Deciding which card to send for autograph?

[scruffynerfherder]

Here is a question I've been pondering for a while.

For those of us who seek autographs on a player's card, how do you decide which of that player's card to get signed?

Obviously, set collectors pretty much have the choice made for them, but, let's say, for example, I want to get something signed by Andre Dawson. I'm sitting on 25-50 different Dawson cards and I probably don't want them all signed, so how do l narrow that down to one or a few?

Looking forward to hearing some comments.

Thanks,

~Nerfherder

[dhuxos]

I'd look for the ones that are in the best condition (no dings, sharp corners, no creases) as well as the lightest shaded ones, so the signature will pop better. If you want, find the ones with the coolest pictures on them.

[cool-vintage]

I usually judge by the picture, the condition, jersey they are pictured in, and the amount of gloss.

[pzero]

Pick one that the autograph will stick to nicely. Notice how most get theirs back and it's smeared or coming off? You might want to go with a non glossy card.

[Akweldadam]

Most guys that I have more than 5 cards(Thome, Ramirez, Vaizquel, Alomar bros) don't sign TTM so it's usually not an issue. If I do have to decide though, I'm like everyone else, look for something less glossy, lighter background, cool poses. I'm on a Heritage, Gypsy Queen, A&G kick right now though. Those seem to be some of the cards to have signed.

[mberger718]

Definitely go with lighter colored pictures, a matte finish rather than glossy (since autographs can evaporate or smear easily on glossy cards), also a nice photo of the player with the team they are most associated with.

[arfmax]

It's all personal choice. If you prep a glossy card well, then you don't worry about smearing or fading. Personally, I don't like to get cards signed that have a facsimile signature on them, like 2007 Topps or some of the Heritage ones, others do. Some like the base cards, but some like something a little different, like an insert. For Dawson, are you a bigger fan of him with the Expos or the Cubs? Personally, I attended a free signing of Dawson, and got the following cards signed:
Photo of the signed Dawson cards:
http://s1209.photobucket.com/user/ar...dd898.jpg.html

I like the Topps Golden Moments one a lot, but the Upper Deck SP one is nice too.

Hope this helps

-arfmax

[hawk2618]

I agree with mberger....you want the signature to stick out....so a lighter colored card is most definately your best choice.

[indyreds]

Do not laugh, but the best cards to hold the signature seem to be the less glossy cards. I LOVE those 96 and 97 Fleer cards for autographs! Those matte cards are amazing! I also love the looks of Studio cards and Diamond Kings cards signed. The older base Topps cards are great as they can be had for pennies and hold an autograph well. It might sound silly, but cards with lighter colored uniforms usually are the ones I send the most as it looks bad for instance if a White Sox player card is in their black uniform and the player signs in black and the auto is hard to see.

[scruffynerfherder]

Thanks for all of the comments and I look forward to further discussion.
It's the 'facsimile' signature that initially prompted my query, as I think a real signature on top of a print looks sort of distracting. But I didn't know if I was speaking Crazy Talk or just picking nits.

As far as the Dawson auto is concerned, that was just an example. Although I prefer his career as a Cub, if I'm going for a HOF themed collection, I'd probably opt for an Expos card as that's the team he was inducted with. I'm debating between the 78T and 84T. Or, I could do an MVP theme and get it on a Cubs card. (That 88 Fleer you showed looked pretty good).

Thanks again for sharing.

~Nerfherder