HOF Autograph Collection Question?

[homerunhitter]

Hey guys,
When it comes to my Baseball HOF Autograph Collection, im at a crossroads, a fork in the road and I need your assistance/advice/opinions and thoughts on this as I value all of your opinions very much.

I know people will say collect what you want, it’s your collection, do what you want, etc, etc. I get that and I understand that. But I respect and value you guys and the great wealth of experience and knowledge here that I would like to ask you guys the following.

In regards to what will be the smarter move with collecting baseball HOF autographs. Which medium would you recommend, think us the best approach.

1. Pack pulled certified autos (such as Topps and legendary cuts autos)
2. Perez Steele Postcards
3. PSA slabbed Topps cards
4. Signed 8x10 photos

I like them all equally but only one to focus on one medium. What say you?


Thanks guys! I appreciate you.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

1. Pack pulled certified autos (such as Topps and legendary cuts autos)
2. Perez Steele Postcards
3. PSA slabbed Topps cards
4. Signed 8x10 photos

Of the four you mentioned, I could see collecting 1 or 3. I would not collect 2 (do not think the art is good -- reminds me too much of 80s Donruss puzzle pieces) or 4 (too big, too much, almost always are going to be in sharpie).

Putting aside signed pre-war cards, my order for autographed media is:

1. GPC (where the post office is the original third-party authenticator)
2. 3x5
3. Checks (where the bank is the original third-party authenticator)
4. Mixed paper media (envelopes, cuts)
5. ALS

And I always prefer fountain pen to ballpoint, and ballpoint to sharpie.

[theshleps]

What is your goal The ones you listed leave out the vintage guys. Are you looking just for collecting pleasure? then whichever you like best. if for resale in the future that is a different way of looking. If i were you with what it seems like your interest is- I'd go gold hof plaques over perez and more players are included

[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by theshleps

What is your goal The ones you listed leave out the vintage guys. Are you looking just for collecting pleasure? then whichever you like best. if for resale in the future that is a different way of looking. If i were you with what it seems like your interest is- I'd go gold hof plaques over perez and more players are included

Hey Michael!
Im looking for a little bit of everything with this collection. Im looking to collect something that will hold value and that is more likely to be an authentic autograph.

I like the idea of 8x10s because I love photography and there are some pretty cool photos out there but resale value on 8x10s are next to nothing. Plus there are some signed 8x10s I would never get like Babe Ruth , Roberto Clemente or Ty Cobb.

I love certified pack pulled autos because they are as close to an authentic autograph that you can get. And there’s a possibility one day to get a Roberto Clemente, Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth auto.(legendary cuts)

I love PSA slabbed cards, because of the limitless variety of cards to choose from but with TPAs there’s always that 50/50 chance the autograph isn’t authentic even if it’s slabbed.

And finally with Perez Steeles. I just think a signed Perez Steele looks do darn awesome (in my opinion)

So, pros and cons for all mediums.

[packs]

I think the most exciting medium is a career contemporary card with an ink and not sharpie signature.

The rest depends on taste.

[bigfanNY]

Signed checks offer more chance of authenticity. But wives secretary's have been known to sign checks so some footwork needs to go into them as well. But it sounds like you enjoy Perez Steeles. If that's the case putting together most of the possible HOF signatures in that format makes sense. Look at auctions for small lots or even bigger lots. Often some deals can be found. Of course some players like Satchel Paige Red Ruffing Waner etc who passed soon after their Perez Steele was produced can be very expensive. I would seek yellow HOF Plaques for them or other mediums to reduce costs. Or you could consider multi signed items like HOF program covers etc. I think they represent great value. Often selling for pennies on the dollar vs the value of all the auto's individually. And Given many of the multisigned items originate from a single event better chance they are real ( or at least most of them).

Good Luck enjoy the journey.

J

[Duluth Eskimo]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Of the four you mentioned, I could see collecting 1 or 3. I would not collect 2 (do not think the art is good -- reminds me too much of 80s Donruss puzzle pieces) or 4 (too big, too much, almost always are going to be in sharpie).

Putting aside signed pre-war cards, my order for autographed media is:

1. GPC (where the post office is the original third-party authenticator)
2. 3x5
3. Checks (where the bank is the original third-party authenticator)
4. Mixed paper media (envelopes, cuts)
5. ALS

And I always prefer fountain pen to ballpoint, and ballpoint to sharpie.

This

[Bigdaddy]

It sounds to me that you are hearing two voices here -

1. The vintage collector who likes fountain pens, Gov't post cards, checks, etc. For a lot of the older HOFers, these are great suggestions. I wouldn't suggest that for a Randy Johnson or Greg Maddux auto though.

2. For more recent players, I think career contemporary cards are the way to go. I like the PS postcards, but as someone mentioned, they don't cover all the players as they've stopped production, and even then, some were not released until after (or close to) a player's death.

