Who are the tougher living Baseball HOFers?

[hawaiian bam bam]

Hello,
in your opinion, who are the toughest living Baseball HOFers to get to sign nowadays? Here is my list:

1. Tom Seaver-Rumor is that he is done signing
2. Monte Irvin-I received a note from him when I sent TTM saying due to health he is no longer signing autographs.
3. Willie Mays-even if he signs now, his signature is crap(hardly legible)
4. Hank Aaron- see same as above for Mays
5. Willie McCovey-Heard his health is getting worse and so suffers his signature.

what is your list/thoughts?

[MacDice]

I think you have nailed the list pretty well. Aaron and McCovey at least will still do a signing or two a year.

Aparacio is hard as he doesn't live in the states. When he does travel he has an entourage which drives up the price

Also heard Bench isn't healthy

[dgo71]

Depends on the setting. Most living HOFers are accessible through signings, but if you're talking about your chances of getting them to sign for free in an in-person setting, there are a few tough guys.

Jim Rice is an absolute miserable human being and would probably be close to the top of my list. Roberto Alomar, if you're trying to get him on a HOF specific item, will simply not do it. He charges a premium for HOF items at signings, and for free he will flatly refuse to sign the HOF inscription, HOF plaque postcards, etc.

[packs]

Tricky question. Those guys are tough to get in person but not tough in a general sense.

Here's my list:

Sandy Koufax
Joe Torre
Pedro Martinez
Frank Thomas
Greg Maddux

Just a partial list off the top of my head. The newer players are going to be hard for a while, but I think when they get old they'll do the circuits. Torre has always been hard because he's a Yankee. The price of anything Koufax tells you what you need to know, even if he was signing during spring training.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by packs

Sandy Koufax
Joe Torre
Pedro Martinez
Frank Thomas
Greg Maddux

Interesting because I thought the first four were pretty easy and regulars on the show or private signing circuit. Thomas in particular seems to be signing up a storm and can be had through a number of reliable sources for around $60.

Maddux I agree with. My sense is he doesn't like signing and won't be seen at shows. This in combination with the fact that his signature is an awful scrawl, it is a forger's dream. I would only obtain in-person or through a rock-solid source.

[packs]

Private signing for Koufax and Torre yeah, but you're going to pay through the nose. So I still consider them tough because the price point will limit supply.

I could be wrong about Thomas. He was supposed to sign in White Plains shortly after induction but cancelled and I haven't seen him come around the NY area since. But again, I don't know about every signing. When he was a player he was a very tough in person signature.

I haven't seen Pedro advertised at a show signing since he got in or before. But again, I'm limited to NY area shows and don't delve much into private signings.

[MacDice]

Good call on Koufax as being difficult in general. He maybe does one private signing per year and the prices were amazing. I kept putting off going to Dodgers spring training these past couple of years to get him on a few cards now I regret it.

[bender07]

Koufax is always tough, expensive to get on a specific item.

Morgan is not doing well. I didn't hear that about Bench nor that Seaver doesn't sign anymore? That latter is really surprising.

[Laxcat]

I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Irvin's poor health. Best show experience I ever had was sliding for him. I learned a lot about baseball listening to his stories.

[tazdmb]

Irvin is the toughest, simply because doesn't sign anymore, followed closely by Mays, who did a signing of 50 flat items earlier this year, Koufax is possible if you are willing to fly to ST, and has probably has signed more autographs in the last two years than the previous ten combined. Seaver had not really signed since being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Aaron did a signing last week.

I think everyone living who has been inducted in the HOF in the last 5 years is active on the show circuit. Just because they charge a lot of money didn't make them tough.

[egri]

Bobby Doerr.
.
.
.
I haven't seen a return from Red Schoendienst in years, and as far as I know he hasn't done a signing in a while. He was a good signer before then, though, so I don't know if he would count for this list.

