Stanley Cup Champion and Current Boston Bruin Shawn Thornton; Appearance Information

As I mentioned before, the Bruins will start making autograph appearances this summer, whether they won or lost.  The appearances start next Saturday, June 25th with Shawn Thornton.  The pricing is great.  $39 for him to autograph any one item.  That is either an item you want to buy at the store or an item you bring with you from home.  I would recommend that you purchase your tickets early, as this will either sell out and the price will increase by $10 the day of the appearance.

I suppose you want to know where?!?!?!

New England Picture Company
South Shore Plaza Location, Braintree Massachusetts
Time:  Noon - 1:30pm

Here is the link for more information.
http://www.newenglandpicture.com/

The "Ice" of the Moment

Congratulations Bruins!!!!  Bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston is such an exhilarating experience for the "die hard" Bruins fans and more broadly the city of Boston.  Reminds me very much of what the city was like back in 2004 following the Red Sox World Series win.  Everyone was happy and just wanted to party.

With the exhilaration also comes the "heat of the moment" euphoria or in this case the "danger of the ice" moment.  Meaning you must have that Stanley Cup Champion Bruin Hat, T-shirt, picture, autograph or whatever you can find that has the Bruin name and logo on it.  You seem to think you need to have it now.  Unfortunately, the business world, both legitimate and underground, are looking to take advantage of your emotions.  Yesterday I was with a friend at a well known retail location in Waltham Ma..  They had none of the licensed Bruin or Stanley Cup merchandise in stock, but they decided that the "knock Off" Bruin items could sell at $30 and up. By the way of about 20 people we saw looking at the overpriced merchandise, only one person bought an item.

So if you can be patient and wait a few weeks, merchandise, apparel and autographs will be in abundant supply and yes you can purchase the same items you would today, but save yourself about 30%.  And more importantly, save yourself from financially falling through the "Ice".

Big Bad Bruins Deals

Even for a "bandwagoner" Bruins/hockey fan such as me, I am very excited about the Bruins playing for the Stanley Cup!!!  I'm so happy for all the "die hards" such as my sister and brother.  Nothing would please me more than to have the Bruins bring the 7th championship to Boston in the past 10 years.  I remember attending game 2 of the Stanley Cup in 1990. It was the loudest I ever heard an arena.  The Garden roof could've come off the building.  The excitement was fantastic.  I can only imagine what it'll be like if they win now.


1990 Bruins Team photo, autographed by Ray Bourque and Cam Neely.

 With that said, this also means a Bruins autograph or piece of memorabilia will become more in demand.  It's already happening.  With higher demand comes higher prices. That being said, the Bruins have by far the best prices with regards to appearance fees and autographs. However, that will change whether they win the cup or not.

Therefore, I recommend you check out the following websites for some great deals.
http://www.sureshotpromotions.com/
http://www.newenglandpicture.com/
These companies are offering great prices on autographed pucks and photos of current Bruin players.  Prices start at $29 and range upwards of $100 for the premium items.  I guarantee you, this will increase by a minimum of 30%, again whether they win or not.  So get your orders in now and save your money. 



Me and Bruin Goalie, Tim Thomas.

Me and Zdeno Chara.  He is truly a nice man.



The 2nd Autograph

We all think of an autograph (legible or not) to be the person's name and maybe their number.  Most of us are happy, including myself, if we can clearly read the name, and the quality of the signature is good.  However, one of the characteristics of collecting I enjoy is adding the inscription/personalization to an item.  This can almost only be accomplished at a paid appearance or show, as celebrities or athletes will not take the time to add a name or accomplishment on the item at the park or arena. 

So what is an inscription?  The inscription can be many, many things.  Essentially, it's an abbreviated line, usually written under an athlete's name, that describes an accomplishment they have reached in their career.  Examples are HOF (Hall of Fame), maybe a nickname, MVP, a Champion, no hitter, etc...   It is also considered a personalization such as "To John, Best Wishes". 



Kevin McHale Signed Basketball, with the "3X Champs" inscription.

