‘Not for the Kids’: How to Skirt the Autograph Dealers
During my daily doom scroll, I ran across a viral video where Mike Trout doesn’t sign autographs for a couple of kids as he’s leaving a hotel.
Our friend Jersey Jerry here is a self-identified “adult autograph seeker” and is obviously trying to make Trout look like a jerk for no reason. I also don’t ever condone fans chasing down players at their homes, hotels or in parking lots, but that’s a topic for a different day.
When you play sports at a high level, meeting fans and signing autographs is part of the job description. And making a kid’s day with a quick selfie is a pretty cool thing. That said, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen grown adults use children to get autographs and memorabilia that they then flip on eBay for their own financial gain. Once at an NFL team’s Training Camp practice, I witnessed a man offering kids $5 for each glove they could collect from the players.
I can’t say for sure that’s what is happening in the above video. But my advice to any athlete in this situation is simple: Personalize.
Ask the kid’s name and sign an autograph just for him or her. The advantage here is twofold: The kid feels extra special AND the resale value is shot.
By the way, Mike Trout signs autographs before every game at the stadium.