What is your favorite autograph medium?

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

I hear you Matt.. I only buy pen now... no more sharpies or pencil for me. Do you frame your pieces at all?

Yes I do.. I like to include pictures above the 3x5's and double mat around the picture and the index card. What's the deal with no sharpies? I like Sharpies for the newer autographs because you can read them from further away.

[mschwade]

And by the way, after reading Kevin Nelson's book, I definitely do not want to own autographed 8x10's unless I got them myself.

[Big Six]

I'm a sucker for the old fashioned 3x5...too bad it's getting impossible to get today's players to sign them...and I can't justify paying some of today's hall of farmers to sign them either...hard to collect autographs these days...

[Gary Dunaier]

When I'm buying, I prefer checks. In person, I like 3x5 cards signed with a Pilot Precise V5 rolling ball pen, because it allows me to see the flow of the lines in the signature. (I like signatures for their own sake.)

[prewarsports]

I like album pages because they were almost always signed AT the ballpark and as such the chances of an album page with a secretarial or "clubhouse" autograph are very small because the person almost always handed the album directly to the person to be signed.

3X5 cards usually have nicer quality signatures because the player was almost always sitting down when signing them because they were sent through the mail so in general, nicer quality.

I dont like Bank Checks because there is just too much going on.

GOVT postcards are the way to go for me because they not only carry the signature but to me they tell a story too because of the date and postmark, they are usually nice quality (see above) but also have more history than just a signature to me. BUT you have to be wary of the secretarial/clubhouse issue.

I am a sucker for multi-signed albums so I have a soft spot for those so I vote, ALBUM PAGES.

Rhys

[thenavarro]

I prefer signed rookie trading cards. To me, it's the perfect combination of two wonderful hobbies,

[Jay Wolt]

I always like signed cancelled checks
Here's a 2 Hall Of Famers (Bill Terry & Warren Giles) on a check.

[EARLSWORLD]

Originally Posted by thenavarro

I prefer signed rookie trading cards. To me, it's the perfect combination of two wonderful hobbies,

I'm with you Mike, I love collecting autographed baseball cards from all the 50's sets, as well as HOF rookie cards signed. I have a near complete 1958 Topps set needing about 65 cards.

[HexsHeroes]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

I like album pages because they were almost always signed AT the ballpark and as such the chances of an album page with a secretarial or "clubhouse" autograph are very small because the person almost always handed the album directly to the person to be signed.

3X5 cards usually have nicer quality signatures because the player was almost always sitting down when signing them because they were sent through the mail so in general, nicer quality.

I dont like Bank Checks because there is just too much going on.

GOVT postcards are the way to go for me because they not only carry the signature but to me they tell a story too because of the date and postmark, they are usually nice quality (see above) but also have more history than just a signature to me. BUT you have to be wary of the secretarial/clubhouse issue.

I am a sucker for multi-signed albums so I have a soft spot for those so I vote, ALBUM PAGES.

Rhys

Ditto what Rhys said. But let me add that for me, just about any medium is acceptable for any item on my vintge want list. I even have a "leather cut" taken from a signed baseball. Evidently the ball had previously been displayed as such, that there were numerous holes and marks. Seller decided to "unstitch" the ball, and sell selected leather cuts from the four panels and sweetspot. Odd, but effective. And it filled one of my needs for a rarely encountered autograph. (Just don't tell Topps, otherwise they will start chopping up baseballs too).

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Signed rookies

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by mschwade

Yes I do.. I like to include pictures above the 3x5's and double mat around the picture and the index card. What's the deal with no sharpies? I like Sharpies for the newer autographs because you can read them from further away.

Matt,

I am not a fan of the sharpies for a couple reasons.

1) They seem to change color at times vs ball point/fountain pen. I do realize it depends on how you take care of them

2) I feel like I can see the signature better with a ballpoint/fountain pen. The flow, the thiness etc.

Do these points make sense? Plus, I really only collect old/vintage autos so if a sig of say.. maris or mantle existed in a sharpie, that would also entail it was a newer sig.
You collect newer sigs and enjoy the sharpie so to each their own! Hence the thread..we all enjoy different things which is cool!

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Matt,

I am not a fan of the sharpies for a couple reasons.

1) They seem to change color at times vs ball point/fountain pen. I do realize it depends on how you take care of them

2) I feel like I can see the signature better with a ballpoint/fountain pen. The flow, the thiness etc.

Do these points make sense? Plus, I really only collect old/vintage autos so if a sig of say.. maris or mantle existed in a sharpie, that would also entail it was a newer sig.
You collect newer sigs and enjoy the sharpie so to each their own! Hence the thread..we all enjoy different things which is cool!

Yep! Makes perfect sense.. I hate the black magic marker they used in the 80's that would yellow around the signature after time.