2011’s TTM returns the “Break Down on cost vs. Hobby”

[oldmarine0311]

Over the last year I sent out 798 TTM requests. Mostly baseball, some hockey and golf just because I had cards and knew they would sign and I could add them to my collection.

The Golf that I sent out was, 30 cards, with a return of 24, one RTS and 5 not returned as of the end of the year.

The Hockey sent out was (19) I had a return of 12, 2 RTS’s and 5 no shows as of the end of the year.

Baseball being that I really only collect baseball was by far the principal amount of cards sent out, was a whopping 748 cards. I had a return of 402 with a RTS of 30 and 316 not returned by the end of the year.

Well I am not sure if the cost is worth the TTM hobby anymore. Where I Live and the inability I have in traveling to events and Games (closest is Seattle ugggg) for IP. I am wondering if the cost of sending out a TTM (newbs.. that’s Through the mail) is worth the expense. Figure in general I send out one maybeeee two cards usually just one card per TTM. That keeps the cost down and since I don’t trade or sell my TTM’s I hope that one card a time makes the signor feel less likely to be taken advantage of (my opinion and thoughts anyway). So let’s figure this two stamps at 88 cents per. That comes to an apx. Total on my TTM’s this year at 702.24 and with the RTS. That total is lowered a little because I can reuse the inner envelope for a new signor. And that I’m not really figuring into the total here just yet.
Not to mention the cost of envelopes, paper and stor-safe sleeves and address labels, and cost of cards, although I really only send out the “junk” cards for TTM’s.

So what are your ideas or opinions? Keep in mind in really don’t send to current players because they seem far less likely to sign cards and from past experience I’ve seen a far lower return from modern players as TTM’s go. But if you TTM are you going to do this season or not too? Ideas? Comments?

Thanks Dave

 

[mrmopar]

I look at TTM/IP autographs this way, because I buy most of mine, with some occasional trades. Anytime I can get a signed card I want for a buck or less, I am in regardless. As you note, I would have to spend a minimum of 88 cents to even get a chance at getting the card signed. Factor in an average cost for envelopes and some misc. supplies (mostly recycled stuff though) and I might add a few cents perhaps. I am still under a buck cost per card, but then I have to wait for weeks or more, risk loss or damage and even then the guy might send me a different card than what I sent.

Between $1-2, I am probably still buying them, but I am a little more selective, passing on cards here and there. Above $2, I start deciding if the card & player selection and the quality of autograph is worth it. That is not to say I won't pay more than $2 per card, but they have to be the right player and card.

You got 438 cards back signed and more may still trickle in. That is currently $1.60 per card not factoring in your other costs and time invested. Not a bad price I would say and the enjoyment you get from getting an envelope in the mail every couple of days or so is worth something, right? I guess the question to ask is would you have been willing to spend $700+ for those cards anyway? If not, then maybe it is time to refocus the efforts to only players you really want and are known signers (focus on quality over quantity) or give it up all together.

I would only send to guys I wanted, so I would certainly be happy at $1.60 per card for guys I wanted anyway. We all have differing collecting interests, but I have to be honest in saying I wonder about some of the returns I see. The people seem so happy to get common player X, but often they are players I might not have been willing to spend a buck for to begin with, but maybe they are building sets, a team collector or just like the player for some reason. I value common Dodgers more than semis and even stars sometimes. I just won a lot of signed minor league commons and was more excited to know I will be getting Lemmie Miller and Larry White than if it were Steve Sax or Fernando Valenzuela! I know others would question me in those cases as well, so it's all about what you like I guess.

 

[CW13]

very good thread...i don't send to many current players and 99% of mine are baseball related also. i did go about 17-17 with baseballs this year which i do not expect to duplicate. i agree with you guys that i am starting to be more selective and definitely focusing more on vintage cards and older Rangers. i, too, would be happy with $1.60 a card.
once again, i always try to stay up to date with "the window"...but that is easier said than done!!

 

[dragonslayer913]

I miss doing TTM auto's but had to stop because i was out of work and could no longer afford the postage ended up selling/trading most of my collection..but still every now and then send a few out here and there and every once while get one back when i was into it.

