Tuesday, October 30, 2012

My Two Cents: AUTOGRAPHS

I hope everyone in the storm's path is alright, and hello again everyone!  I have thought a lot about something  that both bothers me and gives me enjoyment, autographs!  Last month I got a box of 2012 Leaf Cut Signatures and pulled a heavily collected former baseball star, Curt Blefrey. (who?)



After getting this card I got to thinking about this card I pulled.  I know this isn't a new discussion in the blog world but I haven't really given it any thought till now.  The player on this card died almost 12 years before this product came out and since I have pulled this card I noticed there are dozens of autographs on index cards (by themselves going on sale on ebay)  Blefary  is not a well known player compared to stars like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams but I go on ebay and I see dozens of his signatures on index cards.  Blefary died in early 2001 so I am guessing he signed thousands of blank index cards to be used in future baseball card signature sets for many years to come.  I found this card on ebay that was PSA/DNA certified, yet it looks so much different than all others.
The top signature is the autograph on almost all items I've seen online, the PSA certified one looks nothing like the rest.  Notice the pen strokes and looping.
Look at those two signatures (I don't know if it is a fake or not), but how many "cut" signatures out there that scam artists are sending in index card to PSA/DNA to sell their autographs for more on ebay.  An index card signature of Curt Blefary you can get for around $10, but once it is PSA certified it is worth $50.  Just think of all the players in all the sports, how many people out there are making money on trying to get fake cut signatures certified to double or triple that index cards value.  Nobody is going to throw up red flags on the possibility of fake cut signatures of lesser known players, such as Blefary.  It only makes card news if fake autos are found in Babe Ruth, Mantles, or Ted Williams.  You can type just about any player who has died in the past decade on ebay and some of them you will find dozens to hundreds of index card/cut signatures selling.  From all the autographs I seen online of Blefary, almost 100% look like the card I pulled in the 2012 Leaf Cut Signatures, if I pulled both at the same time, I would tell you that they weren't signed by the same person.

Next on my concern list is the amount of items and autographs that surface year after year of players of over a century ago.  We are now over ten years since card companies have cut just about everything from seats, bats, jerseys, pants, shoes, contracts, and index cards of past players, at what point are we going to run out?   How do we have NO autographs of Shoeless Joe Jackson for almost a century but suddenly cut signatures are booming and they are coming out of the woodwork everywhere.  If a scammer can get just one fake Ruth certification on a signature then put in on ebay they can make a quick thousand(s) on just making a current signature look old.  It seems every year that passes we just magically find another hundred Babe Ruth signatures.  It seems with every Topps product they show another batch of cards that have more Ruth autos and relics.  Of course it would be awesome to say I have an autographed Babe Ruth, or relic card, but will I pay anything for it?  Not a chance!  I trust those ugly Topps autographed stickers, but I don't trust a random index card made into a card, and I don't understand why people still pay that much on the chances of even a certified card/signature is fake.

In addition I think to myself how many times me and my wife sign for each other on checks and documents.  How many of these cut signatures could have came from a document a financial guy did, or a canceled check their wife signed on the line as him.  We don't know!  Use the example of almost every check my wife sends out for bills she signs my name on it since my name is on the account.  So if I suddenly became famous, most of all my checks aren't really signed by me.  Look at the check below of Jackie Robinson, could Jackie have a wife or financial man paying his bills and signing it for him?  This check still has almost 2 days and it is at $536, I can get a ton of great current cards and players for just that amount.  Heck, how do we know that this check didn't come from someone else named Jack R Robinson.  There is just to much doubt, even with certification for me to put hard earned money down.



Unless someone actually documented that the signature was indeed the player at that time, I will forever treat these vintage cut signatures as I view manufactured patches, just a cool novelty.  Never thought I would say I would rather have an ugly autograph sticker on a card then a random index card graded, because at least I have almost 100% faith that sticker was really signed by the player.

*I am not an expert, this is a personal view on cut signatures.  I truly don't have the knowledge of figuring out fake or real signatures and this blog is not intended to sway anyone's views, not to be viewed as a news source, or to discredit PSA/Leaf, or any of the card companies that use cut signatures.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Please Be Safe Friends on the Upper East Coast!

We all have heard by now the super storm "Sandy" that will be hitting the upper eastern seaboard this next week.  I of course have some family that will be affected but I also have some fellow collectors who I have become friends with in the past months.  My family will be praying for you all and hope that the storm doesn't  do what forecasters are saying it will do.  I just want to extend an offer to any of my blog friends in the east coast if you all become in dire needs please email me and our family will try to do whatever we can from St. Louis to try to help during your time of need.  I encourage other bloggers who are friends with those affected by the storm to help make sure our "brothers" are okay!

