Chitownautos IP Success Thread 2014

[chitownautos]

June 22, 2014

PGA Champions Tour Encompass Championship - UNOFFICIAL
Tom Lehman - 1 Game Used Glove, 1 Ticket Stub

Final day at the PGA Champions Tour Encompass Championship. Since I didn't have anything to get signed, I shifted my focus on trying to snag a golf ball, glove, etc. from golfers as they left the course. I was shut out all day until the very end. Most golfers either turned me down or gave items to other fans. Tom Lehman, who won the tournament, was mobbed by fans seeking autos after being crowned champion that no one bothered to ask for his glove expect me. Lehman sign my ticket stub, then I asked him if he had an extra glove, which he responded by giving me his actual glove that he used for the tourney and also signed the glove too. Pretty cool way to end the day!

YEAR TO DATE:
Official: 42
Unofficial: 57

[chitownautos]

July 18-20, 2014

Chicago Blackhawks Convention
Day 1 - Friday July 18
Michal Rozsival - 1 2013 SC Champs Puck
Jeremy Morin - 1 8x10 Photo, 1 Game Program
Bryan Bickell - 1 Card
Rocky Wirtz - 1 Puck

Day 2 - Saturday July 19
Ryan Hartman - 1 8x10 Photo, 1 Puck
Stephen Johns - 1 8x10 Photo
Peter Regin - 1 8x10 Photo
Stu Grimson - 1 Card
Brad Richards - 1 Puck
David Rundblad - 1 Blckhawks Logo Puck
Wayne Presley - 2 Cards
Bernie Nicholls - 1 Card
Joel Quenneville - 1 11x14 Poster, 1 Blackhawks Logo Puck, 1 Card
Mike Stapleton - 2 Cards
Eric Daze - 1 Card
Steve Larmer - 4 Cards
Pierre Pilote - 1 Blackhawks Logo Puck, 1 Card
Brent Seabrook - 1 11x14 Poster, 1 Card
Bobby Hull - 1 Blackhawks Logo Puck

Day 3 - Sunday July 20
Patrick Kane - 1 Jersey
Troy Murray - 4 Cards
Steve Konroyd - 1 Card

I went to the Chicago Blackhawks Convention last weekend at the Hilton Chicago. It was a great experience and definitely worth the $80 convention pass as I met a bunch of current, former, and future Hawks players.
On Friday, I was able to get 2 Jeremy Morin autos and 1 Michal Rozsival auto, both current players, at official signings. Later I went over to the garages where the players leave and met Bryan Bickell and Rocky Wirtz who both gave me 1 auto each.
Saturday was the busiest/longest day of the convention and I was able to get a variety of autos. Prospects Ryan Hartman and Stephen Johns both signed 8x10s for me and Hartman signed a puck too. Then I got some current players in Brad Richards (puck), Peter Regin (8x10) and David Rundblad (puck). There were also a bunch of former players that were signing so I got Stu Grimson, Wayne Presley, Bernie Nicholls, Mike Stapleton, Eric Daze, Steve Larmer and HOF Pierre Pilote (puck) to sign a few cards each. Each convention attendee receives a scratch-n-win ticket to a signing so everyone gets an equal chance of getting an autograph from a big name player. Plus, you don't know what player is going to sign your particular scratch-n-win until 20 minutes before the signing. My scratch-n-win was for Bryan Bickell, but I was able to trade the Bickell for a Head Coach Joel Quenneville scratch-n-win. I get a Pposter, puck, and card signed from Coach Q. Finally I waited outside of a radio booth were Brent Seabrook was doing an interview and when he finished, he signed a poster and card for me. Later, HOF Bobby Hull was doing a scratch-n-win autograph signing of his own and on his way out, I asked him for 1 more autograph and he signed a puck.
Sunday was the best day because I got a Patrick Kane scratch-n-win and got him to sign my jersey. Although you don't know which players are going to sign at which scratch-n-win, you can narrow down the potential signees by looking at some of the other signings/events the other players are doing at the same time slot. I determined that either Kane, Jonathan Toews, or Seabrook was going to sign at one particular scratch-n-win so I was looking for that scratch-n-win ticket all morning before the player was announced. I ended up trading an Andrew Shaw autograph puck for a scratch-n-win ticket that ended up to be Kane, which was a pretty good deal on my part I believe. Later, I got former players and current broadcasters Troy Murray and Steve Konroyd on cards but getting Kane on a jersey was the biggest haul of the weekend and made everything worthwhile.

