Brewers Winter Warm-Up! Show Off Your Autographs!

[bobbledude25]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/numberonewadefan/Baseball/JJHardy.jpg

 

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/numberonewadefan/Baseball/Braun.jpg

 

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/numberonewadefan/Baseball/Baseballs001.jpg

I see on the pics you guys have posted..braun didnt sign w/ his number but on mine he did. Hardy on mine no number, for you guys he did. huh

 

[jason21nl]

nice catch about the numbers..of all my Braun and Hardy autos, none of them have a number.

[billyhallfan]

you know i always hear someone talk about them, but what is the difference? Also, out of curiosity, why did the black markers that were their's die on me, but on all of yours they work? I would have handed them my marker, but I had to much to hold, also, I think it is a shame that Torres and Riske didn't even have real pictures, and no one even went for them, i thought that sucked.

[pitchleague]

yep, I did get to watch it. I swear I didn't see anything about it being streamed when I looked the other day, but it was there tonight. Yay, I got to watch it!

 

edit: not that it's riveting television, but still . . . .

[danzig6767]

I hope nobody takes offense to my question because i mean nothing snide by asking this, but what is the big fascination many have with getting autographs from athletes? Is it mainly to make a card, bat, or ball more valuable or it the love for autographs something else?

[jlau20]

I don't collect them, but I do have some mostly from early-mid 90's Brewers and personally I think they just look cool to decorate a room, plus sometimes it's a good conversation topic.

[pogokat]

i get lots of signatures at minor league games because it helps me remember seeing the guys play...

[pitchleague]

I asked that once upon a time here (only my question was "why do you need MULTIPLE items by the same guy?") and, if I remember right, the answers I got were along the lines of "wanting to collect things the same way someone collects stamps or collector spoons." Not many people said anything about selling them for profit, although a few did.

 

I do believe I got one snide answer back (don't remember, or care, from whom). The answer that person gave was, "because I can. Now drop it." I shrugged it off and "dropped it."

 

I'll take autographed items but I won't go out of my way to do it. If my kid someday wants to try to get autographs, I'll help him/her get autographs but otherwise, I'd rather just shake the athletes hand and thank him personally for all the good memories he is giving me and my child.

[jlau20]

I'll take autographed items but I won't go out of my way to do it.

Same here. It's a major turnoff seeing how some people can be (trust me, most definitely not trying to point out people here who go for autographs) when trying to get them. If you're in the right place at the right time (i.e. along the railing by the dugout) and a player comes by offering to sign things for the people there, great. But it's the people 10 sections over that see this happening then sprint over there and claw they're way to the front trying to get an autograph.

On a similar note, I was lucky enough to get some good seats 15 rows from the Brewers dugout a few times over the last couple of years for a game or two a year, and I was disgusted by the amount of parents sending their kids rushing up to the dugout to try and get a ball after every single inning. Some of these parents make it seem to their kids that it's their given right to get a ball from a player at some point during the game and that doesn't help anything and I'm sure in most cases it's those kids who grow up to be the ones fighting to get to the front of the line for an autograph.

[jason21nl]

I hope nobody takes offense to my question because i mean nothing snide by asking this, but what is the big fascination many have with getting autographs from athletes? Is it mainly to make a card, bat, or ball more valuable or it the love for autographs something else?

I collect autographs because these guys are my heroes(other than my dad). I watch these guys do something millions of people dream of doing but can't because they aren't good enough. I don't really care about value too much, I'm not selling anything. I do know that if I can get my packers helmet signed by Favre it will be worth a lot. Its hard to really explain, I'm sure someone else could do it better than me. The reason why people need multiple autographs of a certain player is because we have multiple items we would like signed by them. There is a team bat, team ball, 8x10s, bobblehead, magazines etc...

 

Its no different than any other hobby really. I don't understand collecting stamps, but people do it.

 

 

 

 

[pitchleague]

jason, maybe you can explain this one for me . . . why do some people need to have several of the same item autographed? if they are not planning on selling them, why do they need 13 autographed Bill Hall Toiletseat covers? 7 Sheets and Capuano autographed salt shakers? 17 autographed imitation replica leather faux-fur jersey-swatched painter's caps all signed by Donny Neverbegood?

 

I can understand the several DIFFERENT items (to a point; I certainly would have no need to bathe my room in any one player's memorabilia. I would feel like a stalker. But that's me. If you enjoy it, good for you and I'm happy for you.) but why do they so many of the SAME DARN ITEM and they MUST all be autographed?

[Pedro]

I hope nobody takes offense to my question because i mean nothing snide by asking this, but what is the big fascination many have with getting autographs from athletes? Is it mainly to make a card, bat, or ball more valuable or it the love for autographs something else?

