Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankWakefield
One function of value is the demand for the autograph... and one is supply. The longer a player lived, the longer he had to sign. And, there's not always been a constant demand for autographs. When everyone comes back from WWII, and then the kids are born, there's a bunch of kids chasing autographs in the mid to late 50s. So if a player was still alive and up and going then, he'd have been asked for an autograph. Marquard was healthy and active for years, he signed a bunch of stuff. You might look at the death dates for those guys, and figure out who died early, who stayed with us longer...
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That's certainly the most important factor to consider. Other aspects include:
-Was the player a willing signer? Some players have lived into their nineties and have adamantly refused most or all requests.
-Was he physically able to sign? Age, accidents leading to paralysis and blindness can all come into play here.
-Besides the fact that many players featured in the set died at an early age, there were also many who, in that bygone era, had simply fallen off the radar. This problem continues to this day, but is practically contained as compared to back then.
Many players from this era were featured in a "Where Are They Now?"-type of column in
The Sporting News for several years. These articles would often list players' hometowns, if not their entire mailing address. This explains the availability of certain obscure players' signatures. I doubt that too many people would have thought to write to a Lou Fiene-caliber player otherwise.