[Klrdds]

With respect to all posters I think the word " tough" should maybe expounded upon. Does tough mean accessibility in person or through the mail or thru the show/private signing venue. Does it mean the price of their autograph in the retail market or show or private signing market . Does it mean the refusal to sign certain items but will sign other items . Does it mean the player is just a jerk no matter what the situation is. But none of the these guys are impossible( tough) to find in the marketplace however their price in some rare cases may make it tough for the average collector to afford.
For example
Irvin , Schoendienst, and Doerr are not highly valued or tough to find in the market but due to age they are not signing much now .
Seaver and Bench have never been an easy autograph to get.
Koufax's accessibility is difficult at best and a expensive signature as well .
Mays and Aaron have made it difficult on collectors for years .
Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson were not that easy to get as players and are no easier since their HoF election along with most of the players elected by the BBWAA in the past decade or two .
I remember when Mike Scmidt was next to impossible to get and he still is hard to get but not expensive.
The newer guys are just in some ways following the examples laid down by their HoF peers.

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by egri

Bobby Doerr.
.
.
.
I haven't seen a return from Red Schoendienst in years, and as far as I know he hasn't done a signing in a while. He was a good signer before then, though, so I don't know if he would count for this list.

Red is quite obtainable through local shows in St, Louis where a number of people conduct Private Signings with him. I have probably gotten two dozen items signed this year. If you need any more info PM me.

[egri]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

Irvin , Schoendienst, and Doerr are not highly valued or tough to find in the market but due to age they are not signing much now .

Mentioning Doerr was my lousy attempt at sarcasm . In all seriousness, he's one of the best signers, and certainly the best HoF'er that I've ever seen in terms of accommodating us autograph hounds. And SCF has a few returns from him this month, including one from a few days ago.

[sycks22]

Feller and Killebrew were nearly impossible when they were alive

[Laxcat]

Originally Posted by sycks22

Feller and Killebrew were nearly impossible when they were alive

I have heard that there is a safe somewhere that contains all the unsigned Bob Feller items in the world. There were only a few left when they sealed the door shut.

[hawaiian bam bam]

You guys funny!

[almostdone]

Just wondering as I know he isn't in the hall yet but how tough is Ken Griffey Jr to get? I don't get autographs at shows but I don't recall seeing him on any list of signers. Just curious.
Drew

[MacDice]

almostdone - Griffey did a few shows when he first was called up then he became an exclusive with Upper Deck. A few years ago he signed a bunch of pieces for Mill Creek Sports Cards (I don't think they allowed fans to send items in for the signing but I could be wrong).

Personally I don't see him ever doing a public signing. Like so many modern players, he made so much money playing it doesn't make a lot of financial sense for him to go on the autograph circuit. I would imagine that after he gets elected into the Hall of Fame another private signing will take place with prices being at Steiner Jeter level.

I got him in person for free this summer at a charity event. It was one per person and even then you could tell he was pissed to sign. You got what you got. You didn't dare ask for a specific location or an inscription.

[packs]

From making many rounds at spring trainings I've heard a lot of stories from people that Griffey is very approachable and will interact with fans on a personal level. but he gets very testy when they ask for an autograph.

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by MacDice

almostdone - Griffey did a few shows when he first was called up then he became an exclusive with Upper Deck. A few years ago he signed a bunch of pieces for Mill Creek Sports Cards (I don't think they allowed fans to send items in for the signing but I could be wrong).

Personally I don't see him ever doing a public signing. Like so many modern players, he made so much money playing it doesn't make a lot of financial sense for him to go on the autograph circuit. I would imagine that after he gets elected into the Hall of Fame another private signing will take place with prices being at Steiner Jeter level.

I got him in person for free this summer at a charity event. It was one per person and even then you could tell he was pissed to sign. You got what you got. You didn't dare ask for a specific location or an inscription.

I was lucky enough to get Griffey in '90 at a show in Boston. I happened to have ticket #31 and I was RIGHT at the door to Griffey when they called ticket #'s 1-50! I was the first in line and got an awesome auto...still have it!

[tazdmb]

I believe the last shows he did was during the strike in 1994. I remember he did a bunch a shows with his father and it was $75-$90 for both of them. Again, this was just an obscene amount of money then. Today 4th year player Mike Trout is doing a private signing and is charging $265/signature and $385 if you want him to sign his full name. I wonder if that will seem cheap in 20 years.