 Is the inscription worth it?  I say absolutely.  It will cost you, anywhere from one free inscription to upwards of $100 to add in a line.  This is the 2nd autograph part.  Agents and players will charge for the extra line because it takes time to write, it takes up as much if not more space than the name of the person, and it's considered an infrequent, yet added value to the autograph.


Dom DiMaggio autographed bat with the very rare inscription "Lil Professor".  I had to beg him to add that onto the bat. 

If you choose to invest in the inscription here are some hints.  Try to gather a themed collection of inscribed items, such as world series MVP's or no hitters, perfect game accomplishments, etc...  If you can collect a consistent set of inscribed items in any category, you will have a rare collection on your hands. Also, be creative.  Try to find a nickname of a player and have them add that in.  Maybe have a person inscribe their debut to a sport, etc....  There are many, many options to do this.



Cal Ripken Jr. autographed baseball.  He is the rare person who actually writes out the words in the inscription '2632 consecutive games".  Another rarity with celebrities.

 Lastly, there is nothing wose than a player who is asked to write a book.  I highly recommend that you request one or 2 lines at most.  If you request more than that you will pay a high price, but most importantly frustrate the person signing and they will almost always make a mistake.

The Challenge of Fenway

Once upon a time, the Red Sox players signed many, many autographs at Fenway Park.  Through 2003 and in 2005 the Red Sox were pretty accessible, both outside and inside the park, as well as before and after games.  This aspect of visiting Fenway was a huge part of my experience.  That is no longer the case.  Your chances of winning a big lottery are better than receiving an autograph from a current Red Sox player at Fenway Park.  This is not to say they don't sign, but it is so rare, that I don't even waste my time on their side of the field. 

Therefore, if I want to have any chance of getting an autograph at Fenway I focus all my attention on the visiting team.  This is by no means easy, thanks to Fenway operations management, but it's not impossible. Last week I was able to get a good quality autograph from David Price, pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.  The more recent challenges Fenway management has implemented is that you can no longer lean into the dugout to attempt to get an autograph on the homeplate side of the field, unless you have a ticket for those seats.  (Did they get idea from Yankee Stadium?  I thought the Red Sox were better than that.)  The wall from home plate to the dugout is blocked by the VIP area.  Therefore, players will almost never come over and sign for the non VIP's.  The left wall is almost completely blocked by grounds crew tractors and supplies. 

So where do you go?
1.  I've had luck right behind the visitor dugout, just where the players walk up the stairs to enter the field.  You need to get there early to get a good spot and do your best to physically keep it.  The challenge with this is that it is hard to toss items across the top of the dugout, especially for kids.

Visitor Dugout: Side where the players enter the field.

2.  The area just to the left of the visitor dugout camera well.  This is where I got David Price to sign for me.  This is another small space, so you must work hard to keep your spot.

Area by photographer/camera well to the left of visitor dugout, usually good for autographs.

Corner of wall behind 3rd base, heading out to left field.  Good spot for visiting pitcher autographs.

3.  The area of the wall behind 3rd base where it stops and turns to left field.  There is usually plenty of room here for about 20 people.  This is a popular spot for visiting pitchers to sign as they usually warm up or play catch right at this corner on the field. 

So good luck and have your items ready.

Think Outside the Box

Yes, I have many regular signed items, such as mini-helmets, photos and plenty of baseballs.  The easiest explanation for this is that these items are easy to carry, at shows they are the cheapest to have signed and most importantly athletes/celebrities are accustomed to signing these everyday collector items.

However, I have found that if you can diversify your collection with some unique or rare items, not only does that add value to your collection, it will usually generate a conversation with the athlete/celebrity and you will have a more memorable interaction with that person.

Some simple, but sometimes expensive ideas are game used items such as bases, stadium seats, and stadium seat backs.  There just aren't many of these around and these items have just become accessible to the regular fan, such as me. 


Fenway Seat Back signed by Hall of Famers, Jim Rice and Carlton Fisk.

There are some other unique items that many of us never think of.  For instance collectible toy team trucks are usually numbered to 1500.  Bobblehead dolls given out by minor league teams usually only have 500-1500 available on a particular night.  Seeing that very few people will ever get them signed, they become a unique and rare item in a collection.


