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| Signed Sports Stuff.com Authenticity Gurantee |
Thanks for stopping by our website.
First and foremost, it should be known that Michael S. Gearhart, the founder of
Signed Sports Stuff.com., a division of Gearhart Enterprises, Inc., is a
collector at heart. I'm inspired by the average-joe players, the stories they
share, and the role they play in the history of American Sports.
For each item that I have purchased for resale on our website, I have added at
least one of each in my own personal collection. As I began collecting, I
purchased two of everything signed in order to help subsidize my own personal
collection.
My long-term focus is to obtain as many different pieces of autographed sports
memorabilia and autographs in general that I possibly can. When I do signings,
my goal is threefold:
1) I obtain duplicate items to trade with other reputable dealers who also
conduct signings,
2) I donate some to local non-profit charities, and
3) I sell some to help recoup my investment.
My main goal is to help other people relive part of their childhood by bringing
authentic autographs and sports memorabilia to the market.
How We Collect
As a collector myself, I greatly appreciate other collectors who take the extra
steps to insure that the products they buy are legit. Therefore, I am sharing
some of the business models & practices we've adopted to ensure reputable
transactions and satisfied customers:
Autographed photos, baseballs, footballs and jerseys all ship with Certificates
of Authenticity from either Gearhart Enterprises, Inc. or another reputable
dealer from whom I've purchased the item.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call. We want to help
you make the best choices in your autograph purchases, so ask us if you need
clarification on a particular item.
We make every attempt to include the dates the items were signed and location if
possible.
If the autographed item is something that we obtain through trading excess
inventory with another promoter, we provide that info as well.
We offer a 100% lifetime guarantee in regards to authenticity on all autographed
items we sell. This guarantee isn't just for 10 or 30 days, but for the lifetime
of the product. We stand behind what we sell.
What We Collect
You may notice that a majority of the autographs we obtain through signings are
from the "average Joe's", lesser-known, or perhaps non-star players.
In my opinion, non-Hall of Fame athletes are the guys who really make up the
history of the games. Football players who earned a living by stabilizing the
trenches and baseball players who bounced back and forth from the starting the
lineup to the bench are the athletes that we really enjoy pursuing.
Why We Collect
As I mentioned, I'm a collector at heart. Talking with football players from the
70's and listening to them recount stories about working a job during the summer
to pay the bills, is another element that shows how special these guys really
were. Many times these athletes would play hurt and banged up because of their
passion for the game - something that you seldom see in today's multi-million
dollar athletes.
Eventually, this process of collecting autogrpahs led me to begin conducting
private signings with some of my heroes of the games. I have had the opportunity
to sit down with some of the greats - including Ted "Double Duty"
Radcliffe from the Negro Leagues, former 1980 American League Rookie of the Year
Joe Charboneau, as well as a Pro Bowl lineup of ex Minnesota Vikings players.
Many other players have sat down and shared stories about their experiences in
the sport's arena. . . .
Anyone experiencing a little "one-on-one" time with a
"hero", knows what a thrill it is! To actually sit down with 6x
Vikings Pro Bowl center Mick Tingelhoff (a great guy who should be in the Hall
of Fame) and listen to him recount his "war stories" is what the
credit card companies would dub "priceless".
Spending an hour or two with the legendary Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg
(1968-79 from the University of Iowa) is another classic example of the memories
that will never fade. To listen to him recount how he became a born again
Christian towards the end of his playing career and then see his family whom he
loves with those same Godly principles and who share in his beliefs with him is
another exciting aspect of meeting with these legends.
In conclusion, educate yourself when making a major autograph purchase.
Try and learn a little more about the athlete's signature, his signing habits,
prices charged over the years, etc. Very seldom, if ever, will you see us
offering autographs baseballs of Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams or autographed
Michael Jordan basketballs.
Rest assured if you buy something from us, you will be getting the real thing.
We have been collecting sports cards and autographs for over 29 years now and
will continue to do so for many more years to come.
Remember:
When looking at all of the autographs out on the market remember one important
rule."If a price is too good to be true, it probably is".
To the love of the game, the thrill of collecting, and the commitment to ethical
business,
Michael S. Gearhart
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