Mike Marshall signing

[Kzoo]

Originally Posted by Marckus99

And Bo Jackson would sign a large "X" on photos and this was IN the clubhouse!!!

Wow. I've never met him, but I always pictured Bo as a decent guy towards autograph collectors in person, but......maybe not?

Matt

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by Kzoo

Wow. I've never met him, but I always pictured Bo as a decent guy towards autograph collectors in person, but......maybe not?

Matt

Now THATS rude ,,,Its one thing to refuse to sign and another to ruin the photo to be obnoxious. Funny thing I had a woman approach me once to sell me an autograph , her and her husband were at a bar and her husband asked her to get Mickey Mantle's autograph , Mickey politely asked her name and signed the page for her. When she showed it to her husband he was furious , her name was Marilyn and it read "To Marilyn Best wishes and F--K You, your friend Mickey Mantle
____________________
jim@stinsonsports.com

[packs]

Haha what an inscription.

[isaac2004]

I see it as this...

Sign or don't sign, change your mind, charge as much as you want, sign through the mail if you want, it all makes no difference to me. But if your going to take my money and sign an item for me, you sure as hell better be nice and cordial when you are doing it. You can be as much as an ass if you want if you sign for free, but not on my dollar, that's just poor taste.

As for appearance fee, charge what you want. People talk about how expensive some people are, think about what it will be like in a few years. Stephen Strasburg just signed for $300 a ball, and all he has done is blow out his arm. Imagine when Mike Trout starts charging, $500 a ball would not be out of the question. If some you hoe wants to pay that, he can waste it, I just won't waste mine.

[theshleps]

back to Hendrick. About 5 years ago a bunch of us collectors were in the stands at a fall league game and Hendrick entered the stands. W keep cards of about everyone in our cards so 2 of us got cards and each of us sent our wives over- nice middle aged women. He signed a card for both of them. Then he turned everyone else down.
Most of the collectors couldn't believe he signed

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by theshleps

back to Hendrick. About 5 years ago a bunch of us collectors were in the stands at a fall league game and Hendrick entered the stands. W keep cards of about everyone in our cards so 2 of us got cards and each of us sent our wives over- nice middle aged women. He signed a card for both of them. Then he turned everyone else down.
Most of the collectors couldn't believe he signed

Reminds me of when I was in high school and my mom would drive my friend and I up to Baltimore to get autographs. Frank Robinson was notorious for never signing, and turned me down more times than I could count. Finally my mom said "give me that card", went up to Robby and he signed for her no problem. For whatever reason he would sign for her every time she asked. She was like 3-for-3 with him, and he'd consistently turn down everyone else.

[Gmrson]

Originally Posted by dgo71

Reminds me of when I was in high school and my mom would drive my friend and I up to Baltimore to get autographs. Frank Robinson was notorious for never signing, and turned me down more times than I could count. Finally my mom said "give me that card", went up to Robby and he signed for her no problem. For whatever reason he would sign for her every time she asked. She was like 3-for-3 with him, and he'd consistently turn down everyone else.

back in the 80's when I worked in a card shop, the owner and I became friends with O's pitcher Mike Boddicker. One time he asked us to pick him up at the airport since he skipped the team plane from Boston to go home for a day. He asked us if we had room for a couple other guys...thankfully we had a minivan..and out walked Cal Ripken, Jr and Frank Robinson. The stories of Dempsey stealing everyones stuff to give to friends and family was priceless. I think I was too star struck to ask Frank Robby to sign the O's yearbook I was working on, but once he check in and came down from his room to go to the park I asked him...and he said NO!! We should have took the "scenic route" through Detroit and asked him then Mike Boddicker ended up taking it for a couple days and got me Frank and the always elusive Alan Wiggins.

Your mom was lucky..I was a hotel troll, but never managed to get Frank to sign.

[JimStinson]

One of the first autographs I ever asked for was as a kid from LEON WAGNER as he was coming into Yankee Stadium, He told me to "F Off" and laughed as did all his bros ....my father and uncle who heard what he said tried to jump him but security grabbed them. That was a nice introduction into the world of collecting.
Another great experience was with Richie Allen , I had two Phillies photos , Johnny Callison who signed his and Allen who told me to wait until he got back from the bathroom and he would sign. It was a hotel Bar. An hour and a half later I went back into the bar and was told Allen went home. In both cases a NO would have been nice instead of a jack job, so it helps when you expect the worst and are surprised at anything otherwise.
______________________
jim@stinsonsports.com

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by isaac2004

Sign or don't sign, change your mind, charge as much as you want, sign through the mail if you want, it all makes no difference to me. But if your going to take my money and sign an item for me, you sure as hell better be nice and cordial when you are doing it. You can be as much as an ass if you want if you sign for free, but not on my dollar, that's just poor taste.

I agree 100%. If you are going to do a job don't act like you are doing the world a favor.

As for Marshall and any other player who refuses to sign on "principle" then signs when the money gets big, I call BS. There is an old joke that sums up how I feel about them:

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill… Well, I suppose… we would have to discuss terms, of course…
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!
Churchill: Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I agree 100%. If you are going to do a job don't act like you are doing the world a favor.

As for Marshall and any other player who refuses to sign on "principle" then signs when the money gets big, I call BS. There is an old joke that sums up how I feel about them:

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill… Well, I suppose… we would have to discuss terms, of course…
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!
Churchill: Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.

I love Winston Churchill quotes .....

Here are a couple more good ones

Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.”
Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”

Nancy Astor: “If you were my husband, I would give you poison.”
Churchill: “If I were your husband I would take it.”

_____________________
jim@stinsonsports.com

[byrone]

Imagine all the time wasted declining to sign autographs and the process of explaining why. Better off just signing.

[theshleps]

My son batboyed for Frank Robinso when he managed Team Usa. He would talk with Noah for hours. Noah had some team leader cards of Frank and others from the 60's signed by everyone except Frank. Frand would say "maybe you'll get me some day" but never signed them

[MooseDog]

I spent the bulk of my teen years chasing autographs in person, baseball and hockey for the most part. As I was brought up to respect people, I always asked politely and if they said no, so be it.

Then and even now, I don't hold anyone who holds celebrity status to the idea that they have any kind of requirement to sign autographs. In a way, it made the thrill of catching a Reggie Jackson or Carl Yastrzemski on a "good" day all the more sweet.

At the other end of the spectrum are hockey players. It may be different now in big markets, but back in the day, hockey players were the most friendly, approachable, and accommodating professional athletes I ever came across. I think as a whole, they understand that signing autographs is good PR for the game.

Even Gretzky was a willing IP signer until I think it just got to be too much.

Despite the recent labor stupidity, hockey is about the last sport left where the athletes don't all act like a bunch of individualists.