Quote:
Originally Posted by Exhibitman
The idealized innocent experience of meeting a hero and getting a valueless autograph as a memento is a fantasy that hasn't really existed for decades (except maybe in children's cancer wards), ever since the card collecting and memorabilia boom began in earnest.
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Well said in your previous posts. With the exception of certain circumstances I agree with pretty much everything you said.
Nearly up until their deaths, you had folks like Feller and Erskine signing for free or for a fairly small amount at shows that was usually donated completely to charity. And though not the same as getting a signature in person, you could pick up a signed HOF card and many other items from the Feller Museum just a few years before his death essentially for the price of the items themselves. Carl certainly signed through the mail for free. And there probably are many old ballplayers that still do. At least one HOF basketball player has signed and I believe still signs for free when you send an item and SASE to their former teams. Sending a nice letter and getting an actual response to that letter is a nice experience that I'd take if I could not meet a player. Again, I agree with pretty much what you've expressed, but I guess my point is that you can still meet your heroes and get valueless (or maybe near valueless---because hey, just about any auto may have some value to others) autographs---it just may be a little harder or different to come by them!