David Ortiz autographed collectible truck.



Bret Saberhagen autographed bobblehead, less than 1700 of these items were produced.

When I'm asked what some of my favorite items are in my collections I always show those individuals my Bill Clinton signed flyer from 1992, my baseball lineup cards from different dugouts and my 2004 world series headline collage.  All of these items are great conversation starters, they are rare and most importantly they are all one of a kind and will not be reproduced.



Bill and Hillary Clinton autographed fliers from their respective presidential campaigns.




2005 Portland SeaDog line up card from a game in May.  Autographed by current stars such as Jon Lester, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and others.

So before you are ready to get that 8x10 or mini helmet signed, see what else you can find, think outside the box, and add value to your experience and collection. 

My Rankings Are Out.

One of my favorite aspects of collecting autographs is having the inevitable conversation with a stranger in a line or at an sporting event about who signs and who doesn't.  Who is rude and polite?  Who signs a great autograph and who scribbles.  I probably have this conversation about 40 times a year and I always learn something new about an athlete or celebrity and their signing habits.

With that said, I thought it was time for me to release my rankings of such topics.  As I've said before, all my autograph experiences have an individual story.  So these rankings are from my own experience and my own observations.  All of these experiences occurred at a sport venue or an athlete's workplace.

I have 7 categories that I will list.  The first player listed is the best or worst of that respective list.  Everyone after that is listed in no particular order.

Category #1:  I have always witnessed these retired players sign autographs when requested.  In my opinion, you couldn't have even tried to miss these players signing.
Johnny Pesky
Nomar Garciaparra
Dwight Evans
Rick Dempsey
Phil Niekro
Luis Tiant
Rafael Palmeiro
Kevin Millar
Bill Mueller
Bob Feller

Category #2:  I have always witnessed these current players sign autographs when requested.  In my opinion, you couldn't have even tried to miss these players signing.
Vernon Wells
Josh Hamilton
Roy Halladay
Carlos Gonzales
Chris Carpenter
Jack Wilson
Matt Holliday
Bronson Arroyo
Chipper Jones
David Murphy
Eric Hinske
Eric Chavez
Todd Helton
Doug Mientkiewicz

Category #3:  These players used to sign all the time and since 2007 I have not seen them sign any items when asked.
Jacoby Ellsbury
Mark Teixeira
Jason Varitek
Alex Rodriguez
Dustin Pedroia
Albert Pujols
Jonathan Papelbon
Hanley Ramirez
Manny Ramirez
David Ortiz

Category #4:  These folks will sign once in a while, and when they choose to take time to sign, they will sign for about 40-50 people.
Mariano Rivera
Pedro Martinez
Frank Thomas
Keith Foulke
Dave Roberts
Joba Chamberlain
Carl Crawford
Aaron Hill
Lyle Overbay
Ubaldo Jimenez

Category #5:  I have never seen these folks sign autographs when requested.  Most of these athletes won't even acknowledge the fans when request signatures.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Derek Jeter
Roger Clemens
Tim Wakefield
Eddie Murray
Fransicso Rodriguez
David Wells
Andy Pettitte
Randy Johnson

Category #6:  These athletes have the best quality autographs.  Every letter is spelled out and written clearly.
Mariano Rivera
Carl Yastrzemski
Andre Dawson
Dom Dimaggio
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Bobby Richardson

Bill Mazeroski
Gordy Howe
Harmon Killebrew

Rodrigo Lopez

Adam Vinatieri

John Havlicek

Sam Jones



Gordie Howe, Dom Dimaggio, Carl Yastrzemski, Rodrigo Lopez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Andre Dawson signed items.

Category #7:  These folks have the messiest autographs.  Usually have to label the item as soon as it's signed so I don't forget who signed it. 

Pumpsie Green

Rajon Rondo

Manny Ramirez

Robert Parish
Josh Hamilton
Chris Carpenter
Dustin Pedroia
Ryan Kalish
Jonathan Papelbon


Manny Ramirez, Robert Parish, Pumpsie Green, Ryan Kalish and Chris Carpenter signed items.  Can you guess the correct signatures?



If you have a different experience or want to add to these lists please comment below.