what do you think about selling ttm's

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sturgeon

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This isnt to **** people off just wondering how others feel about it. I personally dont sell ttms just because i figure if they are nice enough to not charge me and sign for free I dont think i should make money off of them, but I will trade a ttm, as I feel like a trade isnt profiting money wise. I also dont like to pay more then a dollar for ttms as many are not verified and anyone could have signed them and theres so much difference between peoples prices and i can find certified autos for some of the prices asked. i also must say I dont have a problem with people selling them as sometimes thats the only way to get some guys anymore.
 
Agreed...although I've done all of 3 TTMs in my whole life, I do alot of IP so I feel the same way about that. I will trade duplicates but I've never sold an autograph.
 
I have sold a lot of stuff, but have always made it known how it was obtained. I have also been doing this for 25 years, so have an idea of what authentic looks like vs. autopen, secretarial, etc. I think if a person is willing to buy ttm items, they know they are taking a chance on getting something that isnt legit.

I agree with sturgeon, I dont like to go more than $1 per item, but some people dont sign anymore, so buying is the only way to get their signature. I think as long as both parties are clear on what is being bought and sold and how it was obtained, they are fine. Otherwise, send a 50/50 to your buddy Brian and he can get autos from the Wahoos!!!!
 
Thanks for responding guys. glad to see theirs still people out there not just in it for the money, and trying to get more then they need out of it. side note. Ive seen so many autographs reported to be fakes even with authenticity letters that I wouldnt put it past some people to grab a few different sharpies and sign cards and sell them as ttms. and since i dont sell any ttms ive never looked to see if mine look authentic so some could be signed by family members or friends and im probably not gonna know it. I just assume they are real as if they gonna go through the motions of having someone else sign for them they might as well sign it themselves
 
i too do not sell or trade my TTM's. but i see them all over Ebay. and in some ways i am glad to see people selling them. because i know they are the sellers that are there to avoid too. also i don't TTM anymore mostly because of the cost and low return. took a chance on mark McGwire a few years back and just got his autos returned a month or so back too. they look good but i am not an expert of if they are authentic or not. but the thing that gets me is the guys we ask for sigs are not dummies and they know maybe 50% of the people requesting are going to sell and they may not care if its a family signing event to get the mail cleared out. now i know that may not be true a lot of these guys (vast majority) are great guys but some just dont give a you know what too.

collect at your own risk and enjoy what ya get. thats what TTM is about.

dave
 
I think the people who sell TTM acquired autos are ruining the hobby. Current and former players aren't stupid, they look on Ebay too. When they see their autos on Ebay, that's why they don't like to sign through the mail or in person. And that's why more and more reliable signers are now starting to charge for their autographs.
 
Players control their own supply but the demand is driven by a number of factors such as team represented, player performance, card/set type, etc. I don't think players making millions generated mostly from their fans support shouldn't have an issue with someone making $1.50 or $2 on their signature via resale, which is probably the bulk of the TTM market. Bigger name players who would command more money and thus better resale either don't have the time or the inclination to sign and their supply remains low to the demand, but retired guys who maybe have plenty of time to read and respond to fan mail can ultimately create little aftermarket value for their signature, if that is a concern, by signing frequently (like a Bob Feller).

I rely on sellers to get the bulk of mine because (1) I don't want to deal with the mailing aspect and (2) I get what I need immediately. I see no issue selling anything that was obtained free, other than maybe selling something you got free that was only free to you due to a special circumstance that excludes others having the ability or possibility to get that same item for free themselves. By that I don't mean someone who just happened to have an inside connection for something through friends/family type of situation, but rather I mean someone who has special discounts or freebies because they need it and then look to resell to take advantage of the system.
 
I'll state where I'm at on this: I have sold some of my signed cards, including some that were done TTM. However there are fairly specific guidelines that I use during this process.

1. I only sell if they offer to buy it from me and/or no trade could be reached by me and the other party. This means that, depending on how it played out, I at least attempted to trade it to them first or they have no intent in trading and would rather buy it from me.

2. In conjunction with the last statement, I do not openly sell my autographs on ebay or like sites. A lot of you mentioned this in your reasons for not liking autograph sellers, so I'm making sure to state this, and do so early on.

3. I price it fairly and don't try to rip people off. That means that the super easy signers of 2015 are priced at $1 + shipping cost. I figure the card, my time to acquire the autograph, and my time to prepare the request is worth that.

4. Most cases the cards I do end up selling were acquired through a 50/50, in person, or by trade. This is because those purchasing the item(s) don't have the same opportunities as I do and therefore have to use monetary means to add them to their collection most of the time.

5. I rarely buy myself, but when I do I always look for a good price that I just can't pass up and is something that I want to keep.
 
Good rules to have. Thats what we all like to hear. Try to trade and help each other out and sell as a last resort and not to just get a autograph for free and make money pissing the average collector or the signer off. Were not the only ones who read this and to think the signers dont know how it all works either is rediculous. Thanks to all the signers who still take the time to sign

Great that we have more then just one opinion here, even if we dont agree.

Heres a question. Has anyone heard of selling ttms that are faked? I know big names are faked alot and get looked at closely but has anyone heard of people just buying some sharpies and signing different cards and been caught. You dont make alot of money quickly but thats how i can see them going for years without being caught as i believe most people dont get them authenticated. I would hate to see something like this but i have to assume theirs people that would try to scam collectors that way. Couple dollars here and there add up
 
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