Its just rubbish

[New Forest]

Looking on eBay for anything that might have something to do with Leyton FC - usual crap comes up week after week. Several programmes vastly overpriced.

Also noticed some modern autographs said to be Leyton Orient. I used to get plenty of Orient autographs back in the late fifties and I can still read the names. The ones today they are just scrawls. I can see no point in collecting these. You see it at places like Wimbledon as the tennis players come off they do a quick squizzle and thats that.

[Flaming Pie]

It would be interesting if anyone on the forum who collects team autographs through the years could date when footballers began to just do a scribble . I wonder what caused them to start doing this? .Could be wrong, but I think it might have started in the 1990s when players seem to just scribble an initial and their shirt number? I suppose Wimbledon tennis stars think they have only got a few minutes so l better scribble something for the fans before doing a television interview? Many years ago l used to check ‘Who’s Who’ for addresses and send off for autographs. Lots of the time you never got a response, but the genuine ones, we are talking about absolute legends here like Pele and Muhammad Ali , would always send a dedicated autograph( not a printed one ) back . Ali would even write a short note. I think he spent a few hours every day just replying to people who wrote to him..

[Tynie Topics]

It's changed days from the 50/60/70/80's, I mean, how often do you actually have to sign your name these days? I very rarely need to sign anything and my signature is much more of a scribble than it was 25 years ago. I can't even remember the last time I wrote anything substantial at all.

It's just natural evolution rather than a conscious effort to have a bad signature, a lot of contracts now accept a digital signature for example. In a short time you won't really need to write anything in pencil or ink, in fact we're probably there now.
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[Dorking]

I think the quality of signatures has deteriorated rapidly starting approx 15 years ago.

I think it was just the massive surge in 'fame' of footballers, it's two-fold - firstly they get asked a lot more, but secondly, they (mostly) can't be bothered to put any effort in - a quick 'swirl' with a squad number underneath is pretty standard sadly

There is always the odd player who is the exception, and 'old skool' former players, and managers make more of an effort.

I still have the autographs I got as a kid, Hoddle, Lineker and Bryan Robson (for example) gave you the exact same autograph as you'd see printed on their 'endorsed by' merch.

And the likes of gents like Trevor Brooking would ask your name and dedicate it to you as well - 'Best wishes David' etc!

I think the only thing I can say is if you have a 'quality' autograph book, that SOME footballers take a bit more care, and make the signature a bit nicer looking than a one second scrawl.

And yes, those scribbles that the tennis players do as they leave Centre Court at Wimbledon, don't look worth ruining good merch for!!

[Flaming Pie]

Here’s three Newcastle goalscoring legends ( only joking about Owen!) l think they are genuine? Shearer and Owen are legible enough for modern era players , but 1970s hero, Malcolm McDonald , is slightly harder to make out . Did the rot set in earlier than l thought ?

[sharrowblade]

To be fair signing a tennis ball with a decent signature isn't easy and as for golf balls nigh on impossible.
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A Sheffield United Programme guide

[Thedoog10]

My all-time footballing hero the late Derek Dougan Wolves etc was an autograph hunters dream he never once refused to sign for me dispite bombarding him with requests over the years .
One of my girls had a big crush on a player early 2000i sent of a photo to him asking could he sign it has I was going to have it framed for my daughter's birthday is agent wrote back and said he could do it for me for £50 needless to say I told him what to do with that .

[Dorking]

99.9% of my autographed stuff, I have acquired myself in person, I just don't trust most people who sell signed stuff, and there'd always be an element of doubt. Also it means more to me knowing I stood in the car park for ages over several occasions to get a complete team, or a particular signature.

The one or two exceptions are ones I just know are authentic because of age, provenance etc - the sort of old biro stuff from donkeys years ago that you just know isn't the sort of stuff likely to be faked and which matches up with other examples.

Can't be doing with the mass of modern 'sharpie' signed glossy photos and framed shirts that are out there these days, even if there are numerous 'pros' going round getting them. And even less the stuff where a former star player sits in hotel and signs a huge pile of identical shirts, even though you know it's genuine, it's so impersonal

[Markpat22]

I don't collect football autographs but I do have autographed photos of actors. It is rare now to be able to get free autographs via the post. A lot of actors now sell them on their online stores for $50 at least. Even if you attend a convention you have to pay extra on top for a signed photo on top of the ticket price.

[New Forest]

Things certainly are changing. My street was close to the Leyton Orient ground. During the summer we used to go in and watch the players training. We also collected their autographs. They had time and were only to pleased to be asked.

A signed photograph for £50 sounds a bit steep. I cannot believe that someone like David Beckham would be one of those. At Wadham Lodge they did have a large poster signed by David behind the bar.

Last week I was at a Steeleye Span concert and the performers including Maggie Prior were signing and selling CD's (also signed). So there are still some nice people about.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

New Forest wrote:

Things certainly are changing. My street was close to the Leyton Orient ground. During the summer we used to go in and watch the players training. We also collected their autographs. They had time and were only to pleased to be asked. A signed photograph for £50 sounds a bit steep. I cannot believe that someone like David Beckham would be one of those. At Wadham Lodge they did have a large poster signed by David behind the bar. Last week I was at a Steeleye Span concert and the performers including Maggie Prior were signing and selling CD's (also signed). So there are still some nice people about.

Gaudete!