YEAR TO DATE:
Official: 73
Unofficial: 62

[BAM1984]

Dang dude, great job on the IP Autos! Reading these, I am jealous of your Blackhawks and ChiSox successes! I live in Phoenix but root for them because of my family being from Chicago. Great job and I look forward to reading more of your successes!

[chitownautos]

August 10, 2014

Chicago Bears Training Camp - UNOFFICIAL
Matt Forte - 1 SI Magazine
Khaseem Greene - 1 Card

Today, I made my way to the Chicago Bears Training Camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Pretty big crowd on hand for the Bears and getting autographs at the end of practice was hectic. I was able to get Bears Pro Bowl RB Matt Forte on a Sports Illustrated Magazine cover and 2nd year LB Khaseem Greene on a rookie card. Both of their autographs were kind of sloppy because there were so many fans but its still an autograph. Forte probably stayed after practice for a good 15 minutes and signed literally 200 autographs for fans, what a class guy!

YEAR TO DATE:
OFFICIAL: 73
UNOFFICIAL: 64

[depdep20]

for family sundays at sox park, are pre game autographs for fans of all ages? Thanks!

[chitownautos]

August 13, 2014

Shaquille O'Neal Appearance - OFFICIAL
Shaquille O'Neal - 1 SI Magazine, 1 Card

I got to meet NBA legend and future Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal at a Sears store appearance today. Probably one of the most well-organized signings I've ever been to. Shaq signed for me a SI Magazine and a card. He was sitting down most of the time yet he was about the same height as most of the fans there haha. This was a way better deal getting a Shaq auto for free than the signing he did with Steiner Sports earlier this year for $199 per.


Pictures of Shaq autos

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psb9a44dc4.jpg

depdep20 - Pregame autographs at White Sox games on Sundays are technically only for kids 13 and under, but the ushers are pretty lenient and usually let everyone in, especially when the lines are not that crowded. Depends on which usher you hit though. If you bring a kid with you, the players will sign for you too so it's not like the players won't sign for the adults either.

YEAR TO DATE:
OFFICIAL: 75
UNOFFICIAL: 64

[arfmax]

Amazing, would love to see photos of the Shaq autos. How long did you wait in line? I heard someone who was there three hours, with a wristband, was not allowed in.

[chitownautos]

Yeah, it was kind of crazy. I arrived around 12:50 for a signing that was supposed to be from 2-3. They gave wristbands to the first 200, and they also "guaranteed" an autograph with that wristband. I got a wristband with about 125-150 people in front of me. Shaq didn't show up until 2:15, but he still only stayed until 3:00, meaning he signed for only 45 minutes instead of 1 hour. On top of that, he was talking to fans and taking photos too so he was taking longer per person then what was expected. I met Shaq at about 2:50, so I had a 2 hour wait, and I was one of the last people to get an autograph even though there were still another 50 people or so with a wristband. Unfortunately, they cut off the line since it was 3:00 even though people with "guaranteed" wristbands were still in line. Everything was really organized with lots of security and barricades and stuff, except Shaq didn't really follow up with the initial plan so everything was kind of hectic.

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...psb9a44dc4.jpg

[chitownautos]

August 14, 2014

Alexei Ramirez Appearance - OFFICIAL
Alexei Ramirez - 1 ROMLB, 1 Card

Went down to meet Chicago White Sox All-Star SS Alexei Ramirez. Got a ROMLB and a 2014 Topps Heritage signed by Alexei. I love how he has a pretty complete signature compared to all the quick initials we see out of players nowadays. He has a very nice car too.

YEAR TO DATE:
OFFICIAL - 77
UNOFFICIAL: 64

[chitownautos]

August 16, 2014

Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays - UNOFFICIAL
Adam Eaton - 1 Card
Daryl Boston - 1 Card

I went to the Chicago White Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays game today. I got autographs from Adam Eaton and 1st Base Coach Daryl Boston on a card each. I got these autos pre-game about the time batting practice ended, not right before game time. Surprisingly, the White Sox players have not been signing very much during their pre-game warmups like in the past. Usually there would be at least 2-3 players signing 5 minutes before the game but now I think I have seen maybe 1 player all year sign right before game time. Definitely wish I had more time to graph the Sox outside the stadium because I have not gotten a lot of Sox autographs this year but I'll still take what I get.

YEAR TO DATE:
OFFICIAL - 77
UNOFFICIAL - 66