My opinion of Willie Mays has changed.....

[jbhofmann]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

 

[FortyFour]

A 79 year old man (Hall of Famer) is being openly attacked
on a "cardboard forum."

He is commomly known as "one of, if not, the greatest" center
fielders of all time. Well. I guess that and $1.59 will buy you a
cup of coffee.

He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1931. I can not imagine
what he went through growing up in that vile and vicious
place at that time for a black man.

I'm a Georgia boy myself, so I'M QUITE SURE that I have
the background and 48 years of knowledge on when to
call a redneck(s) out.

He is an old man coming to the end of a remarkable life.
He has overcome many hurdles that you or I will never
conceive.

. . . and yet, we have this tripe!

I need a shower at this point.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

::facepalm::

 

[morgoth]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

I don't care what he charges. The issue is when he actually signs your item he won't give you the decency to try and listen to you the customer who paid, what he wants. Also its widely known fact that he hates Mantle and trys as hard as he can to ruin Mantle pieces. I think he now has a rule where he won't sign anything that has Mantles sig on it already.

 

[Jastermereel]

I forget what this thread is about, but COLLECT HARD!

 

[matfanofold]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

Just to be fair, the $180,000 salery back then is roughly like making $1,000,000 today. And using the same inflation calculation, Mays made tens of millions of dollars durring his career perspectively.

 

[TomMurry]

A 79 year old man (Hall of Famer) is being openly attacked
on a "cardboard forum."

He is commomly known as "one of, if not, the greatest" center
fielders of all time. Well. I guess that and $1.59 will buy you a
cup of coffee.

He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1931. I can not imagine
what he went through growing up in that vile and vicious
place at that time for a black man.

I'm a Georgia boy myself, so I'M QUITE SURE that I have
the background and 48 years of knowledge on when to
call a redneck(s) out.

He is an old man coming to the end of a remarkable life.
He has overcome many hurdles that you or I will never
conceive.

. . . and yet, we have this tripe!

I need a shower at this point.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

I hope when you showered you got all of the pieces of splintered wood off from the soapbox you're standing on.

 

[jbhofmann]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

Just to be fair, the $180,000 salery back then is roughly like making $1,000,000 today. And using the same inflation calculation, Mays made tens of millions of dollars durring his career perspectively.

So you agree that he was underpaid? Ryan Howard will make more in 1 year than an adjusted Mays career salary.
Why do some feel that Mays shouldn't have the right to make a living currently?

 

[Crash Davis]

and for that 300 auto he picks out the color of pen he wants to use and where he will place the auto regardless of how it covers up other names or parts of the card and makes it look like crap.

Wille Mays has nothing on Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, who may be the most miserable in-person autograph signer I have ever met.

Case in point - back in 1997, I was doing the Meadowlands show in NJ, and Jabbar was a guest. A customer waited on line for hours holding an oversized lithograph/poster titled "Stars of the 1970s." The entire poster was autographed. It was completely signed except for Jabbar.

So as Jabbar prepares to sign the litho, he notices O.J. Simpson is depicted and he proceeds to put a big black "X" through O.J.'s picture (and signature).

Needless to say, the customer is PISSED!

If memory serves me correctly, the customer was escorted out of the show and not compensated.

Unbelievable!

And to think, my old boss (and mentor) was the starting point guard on Jabbar's Power Memorial team in high school and is friends with him to this day (or so he says).

I would find it hard to be friends with such a tool.

 

[TomMurry]

So as Jabbar prepares to sign the litho, he notices O.J. Simpson is depicted and he proceeds to put a big black "X" through O.J.'s picture (and signature).

Needless to say, the customer is PISSED!

If memory serves me correctly, the customer was escorted out of the show and not compensated.

What a great lawsuit for destruction of property. Name your price on that one as it is likely (was likely to be, I guess) a 1 of a kind item.

 

[matfanofold]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

Just to be fair, the $180,000 salery back then is roughly like making $1,000,000 today. And using the same inflation calculation, Mays made tens of millions of dollars durring his career perspectively.

So you agree that he was underpaid? Ryan Howard will make more in 1 year than an adjusted Mays career salary.
Why do some feel that Mays shouldn't have the right to make a living currently?

What I agree with is that for the times in which he was playing, and all of the surounding context there in, Mays was among one of the top paid players of his day and with regards to the worth of the dollar in context, it made him filthy rich. Trying to draw an apples to apples conclusion basing anything between players 50+/- years ago and today with regards to monitary terms is fruitless.

And the FACT being that to say he is 'allowed' to charge $300 now for an auto to compensate for his miserable pay back then is laughable. He made the equivelant of tens of millions of dollars in his career. If he squandered all of that away, then thats his problem.

