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Collecting Baseball Autographs: An Update

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It’s time to try again.

More than 20 years ago, I wrote this book. Long out of print, I realize that the world has changed.

However, some things stay the same. I still believe this is a great hobby, one that a newcomer can enjoy. When I had a comment posted this week for any tips, I decided to see if I could condense my advice from a book down to one feature. Here goes:

HOW TO COLLECT AUTOGRAPHS THROUGH THE MAIL

1. Always enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope
2. NEVER risk sending something you’d hate to lose. Even if the signer signs it, you have to get the item returned safely from the postal service. Because some signers get hundreds of letters a year, they may return your valuable card to a lucky, unknown collector. You could get their poor-condition common.
3. Use the most current home addresses possible. Join http://www.sportscollectors.net/. Buy the “Baseball Address List,” compiled yearly from Harvey Meiselman.
4. Send a personal letter, not a form letter. Show you know about the person you’re asking for an autograph.
5. If you send different cards, send no more than three. Two would be better. Most people who get duplicates of anything think you’re selling the extra on eBay.
6. The oldest retirees may prefer a hand-written letter. Because these people spent more time playing sports than learning how to type, they may suspect that you’re letter wasn’t real.
7. Any time you get something extra in a response (added photos, a letter, etc.), write another note of thanks. These strangers are trying to make you happy. Let them know you are.
8. Be ready to help other collectors. If you have news, share it. Likewise, don’t be shy. There are many in the hobby who remember what it was like to be a newbie. They’ll respond to a thoughtful, sincere question.

These are the basics. Print out the list, or forward the tips to someone who’d like to try TTM autographs.

Are there other tips that need to be included, readers?

Coming Friday: Hank Foiles shares his baseball story.

New Signers Don’t Last Forever. Get Your 2012 Baseball Address List From Harvey Now!

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Harvey Meiselman will be celebrating his 17th year of creating sports address lists in 2012.

He started taking orders for the 2012 edition on November 1.

He says he’ll be shipping advance orders no later than Jan. 5. Why should you order now?

Easy. I’m sure he’ll be shipping in the order the orders are received.

Every year, Harvey discovers new addresses, updates or listings of baseball names who’ve never been included before (for instance, he’ll be adding a section of current and former coaches who’ve never played in the majors).

These people aren’t used to getting mail. Chances are, the novelty of fan mail will keep them signing…for awhile. History shows a newly-found address can dry up. The signer becomes bored, or overwhelmed, with the increased mail. Or, a signing fee becomes the norm.

Get the new addresses as soon as possible. Harvey’s still the “go to” guy in this hobby. For more information, check out his website, http://www.sportsaddresslists.com/.

Coming Thursday: The most stunning TTM autograph reply of the 2011 season?

Birthday For A Baseball Blogger

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“Clear the dining room table?
Why? For cake? For me?!?”

Old age creeps up on me.

Today, 10/20, is the birthday of Mickey Mantle and one “Baseball By The Letters” blogger.

In my delight over the Lon Simmons letter (and anticipation of cake…) I leaked the first part of Lon’s revealing comments.

I wanted to interrupt this newscast for a suggestion:

Print out this column and leave it for any potential gift givers:

MEMO: GIFT IDEAS FOR A COLLECTOR

1. Postage stamps
2. Membership to www.sportscollectors.net
3. The Harvey Meiselman Baseball Address List, available at www.sportsaddresslists.com

Good luck, hint droppers!

Truly coming Friday: Lon Simmons Remembers Russ Hodges

Collecting Major League Autographs In Japan

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How much do you love collecting autographs by mail?

Nod. Shrug. Grunt.

Ah, but what if it wasn’t so easy? What if the responses came in weeks, not days?

What if getting U.S. postage was a costly chore (or a challenge)?

Kohei’s vast knowledge of MLB
history has inspired me to learn
more of Japanese baseball,
starting with Americans playing there.
Bob Bavasi’s site is a great starting point!

What if you had to write your letters not in your native language?

I’m seeing some raised eyebrows out there.

It’s true. There are collectors who love the sport and the hobby every bit as much as we do. And they prove it by the efforts they go to in collecting major league autographs.

This blog has allowed me to discover such “above and beyond” hobbyists. This summer, I’ve been inspired by collector Kohei Nirengi in Japan. He, too, uses Harvey Meiselman’s incredible baseball address list. However, all the other hobby conveniences I take for granted aren’t as easy for Kohei. Nevertheless, he’s building a collection worth admiring by focusing on possibilities, not limitations.

Thank you, Kohei, for the example you’re setting.

Coming Friday: ‘Graphin’ the SAL…Tales from a Class A autograph collector!

Coaches With No MLB Playing Experience Are Autographs Worth Collecting; Hope Is Coming!

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Al Vincent: Never a day as
an MLB player. But the
coach was a HOF storyteller!

This week, baseball address king Harvey Meiselman posted some hopeful news on http://www.sportscollectors.net/.

Harvey is listening to collector wishes. He noted more than one request for including coaches in next year’s Baseball Address List.

Aren’t all coaches? Only those with at least a game of major league playing experience. A former player who found a second career coaching will be still be listed in the main section. He’s continued to recognize these men in the List by noting their playing debut dates.

Harvey is talking about having a supplemental section as part of the list just for these coaches without a day of MLB playing time. He cited Cincinnati’s Mark Berry as an example.

Harvey estimated that he’d need to invest 70-100 hours of labor to find all the living coaches from this unique category of baseball history. Think Mike Quade, before he became Cubs manager.

I learned what rich sources of history these forgotten men are when I wrote Remember When: A Nostalgic Look at America’s National Pastime (Metrobooks, 1996). I tracked down career minor leaguer Albert Linder Vincent, who joined the Detroit coaching staff in 1943.

Vincent wrote me a multi-page letter telling about his career. In 1938, as a Texas League manager, he had his batters wear football helmets for 5 innings (years before the majors adopted batting helmets). Baltimore’s use of an oversized catching mitt to handle future Hall of Fame knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm? It wasn’t manager Paul Richards with this brainstorm, but Vincent.

The partial list of players he coached in the minors is impressive: Dizzy Trout, Virgil Trucks, Hal Newhouser, Fred Hutchinson, Wally Post, Joe Adcock, Alex Grammas, Joe Nuxhall. Future managers Danny Ozark and Mayo Smith played for Vincent.

Vincent added, “You would have to ask them if they were aided by my efforts.” Seeing the many winning teams he led, I know the answer.

Vincent wrote me: “Coaches are non-entities by and large, and lose their identity in the job, the exception being an established star giving a coach credit. It happens, but all too seldom.”

He died in 2000. I want to give all the Al Vincents credit. I want to write to them all. Please, Harvey. Help us find them, while there’s still time to save these stories.