Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many, many more have none at all ... here's a look at a few that have entered my collection in recent months as part of what will now be an ongoing series here. 

CERTIFIED INK
The Item: John Cena autographed The Last Time Is Now retirement tour 11-by-14 -- created and only initially sold by WWE
What It Cost Me: $24 via an autograph mystery buy
What's It Worth: He signed a lot of similar prints last year, typically selling for $75-100 and up over on eBay
The Buzz: The year-long retirement tour of WWE's top active star meant plenty of city-specific merch at many of his stops and then other general stuff like this signed print that was sold at other events. This one isn't tied to any one city -- many are and with some having announced editions of 1,000 copies -- and this one didn't have a specific volume signed that I have seen anywhere but I was more than pleased when I landed this one in a mystery box recently at a sliver of its typical eBay pricing. These photos were not sold unsigned and were released by WWE, making this a certified auto via them. Some eBay sellers have gotten these third-party authenticated (and that brings safety in the eyes of some buyers willing to pay more) while this is just like most of those that were signed. Cena's autographs are in high demand -- and perhaps higher demand now with life away from the ring to amp up more with him perhaps signing less WWE stuff -- but he's also been a signing machine for a long time. Watch this video from years ago. I have had his auto a few times on cards and other items from back in the day, so the stuff like this would not have been on my radar or in my collection if it wasn't for a mystery buy. I'll take it.
Find Ink: WWE boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a look at more autographs of different types.

Continue reading →

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: New NBA, Heritage and WWE pulls lead the way, but there's also Pokemon Celebrations, the "49ers are trash" says a San Fran fan and one asks "Are there MLB players without certified autos?"

Continue reading →