Morning Sentinel
Sports memorabilia collecting not what it used to be
Bookmark & share: digg del.icio.us Reddit
Reader Comments (below)
story tools
sponsored by
BY BILL STEWART
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 06/29/2008

BY BILL STEWART

Staff Writer

Just about every sports fan has an autograph story.

Augusta native Bob Lippert, who works at Hall-Dale High School, recalls with sharp detail the day he drove to Long Island, N.Y., in 1978 to meet the great Mickey Mantle at a baseball card show.

"It was $3 to get in and $5 for his autograph," Lippert, 58, said. "It was the thrill of a lifetime."

Bob Hodgkins, who owns Hodgkins Store in Farmington with his wife Barbara, collects mostly "unique stuff."

One of his prized pieces?

"I put together a special Fenway Park collage that is signed by (Red Sox manager Terry) Francona," he said. "The collage also has a canceled check signed by Ed Barrow. It's pretty unique."

Barrow managed the 1918 Red Sox to the World Series title. It would be 86 years before the Sox won the Series again, in 2004 under Francona.

Hodgkins is selling this piece for $250.

"It bridges the gap," said Hodgkins, who also sells an autographed Carlton Fisk photo of his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series for $125.

Steve McLaughlin, a Gardiner resident who opened McLaughlin Sports in 1988, says his favorite autograph is from the embattled Roger Clemens.

"I got it in person in 1995 in Augusta," McLaughlin said. "He signed a dozen baseballs for me. It's still my favorite to this day."

The stories and signatures that McLaughlin, Hodgkins and Lippert share and cherish connect them to the multibillion dollar industry that is autograph collecting.

But the trio share something else: a belief that collecting autographs is no longer like it used to be.

"Kids can't afford them anymore," said McLaughlin, 56, who slowly phased out his sports memorabilia business in favor of selling furniture. "The prices take the young people right out of play. Plus, I don't think young people are into it anymore."

Collecting autographs is still popular, particularly at games and practices. It's common, for example, to see up to 500 or more kids with their parents at a New England Patriots summer practice, all hoping to get a signature from Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi or any other star.

Off the field, however, the prices are dramatically different compared to a bygone era when a Mantle autograph could be bought for $5. A signed Mantle baseball sells for a variety of prices today, although www.sportsmemorabilia.com is offering one for $1,799.99.

"The people who are into it are into it," Hodgkins said. "But mostly people come in for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts and so forth. I have a few regular customers for this stuff, but that's it."

It wasn't always like this, they said. There was a time when collecting autographs meant something, when it connected fans to their heroes of yesteryear.

Autograph collecting is nothing new -- some historians trace it to the 18th century in Europe. It is, however, a multibillion dollar industry that is still recovering from a troubled era marred by FBI sting operations, counterfeiting and deceit. The industry was so overrun by counterfeiting that in 1998 the FBI reported that 70 percent of the business was essentially bogus.

Rich Altman owns Hollywood Collectibles in Hollywood, Fla. He is one of the largest autograph distributors in the country. When it comes to signatures, Altman probably has what you're looking for. If not, he can get it for you.

Babe Ruth autographed balls? He has one, and it can be yours for $40,000.

Altman, who started collecting autographs in the late 1980s, knows all too well about the dark and murky waters of the industry.

He's seen it. He's lived it.

"There were some dark times," said Altman, who in 1990 became a member of the Autograph Valuation Panel that wrote the "Baseball Autograph Handbook."

Indeed.

In the mid-1990s, the Chicago Division of the FBI launched a fraud investigation involving a group that was eventually caught forging Chicago-area athletes' signatures, including Michael Jordan. The investigation, dubbed "Foul Ball," concluded that fraudulent autograph businesses was likely a national issue.

In 1997, the FBI shut down five forgery rings in "Operation Bullpen Phase 1." Three years later, 26 individuals were charged and later convicted of forgery during "Operation Bullpen Phase II." In Phase II, 13 forgery rings that spanned the country were dismantled.

The FBI probes forced dealers and sports leagues to aggressively combat forgery.

Major League Baseball started its own authenticity program, and other sports leagues, including the National Football League, implemented witness authenticated programs. Those programs ensure a witness to the signed memorabilia.

In 1998, Professional Sports Authenticator created an autograph division that specializes in authenticity. The company uses a four-level security system to authenticate memorabilia.

However, for many collectors, the damage was already done.

"There are just too many people out there trying to rip people off," said McLaughlin, whose autograph collection also includes Pete Rose, Dan Marino and Joe Montana.

"This whole certificate of authenticity means nothing. You can make this up and print one up on your own. Unless I see the person signing in front of me, I don't believe most of these signatures are true. I wish it would someday be like it used to be, but I don't see it happening."

Added Lippert, a former Babe Ruth coach in Augusta: "Autographs just got out of hand, especially with the agents now involved. For the last 12 years, I've been out of it. With the way the economy is, too, one of the first things to cut would be autograph collecting."

There was a time when selling autograph memorabilia was a big part of the McLaughlin's business. But those days are gone.

"I still have supplies," he said, "but it's only two percent of what it used to be. I started the business in 1988, and for five years it was a great business."

Altman signs players like teams do in a frenzied free agent market. He throws hefty sums of money -- some "clients" demand up to and more than $100,000 a year -- to lure top athletes to his stores and shows. And when dealers shell out that kind of money, the autograph prices also soar.

"There are some athletes, like LeBron (James), who sign multimillion dollar deals," Altman said. "Autographs are a multi-billion dollar industry."

Altman, who's appeared on "60 Minutes" and "HBO Real Sports" to discuss the authenticity problems that rocked the industry, started putting holograms on his signed memorabilia.

"Bill Russell brought me tremendous credibility," Altman said. "It means something when you can say, 'I have Bill Russell.' I've represented him for 11 years, the last eight on a handshake. But authenticity is a big deal. It's your credibility on the line. That's why we do the holograms on our memorabilia."

Brad Shaw has owned and operated Fuss-Budget-Sportscards in Augusta for 31 years. He says he doesn't sell autographed memorabilia.

"Nowadays everything has to be authenticated," he said. "It's too much."

Every autograph has a story behind it, and people collect them for a variety of reasons. For some, it's the thrill of meeting their favorite player. For others, it's all business.

Regardless of the reasons, however, one thing is clear: The hobby is nothing like it used to be.

Bill Stewart -- 623-3811, ext. 515

bstewart@centralmaine.com

Bookmark and share this story: digg del.icio.us Reddit

Reader comments

Click here to view or add reader comments