Twitter for autographs

[C&C Collecting]

How many of you use Twitter, or another social media site, to assist in your autograph collecting? Recently, Jimmy Kennedy announced on Twitter that he would sign anything you sent to him at the Giants team address. There are also a bunch of players who interact with their fans on Twitter as well as announce autograph appearances that otherwise might not get major attention. I actually won a contest by being randomly selected after retweeting someone. the prize was a Steiner authenticated Hank Aaron baseball. Not bad. So, let us know if and how you use your Twitter or other social media account to help your collection.

[mrveggieman]

I never tried but I need to. I don't log into my twitter that much I prefer facebook but I will try almost anything to enhance my autograph collection.

[Autofreak2842]

Yes. I have gotten Chuck Knoblauch, Michael Jenkins (contest) and Ralphie May (haven't recieved yet, but messaged me it was being sent).

[autocollectr79]

i use twitter to found out when teams take off and land at airports,then when they go to dinner and where sometimes. or if i know where theyre stayin ill tweet and ask them to come out and sign and/or take a pic with.doesnt always work but every now and then it will

[C&C Collecting]

I need to get Knoblauch. He seems like a very down to earth guy on Twitter and gets involved with his fans. He is the only one I know of that follows his fans as well which is pretty cool.

I think the biggest asset of Twitter is the ability to get good information about signings and where athletes are going to be straight from their mouths, or fingertips. Twitter is breaking down the barrier and allowing fans to interact with their favorite players, actors, singers, etc. on a personal level while the athlete is still having their privacy respected. Of course, there is also the downside in which idiots, like those that threatened 49er Kyle Williams after his fumble, can ruin it for everyone and make that athlete very wary of his/her "fans". It's a tightrope right now but if used properly it can be another tool for building your collection. I highly recommend it to everyone, even if it just for information on a random signing or a contest. Even following specific teams can give you access to autograph parties, ticket deals, and a bunch of other things.

Although they aren't athletes, I really enjoy talking with some of the NY Giants beat writers and getting questions answered from the source of a story I just read. Since they are local they tend to have fewer followers and are more apt to reply.

[lambeauleap87]

I just started using Twitter recently for whatever reason. There are some guys I wanted to follow (like Eric Berger, Zack Hample, etc.) that pretty much exclusively use Twitter. That, and it can come in handy for autographs...heading to a game? Shoot a tweet to a couple players the night before asking them to sign before the game if they can.

[Autofreak2842]

I just started using Twitter recently for whatever reason. There are some guys I wanted to follow (like Eric Berger, Zack Hample, etc.) that pretty much exclusively use Twitter. That, and it can come in handy for autographs...heading to a game? Shoot a tweet to a couple players the night before asking them to sign before the game if they can.

This works often. They may not reply, but if they see the tweet in time, they usually sign. Happened a few times a Vikings training camp, this past august, for me.

[dabears67]

Does anybody have a "master" list of any Chicago Cubs or Chicago Bears players that use twitter and what their twitter name is???? If so please PM to me

[MattRaymond]

Twitter is an amazing tool for autograph collectors and I use it daily to keep track of activity in the Boston area. I tracked Ochocinco down last year after he tweeted that he was headed to Newbury Street to do some shopping.

I put together a tutorial on how to make monitoring Twitter easier using their lists function -- hope you find it helpful: http://www.autographu.com/how-to-use...et-autographs/

[C&C Collecting]

Thank you for sharing Matt. That will be very helpful to those who are new to Twitter, or are Twitter novices.

I know, over the past couple of days, I have seen several New York Yankees and Yankee prospects talk about upcoming autograph shows. Mason Williams, one of the top Yankees prospects, was talking about a show he was doing in Poughkeepsie, NY this past weekend. If the Giants weren't playing in the NFC Championship game I might have gone up to check it out. David Robertson is talking about an upcoming show he is signing at. I don't remember the specifics for his upcoming show.

It's a huge world out there and Twitter does help break down some of the walls we, as autograph collectors, have between us and those whose autographs we seek. If used properly, like MattRaymond has shown in his tutorial, you might just run into your favorite athlete outside a restaurant or store. I think if we maintain a respect for their privacy, for example not running into a restaurant where you know the Miami Dolphins offensive line is eating and interrupting their meal, we can gain a lot from Twitter.

Maybe we should set up a list of verified Twitter accounts of athletes to help out.