Purchase Foul or HR Ball in the stands

[xpress34]

Suicide -

I agree with you that getting the Inscription is ALWAYS worth it... unfortunately, all three players you used as examples are well know for their bizarre behavior, bad attitudes, etc...

I have 4 GU Items that I had signed in person and Inscribed (except for one) by the players and each one was very easy going...

The 1st one is one of my prized possessions in my Matt Holliday Collection - Matt's GU 2007 WS Hat... Matt knows me pretty well and when I presented the hat to him with the LOA from the Rockies, he said he was happy that I had the hat since he knows how much of his stuff I collect and inscribed it 1st WS 2007 Game Used!!!

The 2nd one is a Set Smith GU WS Hat (maybe the one he was wearing just before putting on his batting helmet to be the last out of the 2007 WS)... I took it to ST in 2008 with the LOA from the Rox and Seth started laughing and checking the hat out (along with Joe Koshansky) and then asked me how in the hell I obtained his GU WS Hat. I told him I bought it directly from the Rockies DugOut store and he said he alwasy wondered what happened to their stuff the last game of the season! He then signed and inscibed it Game Used.

3rd is a Garrett Atkins 2004 Hat w/ the Flag patch which means it is from Labor Day weekend when Garrett was recalled from the minors after their season ended in August. I took it to ST this year with the Rox LOA... as Garrett was going to the Locker Room, a few guys were calling for him and he was ignoring them - I mentioned I had a GU Hat, he turned around, came over, looked at it and the LOA, signed it - no inscription - never said a word, signed a crad for the guy to my L and signed a ball for the guy to my R and then left. He's a very interesting player - doesn't say much and is very aloof about signing in general.

Finally, my most recent - a GU Batting Glove from Dexter Fowler... I asked Dex on Opening Day and finally one day out back of Coors Field, he pulls over and throws a glove to me (he said he has to find the mate in his truck)... the next day, he stopped to sign for some guys and I had him sign the glove and asked him to inscribe it... he started laughing about the GU inscription and I told him it was going in the collection. He was like 'cool' and signed and inscribed it...

Every player is different and unique, that is for sure...

- Chris

[sox83cubs84]

Of those $20 home run ball purchases I mentioned earlier in the thread, the best was a fairly early (c.1996) Sammy Sosa dinger at Wrigley Field. A semi-homeless guy ran it down on Waveland Avenue, and a bleacher fan called down to offer him $5 for it. I was in the adjacent family section, and shouted down an offer of $20, and made the purchase through the left field gate of the ballpark.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[David]

I said "(check?)" not "check." At least I didn't say credit card.

[suicide_squeeze]

I said "(check?)" not "check." At least I didn't say credit card.

David,

Gotcha. Wasn't intending to do anything other to let everybody know the "cash" avenue is the way to go.

The best thing is pictures. Properly establish documentation and recording of the event through pictures and written documents....get witnesses. Those types of proof are tough to discredit.

Chris (express34),

Cool items, and yes, you've definately picked the correct hombres to obtain your inscriptions from. Sounds like the model citizen's group in MLB.

That was my main point earlier. In our fine hobby, the higher up the food chain you get in players, the tougher the "inscription" attempt is going to be.....and the more expensive.

Add to that the "event" you are trying to get them to notate, and it can approach downright "impossible" without father-LUCK on your side with some of these guys.

In my case, I am not attempting to have them essentially "authenticate" a game worn item by them for many games, or even a series....but an actual ball they hit out of a park for a specific homerun. That is a stretch on their part to take the leap of faith that what I, as a collector, am presenting to them is real, and most of these superstars don't like to be put on the spot to sign it as such and authenticate it on such short notice and with lack of time to properly review the circumstances, paperwork, and such.

But that is what makes our hobby so fun. On those rare occasions we achieve the goal and get what we set out for, it just makes it that much sweeter when we go home and place another "museum piece" in our display. To me, there is NOTHING like having these little bits and pieces of game used items (with major significance) that tell a story, that are a little part of a major leaguers career, something to illicit a nice conversation with friends and family over the years while having a beer or get-together.

Cheers to our hobby and the athletes (and fans who like the cash ) who make it all possible!

[both-teams-played-hard]

A semi-homeless guy ran it down on Waveland Avenue...

And this semi-homeless guy has a wife who is "almost" pregnant.