when signing "game used" - do players themselves really know for sure what their signing?

[3arod13]

As you look at this picture of Ryan Howard signing this batting helment, with a yellow sticky stuck to it letting him to know how to sign it "2005 ROY GAMER," doesn't it make you wonder if Howard himself even knows for sure or even cares if this is his 2005 ROY GAMER?

I realize that many players do multiple signings; have many items put in front of them with notes on how to sign things; and for only a short period of time, but do you think they even care what they're signing, as long as they're getting paid?

Do players put a lot of trust in these promoters that what they're signing is legit?

This picture really bothers me and makes me wonder.

Regars, Tony

[3arod13]

As you look at this picture of Ryan Howard signing this batting helment, with a yellow sticky stuck to it letting him to know how to sign it "2005 ROY GAMER," doesn't it make you wonder if Howard himself even knows for sure or even cares if this is his 2005 ROY GAMER?

I realize that many players do multiple signings; have many items put in front of them with notes on how to sign things; and for only a short period of time, but do you think they even care what they're signing, as long as they're getting paid?

Do players put a lot of trust in these promoters that what they're signing is legit?

This picture really bothers me and makes me wonder.

Regards, Tony

Added larger picture

[mvandor]

Everyone has their own ethics, I'm sure players differ on how they handle these situations.

[kylehess10]

Is this picture from one of those marketing companies like ESM,ASI,LRM,etc?

[XPFO]

I know that when Elite meets up with their athletes it is the athletes that bring the gear with them, and the promoter only provides the balls/photo's to sign. It is quite possible that the yellow sticky on that helmet was one that a specific customer reserved in advance and that is the inscription that they wanted put on the helmet.

[3arod13]

Is this picture from one of those marketing companies like ESM,ASI,LRM,etc?

http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gifaimgauctions (http://myworld.ebay.com/aimgauctions/)

http://cgi.ebay.com/2005-Phillies-Ryan-Howard-Game-Used-auto-Helmet-PSA-DNA_W0QQitemZ220138441810QQihZ012QQcategoryZ50117Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[3arod13]

I know that when Elite meets up with their athletes it is the athletes that bring the gear with them, and the promoter only provides the balls/photo's to sign. It is quite possible that the yellow sticky on that helmet was one that a specific customer reserved in advance and that is the inscription that they wanted put on the helmet.

Makes sense. I've also see post with pictures of athletes signing items with a stack of blank LOA's in which the player signed. Anything can be added after the fact. Just curious.

[geoff]

I have been to the Phillies team store a few times and they said that they do not sell Game Used items.
Also I talked with the guy who works the Game Used Stand at the BallPark and he told me that he has never seen them sell a Ryan Howard Game Used item at all.
I will email the seller of the Ryan Gamer and see what he has to say.

[geoff]

The Seller emailed me back about the Howard Game Used Helmet and said.

They used too.

[bubbrubb25]

Yes at the Phillies Phestival this year at the live auction they had a Ryan Howard game used jersey and a game used bat usually every year they have a Howard game used item at the live auction.

[geoff]

I guess the guy that works at the stand had no clue what he was talking about then.

[skipcareyisfat]

Tony,

Back to your original question, it just depends on the guy. At a private signing here in Atlanta, I witnessed a popular Braves player add a game used inscription to a bat (not to mention tons of other stuff). However, even after signing the bat "game used" his exact words were "I never used this." There's another Braves star I know of that will add "gamer" to just about anything.

On the other hand, according to Bobby Cox, who recently did a public/private signing here, he doesn't add "game used" to anything because he isn't comfortable doing it. This conversation with him came up when he was asked to inscribe a jersey someone had sent in to be signed. Almost as soon as Cox saw it, he said no way it was his. It was good to see because the jersey was a mess. About a year ago, the Braves Clubhouse store unloaded a dozen or two game issued blank-backs from 2000 for $50 each. Each was tagged and had the 2000 All-Star Game patch on the sleeve. All were between sizes 42 and 48 if I recall correctly. My guess is that the Cox shirt was among those. The nameplate was wrong and looked new, yet the number 6 looked like it had been thrashed by a weed wacker. Even worse, it wasn't close to Cox's actual size. Jimmie B and I had a laugh over it that day. Wish I could've showed it to him.

Anyway, there's no concrete answer to your question. To me, these incriptions are often times no better than your standard COA.

[LWMM]

On a slightly different note, I think the Howard inscription might just be an inscription (2005 ROY) that doesn't modify the "Gamer" part, and is instead separate. Otherwise, I think it might read "2005 rookie gamer".

[Nathan]

I put no stock into a GU inscription. The problem comes if someone is willing to pay a premium under the belief that something with that inscription is a gamer.

As always, do your homework and ignore the inscriptions.

[kylehess10]

Well if this did come from one of those marketing companies, and if the helmet came direct from Howard, then I believe they have that sticky note just to show him what to write exactly. I'm sure that there are tons of players out there that aren't sure what to write. I've seen game worn jerseys before with inscriptions like "This is my game jersey" and other odd ones and ofcoarse I wouldn't want an inscription like that. I'd want something like "Game Used 2007" or something like that. I'm sure though that Howard (and other players with these marketing companies) approve of what they write before they even write it.