Old Man Handwriting?

[mrmopar]

Not a ball, nor is it available, but here is a 1975 18 year old David Stewart autograph.

Originally Posted by JMEnglish27

I've wondered about this also, but with sort of a different spin...what of the players who changed their signature style dramatically over the years. I'm thinking of Dave Stewart and Don Mattingly, who had markedly different signatures throughout and in Don's case, several different styles.

How do we account for "value" with this sort of thing? I'd imagine I'd be more inclined toward a "rookie era" Mattingly sig versus a managerial era, but who knows when rarity factors in.

BTW, if anyone has an early career "David Stewart" ONL ball laying around, I just lost one in an auction and am looking to buy.

[ThomasL]

I have seen better examples of JP Conley and Foster Blackburn (a shaky cursive signature of Blackburn)

I think this kind of relates to what you are asking about

Also consider that cleaner sigs might be wife signatures....I dont know if anyone has really talked about Wife signatures but I bet some fan mail requests were handled by a wife or family member

I have held on to these as an example

Charlie Robertson signature was pretty shaky later in life. He was pushed back in the public eye after Don Larsen's perfect game. I chanced across a check his wife signed and it explains why two cut autographs I had (one pictured) looked nothing like his other signatures.

The note on the check "Car Repair" is in his hand writing

[ThomasL]

The extremes of James Patrick Snipe Conley
This is the best Conley I have seen, and thought it might have been made by someone on his behalf but I think it is an earlier signature of his bc of the J and P formations are consistent

Many signatures change significantly after a stroke (Buck Leonard is a perfect example) and yes people do try to collect pre-stroke signatures. Jack Fournier is an example I have had a few of both pre and post stroke.

[JMEnglish27]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

Not a ball, nor is it available, but here is a 1975 18 year old David Stewart autograph.

Nice!!