I'm a bit late to this party. My view coincides with a lot of those expressed
already. It's a facet of collecting that I don't generally involve myself in, that
has been essentially ruined. The notion of meeting a favorite player (doesn't
need to be HOF) and expressing gratitude or fandom has been largely
rendered nonexistent- there is little charm left at "official" signings. And
don't get me started on "signatures" that look like an EKG readout...
One thing- a commenter mentioned that signatures could be construed as
intellectual property. I'm not wearing a black robe and wielding a gavel as I
type, but I respectfully disagree. At best, the signature is "property" they
coyly and willingly sold at an incredible "per hour" wage. At
worst, it just became the "property" of the person who bought it and the
signer- who almost certainly doesn't care post payment- just forfeited it.
I do have autos that I obtained personally or have incredible provenance to
verify are genuine. One of my favorites cost me $5- Dawn Wells in her
classic "Mary Ann" costume in black and white glossy. The inscription reads,
"Rescue me". Perfect
Trent King