[MacDice]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

I believe the last shows he did was during the strike in 1994. I remember he did a bunch a shows with his father and it was $75-$90 for both of them. Again, this was just an obscene amount of money then. Today 4th year player Mike Trout is doing a private signing and is charging $265/signature and $385 if you want him to sign his full name. I wonder if that will seem cheap in 20 years.

I remember when Jr doing shows during the off season of his first season in the show charging $8 per. I must have gotten around 10 cards done at that price.

[hawaiian bam bam]

any other players that are getting tougher to get or whos signatures are deteriorating? thanks

[bender07]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

any other players that are getting tougher to get or whos signatures are deteriorating? thanks

Bam, are you looking to have guys sign a specific item of yours or are you just collecting individual signatures on any medium (like baseballs, index cards, etc)? If the latter, don't worry about the deterioration of the current autograph since any HOF'er that died post 1980 is basically easy to get on anything. Now if you have a certain print that you want to add guys to, that's a different story.

Understanding your intent will help drive the answers you receive.

[hawaiian bam bam]

thank you for your help i appreciate it. im asking just in general on any item to get signed. I ask because i have read on other forums that bobby doerrs signature is starting to get really bad , same with whitey ford, and that tom seaver and johnny bench are really sick and not signing anything nowadays and willie mays and hank aarons signtures look horrible now due to old age and i got a letter back from monte irvin saying he no longer signs due to health issues, and i read al kalines signature looks like he is pissed that he is signing, so that all got me thinking,about what HOFers are now either not signign anymore and hard to get or whos signatures are so bad due to helth that it would be better to pick up an earlier signature on ebay instead of sending ttm or send in for private signing. thanks

[Cooptown]

I thought I would chime in on some of the names mentioned in this post, as I only collect HOFers, I attend Induction Weekend every year in Cooperstown, and have a pretty good pulse on what is going on. As someone mentioned before, it needs to be better defined as to what difficult is. Monte Irvin is in absolute abundance, but if you are working on your own multi-signed piece, his days of signing are over.

Tom Seaver: I took a break from collecting from 1999 to 2004 or so. I remember when I got back into it, he was everywhere. In fact, I remember people complaining that MAB kept recycling Seaver and Berra at every show.

Monte Irvin: Unfortunately his signing days are over. But he was a signing machine TTM for the longest time. There are an abundance of his autos on the market.

Willie Mays: I have actually been in the market for a signed ball from him, and I was surprised about the abundance of his autos, available for a decent price, on the market. You can get an authenticated OMLB for $125-ish delivered. Although he has not done a signing in quite some time. I know there was a gentleman on sportscollectors.net who was trying to get a private signing (cards only) set up with him during spring training last year. I think it was in the $300-ish range. The signing was postponed, as Willie had some health issues, but I do believe he is going to try again for next spring training.

Hank Aaron: He does a signing once or twice a year through Waukesha Sports and a guy on Sportscollectors.net usually puts together a bulk discount signing on cards.

Willie McCovey: He’s good for a signing once or so a year. There was just recently a guy on sportscollectors.net who was just recently gauging interest on him. I believe prices started around $85 for flats/balls. MAB just did a signing with him earlier this year. I don’t believe he is in the best health, so if you need him, you might want to jump on the next one.

Bench: I did not hear anything about his health. He has been in Cooperstown the past few summers, was at the AS game this year, etc. He appears to be doing fine. He also signs through his foundation, with prices starting at $60.

Roberto Alomar: I think the reference to him in this thread must have been in person graphing, because he is quite prevalent on the show circuit.
Sandy Koufax: Probably the toughest living HOFer. Although he seems to sign a decent amount IP with the Dodgers in spring training if you put the time in, and will do a paid signing (although not cheap). Last private signing was March 2015 with prices starting at $395.

Joe Torre: Does signings through Steiner Sports – they just aren’t cheap.

Pedro Martinez: I feel like Pedro did quite a tour on the show circuit this year. I know he appeared with MAB the Monday after his induction, and I feel like he was at a few other shows. National maybe?

Frank Thomas: Actually, I would say he is on the show circuit the most out of the HOFers. He’s a pretty easy graph to obtain.

Greg Maddux: Difficult, but not impossible. There have been a few paid signings with him through sportscollectors.net, and I know he did an appearance on Saturday of Induction Weekend in Cooperstown.

