Insane signings prices at the Sun Times show

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Also...if you pay the extra fee for a TPA ....you have to assume that authentication will actually add value later down the road and not become a worthless piece of paper......as in GAI .... which once was a top rated company too.

So true. Who's to say what piece of paper will have ANY value in 20 years.
Collect what you like...

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by Cfern023

Hahaha, I live in Miami. Even if my neighbors knew how to make a pizza from those training videos they will never make it right.

I used to live in Miami too, There is a place called "Two Brothers" in Kendall on Mills Drive. BEST pizza in Florida, No joke ! great subs too
________________________________
Buying and selling Vintage autographs for over three decades
jim@stinsonsports.com

[mr2686]

The autograph fees of these current players has definitely changed my collecting focus. I have pretty much capped my "team" projects with the 1977/78 Yankees, and although I'd love to collect the 1998 Yankees team, there is no way I'm going to pay the prices that some of those guys want.
I also won't collect "potential" hall of famers. With the prices they charge and the flooding of the market, I figure they will actually be cheaper around the time they actually get in the hall.
By the way, I guess I'm in the minority in thinking that Tim McCarver's fee doesn't seem that bad

[Exhibitman]

I remember similar situations, Jim, when I used to set up at local shows in the early 1990s here in L.A. I'd eke out my table fee and a profit in vintage cards while yahoos would buy 100-count bricks of modern rookies. The key then, as in any pyramid scheme, was to get out before the whole thing cratered. The guys who were in and out for the quick profits did fine; the people who thought they were investing got killed.

If I want a signed item from a current signer I am probably going to go with a company-certified autographed insert card. You can get them surprisingly cheaply, esp. for the "average" HOFers, and have an item that looks good and isn't worrisome from an authenticity standpoint [I had them put into the SGC holders because I like how they look].



I don't by any means intend to criticize anyone who thinks it is worthwhile to pay for meeting a celebrity; if I came off that way I apologize. I just feel that for me, personally, it isn't worth it. That said, if I manage to get to the National next year and if there is a certain boxer/actor there again, as he has been for two years now, I will probably pony up the dough and have him sign an item for me that I think would make a great display, esepcially if his bankrupt opponent hits the signing circuit to raise some income and I can get him too:

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Big Ben

You need to purchase the $59 photo op for the complete McCarver autograph experience.

Haha.

Actually, having such a photo would be worth $59 - just to send copies to all my friends who know my thoughts about McCarver's blather in the broadcast booth (assuming I could get away with the rabbit ears behind his head).

[Cfern023]

Originally Posted by JimStinson

I used to live in Miami too, There is a place called "Two Brothers" in Kendall on Mills Drive. BEST pizza in Florida, No joke ! great subs too

I think they went out of business, if Mills Drive is where Town and Country mall used to be. I've never seen them. Only thing I've seen lately is a Buffet Pizza place.

I tend to stick to Steve's Pizza on US1 and Mama Mia's on 152nd. Most of the other stuff is trash.

As you can probably tell, I'm from around that area as well.

[RichardSimon]

Funny to hear guys from Utah (omg, what kind of pizza do they have there?) and Florida talking pizza.
GRIMALDI'S,,, JOHN'S,,,, enuf said .

[Cfern023]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Funny to hear guys from Utah (omg, what kind of pizza do they have there?) and Florida talking pizza.
GRIMALDI'S,,, JOHN'S,,,, enuf said .

Here's the best pizza I've had in NY-
http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-vince...zza-huntington

[cubsfan-budman]

I had some great pizza in Utah, in SLC near U of U campus...i think the place was called "PI".

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Haha.

Actually, having such a photo would be worth $59 - just to send copies to all my friends who know my thoughts about McCarver's blather in the broadcast booth (assuming I could get away with the rabbit ears behind his head).

I'll sign anything for $59 as long as I don't have meet Tim McCarver.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Cfern023

Here's the best pizza I've had in NY-
http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-vince...zza-huntington

That is Huntington, that is not the real NY .

[drc]

The collector I talked about is from Chicago and says there are no good pizza places in Seattle. I'm from Wisconsin, so won't profess to have any knowledge on the subject.

[isaac2004]

Originally Posted by drc

The collector I talked about is from Chicago and says there are no good pizza places in Seattle. I'm from Wisconsin, so won't profess to have any knowledge on the subject.

Funny, I'm from Seattle and live in Wi... Rocky Roccocco is pretty good

[drc]

As a Scandinavian from Wisconsin, I'm qualified to critique pickled herring.

I remember Rocky Roccocco.

[Exhibitman]

Anyone remember Rocky Lee's in NYC?

[JimStinson]

NYC dosen't count ...you can get great pizza anywhere in New York. "Two Brothers" in Miami went out of business ???? they had two locations ...SAD !
, try getting a good pizza in Utah. The best I can manage is a can of "poppin fresh" bisquits , a rolling pin , sauce and cheeze

[drc]

The best I can do is Seattle has a large Asian population, so you can get great pho and sushi.

