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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Do You Collect Non-Certified Autos?

For quite a while I shied away from collecting autographed cards that weren't certified.  Most of my focus was around the value of my collection and typically these cards are highly valued due to the number of forgeries out in the market.  Lately though with my lack of caring about book value or resale value I have found myself picking up a few autos here and there when I can find them at a good price.  My primary sources have been Sportlots Auctions or my LCS where they pop up on the bid board or in the $10 chase packs.

Here are a few nice looking auto cards I have picked up:


 Here is a nice pair of Bobby "Shot Heard Round the World" Thomson.  I have the think Thomson is one of the more famous old times who are not in the HOF nor deserve to be in the Hall. Roger Maris comes to mind as a comparison.  Some more contemporary players that fit that bill in my opinion are Don Mattingly and Will Clark - huge popularity but just not quite enough of a career to get into the Hall.  I really like both these oddball cards with nice signatures across the front.  I have a couple certified auto of Thomson as well but I will pick up cards for a couple of bucks like this on Sportlogs all day long.

This is a card I pulled off the bid board at the LCS for either a couple quarters or a buck.  I will jump on a vintage Giants autographed card for that all day long.  Also, why would anyone forge the auto of a journeyman utility player.  I almost didn't pick this up because I associate Derrel Thomas more with the Dodgers than the Giants.  He played 3 years with the Giants but I was very young at the time then ended up on the Dodgers for 5 years.

Speaking of his tenure with the Dodgers...

 I got this card in one of the LCS $10 Card Chase packs.  That's the downside of living in the middle of your rival team's territory.

I also got this Ken Landreaux autographed card.  I have no idea if it is true but for some reason I seem to remember Landreaux killing the Giants.  Hey all you Dodger collectors out there, any interest in the 2 Dodger autograph cards?  If so let me know and they are yours.

As I typically do, I decided to save the best card for last.  This 1957 Topps card of Wes Westrum is by far the oldest card I have autographed in my collection.  I have always been a fan of this card with Westrum in his catching gear but wearing his NY cap.  He just screams baseball player in this photo.  When I saw the chance to pick up an autographed version of this card I had to jump.

There are a few of my autographed cards, anyone else have any preferences when it comes to non-certified autograph cards?
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7 comments:

  1. CorkyJuly 31, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    I do purchase not certified autographs for a similar reason. I was lucky enough to come across an East Coast autograph dealer that is trustworthy and no matter what I always do my homework to ensure the signatures match with a certified signature.

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  2. BobWalkthePlankJuly 31, 2015 at 6:58 AM

    I don't actively pursue non certified autos, but have quite a few in my collection. Most of mine are items that I got in person, or stuff that was sent to me in a blog trade.

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  3. Tony L.July 31, 2015 at 7:18 AM

    I collect the noncertified ones that I got myself as a kid or I give away some to fellow bloggers. Otherwise, unless it's really cheap, I would not pay money to someone I don't know for an uncertified autograph. But, I probably wouldn't turn them down either.

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  4. CaptKirk42July 31, 2015 at 11:23 AM

    I collect non-certified ones mostly just of players I really like, or from my homie team. I collect for the love of the hobby and collecting not to make a profit. I don't collect to plan on selling stuff later, but I do try to get the best conditioned stuff I can for as cheap as I can.

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  5. P-town TomJuly 31, 2015 at 1:51 PM

    Of all teams, Ken Landreaux played the Giants the second most and he recorded his second highest total of RBIs against them. His .262 average and .697 OPS against the Giants are both below his career averages though.
    Most of the guys I remember as a Cub-killer are remembered for coming through on big RBI opportunities, so that might be why he sticks in your head as a Giant-killer.

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  6. HackenbushJuly 31, 2015 at 1:56 PM

    I do shy away from them in general. For my 69 Cubs collection I bought uncertified autos of Glenn Beckert, Bill Hands and Phil Regan.

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  7. FujiAugust 1, 2015 at 12:27 AM

    I guess it depends on where they're coming from. I'll pick them up at the flea market every now and then if they're cheap. My buddy goes to celebrity golf tournaments and team practices a lot, so when he gives me an autograph, I trust him. As for my personal PC, I tend to prefer hard signed, pack pulled signatures. And if we're talking about memorabilia... my two favorite companies are Steiner and UDA.

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