Fun stuff to do
Get that autograph
It’s not as easy to get an autograph in person as it was when your dad was your age.
Professional athletes today tend to keep their distance, and some will sign autographs only for money. Still, there is a way to get autographs both from current players and from players who have been retired for years: the U.S. mail.
HERE’S HOW:
- Go through your sports trading cards and identify a player you would like to ask for an autograph. It’s probably best to start with less well-known players, because they’re less likely to receive as many requests.
- Write a polite, friendly letter asking the player to autograph your card. Remember that athletes, like all celebrities, receive many requests from fans. Writing a thoughtful letter is key.
- If the player is still active, simply mail him your request in care of his team. Addresses for all Major League teams can be found at www.mlb.com. For retired players, most libraries will have a book or two containing player addresses. Try Jack Smalling’s “The Baseball Autograph Collector’s Handbook,” available in some libraries or at www.baseballaddresses.com. This book, updated periodically, contains more than 11,000 addresses of players, coaches and umpires.
- Once you have a player’s address, mail the letter and the card with a self-addressed stamped envelope, and be patient. It can sometimes take months to receive a reply. Good idea: Send only cards of which you have duplicates. Some players won’t respond, and you’ll never see the card again.
When you do get a signed card back, be sure to send a thank you note.
WHAT AUTOGRAPHS DO YOU HAVE?
Tell us which autographs you’ve collected and how you got them in the comments field below.
Read 74 comments about “Get that autograph”
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Comment page: « 8 7 [6] 5 4 3 2 1 »
September 1st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
August 16th, 2007 at 5:57 am
i have a tampa bay lighting uniform signed from when they won the stanly cup
August 7th, 2007 at 9:40 am
I have 70 hockey autograph’s.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 am
I don’t have any autographs yet, but really want to do that, because I have at least 100 baseball cards and pictures of famous basketball and hockey players plastered all over my room. I have a lot of collage athlete’s autograhs, because my Dad works at a university in Florida. Pro athlete’s signatures are way harder to get, but if I could choose one, I would want best hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretskys. (Not sure if I’m spelling that right!?) He’s coaching in the pros leauge right now, but not playing anymore. I don’t have any adresses, but you can google “____ adresses, you fill in the blank with the ones you want, such as NBA (National Basketball Assoceation) NFL (National Football Leauge) or NHL (National Hockey Leauge). Also, if you want to get more specific, you can type in the name of a team or player such as: Red Sox Player Adresses, or Daniel Ernhardt Jr. adress. Thanks for the idea.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
i have a yogi berra autograph
July 6th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I got a Mark Miguire rooke and roger clemens and mike greenwell and manny ramirez and derek jeter (i wanted to burn that card but my dad said no because im a Red Sox fan, GO BOSTON) and randy jonson!
July 6th, 2007 at 8:07 am
I went to there but were does it tell tell the adress?
July 3rd, 2007 at 5:42 pm
This idea is genius!
June 28th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
WOW AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
June 21st, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I have four autographs from Miami Dolphins Players and one from a NHRA Drag Racer