 

[BoomerSooner]

If you are having money issues that are making you examine your hobby in this way, it would seem logical to stop for a while or at least pull back. You certainly can't be questioning your success- 440 sigs in one year? That's freaking awesome, regardless of who they are from. 440 times last year, you opened the mailbox and got that little charge of electricity when you saw that envelope addressed to you in your own writing, and your mind quickly raced, wondering who it was from, was it that one that's been out for 10 years, or the new hot rookie, or the one you need to finish that team set? 440 times you got the thrill of slicing that envelope open and finding a signed card, connecting with someone you have never met, nor probably ever will. 440 times you have opened your binder or box and gently slid that signed card into it's rightful place, thinking how cool it looks there. 440 times minimum you smiled last year.

Sounds priceless to me.

 

[oldmarine0311]

I look at TTM/IP autographs this way, because I buy most of mine, with some occasional trades. Anytime I can get a signed card I want for a buck or less, I am in regardless. ! I know others would question me in those cases as well, so it's all about what you like I guess.

COndensed your quote lol...


You make some good points, and yea more will come in i hope they will lol. I will more than likely continue collecting. i have been sending out alot of 79 topps for autos and 88 donruss too. Mostly becasue i have tons of them, especially after a case of 88's just purchased last year.

i guess in someways its ust frustration and thats more of what i wanted off my chest, but it comes down to what your saying its still only about 2bucks for a purchase vs the 2 bucks it costs for sending them out. so im sure i will send out more this year (2012) but still i wanted more feedback so lets hope more guys chip in too.

thanks dave

 

[tribefan]

You can cut down the cost of outgoing postage by picking a number of players on the same team. Instead of sending individual packets, consolidate the out-going mailings into one package.

If that's not clear, let me explain...

Pick a team and target 10-12 guys you'd like. Write your letters and package the individual envelopes as you would if you were sending the packet to each single player at a single location. Then instead of the individual postage on each envelope, consolidate them into a single package for the single destination (for example, Washington Nationals spring training site).

The mailroom opens the package and finds the 8-10 envelopes for each player in camp. They get sorted into the same team mail distribution as if they came in individually.

I've done it this way for years and have about the same success rate as the single player mailings. I've never gotten a return to sender!

I have gotten returns from places other than the point to which I've sent. I often send to spring training sites early in camp (as players are arriving). I've also seen where the team must have forwarded the packet to the player's new team (after they've been traded)... not sure if they added postage or had a chunk of mail to send to the player anyway.

 

[SLNoble13]

You can cut down the cost of outgoing postage by picking a number of players on the same team. Instead of sending individual packets, consolidate the out-going mailings into one package.

If that's not clear, let me explain...

Pick a team and target 10-12 guys you'd like. Write your letters and package the individual envelopes as you would if you were sending the packet to each single player at a single location. Then instead of the individual postage on each envelope, consolidate them into a single package for the single destination (for example, Washington Nationals spring training site).

The mailroom opens the package and finds the 8-10 envelopes for each player in camp. They get sorted into the same team mail distribution as if they came in individually.

I've done it this way for years and have about the same success rate as the single player mailings. I've never gotten a return to sender!

I have gotten returns from places other than the point to which I've sent. I often send to spring training sites early in camp (as players are arriving). I've also seen where the team must have forwarded the packet to the player's new team (after they've been traded)... not sure if they added postage or had a chunk of mail to send to the player anyway.

Never thought about this before. Thanks for the post! I will def. try it this year.

 

[valediction]

Over the last year I sent out 798 TTM requests. Mostly baseball, some hockey and golf just because I had cards and knew they would sign and I could add them to my collection.

The Golf that I sent out was, 30 cards, with a return of 24, one RTS and 5 not returned as of the end of the year.

The Hockey sent out was (19) I had a return of 12, 2 RTS’s and 5 no shows as of the end of the year.

Baseball being that I really only collect baseball was by far the principal amount of cards sent out, was a whopping 748 cards. I had a return of 402 with a RTS of 30 and 316 not returned by the end of the year.

Well I am not sure if the cost is worth the TTM hobby anymore. Where I Live and the inability I have in traveling to events and Games (closest is Seattle ugggg) for IP. I am wondering if the cost of sending out a TTM (newbs.. that’s Through the mail) is worth the expense. Figure in general I send out one maybeeee two cards usually just one card per TTM. That keeps the cost down and since I don’t trade or sell my TTM’s I hope that one card a time makes the signor feel less likely to be taken advantage of (my opinion and thoughts anyway). So let’s figure this two stamps at 88 cents per. That comes to an apx. Total on my TTM’s this year at 702.24 and with the RTS. That total is lowered a little because I can reuse the inner envelope for a new signor. And that I’m not really figuring into the total here just yet.
Not to mention the cost of envelopes, paper and stor-safe sleeves and address labels, and cost of cards, although I really only send out the “junk” cards for TTM’s.

