[Fred]

That's a fun way to collect autographs/signatures. Also, contracts and other documents (things that appear official) are also a fun way to collect.

There's a lot of stuff out there. I can recall a time when Cobb checks were like $10 a piece (ok, that was a long time ago). They were given away with a donation (something like $5). The last cheap price I can remember for Cobb checks was like $35 a piece around 35 years ago.

Lots of Cobb checks out there. He's probably the easiest out of the (5) original HOFers. The toughest of course is Matty. Ruth is plentiful but the price has skyrocketed on his checks. Wags and Johnson used to be under a grand in the past decade (if you looked hard enough) but those are now starting to get a bit pricey.

The best thing to do is search fleabay and log the prices. After a while, you'll get a good idea of what checks seem to be plentiful.

Is it worth it to purchase an encapsulated check? If you plan to sell at some point, then that's a consideration, but after you start getting a feel for the checks, you'll probably figure out that the extra $$ for the plastic holder may not really be worth it.