Personally, I'd stay away from 8x10 glossy photos, they just seem to have died off in value for several reasons. And I'd stay away from balls as they can be hard to predict how well the autos will hold up (toning, fading ink, etc).

So for newer players, say 1960's on up, I'd try to get them on a card. With older players, it's really up to you. One option with the older players is to either get someone to make a custom card with your auto cut or I've seen Perez Steele cards that have been certified with a cut auto.

[Lucas00]

My opinion would be, go for anything flat, signed boldly, and as early as possible in that players career.

Anything that fits those 3 I think is always a strong bet.

[homerunhitter]

Thanks guys for all of your responses. I have read each and everyone of them and I truly appreciate each of you helping me try to figure this out.

May I ask, why do you think signed 8x10s are not heavily collected anymore? Why do you think their prices suck now? Signed photos use to be so cool in the 1980’s. What happened?

[Lucas00]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thanks guys for all of your responses. I have read each and everyone of them and I truly appreciate each of you helping me try to figure this out.

May I ask, why do you think signed 8x10s are not heavily collected anymore? Why do you think their prices suck now? Signed photos use to be so cool in the 1980’s. What happened?

I think they have been heavily tainted by forgers. When I see a generic 8x10 my first thought no matter who the player, is this is probably a forgery.

They are also usually attributed with mass signings and after career appearances. Very rarely do you find 8x10 dime color photos signed by a rare subject. So the scarcity so many collect for just isn't there at all.

There's a reason people aren't bringing koufax their 50 cent canon prints to get signed haha.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

May I ask, why do you think signed 8x10s are not heavily collected anymore? Why do you think their prices suck now? Signed photos use to be so cool in the 1980’s. What happened?

There are thousands of signed stock color photographs the promoter offers at shows. Plus behind the curtain, the player is signing a stack of the same photograph to make the piece count for the promoter. The stock photographs are just overdone. I used to purchase b&w photographs by George Brace when his daughter was hawking them from a website. She eventually sold the inventory to Getty images.

If you are going to go purchase signed photographs I would look for unique not massed produced shots.

I came late to Perez-Steele. Yes, the art is a little funky on some of the cards (ex. Yount) but I wish that I had started sooner on getting the cards signed.

[homerunhitter]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your thoughts on this.

I did not know that there are a lot of forgery when it comes to 8x10s so, I appreciate this heads up. 8x10s are off my list! (Dont need the headache of buying a forged or possibly forged 8x10)

[bjerome]

I don't have a particular medium that I am focused on. I do like Baseballs, but in the event the most reasonable way for me to obtain a particular autograph is to get it on a card, index card, photo, etc., I will add that piece to my collection. I am personally one who wants to get the signature in my collection, but in the way that is most reasonable to my pocketbook.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Huck

I used to purchase b&w photographs by George Brace when his daughter was hawking them from a website. She eventually sold the inventory to Getty images.

I thought they were stolen by John Rogers. I haven't followed anything since that time. If she managed to get everything back and sell to Getty, then wonderful! Mary Brace was always an absolute joy to deal with.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I thought they were stolen by John Rogers. I haven't followed anything since that time. If she managed to get everything back and sell to Getty, then wonderful! Mary Brace was always an absolute joy to deal with.

Whoa, John Rogers..... I tried dealing with him, but the guy never returned mail messages. It was my understanding from Mary that she sold to Getty. Getty owns about every photograph known to man. I just checked the Brace site (surprised to see the site still up) and Rogers is listed at the bottom of the page, so you look to be correct.

Rogers Photo Archive
2501 North Poplar
North Little Rock, AR 72116

Mary was a joy to work with. I purchased half a dozen of photos from her.

[Kco]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Thanks guys for all of your responses. I have read each and everyone of them and I truly appreciate each of you helping me try to figure this out.

May I ask, why do you think signed 8x10s are not heavily collected anymore? Why do you think their prices suck now? Signed photos use to be so cool in the 1980’s. What happened?

The caveat to 8x10s, is 1940s and back. Photos of players from this era and earlier, like Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb etc. etc. are incredibly tough an very valuable. Many photos available are personalized or otherwise not clean. Find straight signed, unpersonalized photos from this time period is very tough. Modern 8x10s tend to be generic and signed in large stacks so they are both cheap and massively overproduced.

[Lucas00]

You can still collect 8x10s that are signed. Just collect original photos that have period autographs. The best of both worlds. Unless your aim is to collect more modern players..

40s-60s this works really well. You can go earlier into the 20s, 30s etc and they exist just will be very rare and expensive. Or the other way into the 70s/80s where to me they just aren't quite my thing (then again I don't really like collecting baseball items past about 1975 so I'm biased)

Here is a very expensive example