Joe Morgan: I, too, was worried about Joe’s health when I saw him walking with a cane at the AS and HOF Induction Weekend. But apparently it is hip or knee related, and temporary. Not something that should take him away from us too soon.

Whitey Ford: I will add my own thoughts on Whitey Ford. He appears to have really slowed down from the show circuit, although he did do an appearance with MAB in Cooperstown over the summer during Induction Weekend. He looked great to me. Prices were a bit steep - maybe starting over $100 if I recall? If it is a piece you want to risk, I believe he still answers fan mail; starting at around $50. PM me for more info.

George Brett: I am also going to add George Brett. He usually does an appearance once every two to three years. I know a guy on SCN is working on something for him for spring 2016 – with prices starting around $130 or so. He’s not on the show circuit much, and he’s pretty hit and miss if you run into him.

Yaz-Also throwing Yaz onto this list. He doesn’t travel too much anymore, and does one appearance per year, in the fall, through Dick Gordon Sports. A guy on SCN puts together a bulk order, with cards at $60, postcards/hof plaques at $80, flats and balls at $130.

Red Schoendienst: Red just did an appearance in St. Louis – although I don’t think he travels too much anymore. There is a guy on SCN who handles his fan mail for him. I believe it starts at $25. PM me if you need more info.

You probably see a theme in many of the guys I listed. Long story short, if you are collecting living HOF players, a $14.99 yearly subscription to sportscollectors.net is money well spent.

Feel free to shoot out some more names and I will give you my take on them.

[egri]

I got Whitey Ford earlier this year TTM. He charged $40 for a card, and the signature looked ok. It wasn't as fluid as others I've seen, but that could have been because my card had a crease in it.

[btcarfagno]

Bobby Doerr. I have one of those inductee portraits by Lake Otsego on the lawn of the Otesaga from 1991 and the matting around it is signed by 35 of the 36 men in the photo. Oddly enough the only one not to sign the darn thing is Mr. Doerr. I understand that he is in a nursing home now, and due to the value of the piece as-is I am reluctant to just send it to him...plus it would cost a fair amount to send back to me. If I knew that someone was "in charge" of getting autograph requests to him, I would love to send the piece out to get it signed. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tom C

[hawaiian bam bam]

Thanks guys for your responses, i appreciate it.

Cooptown- that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. a nice break down of players like that, so thanks!

what i was meaning about tough or difficult is not really the availability because you can find anything on ebay. but more so for in person/ttm, what players are simply not even signing anymore, like irvin and seaver, or who is pissed o sign like kaline and i even heard jim rice can be difficult, or live outside of the usa which makes them difficult to send ttm, get in person or at a signing like aparicio. or whos health is affecting the quality of their signatures like ford, mays and aaron. cooptown..did an amazing job on some of the hofers i was asking about. would love to see your thoughts on some other hofers! very, very cool break down.

[MacDice]

Kaline will sign TTM via the mail (cards and photos only) for a very reasonable cash only price but he does give an "angry" signature. When he is paid at a show and getting more money his signature improves.

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

Mike Trout is doing a private signing and is charging $265/signature and $385 if you want him to sign his full name.

What do you get for $265?

[bluffcitymemorabilia]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

What do you get for $265?

Better question is when is the signing?

[sbfinley]

Can I get a link to the Trout signing?

[jimjim]

You can get a nice Mickey Mantle for that price. Or 5 other Hall of Famers combined. Ouch!

[Klrdds]

From Taz:
Today 4th year player Mike Trout is doing a private signing and is charging $265/signature and $385 if you want him to sign his full name. I wonder if that will seem cheap in 20 years.
__________________
Unless the player has done something extraordinary I enforce a minimum 10 year career playing rule before paying outlandish amounts of money for someone who is not and would not be Hall of Fame eligible . To me a Cy Young , MVP or ROY etc.. is not considered unless they have won multiple awards and even then I consider waiting again because of my 10 year rule.
There have been countless great players with great seasons but they never had 10 year careers or even 10 great seasons. That is the rule I have been using and it has worked well for me.
I understand collectors paying it but what will it be worth if that player doesn't make the 10 year career or fades out rapidly for whatever reason.

