Autograghs by the pros

1pocketfanatic said:
someone walked up to sigel and they were very nice in asking for mr. sigels autograph and he told them $20.
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Apparently when he was at the Valley Forge event selling his cues he was asking $25 for a sig

I must say I have at least 50 autographs and every single one was given with a smile, whether by the women at a WPBA tourney or the men at the DCC or the Open. I greatly appreciate this. Also they are not tucked away in a drawer. I only ask for autographs on something I can frame or otherwise display.


One thing though, sometimes it is unwise to ask a player for a sig right after a tough loss. Other than that they are usually pretty cool about it.
 
I got a big stack of autographs at the IPT in Vegas, everyone was very nice about it... including Mike Sigel. I don't know why the players at one time would ask for money and at other times not.... Would anyone actually pay?
 
I'm not an autograph collector, but the last time I saw Sigel in person it was at the US Open (14.1) in 1992. I saw him signing lots of autographs and he wasn't charging.

Miz was a very personable guy and with the Miller beer commercials became the first pool player TV personality. He always seemed willing to sign autographs. Sometimes he appeared gruff--he was a NJ guy and a school teacher, with a touch of smartass to top it off--but he really was a very kind guy. If he told someone he was charging for autographs, my gut tells me he was pulling the guy's chain.

Larry, you have the right attitude. Anything you and your fellow pros can do to promote the game, furthers the game and yourselves. The women have known this for some time. They go out of their way to be accomodating to the fans. Wisely so.
 
> I had my case autographed by practically every pro at the 1994 U.S. Open. At the time,I had the only white leather square 3x6 Porper ever made,and had all the sigs done with a black calligraphy pen. The only one I didn't get was Sigel,and that was because he had retired just before the Open that year. Not ONE of them asked me for a nickel. Steve,Efren,Earl,not one of them. The only one that refused was interesting. I had read about Corey during his days in the BCA junior tournaments,and asked for his. His response was that he wouldn't sign it because I might need the room for another great player and that he wasn't a great player YET,and didn't feel right about it. Other than the pool pros,the only one I've ever asked for from anyone was Eddie Van Halen,and got it. Tommy D.
 
If you are over 12, don't ask for an autograph.

If you are a player, please don't say no, even if somebody is over 12. To prevent people from simply selling your signature, personalize it. Make sure to say, "To Joe Schmo, Sincerely, Pro Player" If they want it blank, decline, don't ask for a fee.

See how nice the world is if everybody follows my simple rules.:D
 
JPB said:
If you are over 12, don't ask for an autograph.

If you are a player, please don't say no, even if somebody is over 12. To prevent people from simply selling your signature, personalize it. Make sure to say, "To Joe Schmo, Sincerely, Pro Player" If they want it blank, decline, don't ask for a fee.

See how nice the world is if everybody follows my simple rules.:D
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dont ask for an autograph? man your crazy. thats the thing that i looked forward to the most. i will put my signed shaft on some kind of frame and remember the open forever.
 
kilojo420 said:
dont ask for an autograph? man your crazy. thats the thing that i looked forward to the most. i will put my signed shaft on some kind of frame and remember the open forever.
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If you are an adult, what you want is the interaction with a player. I am not including people who sell them on e-bay, I don't respect that and if I were a player I would personalize that to discourage it. The sports memorabilia I value isn't autographed. I lost probably the best piece of memorabilia I had, maybe because I didn't get the autograph personally. My father knew the guy, I didn't get it tho. Wish I had it. I still have a non-autographed baseball I got from one of the guys managing in this year's series. Got it after I got to play catch with him on a minor league field. I like that. (I was about 12 FWIW) His name on it doesn't mean anything. I value that more than autographs I got from people I didn't know. Top athletes like Gordie Howe or Jack Nicklaus. Who cares? Got a football from a pretty well known running back in the past. Not autographed. I still have it, but we knew him. have a couple of other things that mean something to me. But it is the interaction, not the getting the autograph. I have never spent a lot of time with famous people, but the ones I have met I'd rather drink with or talk to, not hit up for an autograph. It would distract them. And somebody super famous doesn't want the BS. I'd rather either maintain an appropriate distance or treat them as I would anybody else.