Mind you, I love Willie and have zero problem with his signings and pricing!

 

[chromerookies]

Even though I have gotten his sig a few times, mostly at $200 each, it was a tough decision to spend that amount but when you collect signed HOF R.C's, Mays is a must. If you guys wanna complain about what someone charges for an auto, look at what Koufax charges! A couple years ago he had a private signing with Steiner and he was charging $750 for flats!! Now THAT is ridiculous and makes Mays' auto look like a steal! I have not gotten a Koufax rc auto for my collection yet and if he charges anything more than $100 to sign then I guess I'll never get one because it's DEFINITELY not worth it especially for someone who won't even sign in public!

 

[jbhofmann]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

Just to be fair, the $180,000 salery back then is roughly like making $1,000,000 today. And using the same inflation calculation, Mays made tens of millions of dollars durring his career perspectively.

So you agree that he was underpaid? Ryan Howard will make more in 1 year than an adjusted Mays career salary.
Why do some feel that Mays shouldn't have the right to make a living currently?

What I agree with is that for the times in which he was playing, and all of the surounding context there in, Mays was among one of the top paid players of his day and with regards to the worth of the dollar in context, it made him filthy rich. Trying to draw an apples to apples conclusion basing anything between players 50+/- years ago and today with regards to monitary terms is fruitless.

And the FACT being that to say he is 'allowed' to charge $300 now for an auto to compensate for his miserable pay back then is laughable. He made the equivelant of tens of millions of dollars in his career. If he squandered all of that away, then thats his problem.

Mind you, I love Willie and have zero problem with his signings and pricing!

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business. Willie has the right to make a living even after he has retired from baseball. Bill Gates has the right to make money after leaving Microsoft. Warren Buffett has the right to make .....

royalties:actors of syndicated shows :: autograph fees:retired athletes

 

[TomMurry]

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business.

Theres where you're not fully accurate. If its a business, and he is charging for a service, it has to be a service you want and how you want it. You cant go to a contractor, tell them that you want a new front door with a brass handle and have the contractor say, "OK, pay me and I'll put in a door, but I wont put on the door you want and I want to put it on the other side of your house." Any other "business" that would not adhere to the requests of the customer would go out of business.

 

[jbhofmann]

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business.

Theres where you're not fully accurate. If its a business, and he is charging for a service, it has to be a service you want and how you want it. You cant go to a contractor, tell them that you want a new front door with a brass handle and have the contractor say, "OK, pay me and I'll put in a door, but I wont put on the door you want and I want to put it on the other side of your house." Any other "business" that would not adhere to the requests of the customer would go out of business.

I understand your point, but here is where you are wrong.
1. Mays is still in high demand.
2. He will always be in high demand until he passes.
3. Many signers have restrictions on what they will/will not sign.

So is it still not a business?

 

[TomMurry]

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business.

Theres where you're not fully accurate. If its a business, and he is charging for a service, it has to be a service you want and how you want it. You cant go to a contractor, tell them that you want a new front door with a brass handle and have the contractor say, "OK, pay me and I'll put in a door, but I wont put on the door you want and I want to put it on the other side of your house." Any other "business" that would not adhere to the requests of the customer would go out of business.

I understand your point, but here is where you are wrong.
1. Mays is still in high demand.
2. He will always be in high demand until he passes.
3. Many signers have restrictions on what they will/will not sign.

So is it still not a business?

How am I wrong?
1-I didnt say Mays WASNT in high demand.
2-There might be high demand but if he continues to piss off customers, there wont be as much demand.
3-Signers restrictions are usually set things. Mays just randomly refuses to cooperate and will sign wherever he wants. thats not a restriction, thats being a dick.

So again, show me where/how I am wrong.

 

[matfanofold]

Every man is wired a different way. I can't believe that someone who gave so much to Baseball could be made into a villain over autograph appearances and 30 second meetings.

How can anyone knock any former player for how much they charge for an auto? Willie Mays never made more than $180,000 a season. A mid-level major leaguer makes more in a year than what Willie made in a career! I think the greatest all-around player has the right to be fairly compensated for a signature.

Just to be fair, the $180,000 salery back then is roughly like making $1,000,000 today. And using the same inflation calculation, Mays made tens of millions of dollars durring his career perspectively.

So you agree that he was underpaid? Ryan Howard will make more in 1 year than an adjusted Mays career salary.
Why do some feel that Mays shouldn't have the right to make a living currently?

