Is TTM autograph collecting dying?

Austin · May 2, 2010

Through the Mail (TTM) autograph collecting was huge in the '80s up until a couple of years ago.
Hundreds of current Major Leaguers and most Minor Leaguers would sign for free via the stadium.
I collected TTM from 1985 up until 2006, when I got frustrated with the lack of responses.
And nowadays, you hardly ever hear or read of many successes.
On the TTM board here at FCB, the April success thread only has a few successes, and most are celebrities or retired players.

So my question is, have current players stopped signing through the mail, because of eBay and because companies pay them to sign?
Or is TTM just not popular anymore?

tramers · May 2, 2010

Re: Is TTM autograph collecting dead?

i have a minor league team local so i can get autos easy . i do know of those that get ttm regular just don't post on boards about it .

17ROCKIES12 · May 2, 2010

Re: Is TTM autograph collecting dead?

There is definitely a general decline of players willing to sign (and sign for free) especially with current MLB players. However there are thousands and thousands of players out there willing to sign. I'd go broke if I got everyone's autograph that is still willing to sign.

nyc3 · May 2, 2010

Re: Is TTM autograph collecting dead?

Austin said:
So my question is, have current players stopped signing through the mail, because of eBay and because companies pay them to sign?
Or is TTM just not popular anymore?

I have dealt with many celbrities over the last 10 years and as a TTM collector I have spoke to several about the hobby. I can tell you without a doubt the ones I spoke to got sick of people feeling entitled to several autographs just so they can sell one. They would get requests from the same people over and over again to only notice the signatures are going straight to ebay. So most of them just got sick of it and stopped all together.

goblue6919 · May 2, 2010

I used to be really into TTM but now I pretty much stick to in person autographing (especially milb)

For me the experience of obtaining the autograph is more important to me than the actual signature so TTM sort of defeats the purpose for me.

goblue6919 · May 2, 2010

Also something I've noticed, some of the toughest guys to get at a game are great about signing TTM, and some of the nicest and best signing guys don't sign through the mail.

jeff550 · May 2, 2010

ive noticed that some players start signing when the retire, that didnt sign in their playing days

Leaf · May 2, 2010

Re: Is TTM autograph collecting dead?

nyc3 said:
Austin said:

So my question is, have current players stopped signing through the mail, because of eBay and because companies pay them to sign?
Or is TTM just not popular anymore?

Click to expand...

I have dealt with many celbrities over the last 10 years and as a TTM collector I have spoke to several about the hobby. I can tell you without a doubt the ones I spoke to got sick of people feeling entitled to several autographs just so they can sell one. They would get requests from the same people over and over again to only notice the signatures are going straight to ebay. So most of them just got sick of it and stopped all together.

NYC3 1000% correct. I know for a fact that people like Larry hagman, Betty white, Angie Dickinson and many more sign more than anyone could ever expect through the mail.
I talked to Mr. hagman about this and you could tell it was wearing thin.
Someday, these guys too will probably stop too becuase of the number of dealers sending 100's of pieces over the course of a year.

BG

matchpenalty · May 2, 2010

It's more popular than ever. A bunch of big websites all over tracking results on signers.

19braves77 · May 2, 2010

My main problem with TTM is that you never really know who signed you mail. I got Aaron Cunningham yesterday IP and it looks nothing like the autograph I got back from ST this year.

Sure you have your Doerr's and Andrew Dawson's ( until he was elected into the HOF) that were money everytime. Having to worry about whether or not my Aaron Cunningham is legit isn't worth it anymore.

With that said, I am mailing a World Series ball to Mariano tommorow which I do every year.

George K · May 2, 2010

Hearing celebrities whine about signing is nonsense. If these guys don't get noticed, they feel dejected. Life is too short for the rich and famous to worry about the afterlife of their autographs. It just isn't worth a sweat to do so. When it comes down to it, an autograph is actually a sign of admiration. Think about it: Why would anyone want the autograph of someone who meant nothing to you, who didn't give you some sort of joy in your lifetime. When you give something, you can't concern yourself with what happens with something because it is out of your hands. There are still many people out there that get a lot of enjoyment from writing to someone they admire for an autograph.

