What used to be the consensus on getting Vintage cards signed?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by rats60

The rule of thumb was to not get a card signed that was worth more than the autograph. So, rookie cards and high grade cards were to be left alone.

Fascinating how times change. What Steve said about Mantle during his shows makes me think how many other players also thought this and asked people if they were sure, that they wanted the card signed.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Seven

Fascinating how times change. What Steve said about Mantle during his shows makes me think how many other players also thought this and asked people if they were sure, that they wanted the card signed.

I was getting all the stars to sign their 1965 Topps cards, but never got Mantle because it was after his cards had taken off and even a VG copy was worth more than his auto. I also got the 1959 Topps Baseball Thrills subset signed because it gave me cheaper cards of Mantle, Musial, Mays, etc. to use. We got lots of cards autographed just not the "high end" ones.

[packs]

Originally Posted by rats60

I was getting all the stars to sign their 1965 Topps cards, but never got Mantle because it was after his cards had taken off and even a VG copy was worth more than his auto. I also got the 1959 Topps Baseball Thrills subset signed because it gave me cheaper cards of Mantle, Musial, Mays, etc. to use. We got lots of cards autographed just not the "high end" ones.

I love the 65 set:

[Seven]

Originally Posted by rats60

I was getting all the stars to sign their 1965 Topps cards, but never got Mantle because it was after his cards had taken off and even a VG copy was worth more than his auto. I also got the 1959 Topps Baseball Thrills subset signed because it gave me cheaper cards of Mantle, Musial, Mays, etc. to use. We got lots of cards autographed just not the "high end" ones.

I understand, if you don't mind me asking, what year was this when you were trying to get the stars to sign their 65 topps cards?

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I guess I was ahead of the times...

Too bad I decided to go other directions.

Doug, I love those Red Man tobacco cards! Some great ones you have there. Which years are they from?

Originally Posted by packs

I love the 65 set:

65 Has to be my favorite set from the 60's

[JollyElm]

I was a TTM hound as a kid. I had no problem sending any newer cards through the mail to get signed, because there was a seemingly inexhaustible supply of them around and I could live with it if the players ignored my requests. However, with the 'ancient' star cards from the 60's (that my brothers and I had scant few of) it was a huge leap of faith, so I'd only send away cards in rough shape (to Mays, Aaron, etc.). The good news is I got a ton of them back. I knew autographs 'ruined' cards value-wise, but I freaking loved seeing one of my SASE's returned in the mail. Totally awesome!!!!

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Seven

I understand, if you don't mind me asking, what year was this when you were trying to get the stars to sign their 65 topps cards?
65 Has to be my favorite set from the 60's

Around 1988. I was doing shows all over the country. I picked this one up



and got these signed





Here are my 59s

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by Seven

Doug, I love those Red Man tobacco cards! Some great ones you have there. Which years are they from?

Does it make me a bad person if I don't know?

I bought a stack of I think 20 or 30 of them at a flea market for $2 when I was I think about 15 years old. Prior to that I had never seen one, they barely fit in the envelope when I sent them to player TTM.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Does it make me a bad person if I don't know?

I bought a stack of I think 20 or 30 of them at a flea market for $2 when I was I think about 15 years old. Prior to that I had never seen one, they barely fit in the envelope when I sent them to player TTM.

Not at all! I believe the images were the same but they were produced over multiple years. I believe the tabs that were on them designated the year. I think your story adds a bit of charm to it!

[FrankWakefield]

At the end of college days I knew a few days in advance that I'd have a chance to meet Jim Bunning. I asked him to sign 3 or 4 cards, which he gladly did. One was a really nice Topps rookie card of his. That card was worth more than his autograph. Thinking through what's been said, seems like rookie cards are less likely to be signed, therefor worth more? For me it wasn't about money or resale value, I recall seeing him pitch for the Phillies, I was glad to have his signature on a few of his cards. That meeting was about 35 years ago, I'm glad I still have them.

My recollection was that back when, it wasn't that unusual to encounter a player who wouldn't sign a baseball card. I have mailed cards to players with SASE's and sometimes I got a signed 3x5 and the card back unsigned, sometimes just a signed 3x5. Sometimes I would get signed 3x5s, and some privately printed cards that the player had gotten made, which he'd signed. And a couple of times I send two 3x5s and an SASE, then got back blank 3x5s and a signed card, they didn't like signing a blank piece of paper. I respected the players, so I respect their individual approaches to signing...

So, getting vintage stuff signed? What's the goal? To increase value so you can sell it for more money??? Grrrrr... Get a card signed because you collected autographed cards, or autographs of a team.... I think some players resent autograph seekers who are gonna get an autograph for free so they can then sell it for a profit. Those "some" feel like they should benefit financially from the sale of their signatures. Some players are indifferent to it all. I think if you collect that stuff / team / year / set signed, then fine. I don't recall ever selling anything I've gotten signed. I guess one day I may well sell some of that stuff...

