Welcome back for another weekly TTM success post. So after having a great graphing time at the golf tournament last week I was surprised to see graphers attending the American Century Championship that takes place at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline Nevada start complaining because the people in charge of the tournament started enforcing stricter rules for people trying to get autographs. The main change graphers complained about was that they were no longer allowing Sports Memorabilia and collectables. So no longer would they let you bring in items like baseball's, basketball's, footballs, hockey pucks and believe it or not photographs. I even ran across a few reports of them not allowing trading cards. They did say that they'd allow jerseys but only if they were being worn. Golf flags are perfectly fine though. They're doing this for "Safety" reasons and to try and stop the growing number of people selling the items signed at the tournament. They also stated anyone caught with these items would have them confiscated. Most graphers whether they just collect or they sell the autographs usually have a clear bag with various items to get signed at these types of events and a grapher or dealer is usually easily spotted in a crowd of regular fans trying to get autographs. I even carry one with me when the PGA Tour and NFL training camps roll into town. After seeing numerous collectors and dealers getting upset with the new rules some who even contacted the tournament people on social media criticizing them and it got me thinking. Sure I understood the disappointment of the people who just collect not being able to try for an autograph on an item they really want signed but there's always other options like getting a flag signed or other items they actually allow. The people I noticed really flipping out was the ones that wanted nothing more than to get autographs to sell. After the new rule was announced a man at the tournament started taking pictures of grapher and dealers who had large numbers of items in bags and reporting them to the tournament staff and security calling them all "Autograph Pros". This started a number of the upset graphes turning the hate towards the man. He's not the enemy or the reason the tournament staff decided to do this. The dealers are mad because it could possibly hurt their bottom line and the collectors are mad because they can't get things they really want signed. I understand both sides but really just go with it. Alot of us do this for the pure love of collecting and occasionally meeting some of our heros or idols and sure it sucks not getting that special picture or card signed you can still get an autograph on an item they allow so why get upset and attack the tournament or idiots with camera's. Just be happy you have the opportunity to graph. This kind of behavior will ultimately make it harder in the coming years at this and possibly other events. It's not entirely the dealers faults either. Sure while some bring tons of stuff to get signed others only do like the collectors do and try for one or two a day and not trying for a stack of photos or five jerseys of every player in attendance. Like I said I'm a collector and I carry a bag with pictures, balls and a multitude of sharpies or paint pens and I've occasionally been mistaken as a dealer because I'm there everyday trying for autographs and i sometimes have to politely explain I'd never sell the autographs and I'm only an obsessive collector that's collected autographs since I was a boy who just wants more autographs like alot of other collectors out there. What I don't do though is get upset when someone says they won't sign for me because of it or if an event has special rules about graphing I try to follow them and be happy I'm able to do something I love and get some autographs. I don't really understand the problem that the tournament has with people graphing for the fun of it or the ones trying to profit from the autographs. Maby flag sales are down this year who knows but if the players or celebs want to sign other items they will regardless of the rules and cleaver graphers will always try to sneak in banned items. The tournament is making its money either way so what's the problem. Anyways remember it always doesn't go the way we'd like it to when we graph but there's no reason to get upset or attack the people that disagrees with us. It's just an autograph if and there's always tomorrow. So now that's over some more disappointing news as this week our mail box was barren again. Thank goodness the PGA Tour was good to us or I'd be really bummed out in this two week dryspell. So unfortunately that's all for this week. Have a great graphing weekend and I'll be back next week with more TTM autographs and address's and don't forget to enter the autograph giveaway contest HERE
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