How you got "into" autographs

[laurasautographs]

I have always like collecting autographs. I think it's because my parents are big sports people, and they have been taking me to games ever since I can remember.
When I was about 10 or 12 my friends dad was football coach at the college where they had Lions training camp about 20 minutes from my house, so that is where it all started. Ever since then, I have been hooked. It's a fun hobby and I really love to display and collect autographs.

I always thought I had a pretty nice collection, but I later learned some secrets to help expand my collection. My fist tip was my uncle told me about ttm, and a lot of players would sign items if you sent things to them TTM. This was about four years ago, and I have greatly expanded my collection since then. I didn't really belive him until I searched it out on the internet. Lucky for me one of the first websites I came across helped me out a bunch(if you are interested http://www.hipolitodesigns.com/ ) From there that led to to Patneshek.com. Just by hanging out on the board and reading how to do things has greatly helped. Now I post on there a lot and I feel like I could help people out the way that I was helped. So I just wanted to say reading boards like this has helped my collection tremendously! If you are an active member on any site I promise you will have a better collection. Share your experiences because that is how people learn things.

[XxHoodlumxX]

I agree good post..

[XxHoodlumxX]

This is how I got in to my collection...

My mom was a single mom... so I was at grandmas house alot... I spent most weekends with Grandma... She took me to at the time (Cedar Rapids Reds) games all the time... especially saturday nights cause that was bingo night at the ballpark... I saw this A ball player named Eric Davis... I had my dad's glove which had more sentimental value then life alone... I dropped my glove on the field while they where warming up... Eric Davis came up to me handed me my glove and said hey do u wanna come to the clubhouse and meet the guys... I said sure... grandma said no way... so Mr. Davis said OK... but stay there i want to give u something... he handed me a signed bat... at the time i thought cool something to beat my sisters Rick Springfield albums with... Of course I lost the bat somewhere... like any 10 yr old... that night i also got my first pack of baseball cards... I thought those cards where GOLD... To this day I go to see the Cedar Rapids Kernals... and it give me the memories of the goodtimes me and grandma had...

My card collection...
Then every summer I worked on the farm...I got paid 100 bucks a week doing chores... I took every penny and bought packs and boxes of cards... I still have those..


TTM (early 1990's)
TTM was a mistake by me and my buddy... we bought a beckett when they where nice... and they where talking about it in the mag.. we sent a card to some dude... and he sent back 3 cards... I was like cool.... then we keep sending more and more and more...

1995-2004
I stopped collecting cards and all sport stuff... because cards where confusing... and still are..

2004
My wife was pregnant in the hospital... And as a good hubby... I went down stairs to the car and got her a pillow..I ran out there... ran back... pushed the button to the elevator... and lord and behold I was standing next to Amare Stoudmeire... we chatted... I got out of the elevator and my step dad was like a kid... OMFG that is amare... I said yep... he is delivering the baby.. amare lol and said nice talking to u..

Late 2007...
My resurrection into sport stuff.. My step dad was critically ill... are last conversation was this... I will miss the countless times we had at spring training asking guys for sigs... You made my life so much fun... yelling at players... haggling them for stuff...


2008 my new years resolution...
I told my wife early last year... I wanna live my life like my step dad and I had.. Me and my son BESTFRIENDS So at every signing my son is there... even if i have to pay for it... My sons favorite player is Brandon Webb and Mark Reynolds.... I also just do ROMLB... So there is no confusions... cause when he turns 30.... he gets my complete collection... EVERYTHING... So as of january of 2008 to now I have over 100 Balls... and around 10 bats.. My boy even says hi to mark reynolds at the dbacks games.. and he says hi too.. and mark even knows my boys name.. But not mine that is where am at... to date... I have also over a 250,000 cards... all from mostly the 1980's mid 1990's...

[Sports Gatherings]

Originally Posted by laurasautographs

Ever since then, I have been hooked. It's a fun hobby and I really love to display and collect autographs.

It's definitely an easy hobby to get into, but it's also one of those hobbies where it's easy to get tired of and just want to stop doing. I've had several instances of those when it came to trading cards. On and off, on and off, and now currently in the stage of keeping my favs and selling/trading the rest. The toughest part is keeping that passion alive and finding new ways to expand your collection. I think the most important is like you said, joining forums such as this and learning. You also get to the point where you want to help others succeed and build collections.

[Sports Gatherings]

Originally Posted by XxHoodlumxX

This is how I got in to my collection...

That's a nice progression of how you got into it hardcore.

[Spacer]

Ever since i was a kid my parents usually never threw away anything to this day i still kinda go by that at time's, the very first autograph i got was off Will (The Thrill) Clark we went to our local card shop in the day late 80's -early 90's everyone was like will clark will not sign so dont try him. I remember going to the game and standing somewhere along the rails where they sign. There were two ladies hollering for him i believe,so he went to put his glove up and came back to sign. I remember being in the front and being squished by all the collectors then so i stuck my ball out and said please Mr. Clark. and he signed it to this day i still have that ball.Then there came a time it stopped. It started back up i believe when the Atlanta Falcons had the mike vick saga me and my sis was like lets go and get autographs. Since then we have gone to numerous events in and around us. The next autograph event was Cindy Crawford after that what a thrill it was to meet her so i had some playboy mags for her to sign this was at a rooms to go store in buford. So me and my dad go there was like probaly 100 people there standing in line . Security checks my bags when i come in, i was the only one with the playboy mags at the event i believe. When it was just about time for our turn with her the cops at the front were like we need your bag so i take my playboys out and hand the bags to the cop. I believe he wanted the magazines to, saying she will not sign them so i told the cop i'll let her decide if she wants to sign them or not. So it was our turn and she was very nice i asked her if she would sign all of them and she said sure telling us about her favorite one she did. Along with sitting beside her when she signed them and a couple 8x10's. When i go to these events im surprised at how many security and workers tell you no they will not sign your item. Often if you ask the ones that are signing will you please they usally give in. So i'm thankfull for all the ones i've met over the years.