Lars · May 2, 2010

What I may have noticed is for the MLB guys who do sign is they wait until the offseason or even through the next spring to answer their requests.

It isn't always the case, but you can't send to a number of guys these days and expect responses within a month. Many guys would rather not deal with fan mail until it piles up.

So unless you are mailing 50-100 requests a month, you may not see a regular stream of successes if you are expecting to get successes from only 10-15 players you've mailed to.

cwells46 · May 2, 2010

I have never been big into TTM, but I still love to get IP during the local MILB teams games.....I have not run across anyone this year that is a real pain to get to sign.....

nyc3 · May 2, 2010

George K said:
Hearing celebrities whine about signing is nonsense. If these guys don't get noticed, they feel dejected. Life is too short for the rich and famous to worry about the afterlife of their autographs. It just isn't worth a sweat to do so. When it comes down to it, an autograph is actually a sign of admiration. Think about it: Why would want the autograph of someone who meant nothing to you, who didn't give you some sort of joy in your lifetime. When you give something, you can't concern yourself with what happens with something because it is out of your hands. There are still many people out there that get a lot of enjoyment from writing to someone they admire for an autograph.

Very true, but then you have the guy who needs 75 of them so he can sell 75 of them on ebay its a different ballgame. These people come home and some actually have to hire people just to sort the mail that most of the time needs its own room. Now in the 60-80's they all knew these where fans who tracked down this information. But now all the dealers do are sit on these sites wait to see who is returning and bombard them with requests. Not caring what they do nor who they are with full intentions of some day selling them off.

I am pretty sure they dont mind singing for a fan or even someone who thinks they know them, but they do mind funding some random dudes autograph store which sells them to their fans at a silly mark up. As with everything in this world there are people out there who take a good thing and completely run it in to the ground.

George K · May 2, 2010

"Very true - but then you have the guy who needs 75 of them so he can sell 75 of them on ebay its a different ballgame. As with everything in this world there are people out there who take a good thing and completely run it in to the ground."

That's true - but I've also noticed that many of these guys would rather sell bogus autographs and an undated picture of said celebrity signing something as a coa. There's no winning with these guys. It's up to the signer to use their judgment on how they sign - but wrong to lump everyone on the same boat.

RandomH · May 2, 2010

I guess that a bit of the decline of autographs maybe due to the guys going to Milb games and having guys sign binders of cards.

19braves77 · May 2, 2010

People have been doing binders way before Ebay. I was 9 to a page in 1991.

AMAZIN HOF COLLECTOR · May 2, 2010

I think the rise of eBay has led to the decline of the TTM. Even the older players check eBay and see the TTM autos being sold. Some people like Fay Vincent personalizes every autograph ("To Joe" etc...) I have received letters back from previously free signers saying due to the increase in their autos being sold on eBay they now have a fee (and will include a fee list). For the tougher signers I have included pictures of my autographed baseball collection in my TTM requests. I explain that I am indeed a collector and not a dealer as can be seen from the pictures. It has always worked for me. It's still a hobby for some....

bodiaz · May 2, 2010

Spring training was VERY tough TTM this year! I sent about 35 items to guys that I have heard sign, and only got 2 back, both from the Reds. For that reason alone I am pulling for the Reds in the NL this year.

autocut · May 3, 2010

Austin said:
Through the Mail (TTM) autograph collecting was huge in the '80s up until a couple of years ago.
Hundreds of current Major Leaguers and most Minor Leaguers would sign for free via the stadium.
I collected TTM from 1985 up until 2006, when I got frustrated with the lack of responses.
And nowadays, you hardly ever hear or read of many successes.
On the TTM board here at FCB, the April success thread only has a few successes, and most are celebrities or retired players.

So my question is, have current players stopped signing through the mail, because of eBay and because companies pay them to sign?
Or is TTM just not popular anymore?

Not dead at all. i send out commons to get rid of them all the time. If they come back signed, great. If they don't.... who cares.

My last success was Pat Combs (signed 3 cards with different Bible references).

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