Header - Baseball by the Letters

Don’t “Dupe” Players With Duplicates

by

The new fall TV season isn’t in full swing yet. Therefore, if this seems like a rerun to some, I’m sorry.

I feel the need to recap an important message, however.

I still see notations on hobby forums, to the tune of: “Signed 9 of 9. Said he could keep extras…”

There’s an urge to hope that a vague offer will be missed in the letter. Then, the willing signer will autograph everything in sight. That gives the iffy giver trading stock.

That’s not fair, in my eyes.

Mark any extras with a post-it note. “Extra, for you.”

Then, add a SPECIFIC explanation. “Even if you don’t collect cards for your friends and family, here’s some extras marked. Please, keep them and share them with other fans who haven’t been as lucky.”

Or, as Christmas nears, ask the player to reward someone with the extras.

Retirees who go to the copy shop and make homemade cards for fan mail responses melt my heart. Help them help others.

A New Chase Utley Form Letter?

by
This 2001 Bowman
facsimile autograph
may have been a
foreshadowing that
Utley would never
embrace signing.

Chase Utley made the Huffington Post.

Without being charged with a crime or indulging in a scandal?

The second baseman’s interaction with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia evokes special irony for collectors. Since 2006, Utley fan mail in care of the Phillies brings a form letter. Amazingly, the stock reply to fans reflects his TV version! He tells of how he’s too busy playing baseball to sign an autograph.

Although a postcard-sized photo gets included, collectors have sighed for years that the “autograph” is a likely preprint.

I guess the hobby can take small comfort in Utley having similar reactions to real-life collectors and fictional TV characters.

66 Baseball Deaths in 2013

by

Found at www.bglewandowski.com
the comedian asked why the Grim Reaper
got a seat behind home plate at
the 2009 All-Star game. B.G.and
photog Brian Gerard got me looking,
laughing and THINKING. Bravo!
 

Anyone who depends on Harvey Meiselman’s 2013 Baseball Address List appreciates his attention to detail. In his just-e-mailed September update, he has a ton of updated addresses.

In other news, he’s updating the list to reflect deceased names. So far, we’ve lost 65 names. Add in all the alums from the WWII-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the task becomes even more clear.

The window of opportunity is closing.

Don’t vow to send a ton of letters later. Send ONE tomorrow. Small daily or weekly goals usually outdistance a marathon mailing.

As I worked on this post, I saw on the great Baseball Player Passings Facebook group list that Larry Doby Johnson’s May death wasn’t made public by his family until now. Johnson played in only a handful of games from 1972-78.

It’s not just 1940s veterans. Former players of all ages are on the list.

Try the names on your want list now. How many extra innings will they have?

Virgil Trucks, Award-Winning Autograph Signer? Autograph U, Matt Raymond Make It Happen!

by

With great in-person advice, too,
www.autographu.com never fails
to please this reader!

A standing O goes to Matt Raymond, super blogger and collector supreme at his site Autograph University.

Check out his six recent honorary degrees awarded to noted signers, as chosen by his readers.

Virgil Trucks received a posthumous degree. His daughter Carolyn Beckwith wrote me, telling how proud her dad would be.

Matt’s awards are a great message for all of us. A thank-you note can be just as moving for some retiree who’s been spending hours each month trying to please strangers. In fact, it’s a way to convince a signer’s FAMILY that the effort is important.

If you love an autograph you’ve gotten, don’t just tell other collectors. Write the signer. Tell them why they matter.

If we keep doing that, we, as collectors, will keep mattering, too.

What Publishers Clearing House Can Teach Collectors

by



Learn from the pros how to
make the best use of that
real estate on your envelope!

Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no doubt what’s in your mailbox.

PCH knows how to use every inch of an envelope (front AND back). You get their message long before you start to tear open that flap separating you and an almost-guaranteed jackpot.

(No, I haven’t received my giant cardboard check yet, either…)

Collector Dan Brunetti’s success with Alan Trammell got me thinking. There’s so much space on that two-sided envelope.

Why not summarize what your letter’s about? The best letter in the world doesn’t work if it’s unread.

For instance:

“Was At Your 1st Game!”

“Saw 3 HR Game, 2004.”

“Fellow Alabama native.”

Does the player speak more than one language? Add a brief non-English “good luck” or related greeting.

I’ve never felt that “Payment enclosed” on the envelope is a good idea. Keep the added notation about the person, not the process.

Most of all, be honest. If your envelope enticement doesn’t match your letter and contents, get ready for life in the recycling bin.

Sadly, some current and former players may be seeking reasons not to read your letter. Your envelope is competing with a mountain of fan mail for someone’s attention. Take your best swing.