How to Identify a Basketball Autograph
Collecting basketball autographs is a fun hobby. It's a connection to your idols and famous people. The hunt is part of the enjoyment, whether you get an item signed personally, buy one from a sports card dealer or find one in a box in the attic of your grandparents' house. Many times it's obvious that you have a basketball player's signature. Sometimes, though, it's tougher to identify the person as being a basketball player. The autograph could be an unfamiliar name or be in a universal autograph book. Don't go totally crazy--there are ways of determining if the autograph is from a basketball player.
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Instructions
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Search lists of basketball players for the person's name. The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia lists every player who ever played in the league. Most colleges have a media guide with an all-time player list, which is often accessible on the school's website. If not, call the college's sports information department and they should help you.
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Contact sports cards magazines and autograph publications. Those outlets have experts who could often figure out the signature. They may even write about it.
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Use what the autograph is written on as a clue. If it's on a game-day program, ticket stub or yearbook, then it won't be hard to narrow your search. Sometimes people meet someone in a restaurant and get an autograph on the back of a menu. Find out what city the restaurant is in and note things on the menu like who the owner is or dishes served. If the restaurant no longer exists, contact the city historian. Based on those clues, you might be able to identify the year and location. Then, check the area teams and players for that time frame.
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Contact the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri. The museums display basketball memorabilia and would know how to identify autographs.
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Tips & Warnings
Make it a learning lesson for your child or students. Let them follow your search and ask them to make suggestions. It will help in critical thinking skills and reasoning.
When you identify the person who signed the autograph, don't stop there. Try to learn more about him such as his background, college career and pro career. It would help in the enjoyment of having the autograph.
Make a collage around the autograph. For example, if the person played in Detroit, paste auto-related images around the autograph on a cardboard background. Or order back issues of a newspaper from the era. Then, frame and display it. It makes for a nice decoration in a den or office.
The autograph could be a fake, so get it authenticated from an authorized dealer.
Protect the autograph so it won't get damaged. Use acid-free coverings like a folder or picture frame.
