GETTING STARTED

This section is intended to help beginners to get started in collecting baseball autographs through the mail.  For those of you who have been collecting for some time and you have a tip or trick please e-mail me so I can pass it onto the new collectors!  The following are some questions that most new collectors tend to have.

Q:   Why should I collect collect autographs? 

A:   If you are a baseball fan, collecting autographs is an extension of the sport that you enjoy.  For those of you who are parents, collecting autographs can be something that you can do with your children.  The best is you also get a surprise in the mail that is not a bill or junk mail.

Q:   Who should I send to?

A:   You should send to the players that you enjoy (or enjoyed) watching.  Keep it mind that superstars players receive a pile of mail everyday and they will take longer to answer them. 

Q:   Does every player sign their autograph requests through the mail?

A:   Unfortunately not.  I have a success rate of about 70%.  Though this is a good return rate, I have not had much luck with the superstar players.  As I had mentioned, they just receive too much mail to answer them all.  Some players will pull a few random pieces out of every pile and only sign those.  Keep in mind that we are requesting something from the player, he does not get anything directly in return.   He is doing us a favor and he has a life just like the rest of us.  He cannot spend all day signing autographs.  You might have a better chance with superstar players at the ballpark or at a sports card show.

Q:   How long does it take to hear back from those whose sign?

A:   The amount of time varies.  I have received answers in as little as 3 days to as long as 3 years.  Everyone else falls somewhere in between.  Usually within a few months.

Q:   How do I get started?

A:   Glad you asked.  It is simple...just following these steps:

Step One: Selecting the items to be signed

Select the item(s) of the player that you want to send to.  Never send more than three items and don't send duplicates of any one item!   The following are common items collectors send:

Larger items such as photos, balls, bats, and helmets are usually discouraged because of their size. Depending on the team, the player either has a small mail slot, like the Red Sox, or, like the Yankees, where the mail is placed at their lockers before games.   Therefore, you can see how larger items can get in the way of the players.

Step Two: Writing the request letter

Write a sincere note to the player asking for his autograph.  To make the note more interesting, you can tell the player about a recent play that he had made or a charity that he supports. Use your imagination, but stay sincere.  You can even ask him to personalize the items.  Please thank the player at the end of the note.   Afterall, he is doing a favor for you and not the other way around.

Step Three: Preparing a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE)

Use the small envelopes that measure approximately 3.5" by 6.5".  Just write your address on the front of this envelope and place a stamp on it.  By including an SASE, you will save the player a lot of time.  Imagine if you were a player and have to address all the envelopes yourself, it would take too long.

Step Four: Preparing the mailing envelope

Address a business size (#10) envelope in the following manner. For example, you want to write to Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees:

Derek Jeter
c/o New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium
Bronx, NY 10451

You can find all the team addresses in my "Team Addresses " page. 

Step Five: The final step

Now place all the items from step 1 to step 3 into the business size envelope of step 4.   Seal it...put a stamp on it...and dump it into the mailbox.

Tips

-don't send cards that you can't afford to lose

-don't put cards inside cardholders, take too long for player to take card out

What is next?

You are done!  This is all there is to it.   Perhaps the hardest part is the wait.  The longest that I have waited for an autograph was three years.  It was Tim Naehring of the Red Sox, sent in '93 and got back in '96.  Better late than never.

I hope my directions haven't sound too much like filing taxes (we all know how those instructions are like) and that it has helped you in getting your collection started.   But, if you have additional questions or have an addition for "Getting Started" please don't hesitate to let me know:  porkandjig@aol.com.