Autographed (Hand Signed) Photo Fun !!

Another tip from Touchdown Collectibles: if you’re purchasing a signed photo, make sure it’s hand-signed and not a reprint. Unless you want a reprint, but what collector really wants a reprint?  Any average joe can go to Walmart and pick up a reprint.

Collectors can find 2 main types of autographed photo memorabilia:

1)       Take or purchase a photograph and get it hand-signed

2)       Create a copy of an original photo that has already been signed (also called a reprint, typically available for a fraction of the price of the original)

I came across this signed photo of Ralph Baker, a member of the New York Jets 1969 Super Bowl Championship team. You might remember that the Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 to win Super Bowl III. Being a die-hard Jets fan, rain or shine, win or lose, I had to get my hands on this sucker. So I one-clicked and anxiously awaited its arrival at my doorstep.

Since it’s rare to find a forty year old picture in perfect condition-unless my grandmother has been storing it in her coffee table ‘cause everything in that house is mint-I was wary of what I would actually receive. I assumed I was purchasing a reprinted photo that was hand signed but sometimes it’s hard to tell for sure. The purchase was a good deal, but as my wife always says, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is. I rarely listen to her though, because I’m a man, with a beard. So I had no qualms with saving up my lunch money for a week, taking the risk and purchasing the photo.

When the package showed up, I put on my white gloves and got my envelope opener. With the skill of a museum art handler I opened the package and was pleasantly surprised to find that I had purchased a hand signed photo graph.  The cherry on top, not only was it a hand signed photo it was an original, vintage photograph from 1960’s! What a deal! After shouting my excitement loud enough for the entire house to hear, I wanted to really dig in and get all the details I could about the photo and try to get an accurate date of when it was taken.

Here’s what I found: Ralph Baker was a Jet from 1964-1974, this gave me a 10 year window of when this photo could have been taken. I started analyzing when everyone else in the photo played for the team as well. This is what I dug up: John Dockery (#43) was on the team from 1968-1971. That got me down to a 4 year window.  Bill Baird (#46) was on the team from 1963-1969. With those 3 careers I’m down to 2 years: 1968 and 1969.  Jim Richards (#26) was only on the team for one season the 1968 season that ended with the Superbowl III victory in January of 1969. So, for all 5 of these guys to be on the field at one time it had to be during the 1968 season. They only played 16 games, including the Super Bowl that year. I went from a span of 10 years to a span of 16 games with just a little bit of digging. 

Next I started looking at the other team in the photo. Since it’s black and white at first glance it looked like they were playing against the San Francisco 49ers but 49ers didn’t play the Jets at all in 1968. I zoomed in to see if I could pick up any more details and found exactly what I needed: the logo on the side of #86’s helmet is a simple derrick. This told me that #86 played for the Houston Oilers (or you may know them as the Tennessee Titans). In 1968 the New York Jets played the Houston Oilers two times.  One game was at home and the other away. Since the Jets are wearing their green jerseys they are the home team.  Guess what happened on November 10, 1968? … The Houston Oilers played the New York Jets in Shea Stadium! Which makes #86 Mac Haik, a wide receiver for the Houston Oilers. Mac caught one pass that day for 19 yards during the 3rd quarter. So after all that I found out the exact play of the game the photo was taken during. Also, it was a Sunday game, 42 degrees, 17 mph wind, 81% humidity. (It’s amazing what you can find on the internet.) 

See folks, all it takes is a little digging to find a gem. I am now the proud owner of original, vintage, hand-signed Ralph Baker photograph and it was worth every penny.

Check out some more of my hand signed photo collection.
  Follow Touchdown Collectibles's board Hand Signed Sports Memorabilia on Pinterest.