Autos with REQUIRED charity donation...where do you stand????

[sfs3uakron]

I got a Tevor Story card returned to me, unsigned. He included a slip of paper that laid out the requirements for him to sign an auto. It basically was for a Colorado Rockies charity, which is a good thing. The problem I had with it was 2 things 1. It was required 2. mandatory 25 dollars per auto.

If i were a little kid asking for this auto...i'd be crushed for a few reasons. 1 it wasn't signed. 2 a guy who is one of my favorite players is requesting money just for his signature.

As an adult, if he would have signed it and put something in there saying "could you donate something to said charity...i would have paid donated 10 bucks....and i think a lot of other people would do 5-10 bucks as well.

With that said...I think it's a bit tacky when players require you to donate a set amount to charity for their auto. Maybe it's just the moral person inside of me, but if players would sign and put in there "could you please donate"; i think they would raise more money. That's just my option. I'm sure you guys have different feelings.

[Rolltide]

I'm personally fine with the required donation. It fends off people who aren't collectors, but are just trying to make money off of the autographs. To each his own though!

[sfs3uakron]

That's legit. It will fend off guys who are just trying to sell them, but it kind of short changes the fans as well. Not to mention...25 bucks...that's a bit steep for an auto over mail

[adcgjh]

Looking at ebay sold prices you could get ~4 certified autos of him for $25.... I guess if you need a certain card signed for a set your collecting maybe it makes sense....

[Oxxon]

If I really wanted the auto I dont have a problem since the $ is going to charity.

[rtsjr]

dont mind if i know its really going to a chaity not just there pocket

[sfs3uakron]

eh....not many kids have 25 bucks to throw around.

[OC22]

The Rockies have been doing this since the late 90s, and the Tigers have a similar program as well. I have absolutely no problem with it. I got Nolan Arenado a few years back through this program. I also got Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez thru the Tigers, all for completely reasonable fees.

Don't blame the team or the player, They're doing their part to raise money for charity (Accusing them of pocketing the cash is being extremely and unnecessarily skeptical). The problem is the people who send players 10 cards over and over until they stop signing. I've been doing this for a long time, and there are plenty of players (some of whom have publicly commented on this) that stop signing because it's the same people over and over. Great recent example is Wade Boggs. You used to be able to get him for $5/card TTM, but people took advantage and ruined it.

Sure, it's rough on the kids, but dealers are the ones that ruin this for the kids.

[zjlwolves3]

Thanks to degenerates and losers who hoard athletes for multiple autographs constantly and put them on ebay, athletes have to put some weed-out process in place to prevent people from taking advantage of them.

And for the people who say that kids can't afford it, well too bad! I can't afford to get autographs of everybody I want to get either, but that's life for you.

If that kid REALLY wanted Story's autograph, he can get a part-time job or save Christmas/birthday money or something like that and find a way to make it work. It's only $25. If he's unwilling to save up for it or redistribute his entertainment budget to make it work, that's the dumb kid's problem.

[yankeesfan1324]

Most active athletes aren't willing to spend the time to sign everything they get. There's just not that much time in the day and even if there was, why should they sign for adults who will just go on to sell them? There needs to be some way to weed out who "deserves" and autograph. If there was a magic way of telling who would appreciate it, I'm sure he would do it. But there isn't so a donation acts for a proxy for it because only people who really want the auto will pay it. Does that leave out people who really want it but can't afford it? Sure. But it's the best way that anyone has thought of. Think of it this way - if this program wasn't around, he wouldn't sign any of his mail.