1994 National Autograph Price List

[Huck]

Originally Posted by jimjim

I have been saying this for years!! The promoters screw over the retail customer and then hook up other dealers and promoters with the 'backroom' wholesale price. It used to be that everyone paid the same price. But the promoter realized that they make more money this way, and the average customer is will pay it. They used to say that you are paying for the experience of meeting the athlete. Unfortunately, these days only a handful of athletes are even worth meeting. Most are talking on the phone, listening to music, or want extra money for an 'interaction'. Just not worth it in my opinion. I say that getting an item signed at a show is like buying a new car. The minute you walk away from that table, the value of the autograph just depreciated by 25%. Just take the retail price for a signing and divide by 2. That is what the wholesale/backroom price usually will be.

The promoter is not a non profit entity. The promoter should make some profit or there would be no reason to promote card shows. The money in autographs is made behind the curtain in the mail order/wholesale area. These days, unless the signing is restricted to X amount of sales, few athletes sell out. The National aside, most athletes likely do less 100-150 in person autographs at any given show. The rumor was Joe D did not get out of bed for less than $100K. In 1994, DiMaggio appeared at the National Pastime 11th Long Island Classic at Hofstra University. Flats were $150 and balls $175. There was a laundry list of things he would not sign. To break even on DiMaggio the promoter would have to sell 666 flats or 571 balls. There were quite a few people lined up to get Joe's signature but I am sure the bulk of the autographs were mail order or wholesale.

The tiered pricing and charging for inscriptions creases me a bit, but collectors were the cause for both. It used to be that the athlete would sign any item for a given fee. Well, then folks started flipping bats and jerseys for more than the fee and tiered pricing was born. While waiting in line for Brooks Robinson the collector in front of me asked Brooks to add, all 16 GG, MVP and HOF years, his lifetime HRs and batting average. I was in shock but Brooks added everything. I knew then it was only a matter of time before inscriptions would be limited or a fee would be added.

Mind you some athletes are better than others, but I am not looking for (1) making a friend (2) having an experience. I just want my item signed. I do care how the athlete interacts with children. I am polite I say "Hello" and thank the athlete for coming out. If the athlete is engaging that is just gravy. The only athletes who seemed bothered having to sign autographs were Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and Ken Griffey Sr.. As they get older Jackson and Rose are getting better, especially Rose. Living athletes who are exceptional, John Montefusco, Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Lou Brock and Dwight Gooden to name a few. As I said the list of pure tools is small.

The collector has the option of paying the going rate or taking a miss. I am have not added Randy Johnson to a HOF piece because I feel the price for an over sized flat is ridiculous. I can live without having RJ on the piece. I doubt I add Piazza either. As a collector I don't care if wholesalers are getting signatures at 1/2 price, they likely are getting generic items signed and are buying in lots of 50-100. I am building a collection, the wholesaler is running a business.