Anyone collect signed checks?

[homerunhitter]

Anyone collect signed checks? Particularly HOFers? Let’s see them!

[roarfrom34]

I collect checks related to the Ripken Family.

Here is one of Cal Jr.'s payroll checks from his Rookie Year of 1982:

[yanksfan09]

I love them...

[Jcosta19]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

I love them...

Great checks! I've always wanted a Walt Disney.

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[guy3050]

My Jackie

IMG_0548 (1) by Guy Bourque, on Flickr

[Jay Wolt]

Love signed cancelled checks

Here's a Catfish Hunter pair of payroll checks from the A's & Yanks

[yanksfan09]

Originally Posted by Jcosta19

Great checks! I've always wanted a Walt Disney.

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Thanks! Yea he has a great signature with some different variations, great penmanship!

[canjond]

A few additional ones:

[Lordstan]

My Johnson(Thanks again Jon) before and after Framing(Yes. It's slabbed, just matted out the slab.)

[tazdmb]

Love Checks, here are a few toughies I have of many I have that others haven't posted. Have several tough endorsements and Promissory Notes, but those are not considered checks.

[w7imel]

a few of mine

[earlywynnfan]

Here are some of mine.

[homerunhitter]

Love seeing all of these!!! Very cool guys! Keep them coming!!!

[homerunhitter]

Also how do you guys store these? Does ultra pro make sleeves for checks? Thanks

[CooperstownExpert]

Nice thread. Fun to see so many neat checks.

I've been collecting baseball autographs seriously since 1984 so I've got a few. They're all on my website CooperstownExpert.com on the player pages.

The second check signed by Hal Trosky is fun. I sent a nice letter and questionnaire to his son who sent me the check. What a thrill finding that in the mail..

The Bill Buckner payroll check is likely the last he ever received as a pro ball player.

The Blyleven check from Topps was the first Bert ever received from the baseball card company.

Hope you enjoy the others too.

[Lordstan]

[Wrightfan85]

Nice checks everyone. I might pick up some once the postcard collection is done or close to it.

[homerunhitter]

Very cool guys! Keep them coming!!!

Mr Smiley- May I ask, please, in regards to checks not really being available for newer guys like Boggs, Griffey jr, Bagwell, Harold Baines, etc what do you do or what do you recommend in regards to trying to add those guys to the collection?

Thanks

[Jcosta19]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

Great display!

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[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Very cool guys! Keep them coming!!!

Mr Smiley- May I ask, please, in regards to checks not really being available for newer guys like Boggs, Griffey jr, Bagwell, Harold Baines, etc what do you do or what do you recommend in regards to trying to add those guys to the collection?

Thanks

Hi Richard. Please call me Jim.

While checks provide a solid example of player's autograph, there are a lot of other desirable forms as well. I most prefer handwritten letters with meaningful content. Of course that's hard to find on every player, not to mention expensive.

My website has a page every player in the Hall and almost 300 guys who aren't in Cooperstown. The links here in the reply go to the appropriate pages on the site. I've also included images from the guys you mention, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Jeff Bagwell, and Harold Baines. The Baines piece is the actual lineup card that hung in the Texas dugout for Harold Baines' last game with the Rangers. On his page there are also a couple of autographed cards.

For me, part of the fun of collecting is learning about the game then writing up a little something for each of the player pages. Drop me a direct message or email and let me know what you enjoy about the hobby. It's always fun to connect with collectors.

Take care.

[homerunhitter]

Thank you so much for your help! That helped me out very much.What an awesome website! Very cool. Do you recommend that I get my autographs authenticated by PSA? I ask because I feel with checks and signed documents to me that’s a pretty sure authentic autograph as you can get. But for resale, would you recommend PSA or just leave them unauthenticated since they are checks, contracts, letters, etc. thank you very much for your help. Much appreciated.

[CooperstownExpert]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thank you so much for your help! That helped me out very much.What an awesome website! Very cool. Do you recommend that I get my autographs authenticated by PSA? I ask because I feel with checks and signed documents to me that’s a pretty sure authentic autograph as you can get. But for resale, would you recommend PSA or just leave them unauthenticated since they are checks, contracts, letters, etc. thank you very much for your help. Much appreciated.

