Charging for TTM autographs? Who gets the money? Baseball Address List creator Harvey Meiselman weighs in on hot hobby topics

Talk about hobby hope! The 2019 Baseball Address List will help ring in my new year.

His letter to past address list buyers got me psyched for the long winter. As usual, Harvey’s adding features and updates to his 2019 edition. For instance, this volume will have a list of more than 250 baseball names who are now charging for TTM autographs.

Whoa! How many?

“Yes, over 250 players are now charging,” Harvey said.  “Some are donating the money to charity, but most are keeping the money themselves. They see the value of baseball autographs on eBay and places like that and want to get in on the action and make some money on their signatures. No big surprise with what PastPros is doing with a lot of the lesser-known MLB players. Charging ridiculous fees (they make almost as much on a handling charge as the players make on a signature) and all requests have to go through their company in Canada so it takes a long time. I hear a lot of complaints from my customers about them.”

I asked about high-end autograph fees (as someone who has never paid by mail for any autograph). Harvey rattled off examples: “Lou Brock used to charge $85 a signature but he is no longer able to sign due to health reasons. Orlando Cepeda gets $60 per signature. Roger Clemens gets $100 per signature. Reggie Jackson gets $89 for a signature. Whitey Ford gets $40. Pete Rose gets $100 per signature. Nolan Ryan gets $90.There are a few that get over $30 per signature but most are in the $10-25 range.”

How can Harvey often update addresses of moved players so quickly? He has address-hunting experience that runs far beyond his days in the hobby. “My search engine costs me $400 a month and is updated every week,” he said.” It was the same search engine I used when I was a skip tracer at a Florida bank. That’s why my lists are so good.”

To learn more about Harvey’s address lists (baseball is just one of many sports he covers), go to www.SportsAddressLists.com.

2016 Baseball Address List pre-ordering!

The note says, esstentially, "After 20 years of signing for FREE, I will no longer sign for free." An autograph broker has intervened. Again.
The note says, esstentially, “After 20 years of signing for FREE, I will no longer sign for free.” An autograph broker has intervened. Again.

Harvey Meiselman is back!

He’s taking advance orders for his 2016 Baseball Address List. The  $40 postpaid pricetag is a bargain investment for any collector or researcher. 

Here’s one extra bit of motivation Harvey has added.

The new edition will contain a growing list of 250-plus baseball names requesting fees/donations for replies.

What do I glean from the “pay for replies” list? The clock is ticking, folks. Each year, more retirees may shut down their availability to us. Write to them NOW.

 

Happy 20th Anniversary, Harvey ‘Address King’ Meiselman!

The race is on.

Harvey Meiselman has started taking advance orders on his 2015 address lists.
Drop by his website. Harvey has NINE different lists for sale for this coming year.
I am a huge fan of his baseball list. Other collectors swear by his minor league list. (Imagine men who never got their shot at the majors getting remembered by mail. Big results!)
Anyone ordering before Christmas gets a bonus address list of Hall of Famers from all sports.
Why buy now for something weeks away?
Harvey is a “first in, first out” guy. You’ll get your order filled immediately. He’ll have new addresses of sometimes-signers. These men may not keep signing. Fill their mailbox first.
In other words: competitive edge.
Harvey works year-round on the list. Here was an example of a discovery he added to the 2014 list — finding shortstop Harry Chappas. Expect more great detective work in 2015. 
I’m a long-time customer. Harvey has never stopped collecting. His lists are tops. He is, too.

Why Would Mariners Manager Lloyd McClendon Charge For Autographs?

Back in spring training, the M’s Community Relations
Dept. showed ML Blogs that the entire roster
was signing items that could be auctioned
by charities — even McClendon. The skipper hasn’t mentioned
charities in his latest autograph change, though.

Address king Harvey Meiselman does a good job updating his customers about new addresses or signing changes.

Here’s one that gave me a shock.
A Michigan-based fan mail handler has made a deal with M’s manager Lloyd McClendon. The signing fee is $15 per card or baseball, $20 for bulky items.
This isn’t a former player now dealing with wages of real-world jobs (like us).
He’s remained employed as a manager or coach for years. I’d guess the autograph broker made the deal with McClendon after meeting the latter back as a hitting coach for Detroit.
According to the website “Baseball Reference,” McClendon made more than $2 million in his seven-year playing career. Although MLB teams are trying to keep managerial salaries secret, numerous sources estimate that the low end of the 2014 pay scale for skippers is at the $500,000 mark.
There’s no details from the McClendon go-between that part of the fee goes to charity.
I’d think the Seattle front office might want to have a fast talk with their field boss. As of right now, McClendon gives the impression that he’s had to pick up a second job to make ends meet.

Pitcher Herm Starrette’s Signing Fee Matters

Some think of Herm Starrette as a 1960s Orioles pitcher. Others recall him as the pitching coach for the 1980 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

I think of him as a fighter.
Starrette, now 75, recounted his prostate cancer battle to me in a 2010 letter
Now, he’s asking for a donation per autograph: $5 minimum for cards and $10 to sign a baseball.
Yes, the money will help offset his mounting medical bills.
According to address list specialist Harvey Meiselman, Starrette has a 97 percent response rate. This is NOT a case of a never-signing-before name saying he’d reconsider autographs if money was added.
If you’ve gotten Starrette to sign before, drop him a note of encouragement. And, while he hasn’t issued a plea for extras, I know that he’s passed out autographed cards to medical staff during his many doctor visits.
Starrette has been giving for years. He seems entitled to ask for support versus his biggest foe yet. Let’s keep him in the game.