In Person Autographs

[ayalar09]

So today I was thinking about my childhood. How I would get to the games 2 hours early....watch Batting Practice by the dugout and of course get some autographs. It's something my father did, and it was something I was hoping my future kids could do.

But now with this Coronavirus....I have a feeling IP autographs are going to not happen. For some players this is great because now they have the perfect excuse if they don't want to sign autos. But for someone like Mike Trout...I doubt he signs the autos before every game like he did before.

So my question is...do you guys think getting IP autos are dead? TTM will probably become a way to get some stuff signed....card shows where the crowds can be controlled might be another way.

But something tells me autographs outside of Topps/Panini/Private Companies....are going to be very hard to come by.

[TimBuckTwo]

Interesting. I think we will just have to play it out and see how it goes.

If it is an excuse hopefully it lasts only this year.

Would be sad otherwise.

[Chicosbailbonds]

I think its basically dead with the nets extended past the dugouts now. I used to get a lot of them on both sides of Chicago, Comiskey was always easier.

[OC22]

I imagine it'll come back once fans get back into the ballpark. Some players will get back to it sooner than others, but once it's "safe", I expect most guys will resume their old habits.

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

I think its basically dead with the nets extended past the dugouts now. I used to get a lot of them on both sides of Chicago, Comiskey was always easier.

It's very easy to work around the nets. They lift up enough at the bottom to pass items back and forth, and some teams are able to move them down before the game.

[PejaD]

Originally Posted by OC22

I imagine it'll come back once fans get back into the ballpark. Some players will get back to it sooner than others, but once it's "safe", I expect most guys will resume their old habits.



It's very easy to work around the nets. They lift up enough at the bottom to pass items back and forth, and some teams are able to move them down before the game.

Or get on-field passes through your season ticket rep, connections, etc. Though I feel things may not return to the old normal till 2021 or beyond.

[dodgerfanjohn]

I think things would be a lot easier if there weren’t jerks trying to get stuff signed left and right to sell on eBay for $5.

[rman112]

"Can you sign my baseball?"

"Have you been tested?"

[BigRedMachine80]

Originally Posted by dodgerfanjohn

I think things would be a lot easier if there weren’t jerks trying to get stuff signed left and right to sell on eBay for $5.

This is kind of why I wished players didn't sign in person autos. Some of these guys are aware that people just want their auto to immediately flip it for a buck so I wonder if that plays a part in their signing selection. But I especially hate the parent that goes on social media to blast a player because said player didn't feel like signing any more autographs after 3 hours of playing ball, and her kid missed out. One person in my Reds FB page feels the need to call Joey Votto an #@#@#@#@#@#@#@ every time his name comes up. She still hasn't gotten over him not signing for her brat 6 years ago.

[kdog4187]

Time heals all wounds. I remember when anthrax was a thing after 9/11 and they said iit was the death of through the mail autographs and it was... for a while. Eventually things returned to normal and eventually things will return to normal in this instance as well.

[tonedef2oo8]

People are dying. Auto hounds are sad that they can’t beg for freebies . Sounds about right.

[dthimesch]

I think it starts out on the dead end and slowly moves back to normal.

[Soxfanguy]

Originally Posted by BigRedMachine80

This is kind of why I wished players didn't sign in person autos. Some of these guys are aware that people just want their auto to immediately flip it for a buck so I wonder if that plays a part in their signing selection. But I especially hate the parent that goes on social media to blast a player because said player didn't feel like signing any more autographs after 3 hours of playing ball, and her kid missed out. One person in my Reds FB page feels the need to call Joey Votto an #@#@#@#@#@#@#@ every time his name comes up. She still hasn't gotten over him not signing for her brat 6 years ago.

It’s annoying because I don’t sell IP autos but since I’m not a kid, some people won’t sign for me

[Drew3000]

Originally Posted by tonedef2oo8

People are dying. Auto hounds are sad that they can’t beg for freebies . Sounds about right.

Used to work in MiLB and there’d be old dudes waiting an hour after the game for a 18 year old prospect to come out and sign his cards. They’d have a binder and everything. It gave me great joy to kick them out of the stadium and to tell them the guys left a long time ago and slipped out the back door. Good times

Sure they sold some on eBay but not all. I’ve had many guys try to show me their autograph binders. I think this is why I don’t collect autographs, just looked kinda silly

[13goyankees13]

I'm not going to even try to get IP autographs until they allow fans in stadiums.

A few years from now things will be back to normal. If anything players will sign in the first few months with fans back because they're not worn out from signing. In 2030 I can't see any players not signing because there was a pandemic that spread through close contact 10 years ago, just like guys don't refuse to sign TTM now because anthrax was a concern 20 years ago. 15 years from now the prospects won't remember coronavirus at all.

[orioles70]

I probably have over 1,000 autographs but stopped getting them when they became illegible. Most autographs of the last 20 years are not even readable...I just can't imagine waiting around or worse yet paying for someone to make a scribble on an item that a pre-k kid could match...I know it's coming.....so I will say it for you, OK Boomer

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[BigL7370]

Originally Posted by tonedef2oo8

People are dying. Auto hounds are sad that they can’t beg for freebies . Sounds about right.

People have died and this guy is happy some thing finally killed the IP autograph thing he rants about every time a thread like this pops up.

[shizzlemynizzle]

The MLB has made it borderline impossible to get IP Autos to begin with. The extended netting makes it impossible to get a picture or autograph from a player. The nets are worth it for fan safety but it stinks for the kids in the pregame.

[Scottish Punk]

Do people have any luck sending stuff to the stadium on behalf of the player? I did a trial run last year for baseball and currently for basketball. 2-3 players per team. A got back three players for baseball and zero for basketball. I sent the basketball out about 3 weeks before everything closed down, so not a good test I would assume.