And there's a good Mexican restaurant downtown. Where the people barely speak English so you know it's authentic.

[JimStinson]

Biggest 360 in the history of 360's , from autographs to pizza to sushi !!!!!
Thank goodness we DO have some good sushi places in Utah so in this conversation to quote the great Pee Wee Herman "I CAN hold my own"

[travrosty]

unlike authenticating autographs, BS advertising will only work once with pizza,

the taste and quality will be exposed that first time and you can't bs your way with rah rah advertising for a repeat customer that has tried it and knows if it is good or not.

i love pizza. we need more pizza choices in america. 2 brothers, 3 brothers, 10 brothers.

[travrosty]

unlike authenticating autographs, BS advertising will only work once with pizza,

the taste and quality will be exposed that first time and you can't bs your way with rah rah advertising for a repeat customer that has tried it and knows if it is good or not.

i love pizza. we need more pizza choices in america. 2 brothers, 3 brothers, 10 brothers, band of brothers.

[isaac2004]

Originally Posted by drc

The best I can do is Seattle has a large Asian population, so you can get great pho and sushi.

And there's a good Mexican restaurant downtown. Where the people barely speak English so you know it's authentic.

Pretty much seafood in general is good in Seattle especially stuff around Pike Place

[travrosty]

i have had an asian pizza and its not a pretty sight. no offense to the asians, they make good 'other' stuff.

[drc]

From today's newspaper. This was caught at my neighborhood beach.




And if that's not got good enough for your pizza, this washed ashore last year.

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

What is most disturbing to me is that there is now a hefty fee for "photo op" for almost all guests. Does this mean you have to pay to take a photo with your own camera or is "photo op" strictly if they take a photo for you?

I believe it's their camera, and you receive a printout. There's an additional fee if you want an extra print, and there's an additional fee if you want a digital copy of the image. Don't know how these promoters work, but that's how it worked with the celebrity photo op booth at the New York Comic Con this year.

I think the idea of paying to have your picture taken with someone is silly - and I've actually done it! I paid $40 to have my photo taken with Stan Lee (of Marvel Comics fame) at the NYCC, and I was surprised to find that I did NOT regret the experience, and I did NOT have buyer's remorse. Maybe it's because the photo came out good, maybe it's because I may not have many more opportunities to see him in person in the future (Stan Lee will turn 90 next month, and he lives in California so I'm sure there will come a time where his doctors will tell him to reduce, if not eliminate, travel - and Stan Lee has a lucrative lifetime contract with Marvel Comics, so he doesn't need the money), who knows - but I'm glad I did it.

It also helps that I knew ahead of time, thanks to a video I saw on the Internet, that celebrity photo ops are generally in-and-out, in-and-out, in-and-out with little opportunity to say anything other than "hello" to the celebrity.

But yeah, even though I'm glad I did it I agree that the concept of paying a hefty fee for a photo op is disturbing. What's next - an extra fee to put your arm around the guy? An extra fee to be photographed in a handshake pose? An extra fee for a pose that has you and the athlete holding a prized piece of memorabilia? Hoo boy!

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by isaac2004

I know a guy who took photos of himself holding the signed item in front of the player, before and after. But that still doesnt do it for some people, but before holos, thats the best you can do.

It works better if you can get a shot of the individual actually signing the item. For example - all apologies for this not being a sports example - if I ever wanted to sell this 3x5 card signed and sketched by legendary cartoonist Al Jaffee of Mad Magazine "Fold-In" fame...



I can offer as proof of its authenticity this photo of Mr. Jaffee signing it...



...AND this zoom-lens close-up of the sketch in the process of being created!



So who needs third-party authentication when you have photo proof?

(NOTE: The Al Jaffee card shown in this post is not for sale, and never will be. All references to any contemplation about future sale is for discussion purposes only. )

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by isaac2004

No chance in hell I pay $200 for Strasburg or $80 for David F'in Freese...

If I had the money, AND if I were so inclined, I MIGHT consider paying $80 to have David Freese sign THIS image...



...a screen capture showing him making the final out of Johan Santana's no-hitter!

[GKreindler]

Gary, That Jaffee sketch is AMAZING. Take it with you to the grave.

Seriously, what a talent he is.

Graig

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by JimStinson

Biggest 360 in the history of 360's , from autographs to pizza to sushi !!!!!
Thank goodness we DO have some good sushi places in Utah so in this conversation to quote the great Pee Wee Herman "I CAN hold my own"

That'd be a 180; a 360 puts you right back where you began.

[CenterFieldSports]

If your from seattle and haven't eaten pagliacci pizza your missing out

[isaac2004]

Originally Posted by CenterFieldSports

If your from seattle and haven't eaten pagliacci pizza your missing out

Second that.... I do think the one in Bellevue tastes better IMOP

[drc]

Interesting. There's one literally a block and a half from my home. Have never eaten there.

Had Indian in West Seattle last night. No complaints.