So what are your ideas or opinions? Keep in mind in really don’t send to current players because they seem far less likely to sign cards and from past experience I’ve seen a far lower return from modern players as TTM’s go. But if you TTM are you going to do this season or not too? Ideas? Comments?

Thanks Dave

What would you do with the money? Buy cards? find a new hobby? save it? go on a vacation? Would you be happier with any of those than you would with the 430+ autographs you added to your collection?

 

[dp33]

If you are having money issues that are making you examine your hobby in this way, it would seem logical to stop for a while or at least pull back. You certainly can't be questioning your success- 440 sigs in one year? That's freaking awesome, regardless of who they are from. 440 times last year, you opened the mailbox and got that little charge of electricity when you saw that envelope addressed to you in your own writing, and your mind quickly raced, wondering who it was from, was it that one that's been out for 10 years, or the new hot rookie, or the one you need to finish that team set? 440 times you got the thrill of slicing that envelope open and finding a signed card, connecting with someone you have never met, nor probably ever will. 440 times you have opened your binder or box and gently slid that signed card into it's rightful place, thinking how cool it looks there. 440 times minimum you smiled last year.

Sounds priceless to me.

This was a great post.

I started new this year and sent out about 125 baseball (and 1 football, which I got back from Greg Jennings and was about the highlight of my year). I sent mostly to current players/minor leaguers, along with a few retired Brewers players/managers - definitely a focus on quality over quantity.

I was more happy with my investment (money and time) and return in my TTM autos (about 30 or so) than I was any trades or ebay purchases I made. It was nice to pick up a Triple Threads auto of Rick Porcello for $10, but I was ecstatic to get my favorite rookie card of his signed for the same $10 TTM. And certainly I invested a lot less than $10 for most of them. Add in the fringe benefits of TTM autos that others have referred to and I will most definitely be continuing to do so in 2012.

 

[KCLJ520]

I was away from TTM collecting for about 5 years and got started again recently, and MAN did I miss getting my SASE back in the mail!! It is definitely a lot of fun, as is trading.

Another way to cut down on your costs is to send to only favorite players, or ones that you have a personal respect for (values, style of play, etc.) I got to the point where I was sending just to send, and that does get costly. You send fewer requests, but get more quality returns.

Happy New Year!

 

[dadandsoncards]

I know sometimes it can be frustrating, especially in a drought, but I love the returns. I don't a huge amount of star cards or autographs, but I have so much fun opening my letters as if I were a kid again opening a pack of 84 topps. I also have a son now, and hope that he will appreciate the successes and will enjoy the hobby as much as I do and my dad before me. It's something I can pass down to him when I get older. I guess if there is a money issue but you want to continue, find a faithful signer and only do one a day or 5 a week. Thats what I did last year and had over 70 % success rate. Have fun!!!!

 

[oldmarine0311]

It's something I can pass down to him when I get older. I guess if there is a money issue. Have fun!!!!

This is a great thread i really like the idea of sending out a (large) mailing to spring training. so i am going to do that with alot of the Bluejays players. figure its easier and cheeper by far to send out to spring training. than it is to send out to Canada.

I know i said "if its worth" i guess that was a bad choice of words but still all the same i do consider worth all the time. no its not a money issue and yes i do love getting back my requests.

mostly i wanted a good discussion, thats what were doing here and also some very good ideas.

but i am still going to send, maybe not as much but usually vintage players got to get them before they go play in the stadium in the sky.

dave

 

[montserratplay]

This is indeed a cool thread! I know that I am losing money when I send TTM, but I think of it as a relatively cheap hobby. I definitely spend way more money on non-TTM baseball cards.

The biggest perk for me, I suppose, is that I get to write to ballplayers. I get to research a little and find out stuff I didn't previously know. Even if the player doesn't write back, I still get to think about what it was like to play for the St. Louis Browns or to dig in at Forbes Field and face Bob Gibson...so much fun!

And yes, I wish I had thought of sending all of my spring training requests in one big envelope. That's smart!