Sending you a DM

[orioles70]

Doubt I ever get a Ruth or Mathewson but here are the other 3 of the 5 in the 1st HoF class

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[homerunhitter]

Those are very cool! I’m just starting out getting the easier guys first but hope to one day get the top 5! Thank you for sharing. They gives me great inspiration as I’m starting out on this new project!


Thanks Jim, I will wait for your DM!!! Thank you!

Let’s see some more guys!!!

[homerunhitter]

Let’s see some more guys!

[Gary Dunaier]

I've got a few Ralph Kiner checks; I'll share two of them here.

This one, from 1983, has not one but four examples of his signature; two on the front, and two on the back as an endorsement.




This one, from 1979, is a favorite because of the unusual way he wrote out the amount of the check in words.

[Gary Dunaier]

Here are a couple of Casey Stengel checks that ought to be of particular interest to Mets fans.

First, a check dated 9/23/62, made out to the ballboy. 9/23/62 was the final Mets home game of their inaugural season, so this may have been an end-of-season gratuity. Interesting to note that Stengel apparently misspelled the ballboy's name, because it was corrected in the endorsement on the back.



This October 1961 Casey Stengel check makes reference to the New York Mets six months before the team ever played a game! It was written 10/12/61, two days after the expansion draft in which the players who would comprise the inaugural 1962 Mets were selected, and refers to the club in the lower left where he wrote "N.Y. Expenses N.Y. Mets."

[Scott Garner]

Here are a few tough HOF no-hit pitcher signed checks from my personal collection.

The Nolan Ryan check was sold to another HOF collector a number of years ago.
It's especially cool because it was written on Nolan's Express Bank check
The Ryan and Feller personal checks are very tough. Not exactly a check, but the Tom Seaver signed travelers check would be a toughee as well.

I have a few others that are fairly common: Jesse Haines, Ted Lyons, Warren Spahn, Carl Hubbell (post stroke), Hoyt Wilhelm, Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Rollie Fingers

[Cooptown]

Two quick thoughts:

Not sure if any of you are on social media, but Darren Rovell collects checks and posts them occasionally.

Around 2010 or so, I saw some folks getting TTMs back from Marvin Miller with a donation to BAT. I wrote him a really nice letter, talked about my Dad being the treasurer of his union, wrote out a check payable to BAT and enclosed a card. He returned the card unsigned with the check and wrote “i am not an agent for BAT” on the check with the initials MM. You could tell he wrote it with his signature “swoosh” Ms. It would never pass authentication but I think its a cool piece.

[homerunhitter]

Thanks guys for all the photos and inputs!

what are your guys thoughts on checks that are signed on the back of the check (for deposit by the player) instead of the front of the check? do you add them to your collection if they are signed on the back. I ask because im noticing for some players thats all that is currently available. thanks

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thanks guys for all the photos and inputs!

what are your guys thoughts on checks that are signed on the back of the check (for deposit by the player) instead of the front of the check? do you add them to your collection if they are signed on the back. I ask because im noticing for some players thats all that is currently available. thanks

Homerunhitter,
FWIW, I do collect them in my no-hit pitcher check collection, but my ideal is to find a personal check for each pitcher. It may be a collecting quirk, but that's my take on your question

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by orioles70

Doubt I ever get a Ruth or Mathewson but here are the other 3 of the 5 in the 1st HoF class

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Holy cow - I wouldn't worry about not having a Matty. The ones you have are fantastic.

The only 'big hitter' signed checks I've ever had were Wagner and Ruth. I bought both knowing I would sell them, as my primary autograph collecting interest is hand-written letters.

But if I ever bought a Matty, it would have to be a signed check.

[homerunhitter]

Thank you for your thoughts on this!

[kevtermeg]

i am addicted to HOF signed checks. I have over 100 in my collection I have several to sell plus am looking to pay for those i do not have. Looking for some toughies like Nolan Ryan, Sparky Anderson, Appling, etc. Lets see some more pictures.

K

[earlywynnfan]

Just picked this one up, really wanted one with both Colonels.

[kevtermeg]

totally excited about my latest HOF signed check.

[mr2686]

A few that I have.

[TakingStock]

Originally Posted by kevtermeg

totally excited about my latest HOF signed check.

