Has Anyone gone to past All-Star Fanfests

[howiek]

This year the MLB All-Star game is in the NYC. :clapping
Has anyone been to any of the past FanFests? The web sites say there are
FREE auto's from past and present players. I will do my best to be there.
Does anyone have any insite or info they can share with me. How much where tickets? So I can prepare. The first issue is get tickets. They go on sale Feb 4th. Any help would be appreciated

[Captain Cold Nose]

I went to Fanfest in Detroit in 2005. I easily got my tickets online. Now, tickets won't be as easy to come by if you want to attend the Futures game or the celeb softball game, but the actual Fanfest is as easy to get as your local auto show. I think the Fanfest tickets themselves were under $20.

As for autographs, the line in Detroit started long before the first signers began and it wrapped around the building. The way it was the day I went was there were shifts of two players for a couple hours each, then they would switch. So, for example, Earl Weaver and Andre Dawson would sign from 9-11, then Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal from 11-1, and so forth. We were allowed one item per signer, and were not allowed to leave anything with anyone to sign later.

Because of how it was set up, it was practically impossible to get everyone's autograph. A few people had friends or whomever get in line at other times to get the other autos. That takes a dedicated friend to stand in line for a couple hours like that.

In Detroit, Fergie Jenkins had set up a booth for his Black 20-Game winners club, and various members of the club were there, so those autographs were available outside of the regular free signers. There was a fee for each auto, but it was nominal.

And don't forget to look out for the free stuff. Lots of lots of vendors.

[RuthMayBond]

This year the MLB All-Star game is in the NYC. :clapping
Has anyone been to any of the past FanFests? The web sites say there are
FREE auto's from past and present players. I will do my best to be there.
Does anyone have any insite or info they can share with me. How much where tickets? So I can prepare. The first issue is get tickets. They go on sale Feb 4th. Any help would be appreciatedI went to Cleveland in 97. I think the autograph lines were horrendous, but I did get plenty of Fanfest specific cards

[Captain Cold Nose]

I went to Cleveland in 97. I think the autograph lines were horrendous, but I did get plenty of Fanfest specific cards

They also had the National that year. A lot of the dealers were commenting about that, saying that in terms of sports collectibles, Fanfest didn't draw as many independent dealers that they could have. But that is secondary, anyway.

[Gary Dunaier]

Didn't they tie in the National with Fan Fest for a few years?

And just how does Fan Fest compare with a card show, anyway? Are there dealers, or is it like just big companies putting their name out there? What can I expect to find?

[J.P]

I went to Fanfest in Detroit in 2005. I easily got my tickets online. Now, tickets won't be as easy to come by if you want to attend the Futures game or the celeb softball game, but the actual Fanfest is as easy to get as your local auto show. I think the Fanfest tickets themselves were under $20.

As for autographs, the line in Detroit started long before the first signers began and it wrapped around the building. The way it was the day I went was there were shifts of two players for a couple hours each, then they would switch. So, for example, Earl Weaver and Andre Dawson would sign from 9-11, then Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal from 11-1, and so forth. We were allowed one item per signer, and were not allowed to leave anything with anyone to sign later.

Because of how it was set up, it was practically impossible to get everyone's autograph. A few people had friends or whomever get in line at other times to get the other autos. That takes a dedicated friend to stand in line for a couple hours like that.

In Detroit, Fergie Jenkins had set up a booth for his Black 20-Game winners club, and various members of the club were there, so those autographs were available outside of the regular free signers. There was a fee for each auto, but it was nominal.

And don't forget to look out for the free stuff. Lots of lots of vendors.

At least they signed continuously (from 9-11 then 11 to 1), at last year's Marlins Fan Fest, they would sign from lets say 9-11 and then 1-3, of course, I found that out when I was really close to the front of the line, I was told that the next player(s) would come and sign in 2 hours; they have 25 players in their roster, and they couldnt have rotating players signing continously for 6 hours(thats how long the event was), I guess it was too much to ask.

[Williamsburg2599]

I went in 99 back when it was in Boston. I don't remember much, but the things I do:

A)Long Lines

B)Free stuff

[howiek]

Thanks to all for the input.
So, I should expect a ZOOOOO.
A few years back I went to Fan appreciation day for the Washington Redskins
at training cap in Carlisle PA. That was a insane hour of running around getting auto's. I did get a Steve Spurrier on a mini Gator Helmet. Along with Bruce Smith, Jesse Armstead and Danny Weurfel.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Didn't they tie in the National with Fan Fest for a few years?

And just how does Fan Fest compare with a card show, anyway? Are there dealers, or is it like just big companies putting their name out there? What can I expect to find?

There were dealers as well as the big companies. That's about it in regards to comparison. Cards and memorbilia took up a solid chunk of the venue, but they were entirely in their own area.

A single team's fanfest really isn't that comparable as MLB and its sponsors are running it and have much more to work with. In Detroit, the main focus selling baseball and the all star game. There were different setups for the all star game itself, with uniforms in a simulated locker room, various trophies, a nice Negro League display from the Hall of Fame, a really cool minor league display, and lots of activities for families and kids. I did a simulated broadcast of Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard Round the World that I was able to keep.

[MadHatter]

I went in 99 back when it was in Boston. I don't remember much, but the things I do:

A)Long Lines

B)Free stuff

I went to that one too. It was insane. Yes, I got lots of free stuff, but didn't even bother to waste my time standing in line for the sigs. I would have been there all day and missed everything else.

[houfan]

I went to the MLB All Star Fan Fest when it was held in Houston in '04. Yes, the autos were free, but you had to stand in a long line that wrapped around the convention center. The players signed at their scheduled times, and to get someone you really wanted to get, you had to be in that line 3-hours before it got to him. That's how quickly, or slowly, the line moved. My suggestion: bring really good shoes with lots of support!

[Captain Cold Nose]

I went to the MLB All Star Fan Fest when it was held in Houston in '04. Yes, the autos were free, but you had to stand in a long line that wrapped around the convention center. The players signed at their scheduled times, and to get someone you really wanted to get, you had to be in that line 3-hours before it got to him. That's how quickly, or slowly, the line moved. My suggestion: bring really good shoes with lots of support!

Sounds exactly what happened the next year. Who signed in Houston?

[NJMetfan4life]

If I go to one, I'm going to the Marlins Fan Fest short lines and true fans.

[Captain Cold Nose]

If I go to one, I'm going to the Marlins Fan Fest short lines and true fans.

So those of us who are lucky enough to have the ASG in our home team's city and attend aren't true fans? What wrong with being a fan of the sport itself?