P.S. I guess I am different than many. I see why a fan wants an autograph. Which is why I don't like it when people are jerks about it. Running out of time or not signing them at dinner doesn't make them a jerk tho. And just to let him know, yeah, Johnny Miller was a jackass about it when I was over 12, I think 13. Fans will remember you being a jerk. I am never surprised when Miller says something stupid on TV now. ;-)
 
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tedkaufman said:
I'm not an autograph collector, but the last time I saw Sigel in person it was at the US Open (14.1) in 1992. I saw him signing lots of autographs and he wasn't charging.

Miz was a very personable guy and with the Miller beer commercials became the first pool player TV personality. He always seemed willing to sign autographs. Sometimes he appeared gruff--he was a NJ guy and a school teacher, with a touch of smartass to top it off--but he really was a very kind guy. If he told someone he was charging for autographs, my gut tells me he was pulling the guy's chain.


Ted..... i can guarantee you that he was not kidding. Please believe me when i say that i agree with the statement you made about Steve being a very personable guy. As a matter of fact i got Steve's autograph at the last U.S. Open 9 Ball Tournament he attended where Barry Berhman feted him. He strugled to do it but he did it for anyone that asked. It was a very humbling experience for me. He was 1 of the greatest pool players i have ever seen in my over 40 years of following this great game. I was is no way trying to belittle Steve in any way. If only i could remember the guys last name with the handlebar moustache that made that comment to him about signing the camel cue. His name escapes me for some reason. I have not seen him play in a few years. Maybe he retired from pool. But i do remember him as being a PBT member.........mike

ps...Just remembered.. his name was John Galloway
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Paying for signatures

I have been collecting for a few years. I have some nice stuff. Pictures, promotional stuff, books, sets of balls. There are a few I have talked to who would sign anything for nothing but would charge to sign a ball. Only one of them would give me a reason why. That was Eddie Taylor. He told me that one time some guy walked up to Sigel years ago and asked him to sign a ball for him and 1 for his cousin. Mike signed them for 0. The next day a few of the wives saw in the window of a restaurant a sign for pool balls signed by world champions for sale. From then on, a few of them agreed that they would charge to cover themselves on their end of it. I am not taking a stand 1 way or the other. I appreciated the explanation for Mr. Taylor and I did not hesitate to send him the funds. I sent him a ball and a pic. I got back the ball and 2 pics! There is one pro that wants $100.00 for signing a ball. He's not that good.

Just use your judgement on paying for signatures.

JMD in VA
 
Of all of the pros that I've ever asked for a photo (not autograph) every single one of them but 2 were very humble and seemingly grateful that someone would want their photo. Several times, I politely asked for a 2nd photo in case the first one was bad. Every one but 2 were so cool and even spent time chatting afterwards.
The nicest ones to me were Earl Strickland, Corey Deuel, Jeremy Jones, Allen Hopkins, Howard Vickery, Jose Parica, Grady Mathews, Nick Varner,
Shannon Daulton, Larry Nevel, Rodney Morris, John Schmidt, Gabe Owen,
Danny Basavich, Allison Fisher, Santos Sambajon, Leil Gay, Johnny Archer,
Danny DiLiberto, Dennis Hatch, Raj Hundal & Ronnie Wiseman. If this group were any sweeter, they'de give me a cavity.
Another 20 or so were still cordial & friendly. Only 2 were not. And I watched them be that way with several other fans over the years as well.

***The bad side to all these photos is my wife doesn't like them on all four walls in room that houses my pool table, which used to be her office at home....:)
 
I failed to mention a few more who were every bit as nice as anybody I've ever met and thats Jimmy Fusco, Jim Rempe, Shawn Putnam, Mike Davis & Charlie Bryant. These champions made all the time needed to speak with any fans who approached them.

I personally am very appreciative of our champions. I can't imagine stars from the NFL, MLB or the NBA being so accessable and easy to pal around with. Thanks everybody!
 
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Mick56 said:
A friend of mine was at an expo a few years ago, and he saw this happen.

One of the vendors had a Hall of Famer sign a cue ball, and then the vendor went back to his booth, and put the cue ball for sale for $50.

The Hall of Famer came by and saw the cue ball, and was pretty mad about it. Some people get a signature for free, and turn right around and sell it. I believe this is what killed getting free auto's.
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There are professional autograph seekers who get stuff signed and sell it on ebay for big bucks. Nearly every collectible from baseball cards to comic books can be sold for a higer price signed.