The first baseball player autographs I ever got were of 3 Philadelphia Phillies before a 1965 game in St. Louis. Dad had gotten lower deck seats on the visitors side of the field. I'm a kid with a scorecard, it's still during batting practice, and players are signing. I borrow a pen from Dad and go down to the rail on Dad's suggestion. I was a bit scared, by myself. Cookie Rojas was signing, and he was the player I had heard of, an All Star that year. He was talking to a man (who then seemed old to me) so I gravitated to two other players who were signing. A big tall player was first, I looked at his number in the scorecard, he was Gary Wagner, a young pitcher. He willingly signed and I thanked him. Then there was this old guy, he had gray whiskers and hadn't shaved in a couple of days, a fair amount of gray in his hair. He politely signed and I thanked him. I moved toward Rojas, and waited and waited... he was still talking to this man, and they were talking about restaurants in St. Louis. Eventually he reached toward my scorecard and pen, and he signed. I joyfully thanked him and ran back to my family. Dad asked me who had signed. I told him Cookie Rojas, Gary Wagner, and some old guy. Dad looked at he signature and said "that's Lew Burdette, his is the best autograph you got." At that time I had read and reread my copy of Carmichael's My Greatest Day in Baseball. My baseball awareness was based on bits of history I could remember from about 1962, and what I had read in that book. Nothing about those Milwaukee World Series teams were in my awareness yet. As the years went by I can better see that Dad was right about that.

[doug.goodman]

I guess I was ahead of the times...

Too bad I decided to go other directions.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I guess I was ahead of the times...

Too bad I decided to go other directions.

Guess Willie's wife and secretary didnt mind signing them!

[Rich Klein]

My old friend, Dr. Walt Brown (Not related to this topic but he is a leading Kennedy assassination expert) used to be a contrarian and get all the old cards signed instead of the 8 X 10's which were so prevalent.

His logic, which was proven correct, was to get those cards signed since no one else was doing that.

And no, I have no idea what, if any of the vintage signed cards he still has.

Rich

[mattsey9]

Originally Posted by Seven

Fascinating how times change. What Steve said about Mantle during his shows makes me think how many other players also thought this and asked people if they were sure, that they wanted the card signed.

I remember hearing this story about Andy Pafko and his 52 Topps card.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by mattsey9

I remember hearing this story about Andy Pafko and his 52 Topps card.

Funny because I'd wager a guess while Andy stopped signing, his kids kept the carss sent to him ttm. Sent him 3, never had one returned!

[rhettyeakley]

I can also confirm the idea in the 1980's that is was bad form to get an expensive card signed. It was pretty much the consensus that an autograph on a nice card hurt the value, not by a little but by A LOT.

Honestly, it never made much sense to me and I should have followed my gut that that wasn't going to be that way forever. I did to a degree and picked up a few nice cards but I never had the available funds as a kid to do much with the thought process.

[T206Collector]

There were several collectors in the 1950s and 60s who were getting baseball cards signed, including some like Jeff Morey, Tom Marsilio, Don “Barefoot” Post, and John D. Wagner, who pursued autographs on pre-war cards. The recent sales of the Uncle Jimmy signed Goudey collection show this aspect of the hobby was active as far back as the 1930s and 1940s.

Here’s a fun article from autograph pioneer Jack Smalling published in the April 1966 Sports Trader. Smalling talks about his pursuit of Mantle’s signature on his 1951, 1952, 1954, and 1955 Bowman cards. Read on to see what happened to Jack’s ‘51 Bowman Mantle!

[whitehse]

I remember running card shows in the early to mid '90's in the Chicago area and I had Andy Pafko as an autograph guest. As the line of autograph seekers filed past Mr. Pafko, a twenty-something collector plopped down a '52 Pafko he wanted signed.

We all tried to talk him out of it.

The autograph will devalue a big dollar card we told him.

He is going to regret getting that card signed we told him.

Mr. Pafko tried to talk him out of it.

The collector persisted he wanted his card signed. I looked at Andy and he looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and put his autograph on the card.

As soon as the sharpie hit the cardboard, the whole room groaned!!

[scottglevy]

One of my favorite old time players was dodgers HOFer Harold “Pee Wee” Reese. I got to meet him in person - along with Johnny Bench at a charity golf event on Long Island over two (maybe close to three) decades ago.

I brought a few low dollar value cards and a ball for him to sign and a reprint of the 1953 Bowman set ... one of my all time favorite cardboard images. To this day I regret not having him sign the original card. But back in the day it was too valuable to ruin