In both accounts, I have received some back as return to senders.

[mbrown2626]

Originally Posted by Drew3000

Used to work in MiLB and there’d be old dudes waiting an hour after the game for a 18 year old prospect to come out and sign his cards. They’d have a binder and everything. It gave me great joy to kick them out of the stadium and to tell them the guys left a long time ago and slipped out the back door. Good times

Sure they sold some on eBay but not all. I’ve had many guys try to show me their autograph binders. I think this is why I don’t collect autographs, just looked kinda silly

Most of the time these guys are working on consignment or trading their autos for other collectors autos. Just look at the TTM group here. When Heritage started producing Minor League cards this really took off. Guys try and get the entire set autographed which requires sending cards to folks who go to those minor league games. You cant sell a minor leaguers auto for crap on ebay.

MLB guys are almost impossible to get at stadiums. Our family went ot spring training for our beloved TX Rangers and that is where the autos happen. Players are just getting back into training and have a ton of free time on their hands and are very engaging. Access to them at practices and games at ST is off the charts compared to MLB parks.

[Drew3000]

Originally Posted by mbrown2626

Most of the time these guys are working on consignment or trading their autos for other collectors autos. Just look at the TTM group here. When Heritage started producing Minor League cards this really took off. Guys try and get the entire set autographed which requires sending cards to folks who go to those minor league games. You cant sell a minor leaguers auto for crap on ebay.

MLB guys are almost impossible to get at stadiums. Our family went ot spring training for our beloved TX Rangers and that is where the autos happen. Players are just getting back into training and have a ton of free time on their hands and are very engaging. Access to them at practices and games at ST is off the charts compared to MLB parks.

I just think it’s silly to hound 18 year old and 19 year olds if you’re a grown man. I just know a lot of the guys would get very tired of it. Didn’t mind at all for kids but when the parents are pushing the children out of the way or the kids have to wait for dad to hound them after they shower, well, that’s just a bit much and I’ve seen it happen countless times. Couldn’t imagine what it’s like when they actually reach MLB but I think it’s more expected there then it was in Princeton, WV or Bowling Green, KY.

[Coug46n2]

Originally Posted by rman112

"Can you sign my baseball?"

"Have you been tested?"

No I haven't Mr. Braun, have you?

[Gatorsmld]

My daughter likes to get any player for the Barons that wears #7. She's 11 and this has been her thing for a couple of years. We will see what happens.

[ayalar09]

Originally Posted by Drew3000

I just think it’s silly to hound 18 year old and 19 year olds if you’re a grown man. I just know a lot of the guys would get very tired of it. Didn’t mind at all for kids but when the parents are pushing the children out of the way or the kids have to wait for dad to hound them after they shower, well, that’s just a bit much and I’ve seen it happen countless times. Couldn’t imagine what it’s like when they actually reach MLB but I think it’s more expected there then it was in Princeton, WV or Bowling Green, KY.

Honestly not all of them, but I think some of the kids actually like the attention from signing Autographs.

Two Things:

1) When I was 16 I once followed A-Rod around San Francisco for two hours as he went shopping with his assistant. Multiple times during the two hours we asked him to sign and he said no. At least 5 different people, adults, kids...No No No. Then we get back to the team hotel. Everyone has just about given up. He hands his bags to his assistant and says, "Alright I'll sign one for everyone."And he did.....A-Rod proved to me that day in 2003 that he was def. all about A-Rod.

2) I am not ashamed to say I got Jalen Green's autograph when he was 15 or 16 years old. Basketball Prodigy......I know this is baseball...but you guys will understand in 2-3 years why I got his autograph now, as opposed to later.

[VandyCards]

I get IP autos. I don't sell them, although I did give a Wander Franco sweet spot ball to a friend as an engagement present, so I guess that is vaguely commercial. I don't wait after games unless the player says "can I get outside", and even then I've done that maybe 4 times in the past 5 years. Almost exclusively low minors. Never at (shudders) team hotels or team dinners.

The thing that grinds my gears are the instagram/facebook dealers, nearly all of whom don't even stay for games, and many of whom are older teens/young 20s.

It is assuredly a dorky hobby. But here we all are posting on a baseball card message board. We are all either folks with a dorky hobby, or speculators who are a couple steps removed from being beanie baby speculators. Or both.

Ragging on the IP auto losers is easy enough, but it is about as accurate as thinking of all card collectors/"investors" as sweatpants-wearing obese, unwashed losers. Certainly there is that element (we've all been to card shows). But there's an etiquette to it that most folks I see follow. Things like let kids in front of you, ask politely, be respectful, don't ask guys to sign 10 cards, don't push, and so on. Again, while it is dorky, it isn't more dorky then when I was buying cards and autos, and making little shrines to my favorite players.

To the OPs question, I do think it'll be weird for a while. I think the guys that like signing for fans (and the lower the league, the more of those there are) will still sign. The guys that don't like it might use it as an excuse. As someone observed, the nets are a far more significant barrier (in that they are literal barriers). As I understand it, many many guys signed during ST even though teams told them not to. So, who knows. I never do MLB stuff though, so I have no insight there.

[ldsports]

I am old and love to get autographs IP. I have been doing it since I was 13. I enjoy the interaction with the players and have been getting autographs with my son since he was born.

The nets have pretty much eliminated any realistic chance and pregame autographs or getting a ball during the game. I understand the why, but it takes a lot away from the ballpark experience I am used to. It is similar to air travel after 9/11.....i understand the why there too, but it is not the same experience.

As far as players not wanting to touch things because of the Virus, that is something we are all going to have to come to grips with in our daily lives. Not autographs, but do you shake someones hand? Borrow a pen? Hand them something from the top shelf they cant reach? Time will heal this, but it will take time.