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Permalink Reply by Null on November 7, 2014 at 7:12am

LOL this is great Mike. At one point I would've considered myself an "autographaholic" but one day I looked around in my autograph room and asked myself "Why do I have these random people on my walls?". I was buying them just to buy them, with no "theme" or "team" in mind. I was buying autographs of players I didn't even care about. At that point I sold all of the "random" ones, and started narrowing down my collection and focusing on specific players/teams. I highly recommend doing this, it has really helped my wallet, and is quite enjoyable.

Quality over quantity is the key. I've noticed when my friends come over, they don't even really spend much time looking at my autograph walls. It's just cool decorations to them. Fact is, your walls could be covered in forgeries and your friends would have no clue. They would never want to look at 500+ autographs, probably half of which they would say "Who the hell is that, and why would you want their autograph?". But, when you have a real nice Mickey Mantle or someone of similar stature they just go "Wow...Is this real???" LOL. They didn't do that when I had Robert Horry and Robert Parish on the wall. 

I did have a "TTM Stage" where I would get antsy at lunch time just to run home and check the mail, and be pretty mad when nothing was in it. But that is over, I haven't sent a TTM in awhile now. In the grand scheme of things, it's just ink on a surface. There have been items I really liked that I had to sell and I thought I would miss them dearly, and I never have. For now I primarily just collect Mattingly as you know, and Mantle occasionally. Quite frankly I'm out of wall room, so it has to be a very cool piece for me to jump on it! 

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Permalink Reply by GraphingMlb on November 7, 2014 at 7:20am

I would have to I to suffer of this rare and financially breaking addiction. I was in a rehabilitated state for quiet a few years then BAM!!!I had a massive relapse and fell off the wagon.All it took was one autograph and I went into a full on frenzy..I too felt compelled to come home on lunch breaks to check the mail box to get my fix and would end up in a tail spin of a depression when nothing would come...That was probably when I was at my lowest point!

Tell you this autographs are one helluva drug and there is not one support group or blue book that can help.!

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Permalink Reply by Dom Vito Castiglione on November 7, 2014 at 9:12am

I met a guy who was a TTM dealer and used to sell them at a local show. He would send out 500+ each month. He got so hung up on it that he changed his work schedule around so that he could be at the mailbox to greet his carrier every day. When that wasn't enough, he started showing up at the post office and waited for his postman to arrive and start his route. He would request that his mail be handed to him at that point, but the post office stepped in and denied it. The post office did not budge and actually called the police to tell him that unless he had a PO Box that legally they couldn't do that. He then got an attorney involved and was suing the post office for racial discrimination. 

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on November 7, 2014 at 2:09pm

Great reply Ryan.  I totally agree.  I get the same question from people when they ask me if my Alfred Hitchcock autograph is real.  I just laugh when they ask.  Why would anyone hang a fake autograph on their wall?

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Permalink Reply by Micko on November 8, 2014 at 10:31am

Now there's a name for my disease! Thanks Mike!

Unfortunately there is no point in starting a support group as it will start out well, but it only takes one to fall off the wagon and trade/ sell a graph to another and then the problem will multiply!

Here's how I see the first meeting goes:

'Hi my name is Micko and I'm an autographaholic'

Then there's a break and we all have coffee and donuts and then the conversations start.

'Hi I'm Dave'

'Hi Dave, I'm Micko.'

'Nice to meet ya Micko, so er, what would be your dream autograph?'

'Oh I dunno, Duane Allman'

'Okay, dude, you're not going to believe it, thing is I have one...my dad's cousin was a roadie in the early seventies, I can show it to ya if you're interested?'

'I shouldn't man, this is a support group!'

'Hey, one look isn't going to hurt...'

And off the wagon I fall!

Ha!

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Permalink Reply by Coachgd on November 8, 2014 at 6:36pm

I too am an autographaholic.  Although, I have limited my sports addiction and have concentrated on rock n roll.  Don't get me wrong, I just got Terry Glenn today.  "Needed" him on my Ohio St full size helmet.  But I have slowly gotten out of baseball, never did basketball or hockey and am only working on Heisman, Ohio St. and football Hofers.  

I am one that likes to get things signed in person.  I find myself going after shows to try and get some autographs from bands.  I don't always go to the show, but I go after the show to see if i can meet them if the venue is close to me.  Next week,  Todd Rundgren is Wed, Chrissie Hynde is Thur, JD Souther is Sat. (have tickets to that one) and Foreigner is Sun.  Am I going to try for all of these?  How late are the nights going to be?  I do have a "real" job where I have to be up by 5:45.  Is it worth it?  It is if I get the graph, no if I don't.  Hmmm, help me doctor.  What should I do?!

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on November 9, 2014 at 6:05am

I will be visiting the Steiner Sports Store today.  I need to be strong.  Wish me luck everybody.

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Permalink Reply by Bjarne Soderholm on November 9, 2014 at 7:02am

You can do it Mike! Just be strong! We are all here to support you.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on November 9, 2014 at 4:47pm

Thank you Bjarne.

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Permalink Reply by john on November 9, 2014 at 10:29am

my wife did also think l was a graph-aholic until l got sick a good few years ago and cant drive or do much of anything without someone with me...now if l want to go get a autograph l need her to drive me... but lve been to anxious (panic attacks) to go..been really a recluse since l got sick. l have whats called Fybromyalsia and it is 1000% More than what the Lyrica tv commercials lets on--

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Permalink Reply by Ian Baldock on November 9, 2014 at 2:24pm

Sorry to read that. When people find out I collect autographs I am always asked one question and always have the same answer. Whats your favorite autograph?  My next one!

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Permalink Reply by john on November 9, 2014 at 4:14pm

being here in the tri-state area(NJ) we asked the same question all the time  "How much you gettin on EBay for this" or "U all are dealers arent ya"  BC lm not l still am in the group and nothing l can do about it but l did what everyone else did in having my daughter help me and she got a hell of a lot better then l have...lol She got Reggie Bush on my Heisman ball letter for letter when everyone was getting his RB...Her favorite graph is Bart Starr. He was only signing for kids so l gave her my QB ball and he inscribed it to her...Alls good...lol   we are on out 3 QB and 2nd Heisman...getting Young on both balls(no joke intended..lol) done

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