Would you paid for an autograph or would you take chance to get it for FREE at the stadium or hotel or airport

[yankees.stub]

Let's start with Alex Rodriguez - since he is the most sought after signature at the moment and getting his first WS ring help even more!

I paid for Alex signatures last week at Steiner show. I think it is money well spent since I dont think I be able to get Alex to sign my 500th HR tickets and a couple MLB authenticate balls - couple of them where actually foul tip balls. After everything signed, I get them authenticated by Steiner.

He was happy signing anything anyone put on the table along with the right paying ticket price - happen to hang out with couple friends after my stuffs were signed. After a while, his mood of signing became off a bit - rightfully so, since I know I will get annoy if people asking for pictures and so forth. (mind you, there were about 300-400 paying people on line and he only get to about 100 or so before things change).

Why did I paid for his signature? Simply because it is easier and more cost effective in my opinion. For me to get his signature on the field, I will need to spend more money - Field level tickets at the stadium cost in the average of $350-$600 each, and that just have access to field level seats - no guarantee that Alex will pop up from the dugout and signing FREE autograph.


(I saw a post earlier blaming Steiner for encourage these athletes to charges for signatures - I dont think that is fair at all. If fan (more like business person) want to increas the value of an item by having a signature on it and he/she willing to pay for the autograph - who are we going to blame?... The same can be said - how do we place a value on an item when it is the BUYER's choice to paid.)

[joelsabi]

Let's start with Alex Rodriguez - since he is the most sought after signature at the moment and getting his first WS ring help even more!

I paid for Alex signatures last week at Steiner show. I think it is money well spent since I dont think I be able to get Alex to sign my 500th HR tickets and a couple MLB authenticate balls - couple of them where actually foul tip balls. After everything signed, I get them authenticated by Steiner.

He was happy signing anything anyone put on the table along with the right paying ticket price - happen to hang out with couple friends after my stuffs were signed. After a while, his mood of signing became off a bit - rightfully so, since I know I will get annoy if people asking for pictures and so forth. (mind you, there were about 300-400 paying people on line and he only get to about 100 or so before things change).

Why did I paid for his signature? Simply because it is easier and more cost effective in my opinion. For me to get his signature on the field, I will need to spend more money - Field level tickets at the stadium cost in the average of $350-$600 each, and that just have access to field level seats - no guarantee that Alex will pop up from the dugout and signing FREE autograph.


(I saw a post earlier blaming Steiner for encourage these athletes to charges for signatures - I dont think that is fair at all. If fan (more like business person) want to increas the value of an item by having a signature on it and he/she willing to pay for the autograph - who are we going to blame?... The same can be said - how do we place a value on an item when it is the BUYER's choice to paid.)

arod signature are really rushed in the stands as he tries to accommodate as many fans as possible. some i have seen on ebay of this sort look like chicken scratch.

i would rather pay at a signing and at a private signing instead of a public signing. as you said there is a chance that he can get annoyed at a public signing whether at the ballpark or a public signing.

[yankees.stub]

You hit the nail on the head there buddy!


I was fortunate and unfornate when it comes to Alex signatures. To make the story short - if you were the first 100 people on line to get his PAID autograph, the signature will be the prettiest thing you ever seen (My best ranking for autograph will always will be ..... MARIANO RIVERA). I even got lucky enough when he signed his FULL name on the 500th HR ticket along with the notation Youngest to 500th HR.

Also got a game used ball for the game when he hits #583 - told him about the story of the baseball. Alex was nice enough to add the date on the ball also - which I think it was neat!

And if you ends up in the middle of the population and near the end - you will get less than chicken scratch. I have couple of balls with ARZ and if anyone have a look at it will tell you - there is no way that is Alex signature. Lucky for me, I have a picture of he signing it and the Steiner certificate for it so I am okay.



So from my worst to my best experiences of PAID autograph - you are entitle for what you paid for but dont expect it to be what you wanted.... UNLESS YOU GET THERE EARLY ENOUGH TO FALL INTO THE "MY SIGNATURE IS NICE ENOUGH TO READ AND BE RECOGNIZED" CATEGORY! If you are late at these signing event, you might as well prepare for chicken scratch!

