many years ago. Toughies from the original 53 set include Bill Norman, Bobo Newsom, Cliff Fannin, Hal Rice, Chuck Dressen, Karl Drews, Howie Fox, and many others.

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Posted By: DJ

Honestly Dan, it's something I get motivated to do every so often and don't take the task of completion all that serious, unlike other sets.

I have 118 in my full set with an in In-Person Mays and Campanella. I see a Bob Cain signed card on eBay and put a max bid through a sniping serice and win it at $4.50...I just plug away slowly is all without any road blocks...so far.

DJ

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

The only decent signed ORIGINAL 53 Topps card I had was one of Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones. Following his career, he had problems with the law and spent a little time behind bars. Aside from a 25-year 1950 Whiz Kids reunion in 1975, Jones apparently didn't sign a thing! He died in 1983. His sig is obviously a cornerstone to completing a 1950 Phils team set.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Incidentally, Joe, all the signed cards are authentic. The best one is of former '61 Yankee Jesse Gonder, who was a slightly tough signer prior to the advent of the card show circuit.

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Posted By: Joe Drouillard

Thanks everyone for the comments. I think I may try collecting a few from the fifties and sixties to augment mu other collecting interests. I know the signed cards often bring lower prices, but I do think it looks great on the card.

Please forgive my ignorance, but I have a couple more questions.

I know from my experience collecting HOF autographed baseballs that it can be very expensive to get a player's autograph in person. You can almost always get the autograph ball cheaper on eBay. Nevertheless, I like meeting the players, shaking their hands and getting my picture taken with them. Are most autographed cards also signed at shows or do collectors send the cards directly to the signers home? Or were most of the autographed cards of oldtimers that you see on eBay collected by youngsters standing outside the ballparks?

Also, where would I find information that would tell me which players are more difficult to find.

Thanks,

Joe

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Posted By: Chris David

I currently have over 10,000 signed trading cards. It is a great area of collecting. It seems some time in the eighties and ninety's there was this false notion of getting a card signed will devalue the card. With the advent of PSA and JSA there as been a big upswing in the vintage signed card market. You dont have to worry as much about the vintage players being forgeries unless your going for the bigger names. If you want a added layer of protection you could always purchase slabbed autographs. To answer one of your questions, Most of the vintage cards you see for sale were probably signed in the last 20 years. This is when collecting autographs thru the mail became popular. The best way to find the address of a former player is to purchase an address list. A google search for Jack Smalling or Meiselman address lists should get you what you need.

Heres some of my favorites.


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Posted By: Dan Bretta

How can you be sure that the cards you obtained through the mail are real? When I was a kid I sent cards to all kinds of players after I read in Baseball Card magazine that you could just send your requests to the stadiums. I even sent cards to Wrigley of Ron Santo and Fergie Jenkins and got both of them back signed even though they were retired at the time. My team has always been the Red Sox and I was always a little upset that NOT ONE SINGLE card of mine, mailed with a SASE was ever returned from Fenway Park. Nearly every other card I sent out was signed and returned. Sometimes with extras. I even got Darryl Strawberry back signed on the reverse which kind of shocked me because I had heard that he never signed through the mail. Pete Rose sent back a flyer for his new book along with what I assume was an auto penned card. Now I want to search for all those cards...I have them somewhere, but I haven't a clue at the moment where they are.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

I recently finished a 1960 Toops Yankees team signed set. Aside from the big ones being expensive (Mantle, Maris and Elston Howard), the hardest for me to obtain was Duke Maas, the 4 coaches card and Deron Johnson. I believe Maas should have been the toughest but it actually took me longer to get the Deron Johnson than the Maas. Actually, I was able to acquire a second Duke Maas before I found the Johnson.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Jon,

Are you selling the dupe Maas? LMK. Might be able to move it for you.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Jodi, I actually have a 1961 signed Maas as well (originally was going to go after a 1961 Topps team set but then decided 1960 was enough). I can send you scans of the 3 signed Duke Maas cards tonight. I'm not sure if I have any plans to move the 1960 and 1961 right now, but I haven't given it any thought so I don't want to say no outright. I have your contact info so I'll shoot you an email later when i can scans them.

- Jon