Neat Jack Morris! Did you get that directly from him or somewhere else?

[kevtermeg]

it came from someone else. Don't think Jack would EVER put one of his on the market.

glad you like it

[kevtermeg]

Here is the latest addition to my signed check collection. Jose is not a hall of famer but the rare nature of the check made it a no brainer for me to pick up.

Enjoy

K

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by kevtermeg

Here is the latest addition to my signed check collection. Jose is not a hall of famer but the rare nature of the check made it a no brainer for me to pick up.

Enjoy

K

You know I like that! I actually created a mock check for him to sign simply so I could create a cut check signature card.

[Scott Garner]

Here are five no-hit pitcher personal checks that I recently added that are noteworthy:

- HOF Negro League great Leon Day- Pitched an Opening Day no-hitter on 5/5/46
- KC Packers Federal League pitcher Alex Miles Main- Pitched a no hitter on 8/16/15 against the Buffalo Blues-
- Negro League pitching great Chet Brewer pitched a combo no-hitter with Alfred "Army" Cooper against the Chicago American Giants on 6/29/29
- Cincinnati Reds Ewell "The Whip" Blackwell pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Braves on 6/18/47
- Toronto Blue Jays RHP Dave Stieb no-hits the Cleveland Indians on 9/2/90

Some genuine toughees here...

[uga1980]

Great additions Scott! Congrats.

[ocjack]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Here are five new no-hit pitcher personal checks that I added recently that are noteworthy:

- HOF Negro League great Leon Day- Pitched an Opening Day no-hitter on 5/5/46
- KC Packers Federal League pitcher Alex Miles Main- Pitched a no hitter on 8/16/15 against the Buffalo Blues-
- Negro League pitching great Chet Brewer pitched a combo no-hitter with Alfred "Army" Cooper against the Chicago American Giants on 6/29/29
- Cincinnati Reds Ewell "The Whip" Blackwell pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Braves on 6/18/47
- Toronto Blue Jays RHP Dave Stieb no-hits the Cleveland Indians on 9/2/90

Some genuine toughees here...

Would love to know the story behind Blackwell's check for 1-cent. lol

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by ocjack

Would love to know the story behind Blackwell's check for 1-cent. lol

OC Jack,
This was actually a common practice by guys that collect checks.
Send a request to the player for a signed check, letting them know that's what you collect and have them make it out for 1-cent.
I have checks in my collection from a few collectors that did the same thing.

That being said, a lot of this predated all of the fraud and identity theft that goes on today, which would prevent a player from ever agreeing to do this.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by uga1980

Great additions Scott! Congrats.

Thanks Jon!

[ocjack]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

OC Jack,
This was actually a common practice by guys that collect checks.
Send a request to the player for a signed check, letting them know that's what you collect and have them make it out for 1-cent.
I have checks in my collection from a few collectors that did the same thing.

That being said, a lot of this predated all of the fraud and identity theft that goes on today, which would prevent a player from ever agreeing to do this.

Thanks Scott. That makes sense. It's also interesting that some of the checks don't have the micr-encoding that is placed on the lower right of the check when it is cashed. Great collection.

[homerunhitter]

I feel like with all the fake autographs out there in the hobby (mostly on eBay) that signed checks are as close as one can get to a 100% authentic autograph. Anyone think the same?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

I feel like with all the fake autographs out there in the hobby (mostly on eBay) that signed checks are as close as one can get to a 100% authentic autograph. Anyone think the same?

If you are apprehensive and find yourself second guessing your self-authenticating prowess, then yes (which is fine, by the way). It's definitely better to be cautious, but there is so much signed material out there, authentic or otherwise, that it would be a travesty to limit oneself to checks. Not to mention that there simply aren't cancelled checks readily available for many, many players. It is a wonderful medium, though.

ETA: Don't forget that checks aren't foolproof. Forgers have been replicating them for centuries. In more modern times, there are enough problems with fake Ruth checks, for example, that you really need to do your research before purchasing one if you don't feel confident in relying on your own knowledge.

[uga1980]

I recently added some difficult names from a check perspective.

Bob Ewing
Gus Dorner
Lewis "King" Brockett
Ivan Howard
Alex Pearson
LaRue Kirby
Rollie Zeider