Interview with Chris Coleman - Autographed Baseballs

Chris, how did you get interested in collecting baseball autographs?

My dad forcing me (lol) to get baseballs signed by guests at card shows in the early 90's. I was hung up on modern baseball cards at the time, which are worthless now. He told me that it would be the signed baseballs that would be special to me later on. He was right. My Willie Stargell and Brooks Robinson autographed balls mean a lot to me now. I can't even remember what cards I bought at the shows.

Around that time, I became friends with the manager of the video rental store where I worked part-time. We talked a lot about baseball and autographs when we weren't busy. He showed me how he got things signed at minor league games. The Hoover (AL) Met Stadium was just up the highway from the video store, so it was pretty easy to get autographs. Some of the players were our video customers.

So you eventually just quite collecting cards and worked on your signed baseball collection?

Yes, but it took a long time to quit the cards. I finally just got tired of sorting through tens of thousands of cards that I really didn't care about. I still have a few books of cards that I like - most of them are vintage, going back to the 1950s. In the 1980s, the card companies really messed up the hobby, for me anyway.

How do you get your autographs now?

I get about 90% of them at the games, fanfests, and team caravans. Almost all of the rest I get "through the mail." Getting a good player though the mail is pretty hard. When I see that envelope in my mailbox addressed to me, my heart starts beating a little faster.

Do you buy on eBay?

Yes, but very little. I buy the occasional autograph that is almost impossible to get any other way.

How do you rely on COA's or do you try to figure out for yourself if an autograph is authentic?

No, a COA means nothing to me. It might make a ball easier to sell later on, but I don't buy anything that I don't intend to keep.

Do you ever sell or trade any of your autographs?

I sell things that I get signed in-person that really don't fit into my collection. Sometimes I have nothing else for a player to sign but a program. I would probably sell that if I could find a buyer.

How many signed baseballs do you have?

Over 300.

That's a lot. That many balls in cubes could wallpaper a small room.

What are some of your favorites?

Albert Pujols, Matt Kemp, and Evan Longoria

Has your interest in collecting baseballs waned from time to time, or has it always been fun?

Sometimes while waiting for a 20 year old kid to sign my items, I think of what else I could be doing. But then once I am done, I am glad I took the time.

What advice do you have for someone just wanting to get into this hobby?

Don't assume that there will be another time to get a player. I can't tell you how many players I have missed thinking they will be there the next day.

If you were starting all over again, would you do anything differently? If so, what?

I probably would have gotten some players on baseballs instead of cards. I have albums filled with cards, and they are fun to flip though. But it is the baseballs that I really enjoy collecting.

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