National - autographs

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

Really? How many Tom Brady signatures have you gotten at NFL games. Or any top tier Quaterback? I have been to a few games myself in my 61 years and NFL is as locked down as any of the Major Sports leagues. I have also spent a few afternoons in Hotel lobbies and had better luck there. Waiting after a game by team Bus I have gotten a few. And I have seen the pleas of kids asking ( Mostly QB's ) for auto's be turned down 99.99% of the time. In my experiance getting signatures game day at a stadium when pro athletes are working is always difficult. Now waiting early when they arrive or late when they leave etc. Helps but lots of time and planning go in. Just buying 2 tickets to a game and expecting signatures at an NFL game just not realistic.

Sounds like you haven't been in a while. I'm not saying everyone signs, though back when I was into that, early to mid 2000s... I got MANY Hall of Famers during their playing days. And though it's not my thing any more, I always have an eye out for any signing that occurs at the stadium, typically near the players entrance and I always see a crowd and I always see players signing, including the QBs. I can't speak for Brady specifically.

[Republicaninmass]

When I went to Fenway in 1989, players signed. A lot has changed since then.


I have heard players sign at spring training

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

When I went to Fenway in 1989, players signed. A lot has changed since then.


I have heard players sign at spring training

Yes, spring training seems to be more lax but that still depends on the players.

Flippers are the one's that ruined it and you can see them at every game and outside every celebrity hangout in LA with their stacks of 8"x10"s and sharpies. To be honest, without paying for the right to ask, if you are over the age of 12 then good luck at any event.

This is why many players personalize the auto with a name, they know it screws the flippers...it's not by accident. I also don't blame them one bit for doing it.

Some players are just class acts though for fans. I was at an event with my son the rookie year of Calvin Johnson, he stayed an additional hour and a half after the rest of the team left as he refused to not greet someone who had come to meet him. He never complained and smiled for them all. Class act.

Here we are after quite literally a thousand fans had already left. My son's face shows he literally did not know what to do when meeting a hero, lol...

[bigfanNY]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Sounds like you haven't been in a while. I'm not saying everyone signs, though back when I was into that, early to mid 2000s... I got MANY Hall of Famers during their playing days. And though it's not my thing any more, I always have an eye out for any signing that occurs at the stadium, typically near the players entrance and I always see a crowd and I always see players signing, including the QBs. I can't speak for Brady specifically.

Rob If you read my post I do say if you plan ahead do some footwork and arrive Long before game time or stay long after game is over there is a chance to get some signatures. BUT showing up when gates open and trucking down near field and asking for signatures. I have almost never seen that work. The players are preparing for game. As for QB's there are a number that are very difficult to get on game day or anywhere for that matter.
My original post was a reply to a board member who complained that his buddy got a couple tickets to MLB all star game drove a couple hours with his kid. Got there when gates opened and was surprised he got shut out trying to get some signatures. Then someone said NFL was different. And in my experiance it is not. If you dont do some level of patient work it is unrealistic to expect ayers warming up to come over to stands and sign. My point was and is, if you dont put any real work into it you cannot expect results. If you do the work then many times good things happen. But never a guarantee.
Looks like you did do some work and were rewarded for it. The joys of in person autograph hunting are many especially if you share the experience.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

Rob If you read my post I do say if you plan ahead do some footwork and arrive Long before game time or stay long after game is over there is a chance to get some signatures. BUT showing up when gates open and trucking down near field and asking for signatures. I have almost never seen that work. The players are preparing for game. As for QB's there are a number that are very difficult to get on game day or anywhere for that matter.
My original post was a reply to a board member who complained that his buddy got a couple tickets to MLB all star game drove a couple hours with his kid. Got there when gates opened and was surprised he got shut out trying to get some signatures. Then someone said NFL was different. And in my experiance it is not. If you dont do some level of patient work it is unrealistic to expect ayers warming up to come over to stands and sign. My point was and is, if you dont put any real work into it you cannot expect results. If you do the work then many times good things happen. But never a guarantee.
Looks like you did do some work and were rewarded for it. The joys of in person autograph hunting are many especially if you share the experience.

Fair enough...But I don't see where in his post he said they only tried at the field. All he said was they went way early.

In any event not being empathetic to someone's lament that autograph collecting has gone from the thrill of the chase to big business is extremely odd to me. Especially from collectors of a nostalgia driven sport like baseball. And to openly ridicule it is even weirder.

Then again, some loyal and subservient people just love to defend...whether its incompetent grading companies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyer's premiums or apparently expensive autographs...just to name a few.