What I agree with is that for the times in which he was playing, and all of the surounding context there in, Mays was among one of the top paid players of his day and with regards to the worth of the dollar in context, it made him filthy rich. Trying to draw an apples to apples conclusion basing anything between players 50+/- years ago and today with regards to monitary terms is fruitless.

And the FACT being that to say he is 'allowed' to charge $300 now for an auto to compensate for his miserable pay back then is laughable. He made the equivelant of tens of millions of dollars in his career. If he squandered all of that away, then thats his problem.

Mind you, I love Willie and have zero problem with his signings and pricing!

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business. Willie has the right to make a living even after he has retired from baseball. Bill Gates has the right to make money after leaving Microsoft. Warren Buffett has the right to make .....

royalties:actors of syndicated shows :: autograph fees:retired athletes

Ofcourse I meant 'allowed' in the context that people are willing to pay it. Not sure that was debatable...

 

[JzWand]

Oh my, the reverse racists have made a stand.

Lovely and impressive!

Yet, the whole point that I was attempting to make
is this . ..

have a little respect. Is that too much to expect?

Aye, obviously, it is.

Cal Ripken. Jr. can charge $125.00 for an auto and
$40.00 additional for a pre-determined list of ROY,
All-Star MVP, etc. I don't hear, nor read here of any
whining about that.

Willie Mays is 79 years old and has lived a life that
you or I will never know.

Is it too much to ask for a little respect?

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

I can only speak for myself here but any athlete that charges more than like $50 for an auto is a jerk IMO. And realistically, they should sign for free. Fans worship you your entire career and you repay them by charging them for your autograph? Seems a little ridiculous to me.

Sure, go ahead and argue that athletes don't have time to stand there signing free stuff all day for everyone.

All I know is that if I were a professional athlete, I would be honored to have people ask for my autograph, and would enjoy meeting fans who love me.

Anyway, it's not just Mays.

You know I bet there was a time when these old timers signed for anyone and everyone for no charge. Sadly it was before everyone started making money off of them.

So do you really believe Mays should sign for free or even $50 when half those people are going to turn around and sell the ball on ebay for $129.99?

Really, signing for autos is not part of their job.
But I bet you in the 50's and 60's Mays gave out thousands of autos and I would be surprised if he charged for any!

 

[RL24]

I can only speak for myself here but any athlete that charges more than like $50 for an auto is a jerk IMO. And realistically, they should sign for free. Fans worship you your entire career and you repay them by charging them for your autograph? Seems a little ridiculous to me.

Sure, go ahead and argue that athletes don't have time to stand there signing free stuff all day for everyone.

All I know is that if I were a professional athlete, I would be honored to have people ask for my autograph, and would enjoy meeting fans who love me.

Anyway, it's not just Mays.

It's just the the world we live in. If people can make money on something as simple as signing their name, they're going to get as much out of it as they can.

ALL_THE_HYPE, that's how you would feel in the beginning, sure. Maybe even after signing your name a few thousand times. Then you look on ebay, and realize that people aren't getting your autograph because they think you're great and your career is great and they love you so much... it's because they want to make money off of you.

Like Hallsgator, it's just the world we live in. Only he got it wrong. If people can make money on something as simple as having somebody famous sign their name for them, they're going to get as much out of it as they can.

Pretty soon everywhere you go, you will have a line of 100 people waiting for you to sign your name. None of them care about you, they just know they can sell your autograph for $20. It's like standing there handing out $20 bills to people, and you have to stand there doing it for half an hour, when all you wanted to do was go into this café and get a drink.

 

[jbhofmann]

No. He can charge what he wants because it is a business.

Theres where you're not fully accurate. If its a business, and he is charging for a service, it has to be a service you want and how you want it. You cant go to a contractor, tell them that you want a new front door with a brass handle and have the contractor say, "OK, pay me and I'll put in a door, but I wont put on the door you want and I want to put it on the other side of your house." Any other "business" that would not adhere to the requests of the customer would go out of business.

I understand your point, but here is where you are wrong.
1. Mays is still in high demand.
2. He will always be in high demand until he passes.
3. Many signers have restrictions on what they will/will not sign.

So is it still not a business?

How am I wrong?
1-I didnt say Mays WASNT in high demand.
2-There might be high demand but if he continues to piss off customers, there wont be as much demand.
3-Signers restrictions are usually set things. Mays just randomly refuses to cooperate and will sign wherever he wants. thats not a restriction, thats being a dick.

So again, show me where/how I am wrong.

Read 1.
Reason 1 trumps everything.

 

[JoshHamilton]

I'll ask the question once again.

Pray tell . . .

how are you privy to this foul, judgemental and
inappropriate view?

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

I've read only two of your posts and I already dislike you