Of course, the question now is...should the player/artist/celebrity really care what the autograph-seeker does with what he signed? So what if some shmuck profits from it? It's not as if he lost a lot by signing....on the other hand, i agree with what JPB suggested -- pros should personalize their autographs so that they'll be invaluable to the genuine autograph-seeker and nearly worthless to the budding entrepreneur.
 
Yes, I'm a pretty big autograph hound myself, I must admit. But, I have every autograph I've ever gotten personally; with the exception of a few that I've gotten for other people while getting one for myself. In these cases, most of the autographs for others have been personalized and I explained to the person who it was for. They were more than happy to oblige. These "other" autographs were all given as gifts, not sold on the open market or eBay.

99.99% of the pros that I've approached have been very nice about signing. I've had one or two refuse to sign a cue ball, citing contracts with promotional companies, but they still offered to sign a picture, ticket stub, etc.

A quick list of some of the more personable signers who will spend a few minutes chatting:

Ewa, Allison, Vivian, Jeanette, Sarah Rousey, Hillbilly, Corey, Cliff Joyner, Ralph Souquet, Gabe Owen, Ronnie Allen, Johnny Archer, Larry Nevel, Jeremy Jones, and several others that escape me right now.

Efren has always been happy to sign for me, but with English being his second language, conversation is limited.

It's no wonder Brunswick has had Ewa on staff for so many years….such a nice person and great representative for their company. I asked her to sign a Brunswick box for a set of miniature Centennial balls. While doing it, she asked where I had gotten them, wondering if they came from the local Brunswick store outside of Chicago. I told her that they hadn't, and she went on to tell me how nice the store is and that I should stop by sometime. Not a hard sell, but a genuine interest in my item and offering a nice plug for her sponsor.

Gabe is one of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met associated with pool. You can walk up to him for an autograph and start talking with him like he's any other regular in your home room. One of the real "good guys" out there in professional pool.

I don't think these folks are obligated in any way to sign for us fans, but if you do/don't goes a long way in people's perception of you. I've never had a player flat-out refuse to sign something if asked. Thanks to all the pros out there that have signed for me over the years. Although not all currently displayed, but when I get a finished home pool room, I've got plenty of items to cover the walls.
 
i was at a fast eddies once right after jeremy jones won the open, he was signing pictures of himself left and right. He ran out of pictures right when i walked up to get one. he told me that he was gonna get more later.

one hour later he finds me, asks me my name and signs it, holds on to it for me so i dont mess it up and gladly gives it to me at the end of the day. what a class act.
 
tedkaufman said:
Larry, you have the right attitude. Anything you and your fellow pros can do to promote the game, furthers the game and yourselves. The women have known this for some time. They go out of their way to be accomodating to the fans. Wisely so.
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Ted I can ditto that in spades
 
ragbug74 said:
It's no wonder Brunswick has had Ewa on staff for so many years….such a nice person and great representative for their company. .
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The first WPBA tourney I attended I committed the faux pas of asking Ewa for an autograph right after a tough loss in the tv rounds.

She was very cordial. The woman is a class act. Hopefully I since have learned better about my timing for such things.
 
One more kudo to Rodney Morris. I had him sign the cover of BD that he was on right after James Baraks eliminated him from the DCC in 2004.
I knew I had to get it then because I figured he would disappear after that. I apologized for my timing but he was as nice as nice could be.

Thanks Rodney
 
cueball1950 said:
The only 2 people who i have ever had ask for payment for an autograph were Mike Sigel at the U.S. Open and the other was Steve Mizerak. With Steve, i had asked him for his autograph on a camel cue i believe and he declined stating he gets paid for his signature. Just then, a tourning pro at that time. I can't remember his last name but i believe his 1st name was John and he had a long handlebar moustache. (anybody remember his last name) Anyway, he said out loud Steve, Just sign it for the kid, Camel has already paid you plenty for it anyway. So Steve, sheepishly signed it for me. But i have never had any other players refuse an autograph........................mike
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You are, no doubt, referring to John Galloway, PBT member and close friend of Steve Mizerak.
 
Wally in Cincy said:
JPB I don't think anybody is going to get rich selling poolplayers sigs on ebay

you may be in the minority in this discussion
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won't be the first or last time:D
 
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