The death of the autographed ball

[ooo-ribay]

I'm a huge Giants fan but thes days I can only make out a few of their signatures that I've happened to see before. Back in the day, I could identify every player's signature. McCovey and Marichal had especially beautiful signatures. Who would want to pay for a modern team ball filled with scribbles? Here's a 1962 Giants ball and a 2010 version.

[2dueces]

Cursive writing no longer taught in schools. 😂

[Smanzari]

I think it helps the auto'd ball hobby. Usually not knowing leads to research, which leads to "rabbit holes" (but I could be totally wrong). I actually don't mind it, but I'm one of those people that think personality is shown in signatures and love how some vary from neat to essentially doodles, ha!

[JollyElm]

Looking at that baseball makes me feel how the first explorers who ran across ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics must've felt.

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Looking at that baseball makes me feel how the first explorers who ran across ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics must've felt.

Every panel is just as bad.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

I'm a huge Giants fan but thes days I can only make out a few of their signatures that I've happened to see before. Back in the day, I could identify every player's signature. McCovey and Marichal had especially beautiful signatures. Who would want to pay for a modern team ball filled with scribbles? Here's a 1962 Giants ball and a 2010 version.

I hear you, Rob. I totally agree!

[CobbSpikedMe]

Today's signatures are an insult to the fans. Players can't even write their names or even something that resembles a name for that matter. It's sad and pathetic at the same time. Have some pride in your name and sign it that way.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Funny, even as recent as a1998 Yankees ball is still full of great signatures

[stewbacca]

I have been collecting autographs for years both in the Topps 40 years baseball book and on Topps cards. I have given up on autographed cards, especially from the young athletes. They have such terrible penmanship. The older athletes have such beautiful autographs. It is like art. Mantle, DiMaggio, Killebrew and others had wonderful signatures. I got Joc Peterson at a Sac Rivercats game before he got called up and he signed a JP on my card. Couldn’t believe it. I stopped trying to get autographed sets and turned my collection in a different direction. Kind of bummed as I had been doing the autographed cards since the late 80’s and early 90’s.

[scooter729]

Earlier this season I posted this story about my son meeting a bunch of the Red Sox players. He had them sign a 2018 World Series ball.

I attached two pictures of the ball here. Thank God that many of them added their numbers for him, and that I jotted down that day who had signed it, or I'm sure we'd have no idea whose scribbles were whose on the ball.

And they took their time to sign for him - I can't imagine if they had been in a rush!

[mr2686]

I know these younger player's sigs are barely legible, but at least they don't charge hundreds of dollars for them...oh wait.

[tjb1952tjb]

Originally Posted by CobbSpikedMe

Today's signatures are an insult to the fans. Players can't even write their names or even something that resembles a name for that matter. It's sad and pathetic at the same time. Have some pride in your name and sign it that way.

This............