COLLECTING
AUTOGRAPHS IN THE YO-YO WORLD
Autograph collecting is a natural extension of collecting
memorabilia especially when the memorabilia has an association with certain
individuals.
Why do people collect autographs?
Well, largely because it is fun memory of a meeting of an
individual at a particular point in time or event.Additionally collecting autographs on yo-yo memorabilia
can increase their value.Most
notable example would be the Nixon Autographed Yo-Yo which is the highest price
ever paid for a yo-yo at $16, 029.00.I can assure you that the price was so high not because of the yo-yo
having any intrinsic value, it was the circumstance of which President Nixon
autographed the yo-yo.Most
autographed yo-yos and other pieces of yo-yo memorabilia will not have any
immediate appreciable increase in value but there are exceptions. For most
though, the collection of an autograph on a yo-yo is just a fun side of
collecting and getting to know people.
What kind of items does a person look for in getting
autographed?
Well obviously, yo-yos would be the most typical but
there are other items that are commonly autographed, such as books, contest
flyers, trading cards, videos and contest posters.Contest posters are especially popular at large events
such Nationals or Worlds in that you can generally pick up a number of top
players and personalities in the Yo-Yo World all on one interesting piece and
this is certainly a nice way to display all the signatures.
Whose autographs do people look for?
Well, it could be any personality in the Yo-Yo World.
Demonstrators are asked for their autographs most often. Others include world
record holders, past champions, authors of books and publications on yo-yos,
company owners, yo-yo designers and the list goes on.
Where do you meet these people?
The easiest way to find people is at the large events
such as World Championships, National Championships, etc.
Even local events often times will have celebrity judges who are
demonstrators or World record holders.If you cannot make it to events you can still request signatures through
the mail.If you are going to
request signatures in the mail, make sure you enclose a self addressed stamped
envelope. I would suggest if you are going to send some valuable piece of
memorabilia that you request a signature, that you contact the individual first,
so they know to expect it, and to make sure that they would be willing to give
you a signature on the item.Be
clear in writing where you would like the item signed and it's not a bad idea
to enclose the pen or marker to be used.You
want to make the signing process as easy as possible for the signer.Again, make sure you enclose proper return packaging, mailing label and
postage for the return of the item to you.
Where should a yo-yo be signed?
There is no standard place for an autograph to be
placed on a yo-yo.My
favorite position is having the person sign along the front of the rim on the
front face so as you display the yo-yo the signature is easily seen.Use a permanent marker that is a contrasting color to the paint on the
yo-yo.If there is not a large logo
on the face of the yo-yo, the signature can go directly across the face.
Although most people in the Yo-Yo Community are
friendly, and happy to sign autographs, you may find some individuals that are
reluctant to sign.I must
impress upon you not to force the issue.Be
gracious whether they accept or decline your request.There are definitely times when you should not ask an individual for an
autograph.For instance, judges
that are actively judging should not be distracted and competitors immediately
before their competition are usually concentrating on their routine and find
this distracting. Finally, it is generally considered impolite to ask
individuals for souvenirs such as yo-yos, etc., unless they are giving them away
as a part of a promotion.
Below is a list of a variety of personalities in the
Yo-Yo World that you might be interested in having their signature on a yo-yo or
other piece of memorabilia.Some
individuals are closely associated with certain yo-yos, etc., and I have tried
to list some of the items that would be nice to have their signature on to help
the new collector.If you see
somebody that you think should be listed email me and tell me why and what item
it would be cool to have there autograph on and we may add his or her name to
the list.
LuckyJ@msn.com
Good luck with your hunt!
