Quite a few, I'd wager based on the evidence--the surviving numbers. What percentage of the autographs given to kids--for free, so that they never were assigned a monetary value--have survived? I don't know, of course, but based on the numbers of baseball cards that have survived, it ain't all that great.
And, in those days, if you weren't able to meet a player before or after a game, you could always write to his home. Almost all were happy to oblige.

JimStinson
 

David yes you ARE a friend and along time customer ....and I appreciate your opinion BUT in order for things to be as we wish they were so ...we would need a "TIME MACHINE" which to my knowlege neither one of us owns
Cheers
JIM STINSON SPORTS

True enough, Jim. But I do my best to live in that past--at least as far as my collecting is concerned. I don't collect contemporary autographs. In my mind, I'm still that kid hanging outside the player's entrance at Yankee Stadium after a game, and writing to players--and deceased players' wives--after coming home from the game. :)

JimStinson
 

me 2 ....but it ain;t so anymore

Out of curiousity, what were the sources for addresses "back in the day"?

Mike

I know Jack Smalling has been producing address lists for a VERY VERY long time.

A friend of mine back then in the Bronx--and the guy who piqued my interest in collecting vintage material--was Harvey Meiselman. I got all my addresses from him.
He's producing--and selling--address lists to this day.

http://www.sportsaddresslists.com/

I used Meiselman's list as well, FWIW

David A- you are living in the perfect dream world, my friend (too :)). Many of us wish it was the way it used to be such as on Leave it to Beaver or Mayberry RFD.

The monetizing of the world is the way it is today. I don't like some things, like professional sports today, so I rarely engage in watching or anything else. When I do it's on TV and even though Neilson ratings might help them it doesn't hurt me (financially). I vote with my pocketbook. As long as there are long lines to pay enormous prices for autographs they will continue. If no one is in line for Brady's signature then he wouldn't be able to do it. It doesn't bother me what other people spend their money on as long as it's not hurting me personally, and it isn't. More power to the buyers and sellers. It's America :). I think we all wish a lot of things were different.

To paraphrase you from another thread,

"Guess what, David? It ain't your father's America no more.

Get used to it."


Sorry, couldn't resist. :D

You have a Neilson box?

A Nelson box....otherwise, I stand by my Neilson comment :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rate-Vintage...item4ab69e32fc



.

You got me there, Steve. Touche.

I've been in the hobby for thirty years and a sport's fan for a lot longer than that, and I have to say I have never ever understood why anyone wants to stand in line to pay an athlete for his autograph. It just baffles me to no end. Added to that, many fans stand in long lines and pay very high prices to be insulted by some of the surly athletes who don't even give a crap about those fans. How many horror stories have we heard about Willie Mays's rudeness, or Frank Robinson's, or so many others who won't even give their fans the courtesy of some eye contact? I mean where is one's self respect? Are there really fans willing to be pay big bucks to be abused by these ungrateful athletes?

How much do I think a Tom Brady autograph should sell for? Around zero, give or take. I've gotten exactly one in person autograph my entire life. It was Joe DiMaggio's, he was signing at the Bowery Savings Bank in Brooklyn, there was no line, and he didn't charge anything for it. He even chatted briefly and cordially with me. And that I felt was a fair exchange.

I understand paying money for an autograph for something that is decades or centuries old, those are collectibles that have been saved and have stood the test of time. But walking up to somebody and paying him to sign something in a face to face meeting? Not as long as I live and breath.

Barry

One of the great joys of Class A baseball here is the players' signing after the games--for free, naturally. The vast majority of the kids don't distinguish between a major league prospect and a fill-in player. Whether this leads to the players' charging at the MLB level, I don't know

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...07368131_n.jpg

absolutely agree!!!!

Agreed Max. That's the fun part of it, and something that I kid will remember for a long time.

eh, why pay that price for Tom Brady when gridironlegends has a never ending supply of Brady's and other stars like Bradshaw, Montana, Rice, Marino, just about any big name star you could want at a fraction of the price.

In principal, I agree with just about everything everybody's said in this thread. I've never paid for an autograph, and doubt I ever will. And yes, the price for Brady is just plain nuts. BUT, I also know you are fighting a long-lost cause. Want to understand why these many thousands of fans stand in line to pay for someone's autograph? Ask them, I'm sure they'll be happy to explain it to you. And while you're at it, ask them what they think about those of us who pay huge amounts of money for the old stuff, for players whom we never followed or even ever saw, who were long-gone before we were born. Most of them will say we're out of our minds. I don't know why people fork over hard-earned cash for all the crap movies they're making these days, either, but I don't think they're stupid or crazy for doing so. They like them, that's all, and that's the way it goes. Same could be said for all kinds of other ways people spend their money and time that's not my cup of tea. You'll never see me in line for Brady or anybody else's autograph, but what do I care about those who are? To each his own.

I think part of what is lost in this, is that all of those times in our youth, waiting in line for a free autograph, we never realized that they were only free to us(not counting charity functions or randomly at games). The players were still getting paid an appearance fee by the promoters and whatnot to sign for us. Now, those appearance fees have gotten outrageous, to the point where there is no choice but to directly pass the cost down to us.. It's transformed these appearances from a promotional tool, to a profitable business in it's own right. Not only for the player, but whoever is arranging the appearance as well. Basically, too many hands in the cookie jar..

My main issue is that the profitability of these appearances, has led the players to avoid signing at games for fear of driving down their own prices at these appearances. They've basically alienated themselves from anyone who isn't directly paying them for contact..

You would like me to mind my own business? Take it to a PM.

Perhaps what you should have done in the first place.

JimStinson
 

what is a "PM" ? this entire thread is summed up here in 3 seconds ..lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JFfN5pKzFU

JimStinson
 

Sorry but can't resist as I am a lifelong Dolphins fan........SEPERATED AT BIRTH

I dont think the promoter sets the price as much as the athlete and their appearance fee. I used to go to SF for the big shows and was able to get Dimaggio for $175. At the time that price was unbelievable but I wouldnt have run into him any other way. Bradys fee is probably near 100 grand for a few hours. Why would Jeter and ARod sit at a show and sign? They are set for life because of their ball skills. Players like Feller would plan his vacations around autograph shows and pay for his trips by signing along his vacation route. $5 for a legend was pretty good. Appearance fees for the old guys who never made the big bucks during their careers are not that high so the promoters can keep the prices down on them. Some of the old guys are now starting to charge TTM because as soon as they sign, it hits ebay and the players want a part or the action.

Mike Trout is charging $179.....

I have no problem paying a reasonable fee for the convenience of getting a celebrity to sign something for me.

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...size/Aaron.jpg

I'm a businessman too, I understand the concept of fee for service. I don't work for free [on purpose; sometimes the client doesn't pay] but when prices soar to the point where the item becomes cost-prohibitive I am out of there. I 100% agree about the surly and mean signers. If the experience sucks that bad for them, they should just stay home. No one is forcing a Frank Robinson or Willie Mays to sign so why be a dick about it.

I can't get too excited over the money that athletes charge for autographs.
To me, all they owe fans is their best performance on the field.

Having said that, if they are going to sign, I would expect them to be friendly and cordial as I would anyone else I might happen to meet.

JimStinson
 

Well said however "FRIENDLY & CORDIAL" is $50.00 extra ..:)
__________________________________
Buying and Selling Vintage autographs for over three decades
19th century and dead ball era baseball my specialty
jim@stinsonsports.com

As long as there are sheep, the shearing will continue.

Very well put, if you are paying $600++ for Tom Brady, I am sorry but you are sheep.