Autograph sales on eBay concern schools
Football powers such as Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma are moving to squelch the eBay traffic in memorabilia signed by college players, with Florida notably telling fans coming to its Aug. 16 Fan Day not to bring anything at all for players to sign. Instead, the school will supply 2009 team posters for all player autographs and will not allow outside items to be brought in for signing.
“Fans used to bring in all sorts of stuff to be signed, from balls to helmets and jerseys. The next day it would appear for sale on eBay,” Jamie McCloskey, Florida’s senior associate athletics director for compliance, told USA Today. “We’ve had fans complain, and for good reasons, but entrepreneurs were abusing the opportunity.”
The rules allow for athlete autograph sessions, NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn told the paper, “but it could become an issue for the university if the signed item is sold for profit.”
Instead of banning outside items, UGA’s approach has been to limit them. USA Today says Georgia holds fans to a maximum of two items at its fan day, but in fact in recent years the official policy for the Dogs’ Picture Day has been a limit of just one item per fan to be signed. (This year’s Picture Day is set for Aug. 22.) The paper notes that Georgia also encourages players to personalize each autograph, which cuts into its resale value.
Oklahoma also limits fans to one item at its fan appreciation day and has discussed going the Gators route and providing a poster or picture. “Enforcement is difficult but that doesn’t absolve us [from trying to deal with it],” OU sports information director Kenny Mossman told USA Today. “Beyond the rules, it’s the taking advantage of players that we’d like to stop.”
Some other schools, including Southern Cal and BYU, put no limits on the numbers of items signed.
Frankly, as long as the student athletes aren’t receiving anything in return from the folks who sell autographed items on eBay and elsewhere, I can’t see where the NCAA would have anything to worry about. Still, Georgia’s policy of limiting the number of items seems a lot more fair than forcing everyone to settle for a generic poster. If you have, say, a football that you’ve collected other players’ autographs on, why shouldn’t you be able to bring that? Or a jersey, helmet or whatever.
I do agree, though, that schools need to make sure dealers aren’t using fan days as an opportunity to replenish their stock of autographed items. That’s exploiting the players, plain and simple.
What do you think, is this something schools should crack down on? Or is it just a matter of free enterprise and none of the NCAA’s business? Do you have any problem with Georgia’s policy on autographs?
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38 comments Add your comment
RAMBLE ON!!!
July 16th, 2009
2:08 pm
haha, you said football powers such as UGA…LOL!!!
Too Easy
July 16th, 2009
2:35 pm
Nobody’s asking for nerd autographs, nor is it a concern.
UGAGRAD02
July 16th, 2009
2:46 pm
Seriously RAMBLE ON. You need a life. I bet you go home and play with your Keith Brooking bobble head doll and picture you two dating.
DamnGoodDawg
July 16th, 2009
2:52 pm
RAMBLE ON!!! You live in a Techie envy filled dream world. You are really pathetic. About once in every 10 years does anyone outside of the nerd world of GT want anyone’s autograph from Ghetto U. Envy will eat you alive, bro, and the sooner the better.
DamnGoodDawg
July 16th, 2009
2:56 pm
Just a question, RAMBLE ON..do you ever blog on a Tech blog site? Now I understand hate. I hate Tech with every fiber of my being…but I have NEVER gone to a Tech blog to read, much less make a comment. To Hell With Tech!
GW
July 16th, 2009
2:57 pm
I saw a kid, in LSU garb, about age 20, walk up to Coach Richt with a shiny new UGA helmet to sign only minutes after the tough loss in Baton Rouge in 2003. Coach Richt was on his way into the media interview room. The amazining thing to me was that Coach Richt stopped and signed it. These memoriabilia hounds will stop at nothing to make an easy buck.
DamnGoodDawg
July 16th, 2009
3:00 pm
I think the best solution is to personalize autographs.
gary
July 16th, 2009
3:08 pm
i am an autograph dealer of all kinds mlb, ncaa football, ncaa basketball, ncaa baseball,nascar,pga golf so forth and so own…i dont see what the problem is……we as autograph dealers are doing a service… we are putting the product out there to be bought by the fans of that person and or school…..the ncaa should not have any concern until the student gets something in return…(like the boosters dont do it anyway)…..as i tell my friends FAN DAYS are for fans and not autograph dealers therefore i dont go to them….and by the way TOO EASY people do want the nerds autographs just as much as the BULLPUPS……..HOTTY TODDY
DawginLex
July 16th, 2009
3:09 pm
DGd,
The answer to your question? No. There are no Tech blogs with anyone on them.