[bigfanNY]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Fair enough...But I don't see where in his post he said they only tried at the field. All he said was they went way early.

In any event not being empathetic to someone's lament that autograph collecting has gone from the thrill of the chase to big business is extremely odd to me. Especially from collectors of a nostalgia driven sport like baseball. And to openly ridicule it is even weirder.

Then again, some loyal and subservient people just love to defend...whether its incompetent grading companies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyer's premiums or apparently expensive autographs...just to name a few.

Well Rob He did write specifically that he went when gates opened. ( varies from park to park and year to year but typically 90 minutes to 2 hours) so not what I consider "way early" and as I mention I have done this more than once in my 61 years. You mention you get to NFL park early enough to see players arrive so you know what I mean. So I am not repeat not empathetic to people who expect unrealistic results. Autograph collecting requires patience and research and it always has as far as I know. And to me the experience of a road trip with my kid or kids to an All star game is a pricless memory. But I understand not everyone sees it that way. But to cloud your memories of such a great day with bitterness towards the business of Baseball seems sad.
I personally collect sports items mostly because of the happy memories I have. Sure sometimes I scoped out a spot got there early only to have a player walk by and not sign my item. But I learned long ago no one else owes me anything. No Athlete owes me an autograph.Athletes are asked for autographs all the time by lots of people. Players just cannot sign for everyone so if they sign for me I still say thank you when I get an autograph, even if I am paying for it. Because I am grateful for their time and effort to sign my item. I have found a little patience and gratitude make things easier all around. So even though I know certin big name athletes are very difficult to get to sign in public I understand and I let it go.
What all this has to do with subservient people defending internet sales tax etc. I dont know. I am sorry if you have been the victom of incompetent grading compinies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyers premiums, apparantly expensive autographs..just to name a few. Not joking here it sounds like you have been hurt and while I am not empathetic to people with unrealistic expectations. I am empathetic to folks that are hurt or hurting because in some ways we all are.
Something that has helped me is the following God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can.
Safe travels Rob

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Fair enough...But I don't see where in his post he said they only tried at the field. All he said was they went way early.

In any event not being empathetic to someone's lament that autograph collecting has gone from the thrill of the chase to big business is extremely odd to me. Especially from collectors of a nostalgia driven sport like baseball. And to openly ridicule it is even weirder.

Then again, some loyal and subservient people just love to defend...whether its incompetent grading companies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyer's premiums or apparently expensive autographs...just to name a few.

What exactly does "internet sales taxes" have to do with all this? And how does obeying tax laws so you don't become guilty of tax evasion make someone "subservient"? I can sort of follow the other things you brought up, and see where you may be coming from, but I totally don't get the internet sales tax connection.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by BobC

What exactly does "internet sales taxes" have to do with all this? And how does obeying tax laws so you don't become guilty of tax evasion make someone "subservient"? I can sort of follow the other things you brought up, and see where you may be coming from, but I totally don't get the internet sales tax connection.

Oh no...I've invoked Bob.

Sales tax is charged to the buyer, so what does it have to do with tax evasion?

Bob...Back to the point. It's just one of several examples of an issue you'd expect a reasonable person to lament...

"Damn, that $100 blank I buy is now $108 with tax!"..."My good deal, isn't so good any more!" If you haven't felt that pinch in the last couple years, then maybe you have more money than the rest of us. A post like this would immediately be attacked by a dozen or so contrarian submissives (kind of like you did by flying off to the irrelevant tangent of tax evasion, though I don't consider you one of the contrarian submissives, just a good example in this case) who extoll the importance of internet sales tax, patting themselves on the back for collecting sales tax since the dawn of sales (and use tax too!) and calling the poster a no-nothing, criminal and bad American in the process.

To test the theory...Start a thread with the subject line "PSA, the self proclaimed industry leading card grading service can't identify an altered card" and watch what happens.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Oh no...I've invoked Bob.

Sales tax is charged to the buyer, so what does it have to do with tax evasion?

Bob...Back to the point. It's just one of several examples of an issue you'd expect a reasonable person to lament...

"Damn, that $100 blank I buy is now $108 with tax!"..."My good deal, isn't so good any more!" If you haven't felt that pinch in the last couple years, then maybe you have more money than the rest of us. A post like this would immediately be attacked by a dozen or so contrarian submissives (kind of like you did by flying off to the irrelevant tangent of tax evasion, though I don't consider you one of the contrarian submissives, just a good example in this case) who extoll the importance of internet sales tax, patting themselves on the back for collecting sales tax since the dawn of sales (and use tax too!) and calling the poster a no-nothing, criminal and bad American in the process.