[joelsabi]

Also got a game used ball for the game when he hits #583 - told him about the story of the baseball. Alex was nice enough to add the date on the ball also - which I think it was neat!

As a ARod collector, I wouldn't mind hearing the story of the baseball. I like stories behind an item.

[legaleagle92481]

If you get a free sig at a hotel or ballpark you cannot prove it is real. Even if you have a pic or video of the athlete signing you cannot prove that the item in question is the one in that pic or video unless you have a 1/1 item that could never be duplicated, which is seldom if ever the case. When you sell it the sale price will reflect this uncertainity. You also are likely to get a rushed signature that will be inferior to one from a paid signing and you may even get foreign substances on your item if the player's hands were not clean i.e. he had just been eating or had dirt from the field on his hand or had been reading the newspaper and had some print on his hand. You also may have to spend money to get access to the player i.e, buying game tickets in a certain area and you may wait awhile and the player may not sign so in the end you walk away with nothing. But on the other hand if you pay for a signature most living players have signed a ton so their stuff is not rare and you will have a hard time making your money back unless you buy before the player does something to spike his values. Guys like Arod are already so established and valuable that there is little he could do to create a big value spike. Personally, I have spent 1,000s of dollars on autographs and now that I am trying to sell my collection I am lucky to break even and in most cases have lost money or even worse lost so much that I cannot sell (I invested in some McGwire, Sosa and Bonds stuff and if I sold it I would probably lose 75% of my investment). Now I no longer buy autographs but collect for fun obtaining free in person signatures in New York City of athletes and celebrities and sometimes I walk away empty handed or wait awhile in the cold or get a rushed signature but it is exciting and only spent the cost of the item so I do not have to worry about my "investment".

[yankees.stub]

To me, waiting to get something for nothing - which can result in some monetary or not --- is always an investment.

Collectible market is so fragile - it can go either way.

Not putting my morgages on Arod at the moment - but I have enough friends and strangers alike asking to get them stuff, I am spend some here and there.

One player I am willing to invest on - Mariano Rivera. I am still in search of the ower who got the bat he used in the world series when he collected his first RBI - by the way, the bat he used was CODY RANSOM!

[kylehess10]

I wait 99% of the time. The only time I pay for a signature is if it's really cheap (like Andruw Jones who I met in December for $10).

For example, with my favorite player, Chipper Jones, I've met him 3 times before. Each time was free (through Fanfests & the Braves Caravan). He has signings in the area sometimes but I would never pay for his signature.

Bobby Cox is another good example. He signs for everyone when he arrives at the stadium 5-6 hours before gametime. I've met him numerous times and I'll be there at the stadium hours before the start of a game just to get a signature for free. It's worth it to me.

[3arod13]

Can you post pics of what you got signed?

One thing I wish Arod would do is sign his full signature on his LOA's. Collectors pay a lot of money for this stuff and to sign LOA's with his AR signature, just isn't right.

Reards, Tony

[flota89]

I get most of my autographs for free at stadiums or other places. To me, it means more that way and it more of an adventure. You can get 0 autographs or 30, so it is always a surprise. Also, when you pay for an autograph, there is no good story to go along with it besides the "I paid $$$ to have this ball signed." Now on the other hand, if you are getting a big/expensive item signed, I think it is better to pay for it to ensure that you get a better signature where you want it. Just my .02.

[sox83cubs84]

There are benefits and risks of either approach...in A-Rod's case, I'd go without, as I can't afford to buy one and in-person, he always picks through the crowd and only signs for kids (see "Obnoxious kids/parents stories" thread.)

Although I do enjoy in-person signing at the ballpark or banquets/fanfests, it's almost impossible at Wrigley due to their Gestapo-like rules for people who don't buy the highest-priced tickets. Outside isn't helpful, either, as most of the local hounds outside are either dealers or collectors who place getting an autograph on the same level as performing brain surgery...many get-a-life types in this bunch.

Comiskey Park is enjoyable...nowehere near as restrictive, and the obnoxious Wrigley crowd stays away due to their level/ticket restrictions (you must buy a 100-level ticket to access the entire 100 (field) level)...more $$ than most of the Wrigley crowd will spend.

Dave M.
Chicago area