WHAT TO GET SIGNED BY A BASEBALL PLAYER AT AN AUTOGRAPH SIGNING 101!

I take it that you have come here because you are going to meet a baseball player at a public appearance or autograph signing. In this post we will go over the best options for you when it comes to what item you should get signed for your man cave and hopefully by the end of this you will be able to choose what works best for you! 

STEP 1: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PEN!

We highly advise that on any item you decide to get signed you take in to consideration the type of pen/marker that you use for the autograph. We recommend using paint pens instead of using your standard sharpie marker for the reason that the paint pens last much longer for the future and do not fade compared to the quick fading of a normal sharpie. You also need to take in consideration the type of point you are using with the pen. We always try to use a medium size point on the pen, but in some cases you do need to go with a smaller point depending on if the item that is getting signed is a smaller item like a card. Lastly, you need to think of what type of color pen you would like the athlete to sign in. We recommend going with the color that matches the team the athlete players for or the same color as the jersey; you can also stay generic and go with black, silver or gold. At the end of the day it all comes down to your preference. The only exception to this is we recommend getting a baseball signed ONLY by a ball point pen in black or blue as the paint pen will not mesh well with the leather of the baseball.

People have emailed us asking more specifically about great pens to use, so we figured we would post this information here! The brand of pen we use the most is Decocolor Paint Marker, and we use the Fine Tip more than anything like on jerseys, bats, hats, or photos. We buy our Deco pens from Dick Blick as they usually have great pricing and have a huge assortment of color options and additional Pen Tips like Broad Tip and Extra Fine Tip. On bigger items like a base or helmet we recommend using broad tip pens. Extra fine tips are great on items that have a small area for an autograph like a ticket stub or baseball card. We like Deco pens because they have a strong rich appearance on the items they are used on as well as they don't usually fade/bleed into items. Deco paint holds up long term which is very important, and they seem to also be a favorite choice for autograph collectors in the memorabilia industry. Here are some links of the actual pens buy from them:

STEP 2: WHAT ITEM TO PURCHASE TO GET SIGNED?

There are many options when it comes to what item you would like to get signed by the baseball player and there are a lot of things to take into consideration when making your decision. The top items that we recommend considering are baseballs, bats, jerseys, helmets, photos and game used equipment. All items can be displayed differently and have different values to them when they are signed.

HELMETS

When it comes to baseball helmets are an item that you can get signed by a player, but they aren't very appealing to collectors and we would only recommend getting a helmet signed if it is going to be in your personal collection as it may be tough to resell or find someone who is interested in baseball helmets.

BASEBALL BATS

We recommend when it comes to baseball bats to buy a wooden bat, the same that is used in the MLB. These bats range in pricing and the type of bat that you get just depends on your preference as to what it looks like and the type of wood or color of the bat.

BASEBALLS

When it comes to baseballs, you need to make sure that you are purchasing the right type of baseball, trust us it will pay off in the long run. If you buy a cheaper Chinese made baseball that will cost anywhere from $2-$5, while a omlb (official major league baseball) will cost about $15-$20, omlb balls come in a case/cube. The reason we recommend purchasing the omlb ball compared to a cheaper made ball is that the signature on the omlb ball will last much longer and will not fade or soak into the ball as the omlb ball is true leather, while the cheaper baseballs are made of a pleather which doesn't keep the signature in good condition for very long. You also want to make sure that when you get your baseball signed you have the player sign the ball on the sweet spot, this is in between the stitches as shown in the picture above. Also, remember as stated before ONLY GET A BASEBALL SIGNED WITH A BALL POINT PEN!!

JERSEYS

When it comes to jerseys you can purchase a replica jersey or an on the field jersey. The replica jerseys are much cheaper than the on the field jerseys and most collectors don't seem to mind which is signed. The reasoning for this is that most replica and on field jerseys look very similar and replica jerseys are much cheaper than on field jerseys and collectors don't pay much more for the on field jerseys. The replica jerseys are not completely sewn in on the numbers, logos and name they are ironed on compared to a on the field jersey which is all sewn in. 

PHOTOS

Photos are cool because you can tailor which photo you want to get signed and how large of a photo you would like to get signed depending on the amount of space you have to display in your memorabilia collection. The other thing that is nice about photos is that you can get them custom framed and designed exactly how you would like to fit your collection perfectly. If you are looking for a custom framer for your memorabilia Inscriptagraphs memorabilia does all our own custom framing! Click here to check out what we can do for you when it comes to custom framing!

GAME USED EQUIPMENT

Game used equipment while being some of the most unique items that you can get signed will likely be your most expensive option when it comes to what item you would like to get signed. The value of game used equipment compared to a normal signed item is substantially more, but also will cost more up front when purchasing the game used equipment. When it comes to baseball we highly recommend only purchasing game used equipment with MLB authentication. This authentication states that the game used equipment was authenticated directly from the MLB and is guaranteed to be real and actually game used! We have an amazing selection of game used equipment available from nearly any sport. Contact us today to inquire about purchasing game used equipment to get signed at your autograph signing.

STEP 3: CLOSING

At the end of the day it's your preference on what item you would like to get signed as well as where and what type of pen you would like it signed with. The most important thing to keep in mind is what you want to display and what your budget is when purchasing the item. Also remember that prices differ in each item at signing and usually the higher value the item will be when signed, the more it will cost to have that item signed. We also recommend purchasing your item in advanced compared to purchasing it at the signing as the company doing the signing will try to cover costs and make profits on the items that they are selling to have signed, it will be much cheaper to bring your own items (if an autograph fee applies). 

If you have an item you believe is valuable and you are looking to sell your item make sure you contact us today!! Click here on our SELL YOUR MEMORABILIA page right here on our website. If you have questions regarding framing give Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia a call at 1-844-474-4633 or by email, info@inscriptagraphs.com so we can give you assistance on the best way to display your item, we are than happy to help!