Rambler. When is the last time a kid wanted to get a Tech jersey for Christmas? How about never. All the Joey Hamilton stuff wouldn’t generate a plugged nickle on e-bay. Joe can’t even give the stuff away. New member of the Tech HOF. Must make ya’ll so proud.
RAMBLE ON!!!
July 16th, 2009
3:12 pm
Damn, DamngoodDawg, as Ringo would say, “peace and love, but no more autographs”.
Why all the hate, does this mean you’ll stop pulling for GT except when the play UGAg?
Awwwww, and I was hoping to get on your Xmas card list.
The AJC is a fleabag paper, and a DamnGoodFishwrapper too.
We don’t have a blogger…at least one like Kapt. Kangaroo, who post a new silly blog every hour.
He probably has a job or something.
…but I know one thing I got to do, RAMBLE ON!!!
RAMBLE ON!!!
July 16th, 2009
3:15 pm
DawginLex, I know don’t know about Joey’s stuff on ebay, but I do know you can get some pretty good Sugarbowl rings on there.
Autographs = Trix
July 16th, 2009
3:23 pm
Both are for kids.
Otto
July 16th, 2009
3:25 pm
I can see limiting the number of things signed jsut to weed out the autograph dealers. However I have no problem with a player selling an autographed item on ebay or to a dealer, sadly the NCAA does.
BS Patrol
July 16th, 2009
3:30 pm
RAMBLE ON!!!!
That was EXACTLY what I thought. Football powers FLA, OK & WHO?
Class of '98
July 16th, 2009
3:31 pm
What would stop Tim Tebow (for instance) from buying a hundred preseason magazines with himself on the cover, taking them home and signing them, and then finding an anonymous buddy to sell them on Ebay?
He could make a killing. I’m kinda surprised this scenario hasn’t surfaced yet.
gary
July 16th, 2009
3:35 pm
GW
i dont really understand you making the comment about an easy buck….thats not really fair as it’s not easy at all….i travel many, many miles each year to various places all around the country…do you think thats easy?… spending time away from my family, friends and home…we are doing a service……do you know how many Christmas list i have filled, how many birthdays, how many fathers day and mothers day….i get emails from my buyers telling me how there son and or daughter have cried when they got an autographed photo or helmet from matt stafford or cmr or calvin johnson….or the many donations that i personally have made to kids and or churches who are having sales at there church to raise money for kids to have a Christmas…so to say it’s easy …i wish you could work a golf tournament with me for 4 days….not easy my friend…we are putting the product out there to be bought by fans who dont have the time or who dont want to stand in line at a fan day for 7 or 8 hours just to bu hurried through the lines like cattle to a slaughter house….i went one time and one time only to a FAN DAY…do you know how many kids walked away crying cause there mom or dad have made them stand there that long in the line …….
DawginLex
July 16th, 2009
3:38 pm
Sugar Bowl=BCS Bowl that UGA has played in multiple times. You must win your conference title or be an at large team invited to participate. UGA has done both in the BCS era.
Sugar Bowl for GT=(crickets chirping, tumbleweeds blowing)
stoopid
July 16th, 2009
3:57 pm
ill be there Aug 22 with my #8 jersey in hand, ready to wait for 4 hours for my 1 autograph. And I can assure you the only place that jersey is going is in a frame on my wall!
PMC
July 16th, 2009
4:14 pm
Ha, maybe they should just take note of their own abject hypocracy.
The school and NCAA can make millions off your likeness and abilities yet you accept so much as a set of tickets from a friend and it’s a secondary violation.
NCAA rules regarding this stuff is a joke.
PMC
July 16th, 2009
4:15 pm
If someone finds a way to work the system. GOOD. GOOD FOR THEM. Welcome to capitalism.
Peadawg
July 16th, 2009
4:19 pm
What exactly is a “personalized autograph”? What would be considered a “regular autograph”?
Thanks.
