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View Full Version : The IP Thread- Must Read for New Graphers.


Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 10:44 PM
I'm in a great mood today so I thought I'd enlighten those who were interested in IP autographing.


First of all, IP graphing requires an extreme amount of patience. You WILL NOT get every autograph and will sometimes be shut out completely. Fear not, this happens to us all and just keep trying and being positive.

Tips:

-Buy tickets to the game you want in advance, the tickets NEED to be in the section where the players come out of the tunnel, for Staples Center they allow you to move up to the front of the section until tipoff but you need to have tickets in the area.
-Get to the arena several hours early, and be one of the first ones to enter the arena. Get to your seat ASAP, I mean ASAP, because many players will stop warming up right as they see people entering the building.
-Bring the correct supplies- I bring a binder with cards/8x10s, and if I have any 11x14s I PAINTERS tape them to a piece of cardboard (Painters tape will not ruin your photo). I use a Blue Super Sharpie for cards and light colored photos and a Deco Paint Pen for darker Images. Be sure to prepare your Deco before you get there, this is key.
-Wait patiently for a player to end warming up. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE YELL AT THE PLAYER. HE IS COMING YOUR WAY ANYWAYS TO GET TO THE LOCKER ROOM.
-When a player begins to jog off the court, simply hold your item to be signed over the railing with a pen and politely ask the player to sign. I usually say, "First Name, Can you please sign?" For coaches call them Coach whatever out of respect.
-If the player ignores you or does not sign for you, move on. Do not pout, do not scream at him, there are more coming.
-Be polite, but make sure to hold your ground with the other graphers. I learned this the hard way by allowing other people to reach over or around me to get to the players. Simply tell the other people that you were there first and if they could please move back.
-Once you have the auto, let it dry for a minute, especially if it is a Deco. Trust me, you would rather have a flawless auto then two bubbled/streaked/smeared auto.
-Make sure to thank the player after he signs. Many forget this, and sometimes simply by saying "Thank you so much, have a great game" a player will throw you a piece of GU. This happened to me with Al Jefferson.


Players who Sign/Do not sign-

***Please note that this is from my experience. Many players who consistently sign might not for one game, one who never signs might on a rare occasion. It completely depends on the players' mood, but this is the overall chance***

If you would like to request a player, please do and I will add him to the list. Starting it off slow because I have already typed way too much so far.

Players who DID NOT sign last season:
Lebron
Wade
Bosh
The Heat In general
Rajon Rondo
All the Bulls Except Joakim Noah
All The Hawks except Kyle Korver, Al Horford, and Dominique Wilkins.
Kobe Bryant lol GL with Kobe
Chris Paul- VERY RARE!!
Damian Lillard would not sign a Panini Card and Legally Could not- Did they sign him yet??!
Kevin Garnett
Tim Duncan
Zach Randolph
Roy Hibbert- even though I got him It is a 1/10 chance. Just got really lucky.
Russell Westbrook
Serge Ibaka
Paul Pierce


Players who DO sign:

Batum
Jarrett Jack- Very Nice
Rudy Gay- Very Nice
Andrei Kirelenko- this dude will sign 100 cards if you bring them.
The Jazz in general are a great team.
Lillard w/ Photos
Lamarcus Aldridge sometimes
Courtney Lee
Wesley Matthews
Joakim Noah
Bradley Beal
John Wall
Emeka Okafor
Nene
MKG
Kemba
Deron Williams
KEVIN DURANT!!!- KD is a class act- Probably 50 people waited for him and he signed for at least half every time. ***NOTE*** due to the amount of autos he signs in a short period of time and him telling his security guard to screw off, he DOES NOT GIVE A GOOD AUTO. Unfortuately for me, he ran with a crappy black sharpie all the times I got him. But listen- My Kevin Durant might be the ugliest picture I have, but it is one of my favorites which I will never let go. Its the memory you get with the autograph that counts.
Marc Gasol
Mike Conley
Doc Rivers is very nice
Demar Derozan
Terrence Ross
Goran Dragic
Andre Drummond


Here are a couple of my fav photos/items:

Durant 11x14:
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r630/Clippernation3/In%20Person%20Autographs/8x10s%20And%2011x14s%20NFS/null_zps232588b8.jpg

Beal Triple Auto game Winning Shot (love collison in the background!!)
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r630/Clippernation3/In%20Person%20Autographs/8x10s%20And%2011x14s%20NFS/null_zps577dc7b7.jpg

T Ross Inscription
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r630/Clippernation3/In%20Person%20Autographs/8x10s%20And%2011x14s%20NFS/001_zps63da8076.jpg

Ty Lawson Christmas Day Headband :flex:
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r630/Clippernation3/In%20Person%20Autographs/Game%20Used%20Items%20NFS/null_zps57a43783.jpg

Damian Lillard FLAWLESS AUTO!
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r630/Clippernation3/In%20Person%20Autographs/8x10s%20And%2011x14s%20NFS/null_zpsca157351.jpg

Hope you guys enjoyed that long read!!

