Egraphs - Cool or Gimmick?

[frikativ54]

A company calling itself Egraphs is now selling facsimile signature personalized notes from players. Fans have the chance to send players a digital letter, and the latter respond with a personalized facsimile autograph and short letter.

Some think it's awesome, but others in the traditional autograph industry have their doubts. Brandon Steiner feels that it is similar to the replica jersey that a six-year-old gets. "I don't understand how that's a collectible," Steiner says.

What do you think: Autographs Go High-Tech With Seattle Company (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Baseball-autographs-go-hi-tech-with-Seattle-company-Egraphs-172294191.html)?

[ousooner_85]

From a collectors standpoint, I would say its pretty cheesy. If I was a six year kid I would probably think it's pretty cool.

[xpress34]

There's a little more to it than that.

The player's that are contracted to eGraphs also personally record a message to the eGraph recipient, so while the auto and note might be a 'facsimile', the personal voice message is authentic.

I have looked at them a few times and thought it would be cool to get for the voice recording and then take the eGraph to Spring Training and have the photo actually signed as well.

It is an interesting product - but pricey.

[jake33]

I think Gabe Kapler is behind this company.... I read of this in July when the Rays said they will offer this. I don't really understand it and think it is a gimmick.

[schubert1970]

How is this a game used discussion? Doesn't this belong in General. Guess the mods are on vacation.

[trsent]

How is this a game used discussion? Doesn't this belong in General. Guess the mods are on vacation.

It should be there with the daily sports obits but then it might get lost in the shuffle with so many legends passing every day.

[Preston]

HORRIBLE idea - it's one less incentive for athletes to sign autographs for fans.

[rufusandherschel]

A company calling itself Egraphs is now selling facsimile signature personalized notes from players. Fans have the chance to send players a digital letter, and the latter respond with a personalized facsimile autograph and short letter.

Some think it's awesome, but others in the traditional autograph industry have their doubts. Brandon Steiner feels that it is similar to the replica jersey that a six-year-old gets. "I don't understand how that's a collectible," Steiner says.

What do you think: Autographs Go High-Tech With Seattle Company (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Baseball-autographs-go-hi-tech-with-Seattle-company-Egraphs-172294191.html)?


Gimmick all the way!

[Trublubrucru]

It also joins Jerseys that are Pro-cut( used to be store model), or The loosely coined term team issued(replica), on fleecing fans for more coin. Game Used just ain't what it used to be.

[cliffjmp33]

And in less than a year, E-Graphs is no longer.

https://www.egraphs.com/

Dear Friends,
Sadly, I must announce that we will be shutting down Egraphs.
We ran into some unforeseen obstacles that ultimately prevented us from continuing to operate. It has been a very difficult time for us here at the company, as every one of us was dedicated to building out the future of fan-celebrity interactions. We were fortunate enough to witness some amazing experiences between you all, and it was what enabled us to work up to this point.
We wanted to send our sincerest thanks to those of you that have supported our company in any way.
For our customers, we hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy your egraphs. Every celebrity put a little of themselves into each one, and we want you to have those memories forever.
To our celebrities, we wanted to give all of you a better way to share yourself with your fans. We hope that someone else will carry our torch forward for you. It was clear to us that you need better ways to interact personally with your fans, and we see a bright future for those options.
To our partners, fans, and others, we appreciate all the numerous ways you directly and indirectly supported us. Launching a new product is never easy, and we could not have even gotten off with ground without a lot of help.
Starting a business is always a gamble and most do not make it to sustainability. The most difficult part is disappointing those of you who believed in the idea with us. We gave Egraphs everything we had, but the landscape proved a little too treacherous.
We will be reaching out to many of you through email to give you more relevant information about your specific situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please continue to email support@egraphs.com.
Thank you all again. We hope you have fond memories of your experiences, as we certainly do.
Sincerely,
David Auld & The Egraphs Team

[TwinLakesPark]

All I know is that my Don Mattingly egraph is really cool, and the recorded message that he left for me is the best part. I am not at liberty to discuss their business matters, but this company was poised for exceptional global growth.

http://asevotech.com/donny.png

[allstarsplus]

That's incredible that they closed up so abruptly. I thought their product served a great niche and their sales from what I heard were good and more players were signing up all the time. This line has to make you wonder, what was the unforseen obstacle?

"We ran into some unforeseen obstacles that ultimately prevented us from continuing to operate."