David Ortiz, 1980 US hockey Team, 1967 Red Sox, Pedro Martinez and more...........

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Other than this being my birthday week, I look forward to attending the Greater Boston Sports Collector's Club Card and Memorabilia Show.  It's occurred the first weekend in November at the Shriner Auditorium in Wilmington Mass. for as long as I can remember.  This year's show is scheduled on Friday November 6 - Sunday November 8 and is featuring many members of the 1980 US Olympic gold winning hockey team, members of the 1967 Red Sox, 1975 Red Sox players Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn and baseball Hall of famers Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk, Andrew Dawson and Jim Bunning, in addition to David Ortiz and many more.  I have not missed attending this show since I first attended in 2002.  I have found hundreds of deals on anything including memorabilia, photos, cards, supplies and autographs. There will be over 80 dealers in attendance, both from the region and nationally.

One of the reasons this show is my favorite is that everyone is very friendly and helpful.   There are items out there for the bargain hunter or the high end collector and of course all of us in between.  I've seen autographs for sale that include almost every hall of famer for every sport.  I've seen rare items like Cy Young, Babe Ruth and Alan Shepard(First U.S. astronaut in space) signed items.  I've learnt much about collecting, how to preserve autographs and what's out there on the market.  I always feel that when I walk and speak with dealers, I learn something new every November.

So here are some tips on how to make the most of one day or the weekend at the show.
1.  Walk the entire floor at least once before purchasing anything.  My experience is that you will find the same item in multiple locations.  The dealers are very competitive and will almost always come down in price to get the sale.
2.  Prepare to spend at least 2 hours browsing.  Be patient and ready to negotiate.
3.  Bring something to drink with you.  It is very dry in most facilities.
4.  Wear comfortable footwear.  The entire floor is concrete.
5.  If you are purchasing an autograph or game used piece of memorabilia make sure it is has authentication.  Ask the dealer where it came from and who authenticated it.  If the price is too good to be true, then don't purchase it. 
6.  Most dealers will come down in price on the last day of a show.  They honestly don't want to haul it back to their homes or businesses. 
7.  Have cash on hand.  Most dealers cannot accept credit cards and if they do, they might charge a service fee to pay for the connection at their table.
8.  Sign up for raffles and door prizes.  Almost every show has them and there are usually great prizes.
9.  If you are attending to meet players, be ready to wait in line, and in small spaces.  Also, if you have no idea what you want autographed the promoter's merchandise table will have the best items at reasonable prices.


This year's autograph guests include:
Newest Member to the 500 HR club, David Ortiz
Baseball Hall of Famers:  Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Jim Bunning, Wade Boggs, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Andrew Dawson
1980 US Olympic Hockey Team:  Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig and more
1967 Red Sox:  Mike Andrews, Jim Lonborg, Reggie Smith, Gary Bell and more
Former Red Sox:  Brian Daubach, Phil Seibel, Scott Williamson, Dwight Evans, Fred Lynn

For more information on autograph guest information please visit www.sureshotpromotions.com

John Ratzenberger Public Appearance

For those of us who are from New England, and are over age 40, we all remember the show Cheers.  It was a classic NBC sitcom set in a Boston bar which featured many great characters including postman "Cliff Claven", played by John Ratzenberger.

Additionally for those younger adults or children, John Ratzenberger, is the only actor to have a role in every Pixar movie every made.  He was the voice for Mack in Cars, Hamm in the Toy Story series, The Abominable Snowman in Monsters Inc. etc.....

This week, Mr. Ratzenberger is coming to Massachusetts to make a public autograph appearance.  It is a wonderful opportunity to meet this great actor and performer.  His autograph price is $40 for any items.  I know I'm personally having him sign some Cheer's and Pixar items.  So if you want a unique opportunity to meet someone who rarely makes appearances, I recommend taking advantage of this moment.

Mr. Ratzenberger will be appearing on Saturday November 1st at Shriner Auditorium in Wilmington Massachusetts. 

For more information check this link:  www.sureshotpromotions.com

The Personalized Autograph Book

Over the years, I have seen a few thousand fans take photos with their favorite athletes and celebrities.  In today's world of pretty good quality camera phones and the advent of the "Selfie", photos are easier to come by and slightly easier to manage at autograph signings.  Additionally, athletes are becoming more accommodating to pose with fans in many different ways.  So the question is, what do you do with all those photos?  After they are posted on twitter, instagram, facebook and texted to a few friends, what happens?  I cannot imagine the process stopping there.

So here is an idea for you that I successfully make work.  I created my own autograph album out of an artbook.  I went to a chain craft store and purchased a 100 page sketch book for $22.  And for $4.79 I purchased a box of 750 photo corners to stick the pictures to the pages.  So for just $27+ you can create a unique treasure for your collection.  Additionally, many players will now look in the album to see who I've met and who they know.  It is a conversation piece with friends, colleagues and the celebrities.

There a couple of key practices that I follow to make this work.  The first is to have the player sign only in pen ( I prefer blue).  A sharpie will bleed through the page.  I also request that the player sign on the bottom half and I'll adhere the picture to the top half.  That keeps everything consistent and clean.  Lastly, I sometimes have the athlete or celebrity sign the page before I have an opportunity to print the picture.  There's no guarantee you'll see some of these people in the future, so if possible I'll have them sign the page as a place holder.

Picture with Rob Gronkowski and autograph on bottom.

Picture with Pedro Martinez and autograph in pen on bottom.