-Ryan

Redemption King
09-17-2013, 10:51 PM
Very awesome info and great read! Do you ever get autos after the games or at player hotels?

Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 10:53 PM
Very awesome info and great read! Do you ever get autos after the games or at player hotels?

Very rarely will you get the players postgame, unless you have passes. For the home team I got Jamal Crawford twice as he was driving out (only after victories, of course lol)

thepinoymamba
09-17-2013, 11:07 PM
Very cool InFo

Thanks!

Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 11:08 PM
Very cool InFo

Thanks!

NP, Thanks!!!

GoClips!
09-17-2013, 11:12 PM
Awesome write up. I've never tried to get any IP during the regular season, since my season tix are up in raffterville. Maybe I should grab some different tickets for a Blazers game and go for some of those guys!

Super nice of you to spell it out for people so much. Class act right here!

Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 11:17 PM
Awesome write up. I've never tried to get any IP during the regular season, since my season tix are up in raffterville. Maybe I should grab some different tickets for a Blazers game and go for some of those guys!

Super nice of you to spell it out for people so much. Class act right here!

Thank you! I would highly recommend getting tickets for 1 game just to try it out, its a great experience! Also, since you are a season ticket holder you may be able to try to get a hook up with someone in the organization, depending on how long you have been a holder for. Its worth a shot either way.

Portland will be a great Graph this year!

SDcardguy24
09-17-2013, 11:17 PM
Solid info right there. Now just don't go and give away the team hotels in LA. It's rowdy enough with the current crowds!

Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 11:19 PM
Solid info right there. Now just don't go and give away the team hotels in LA. It's rowdy enough with the current crowds!

Was trying to dodge the bullet on that one ;)

sesmarine04
09-17-2013, 11:22 PM
What an informative, well-written and gracious post. Thanks for contributing something so positive to a board that usually thrives off of negativity.

Clippernation3
09-17-2013, 11:26 PM
What an informative, well-written and gracious post. Thanks for contributing something so positive to a board that usually thrives off of negativity.

Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words :D

The Fluffy
09-18-2013, 12:17 AM
I wonder why Chris Paul and Timmy never sign. Sucks that KG Pierce and Rondo are on that list too. Especially Kobe. Good read thanks for posting! :D

Clippernation3
09-18-2013, 12:49 AM
I wonder why Chris Paul and Timmy never sign. Sucks that KG Pierce and Rondo are on that list too. Especially Kobe. Good read thanks for posting! :D

Chris Paul will sign now and then, have a couple friends who have gotten him but they staked out for hours. Tim Duncan rejected a 6 year old, diehard Spurs fan 1 on 1 so I dont think he will sign at all this season. KG is one who will never sign due to an encounter with a fan trying to get an auto a couple years back in LA (Laker fans suck!), Rondo actually may sign if you get him alone. Pierce I think is just hit or miss, but dont count on him. Thanks!

tennelson55
09-18-2013, 08:17 AM
Rondo signs a few. He's more of sign on my way out type of guy. Quick, easy and don't have to deal with vs (that's just IMO). Rather than sign for fans/talk to them/being friendly. Kg doesn't sign, but the Celtics did sign a lot. Just not the stars :(

tamtalizied
09-18-2013, 09:51 AM
Great info!! I have been doing a lot of TTM lately, but have not dip my toes for IP. I am thinking about it for this season. Thanks for the advise!!

P.S. A buddy of mine manage an upscale restaurant/lounge downtown, and would call me when some players are in. So I guess I would take advantage of that. Just a heads up, LBJ did sign some items for him last year when my buddy was hooking LBJ and his buddies up. I hope he goes there again this year!!

peekaboo
09-18-2013, 10:12 AM
Zach Randolph does sign. I got him in Milwaukee and Chicago

Clippernation3
09-18-2013, 09:45 PM
Zach Randolph does sign. I got him in Milwaukee and Chicago

Really? I tried for him 3 times and all 3 times he like started to come over and then walked off. Maybe it was just a bad timing thing.

Tarheelsfan2012
09-19-2013, 12:13 AM
Not on ur list but Kyrie signs, or at least he did last season in Charlotte when they played the Bobcats. Didnt expect it so didnt take my sharpie or a picture but he signed for the people that were waiting on him(which wasnt a whole lot, like I said it was a Bobcats game).

Filthy
10-07-2013, 03:56 PM
Great thread! As an OKC Thunder season ticket holder, I have been getting IP autos since 08-09, before almost every game. I have countless jerseys, shoes, programs all signed. Its interesting, to see the two big ones, for the Thunder that don't sign.... Ibaka, and Westbrook.

I would guess that I have 60-70 Durant IP autos, 30-40 James Harden IP Autos, and the same, for most other OKC players.

Yet, In that same period of time, I have only gotten Westbrook to sign 3 times. And have only gotten Ibaka to sign once. They are a tough get for sure!