I will leave you with some of the funniest cards made in the recent years (just in time for the elections)




Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Going to move my inventory to Zistle...taking a week off the blog


Hello everyone, I a fellow blogger and trading friend at ryanmemorabilia directed me to Zistle to inventory cards better.  I currently have been using google spreadsheets and for two years before was completely turned off from using Beckett's inventory.  One Beckett's site was always full of errors and slow, it cost money, and on top of that my cards were always disappearing.  That was a complete waste of time!  So I wanted to put together an accurate inventory for everyone to see and I clicked around for awhile and I feel Zistle is going to be a good move!

That means I am going to work for the next week or two on my Zistle inventory and I may or may not be posting anything new.  I will still continue to take trade offers and make my current trades!

Thanks everyone and if you don't use Zistle, I think you should at least check it out!

See everyone again very soon!
Jason (joeaveragecollector) and Tonya (my lovely wife)

2009 Topps Allen & Ginter RIP CARD: See Whats Inside!

I got my first ever rip card from The Cardboard Don in my trade last week.  I like the idea, and equally I think destroying a card to get smaller card is weird also.

I got a Jeff Francis 28/99 Rip Card



I pulled a Hanley Ramirez #354 booked by Beckett for $50.  Not bad, but I don't really see why that card is valued $50.

Anyone out there get some really good rip pulls?

2012 Bowman Platinum and Topps Archives Blaster Box Breaks

As always my wife comes home from a routine shopping trip with a couple surprises for me, and today didn't disappoint.  My two big items were 2012 Bowman Platinum and Topps Archives Blaster Boxes.  She also got many loose packs of Topps Heritage, Topps American Pie, and NBA Panini Cards.

2012 Bowman Platinum:

I seem to be a minority in the collecting world that really loves Platinum.  I think the cards are beautiful, clean, and very easy to read/look at.  Before today I have opened a total of 4 Bowman Platinum blasters this year and have got 3 autos!  Lets see what today's blaster has in store!

It only took one pack to pull auto number 4 in 5 blaster boxes from the 2012 Bowman Platinum Retail Blaster Box.
Clay Holmes 9th Round Pick - Pirates
Jason Motte Die Cut - Awesome Card!
Colorado Rockies 2nd Round Pick - Nolan Arenado

 I have two Bryce Harper's if someone needs one!


Very happy with this box, pretty much the only card I have more than one of is the Harper, hit me up if you want to trade for it!


2012 Topps Archives: Will Post Tuesday!


Sunday, October 21, 2012

A Video from Fox Colorado Spgs of My Son and I

Here is another post of my son and I while I was stationed in Colorado Spgs, CO and another reason why my son loves the Rockies.  My son is the smallest child in the video fielding a grounder and the ball goes between his legs.  During this camp he was helped a lot by Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith and several times during the year after games would come up and talk to my son!



My son is the small child near Sox the Fox feet.  He was in the Skysox and Rockies baseball camps in 2006-2009!

Thus again why my son and I really enjoy following the Rockies because the impact that the farm and professional teams had with my autistic son making him feel apart of the game!  

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Mega...Epic Trade with The Cardboard Don aka Wicked

I was emailed several weeks ago about doing a trade and in one email it turned into a blockbuster with cards each one of us needed/wanted.  One of the cards was a card that was my biggest ever pull and actually my highest valued autograph, 2011 Bowman Chrome Bryce Harper Autograph.  Prior there have been a few other offers for the Harper but each lacked the "WOW" factor that I needed to trade for it.  The Cardboard Don made me an offer I couldn't refuse (no pun intended).

The Cardboard Don (Wicked) Got:


Here is what I got:

 Here was the meat that swayed my vote: Carlos Gonzalez On Card AU Triple Threads!  
Of course three more Triple Threads helped!

 Group of Marlins Relics/Auto (Thrown in for my son)

 Group of football/basketball relics (for my son)

 Larry Walker, more relics/auto thrown in

 Dexter Fowler signed Letter, and a great mix of cards!

 Gibson pin! Helton card with a pull out jersey!!!

 Awesome mix of Rockies Relics/AU


 Un-ripped Rip Card (my first...will post later what was inside!)

Then everything below was also thrown in!!!
 Todd Helton (my best Helton yet!) 1993 Topps Bazooka USA 

This was a hell of a trade!  I have been blogging for almost three months and it seems like each trade I make I think that was the mega, or epic trade.  Trading away the Harper Autograph Rookie was one of the hardest trades I have ever made, not because that card is selling for $300 or so, but it is the unknown.  Could this card be the next Pujols autograph rookie card which is valued near $1,000.  I knew if I ever had to part with it, I really had to feel like I got cards that I really wanted.

On top of that, Wicked thrown in dozens of cards for my son (who is autistic) for his collection!  The Cardboard Don went above and beyond what I expected out of this trade, and I recommend trading with him any time!