This Week on TTMCast
Les Wolff talks National and answers some listener questions. Plus Drew and Troy talk about the latest hobby news and their mail successes.
You can listen to this week’s show here
And if you want Les to appraise your items next month, send photos and descriptions to [email protected]
Recent TTM Successes
Dan Fouts
Fouts was a Hall of Famer as a quarterback, and would be a first-ballot member of the TTM Hall of Fame as well. The dark photo on his rookie card is tough to sign in a good spot, but he did as well as one could ask for. This came back from his Oregon home in three weeks.
Hoby Brenner
Brenner was a National Champion at USC in 1978. Although his best seasons statistically came via six touchdowns in 1984 and 42 catches for 642 yards in 1985, he was a Pro Bowler in 1987.
These cards, sent to his home in California, took six months to return to my mailbox but it was great to get all four signed for my sets.
Paul Stewart
Stewart went from breaking the laws to upholding them in his hockey career. After tallying 362 penalty minutes in 86 NHL and WHA games, he became an NHL referee from 1986 until 2003. The Ivy Leaguer also has written two books, which he told me to check out in a short note he included.
He signed two cards for me in two weeks.
Omar Vizquel
Little O was a favorite of mine in Cleveland, with a glove rivalled by no one in the 90s and 2000s, along with over 2,800 hits. Unfortunately post-career off the field issues have largely torpedoed what appeared to be a potential Hall of Fame career.
He signed these three cards for me in three months via his home address near Houston.
Gary Scott
Scott was heavily recruited by colleges for basketball, but opted to walk on with Villanova’s baseball team, eventually turning that into two Major League seasons with the Cubs and an expansion Draft selection by the Marlins.
He signed these cards for me after a short wait of four years via his home in Connecticut. Never give up, TTMers.
On Graphing Etiquette
When you say etiquette, most people tend to think of fine dining– elbows off the table, napkin in the lap, using the appropriate fork, and limiting one’s self to a single belch at the meal’s conclusion. But every social situation involves some sort of etiquette, and that includes when you collect autographs. Unfortunately, I have often seen many a grapher violate the protocol of basic decency– sometimes doing things that are just rude and sometimes venturing all the way into the territory of possible felonies.
Graphers following players to their cars or even waiting right by their cars; going into restricted areas; telling players off for not signing; shoving their way past security guards and through groups of other people. When the same people show up every game and ask all the same players over and over again, the players tend to remember you. Unfortunately that often causes them to decide not to sign for anyone anymore; and the prevailing attitude from many collectors tends to be “I got mine so who cares?”
My favorite saying is that the health of the hobby is more important than the size of your collection. Another grapher I know in Dallas often talks about people being all too willing to kill the “golden goose” of the hobby by continually wanting more. The hobby is getting less accessible over time, and often times collectors only have themselves to blame for it.
Over the past month, a few Facebook groups have been overrun by people offering up sarcastic comments to people with legitimate questions about the hobby– mostly about players’ signing habits and autograph accessibility in certain parks. There’s no place for elitism in the hobby.
It always seems to happen around this time of year: maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s frustration from players’ collective unwillingness to sign late in the season since they’ve been doing it since February. Whatever the cause, maybe it’s time for a refresher.
And so, here are ten pieces of advice on the hobby to help keep it healthy and friendly. I wrote this back in 2017 after I had talked about writing it for a few years prior. I wish I didn’t feel the need to bring it up again, so please, do your part so that I don’t have to re-post it again in another half-decade.
Sharing Info
Sharing information is a fine line. On one hand, if a place gets oversaturated with people, players will find a different way to go in order to avoid them. But on the other hand, there’s a good chance someone once had to tell you where to go. I know it happened with me early on, and still does to this day. Don’t just throw info out like free candy at a parade, but don’t act like your knowledge is above top secret either.
Lines
If there’s a line, get in it and stay in it. Don’t jump spots or shove your way ahead. Typically if you respect others and their spot, they’ll respect you and your spot. Don’t jump past the line, or lean over the top of it, or run through it. The signer will get to you. Wait your turn.
Help Others
You were new once too. Help others out as long as it doesn’t hurt yourself or others to do so. Got an extra pen? Let someone use it. Know who a player is that someone needs? Point him out. See someone using a Sharpie on an official ball? Let them know why they shouldn’t. Obviously you don’t want to be a know-it-all jerk because frankly, we’re all still learning sometimes. But help educate others. The hobby will be a better place for it.
Be Polite
Thank a player for signing. Request nicely that he sign. Obviously you don’t need a “Good morrow dear sir, could I bother you for your signature upon my cardboard photograph?” but a please and thank you are a must. Small actions like that go a long way with players and show fellow graphers how it’s done.
Know the Players
Admit it, you’re guilty of this on occasion. I am too. Very few people know who every player is: I can name maybe three collectors I’ve met in my life who can identify almost any random former player. But it’s good to have a reasonable idea of who you want, who you’re getting, and at the very least who’s on the team– keep a roster with you. To quote my late friend Ron Saar, “If you don’t know who he is, then you don’t want his autograph too badly.”
Movement
If a player signs and you don’t need him, get out of the way so those who do want him can get him. And on the other side of that equation, if someone moved out of the way for you, let them back into their spot.
Common Courtesy
We’re all in this together. It’s not a competition: he who gets the most autographs does not win anything. Don’t plop your photo or card book right over someone else’s or use their back to lean on. If you can’t get out of the way, at least be willing to help pass others’ items to the front. And if you’re in the back, don’t push forward. It’s quite a physical hazard being at the front of a group five people deep with them all pressing you into the stadium fence.
Kids
The unwritten rule of autographing is put into writing: let the kids go first. I’m not saying to give up your spot in a line or crowd to let a throng of kids in, but don’t shove them out of the way, and if a player says he’ll sign for kids only, then let them in. Don’t be all petty and block them just because the guy won’t sign for you. If there’s a kid near you, make sure the player knows. The player usually will appreciate that you’re making sure the kid gets his and might just be more likely to sign for you. The exception of course is if it’s a kid helping out a dealer.
Get to Know Those Around You
The more people you know in the hobby the better. You might find trading partners or even just people to stand around and chat with while you wait. Who knows, they might be more likely to let you in on a hot tip about where to get someone, set you up with extra stuff on players you don’t have, or assist you in getting a player to sign. You might even find you have stuff in common outside of autographs.
Have Fun
Because really now, isn’t that the point? If you aren’t having fun in this hobby, then why are you doing it?
If you have any graphing questions, you can reach Drew via email at [email protected]
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TTM This Week: More Hall of Famer RCs and an Appeal to the NHL
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TTM This Week: Some HOFer RCs, and Talking Small Sets
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