To test the theory...Start a thread with the subject line "PSA, the self proclaimed industry leading card grading service can't identify an altered card" and watch what happens.

Rob,

LOL You didn't invoke anything, I just didn't get or understand the inclusion about internet sales taxes with your other points. I completely agree with you that those topics you mentioned, including internet sales taxes, will always get people riled up to go online and complain. But your original post talked about people being "loyal and subservient to" and "defending" those things, especially internet sales tax. When you use the term "defend", I would normally associate that with something a person would be favorable of or for, not something they would be against and complaining about. Thus, my initial confusion, and the reason for my question.

Quote "Then again, some loyal and subservient people just love to defend...whether its incompetent grading companies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyer's premiums or apparently expensive autographs...just to name a few." Unquote

Based on your follow-up post, I now know what you were referring to. Just didn't come across well to me the way you stated it originally.

In regards to the tax evasion comment, sales taxes are not something anyone has a choice about. If you are in a state that has sales taxes, you are subject to them, period. And, ALL states with sales taxes also have a second part to those laws called "Use Taxes". That is the part of the law that says if you buy something, and the seller didn't charge you sales tax for whatever reason, then YOU are supposed to report and pay the sales/use tax to the state yourself. There is technically no option or choice you can otherwise make, without being guilty of sales/use tax evasion. In your example you mentioned someone complaining about having to pay $108 instead of just $100 because they are now being charged sales tax. But the buyer was supposed to have been paying that sales tax all along as use tax. Because they are now complaining about it, it is pretty obvious they weren't properly paying the use tax due all along like they were supposed to, until the internet forced them to finally comply with the sales/use tax laws. And thus, what they are really complaining about is that they can no longer be a sales tax cheat, and had been guilty of sales tax evasion all along. That is what your comment about internet sales tax has to do with tax evasion.

[Oscar_Stanage]

lol, as the author of this thread, I have an announcement....

As a novice, first timer National attendee I asked a simple question about autos... I got insulted and then the thread turned into an all out referendum on autographing.

Therefore, I am pleased to announce that I just paid $99.99 for a Larry Walker autograph- not just on any card- I ponied up an extra $20 just so I can get my 1990 Leaf rookie or upper deck card signed (still not sure which), both of which I have kept in pristine condition since I opened the packs 32 years ago.

I will be savoring every minute of a great experience. If anyone wants to grab a beer and enjoy my card, come find me.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by BobC

Rob,

LOL You didn't invoke anything, I just didn't get or understand the inclusion about internet sales taxes with your other points. I completely agree with you that those topics you mentioned, including internet sales taxes, will always get people riled up to go online and complain. But your original post talked about people being "loyal and subservient to" and "defending" those things, especially internet sales tax. When you use the term "defend", I would normally associate that with something a person would be favorable of or for, not something they would be against and complaining about. Thus, my initial confusion, and the reason for my question.

Quote "Then again, some loyal and subservient people just love to defend...whether its incompetent grading companies, internet sales tax, exorbitant buyer's premiums or apparently expensive autographs...just to name a few." Unquote

Based on your follow-up post, I now know what you were referring to. Just didn't come across well to me the way you stated it originally.

In regards to the tax evasion comment, sales taxes are not something anyone has a choice about. If you are in a state that has sales taxes, you are subject to them, period. And, ALL states with sales taxes also have a second part to those laws called "Use Taxes". That is the part of the law that says if you buy something, and the seller didn't charge you sales tax for whatever reason, then YOU are supposed to report and pay the sales/use tax to the state yourself. There is technically no option or choice you can otherwise make, without being guilty of sales/use tax evasion. In your example you mentioned someone complaining about having to pay $108 instead of just $100 because they are now being charged sales tax. But the buyer was supposed to have been paying that sales tax all along as use tax. Because they are now complaining about it, it is pretty obvious they weren't properly paying the use tax due all along like they were supposed to, until the internet forced them to finally comply with the sales/use tax laws. And thus, what they are really complaining about is that they can no longer be a sales tax cheat, and had been guilty of sales tax evasion all along. That is what your comment about internet sales tax has to do with tax evasion.

Gotcha Bob...I think you read too much into it but no worries. I see where you're coming from.

The last thing I want to do is turn this into another tax thread, because that really has nothing to do with my previous reply (So you're clear...I was just citing examples of things people may complain about and the typical reaction to those things by some here)....

...but as for your check mate retort on use tax, letter of the law aside...I think you're applying a square peg explanation to a round hole problem. Unless you believe that every collector on this forum and in this country has been self reporting their hobby purchases. I find it hard to believe.