 

Excellent question. I have often wondered this myself. And I collect autographs. From Fats Waller to Sinatra to Yount, I have (for me) a nice collection. But I often chuckle at the dollars and time I have invested in this hobby. It is simply their signature (I hope...half of what I have I never personally got signed in person) and has no intrinsic value. In my more reflective moments, I consider it mere folly; yet, I continue the pursuit. I think, for me, it's simply a connection to the past. Perhaps an idyllic, fictional past of simple times and pleasures. I must be a sentimentalist at heart. I also now realize that I do not collect autographs from anyone younger than myself for keep; current athletes or entertainers do not interest me in the slightest from a collectors point of view.

[jason21nl]

honestly, I don't have anything in my collection that I have more than one of other than a baseball. Whenever you see someone get the same picture or card signed, they are more than likely putting it up on ebay. If I have a picture of Sheets, I don't need the same exact picture of him signed more than once.

[ecjimg]

It sure was a fun night. All the players(other than Suppan who was no where in sight) played a great public relations game......mingled, and smiled at the fans......posed for pictures.

Someone on this thread said earlier "save your money and go to spring trianing". Ive gone to the last 11 or 12 spring trainings....and AZ is the place for little kids or 20 something girls to interact with the players. Tonight, it was a fun place to say hi to the players and coaching staff. Well worth it.

[Dmiles23]

I collect autographs, and to me it's just a remembrance of the past. When I was in middle school, my mom, my friend, and I took 2 football training camp trips around the country. (1 was 2,900 miles, the other was 3,200 miles) This was done at the time just for autographs... but now it's all about the memories. My mom, who likes sports but doesn't watch them religiously like I do, can sit down to watch a game, see a player on the field and be like "Didn't he used to play for the Carolina Panthers?" And then it's a time to reminisce.

 

Also, when Donald Driver was a rookie, we went up to Green Bay for mini-camp and just happened to stay in the same hotel as the Packers rookies and new signings. My mom and I were down by the pool, she was in the hot tub and I was messing around with the video games, when 2 Packers came down. We had no idea who they were initially, but 1 plopped himself down in the hot tub with my mom and the other asked to play pool with me. My mom sat in the hot tub for almost an hour chatting away with Donald Driver, while I played pool with De'Mond Parker. So now every Sunday after Driver makes a catch, my dad and I hear "Did I ever tell you about the time Donnie and I sat in the hot tub? He told me he was going to make the team because he has great hands!"

 

So, I'm sure an autograph of Peter Tom Willis or Travis Jervey or Franklin Stubbs doesn't mean anything to most people... but to me, it's all about the memories.

 

But I agree... people that get the same item autographed over and over is ridiculous and are most likely the sellers. I'd never sell anything of mine. They'll just be things to look back on when I'm old and gray... remembering when I was young and stupid.

[billyhallfan]

pitchleague, those people are the sellers, most of us on here aren't sellers...in fact, I for one, hate the people that do that for money...

[Fatter than Joey]

I hope nobody takes offense to my question because i mean nothing snide by asking this, but what is the big fascination many have with getting autographs from athletes? Is it mainly to make a card, bat, or ball more valuable or it the love for autographs something else?

 

When I was a kid -- I wrote letters to current players, I would send them a card, and ask them for their autograph. Then I would go to card shows, and look for neat old cards and send them to retired players. What I didn't expect is that I would start to correspond with a lot of former players, they would send me neat letters telling me to listen to my parents, and study hard. I was able to develop friendships that last to this day with some of those players. I kept all my letters, and its really more a part of my history. My kids love going through them looking at all my old stuff.

 

Nowadays, it's something the kids and I do while we are watching the Brewers/FB or it's raining outside. 2 of my kids really like poking through my old cards and sending them off to retired and current players. I figure there are much worse ways to spend my time. I have to admit though, getting an envelope in the mail, not knowing who it is from, is still a pretty big rush for me, in a simple things sort of way.

 

As for multiple items, every year players get different cards, so I can certainly understand people wanting cards from different years/sets signed. After all, the Brewers expect me to go to multiple games throughout the year, so I think that is fair. Trying to get the same 8x10 signed 10 times though, I am not a big fan of.

[JimH5]

why do some people need to have several of the same item autographed?

 

Occasionally, someone will get multiples to give to their friends/kids, etc. It's hard to walk into a house with 3 kids and just have 1 "present". But I'll agree that doesn't explain away the hoarders. Some people think that if one is good, then two is better and ten is even better. Go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you'll find the same behavior but a different subject.

 

While it's easy and snarky to look down my nose at the autograph gluttons, I'll admit that I do enjoy buying from autograph dealers who have a thorough inventory, and those guys have to get their inventory somewhere. . .