Thursday, April 30, 2009

Autographs under $1

Top Blogs Sports memorabilia has become a growing industry over the last 25 years. Companies such as Upper Deck, who have exclusive contracts with athletes like Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and Kobe Bryant rake in millions every year. A single signed Michael Jordan basketball can bring in as much as $1000 to a dealer. That's probably one of the reasons the Jordan autographed is one of the most plagarized in the market. Firms such as PSA/DNA and Spence Authenticators, help in flitering out such fakes.
That is why I'm here to offer autographs for under $1. I don't actually provide the autographs, but I will tell you quickly how to grab one for under a dollar.
  1. Find a sports card of a player that you would like an autograph of. Chances are always better with a B-list player. Feel free to take your chance with the A-list player though. Probably not a good idea to send a Derek Jeter rookie card in. Jeter most likely will never see it, and neither will you.)
  2. Two cards is ussually the maximum a player will sign. Ussually the card the player doesn't sign will accompany the signed card.
  3. If you are sending a glossy card, sprinkle baby powder on the card and then wipe away the residue. There is nothing more upsetting then getting a card back in the mail and the signature is smeared. The baby powder helps tremendously. Top loaders are not necessary. They cost money and some players have been known to sign the holder or damge the card when placing it back in.
  4. Include a personal, brief note to the player telling him why you enjoy watching him. Stray from corney phrases like "You're my favorite." Just be honest and try to include a personal memory of the player's accomplishments.
  5. Send the card in an envelope that will stick out. I personally use "loud" envelopes that say "Hey...open me." Address the envelope to the teams stadium, which can be found at www.mlb.com . Make certain you include: C/O Your Players Name Here.
  6. Most importantly: send a SASE, or self-addressed stamped envelope along with your card and note. You do not have to use a "loud" return envelope. They cost money, and you would rather save them for sending out your cards.
  7. Lastly: Wait for the mail. Turnaround times can be as quick as one week, or as long as a year.

Happy Returns! In the last two weeks: Jim Thome and John Danks. Turnaround time was roughly 1 1/2 weeks.

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