How Does a Sports Memorabilia Collector Get Autographs?

Go Where the Players Are

Sports-memorabilia collectors know where to find their favorite players in order to get autographs. The most obvious place to find an athlete is the stadium or arena in which he plays. Waiting outside the players' exit after a game is the easiest way to get a player to sign your piece of sports memorabilia, especially if his team just won or he had an excellent game. Also, consider traveling to the location where the athlete's team is conducting its preseason training camp. This is usually a more relaxed time for players, and many are more willing to sign autographs after a practice during training camp than they are during the season.

Attend Sports-Memorabilia Shows

Many sports memorabilia shows, generally referred to as "sports-card shows," feature current or former professional athletes or coaches who will appear and sign memorabilia for a fee. This is an easy way to increase your collection of autographs for Hall of Famers who played before your time, or for athletes who live and compete in a different part of the country than you do. Check the Sports Collectors Digest website (see Resources) for a listing of sports-card shows in your area.

Get Autographs Through the Mail

Many athletes love to get fan mail. Some will even sign trading cards and small pieces of memorabilia, such as 8-by-10 photographs, and return them to you if you enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You can mail your memorabilia directly to the player's team or to the player, if you know his address. Websites such as FanMail.biz (see Resources) offer a large database of addresses so you can contact your favorite athlete directly. Not all athletes will do this, so make sure you send a piece of memorabilia with little value the first time, just in case the player doesn't take the time to return it to you.

Visit Your Local Hobby Shop

Sports trading-card manufacturers often insert autographed cards signed by the top players or top rookies into random packs of cards each season. Most sports-card-shop owners will open packs of cards and sell the individual autographed cards. This is an easy way to get autographed sports memorabilia: Simply buy the autographs you want from a dealer. Or consider buying your own packs and trading any autographs you get that you don't want for autographs of players you do want to add to your collection.

Resources

• Find athlete addresses in the FanMail database.
• Check the sports-card show schedule.