Matt's Baseball Autographs

FAQ & Tips

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Where do I send an autograph request by mail?

During the season you should always send your requests via the players' team address.  During the off season you can try to send requests to an athlete's home address.  You can also send requests to the home addresses of retired players as well.

Where can I find a player's home address?

I'm not usually a fan of big autograph sites, but sportscollectors.net is the best site for home addresses. I would much rather get an address from a smaller site (Mail Autographs, or Autographs Galore), but the site above is the best. 

How do I address my envelope?

This is the format I use:

Player's Name
C/O Player's Team
Team Address

Be sure to include your return address on the envelope. That way, if the team address was incorrect, your cards will be returned to you. Also, some athlete's either won't or aren't allowed to open mail without a return address, so be sure to include it.

Should I include a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with my request?

Yes! A SASE is a must if you want to get a return. It makes it much easier for the player to just sign your card, pop it in the SASE, seal it, and stick it in the mailbox.

How many cards should I include to get signed?

I usually send one or two.  Never more than three. Most times though, the player will sign both cards and send them back. It's very rare to have a player keep one of my cards.

Can I include more than one request per envelope, if the players are on the same team?
 
I've never done it, and never will. It's probably not a good idea.

Do you use top-loaders?
 
I do. I have tons of them anyways so why not. Some say that the player might sign the top-loader (a plastic sleeve). If the player is a complete idiot and does this, I don't want his autograph anyways.
 
What is the best time to write to a player?

I send out requests during both the regular season. Some people write during spring training, but I don't. Off course, if you're writing to a player care of their home address during the off season then who knows what kind of luck you will have.

Can I write to a player care of their team during the off season?

You could, but chances are that the player will not receive your request until they come back to play again.  Unless the team is able to forward it to the players' home address.  It all depends on the team and the player, however I would recommend writing to their home address if you can find it.

When I write to a player, am I guaranteed a genuine signiture?

Nope. Unfortunately, some player send pre-printed autographs or use an auto-pen. The best way to tell if a player used an auto-pen is to check to see if the signitures look exactly the same, if you received more than one. Or, look to see if the autograph looks a little too neat.

What is an auto-pen?

An auto-pen is a machine that can copy someone's signiture onto almost anything.  Some player's use these machines to respond to autograph requests instead of actually signing anything personally.

How long does it take for a player to return my request?

It depends. Some players take a week, others a month or two, and some may take even a year or more!

Some of the autographs that I obtain come back smeared.  Is there a way to prevent this?

Some cards get smeared because of the high amount of gloss that's put on the cards and the players stick the cards back in the envelope before it has time to completely dry.  The best way to prevent this is to "rub down" any glossy cards that you send out using baby powder.  This allows the ink to dry quicker on the card and it also prevents bubbling (notorious with most recent Bowman cards).

Are you willing to sell or trade any of your autographs?

No. I do not trade or sell ANY of my cards.
What are some tips for getting autographs in person?

ALWAYS be polite. I can't stress this enough. The players aren't forced to sign; they are taking time out of their busy schedule for you so always say a polite please and thank you. Don't say "C'mere and autograph this." Say something like,"Hey (Player name), can you sign this for me please?"
 
How do I tell if my autograph is authentic?
 
Most times you can tell if your autograph is authentic my looking at it closely. If there are streaks, then it is probably authentic. Here is an example:

mattclementcloseup.jpg