All Time Greats that Stopped Signing
I enjoy prospecting as much as the next guy, and I really do like watching the cards move around (hopefully up!) with performances of active players. But I do have a nostalgic side and enjoy the exploits of the great players of older generations long since retired. Some of the all time greats are still alive, in Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Jim Brown. We have recently lost several in Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, and Yogi Berra. One of the things that distinguishes these players is the amount of cards that they have signed over the years. One of the reasons why certified autograph cards of players like Johnny Unitas and Walter Payton are so valuable is because they didn't have a ton of licensed autograph cards to sign before their early untimely deaths. Collectors love the autographs of these legends, and many signed right up until their death. Stan Musial famously signed thousands upon thousands of stickers before his death, leaving them to his "Stan the Man" label, providing countless autographs of his to fans and collectors alike, even long after his passing.
Sandy Koufax had a long hiatus from the late 90's to just recently where he wasn't signing. But he has started again, and much to the chagrin of hoarders of his 90's autographs, his signature hasn't lost a lot of value despite the relative explosion in market availability. It isn't as if Sandy is pitching a lot these days to increase his card values.
But Willie Mays and Jim Brown have, given the gravitas associated with their sports exploits and fame, been relatively reticent signers over the years. They did sign a bit in the late 90's and 2000's, but have tapered off recently, especially Mays. It is widely 'known' that he has vision problems which may prevent him from ever signing again. Mays is arguably a top 3 baseball player of all time (actually, it really isn't much of an argument as much as it is a fact), it's a shame he likely won't be signing any more before he goes. Jim Brown did take up the pen a little more in the last year, but his stuff is still really hard to find. I realize there is far more than just putting pen to cardboard involved in these autographs, but collectors and fans are clamoring for more. There is just a limited supply, and unfortunately a finite time to generate more of them for collection.
Sandy Koufax had a long hiatus from the late 90's to just recently where he wasn't signing. But he has started again, and much to the chagrin of hoarders of his 90's autographs, his signature hasn't lost a lot of value despite the relative explosion in market availability. It isn't as if Sandy is pitching a lot these days to increase his card values.
But Willie Mays and Jim Brown have, given the gravitas associated with their sports exploits and fame, been relatively reticent signers over the years. They did sign a bit in the late 90's and 2000's, but have tapered off recently, especially Mays. It is widely 'known' that he has vision problems which may prevent him from ever signing again. Mays is arguably a top 3 baseball player of all time (actually, it really isn't much of an argument as much as it is a fact), it's a shame he likely won't be signing any more before he goes. Jim Brown did take up the pen a little more in the last year, but his stuff is still really hard to find. I realize there is far more than just putting pen to cardboard involved in these autographs, but collectors and fans are clamoring for more. There is just a limited supply, and unfortunately a finite time to generate more of them for collection.
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