[btcarfagno]

Seriously. At that price there better be a reach around involved.

Too much info?

Tom C

[cubsfan-budman]

honestly, it boggles that mind that buster posey, mike trout or kris bryant would charge more for an auto than most HOFers.

that's why i love kershaw and josh hamilton...they sign for free for their fans.

best bet, wait til they're in the HOF and start signing for charity for $100 or whatever in 2030

the absolute worst in my mind is tom brady. i got an email the other day where you could get a football signed for $950. i get it, he's a HOFer...but that price is an insult to fans and (imho) reflects poorly on him.

[packs]

Trout is great when it comes to signing for kids. When I was at Spring Training he only signed for kids and zig-zagged his way away from all the adults.

Kershaw I didn't see sign while I was there.

Hamilton was a class act and signed for anyone who wanted one. Great guy.

[cubsfan-budman]

Originally Posted by packs

Kershaw I didn't see sign while I was there.

Hamilton was a class act and signed for anyone who wanted one. Great guy.

kershaw and hamilton are the only "big names" that i know of that are pretty much 100% good on TTMs.

[sbfinley]

I'll happily pay Trout $265. I need him on his Topps Update RC for my son's birth year set.

[packs]

Yeah to be honest $265 doesn't sound that bad when you can choose the item. I'd rather pay that for Trout than twice as much for Jeter.

[tazdmb]

Several People have asked so i thought I would show a full signature Trout (top) compared to the regular $265 Tour (bottom)

[cubsfan-budman]

got a tristar email today...brady for the low low price of $650. i guess deflategate took some of his cache...or maybe they just ran out of people who can pay $900

[Bruinsfan94]

With how much money these guys make, I'm not surprised they charge so much at shows. They know that kids are not going to be paying that. The only options they really have to avoid adult collectors taking advantage of them is to charge high amounts/not sign or sign so much that the autographs become worthless. Look how much mail a guy like Pat Neshek gets who will sign ANYTHING , imagine what Trout would get if he tried the same. As long as they sign for kids in person at games/ in public I have no problem with it. Hamilton used to sign all his mail and send it around the holiday season, not sure if he still does. Kershaw is as classy as they come. Bobby Doerr is the best. I honeslty think that (even though the old joke is about Bob Feller) that Doerr has increased the value of some of his unsigned cards by signing so much. Lots of guys still sign through the mail. I worked in a clubhouse in the independent leagues and I saw guys signing mail all the time. They all seemed to feel they owed it to the fans who watched them when they were playing in the bigs.

[packs]

How exactly are collectors taking advantage of professional athletes by selling their autographs though? The athletes make what they make because of fans / collectors attending games. If one is taking advantage of the other, isn't it mutual?

[cubsfan-budman]

yeah, there's some sort of break even point where the cost of the auto isn't exploitative of the fan base.

not sure where that point is, but it's lower than $650

[packs]

The secondary market shouldn't even enter the athlete's mind. If it does, that person is being greedy. They have enough money. I don't worry about what someone does with my soda can after I throw it away. I don't feel as though someone who needs the money and recycles my can instead of me is ripping me off. That mentality is lame.

[Bruinsfan94]

Originally Posted by packs

How exactly are collectors taking advantage of professional athletes by selling their autographs though? The athletes make what they make because of fans / collectors attending games. If one is taking advantage of the other, isn't it mutual?

If you get something for free for someone or at a reduced price, and then sell it for a profit, I'd say that you are taking advantage of it. You pay for a ticket to see a baseball game. You don't pay for a ticket to have the player owe you for everything. Not saying there is anything at all wrong with selling autographs. Just don't see why people would feel that the players should freely allow others to make profit off them. Signing a card for a kid is different as thats just being a decent person

[Bruinsfan94]

Originally Posted by packs

The secondary market shouldn't even enter the athlete's mind. If it does, that person is being greedy. They have enough money. I don't worry about what someone does with my soda can after I throw it away. I don't feel as though someone who needs the money and recycles my can instead of me is ripping me off. That mentality is lame.

Of course the secondary market plays into it. Why should a player waste his time signing autographs just so random guys who may or may not be fans sell it. Apples and Oranges.