Bubba Gump
July 16th, 2009
4:23 pm
Hmmmm–what about players selling SEC Championship rings on eBay? Didn’t they earn enough in their playing days?
Gator Fan
July 16th, 2009
4:42 pm
Peadog, have a great summer – Tim Tebow #15
Tim Tebow
That is the difference
stoopid
July 16th, 2009
4:50 pm
a personalized autograph would be like, To Billy: Go Dawgs! then the players name. That way if Billy were to put it on ebay only another billy would wanna buy it
Denver Dog
July 16th, 2009
5:12 pm
Nice for Tech people, on Georgia blogs talking about rings. I think you fools started the big ring controversy with your 1990 MNC ring sales, then kept it up this year by having rings for a 7-5 team. Way to go wizard
Denver Dog
July 16th, 2009
5:15 pm
Actually Gator Fan, Tim Tebow is a great person. More than he is a football player. How anyone can take a personal shot at him, blows my mind. Only Tech people would do such.
Old Dawg
July 16th, 2009
5:33 pm
With the new media available it’s all but impossible to monitor what’s being sold on e-bay or any other site. Trying to stop it is like trying to stop the wind.
Like one post said, if Tebow wanted to make a ton of $$$ he could easily do it through another person’s e-bay account. Same with any other talented player.
I really wish fan days were just that, a place where fans can meet their favorite players, have their kids photos taken with them and leave it at that. But the game’s changed and athletic departments have been forced to change the structure of fan day.
gtfan1951
July 16th, 2009
5:36 pm
So many dawg fans….so little brains… did they get a second at UGA library yet?
MFM
July 16th, 2009
5:51 pm
Isn’t the NCAA making money off of their “licenced” products these athletes are putting their signature on?
DawginLex
July 16th, 2009
6:02 pm
gtfan1951 shows off his high level tech education with a sentence that no one understands.
A second book?
No one has ever heard that one before……………………..
macrotech
July 16th, 2009
6:04 pm
DawginLex, there ARE Tech blogs and YOU have been on them plenty of times…. AT LEAST, use truth when you try to be funny. Autographs are going to be sold….as long as the athletes don’t profit from them, then it’s a moot argument. Teams have enough to worry about than this stuff! The ncaa gets bored and creates it’s own sense of security by stirring the pot…. they’re not interested in policy; they’re interested in currency! MFM, you’ve spoken well in your 5:51 post.
Reid Adair
July 16th, 2009
7:19 pm
Bill, if you think outside individuals shouldn’t be allowed to profit off of college athlete’s signatures, then I assume you also agree that the institutions and apparel companies shouldn’t be allowed to profit by selling jerseys with the athlete’s names on them?
Bruce Jones
July 16th, 2009
7:53 pm
Hey Ramble On. Saying UGA isn’t a football power is like saying Tech is one of the top teams in the ACC. One good season does not make Tech a top team. UGA has stood the test of time.
macrotech
July 16th, 2009
8:01 pm
Bruce Jones, uga has enjoyed some great seasons of late….but, they haven’t ’stood the test of time’. There’d be more hardware in the trophy case. Tech isn’t hangin’ it’s hat on one season…we have trophies in our trophy case!
Kenny
July 16th, 2009
8:55 pm
So….the school can profit from my money but i can’t from the (players) school? What a country!
Chuck Uga
July 16th, 2009
9:19 pm
This is so typical. I agree with stopping dealers, but HOW? I have over 50 signed UGA photos that are MY COLLECTION, and I will have some more after July and August. When the players cease being able to sign stuff, I will quit supporting the program. UGA Marketing as well as the NCAA can go to hell if they don’t like me collecting autographed photos. I have never sold a single one for a dime. This whole thing sounds like the Democrats are in charge. Penalize EVERYONE because of what a couple of goons do on ebay. And if your fat butts are in line at Picture Day for 4 hours just so you can go sell something for 50 or 100 bucks on ebay, you are a freaking LOSER!
Cuz
July 16th, 2009
10:43 pm
Will this cut down on Hot drunk chicks at Florida getting body parts signed?
Dark Helmet
July 17th, 2009
9:52 am
Tech helps with this issue by sucking, so no one wants to get anything autographed for free, much less for profit on ebay.