Landing free autographs can be easy … if you buy the book

Legendary actor Tom Hanks, $19.77. Wrestling icon Ric Flair and his WWE star daughter Charlotte, $19.98.

Those are the prices this collector paid for the latest additions to his autograph collection thanks to the signed books section at one major book chain’s website — a new reminder that one of the easiest ways to land autographs from some big names is to watch the new arrival lists.

It’s a little oldschool — you don’t have to pay for the autograph just the book?!? — and a little risky as you have to buy from the right places using some strategy, but it’s one way that many collectors have landed ink without forking over big bucks or ripping packs to chase a particular name. (Some names, like Hanks for example, don’t even have card appearances.)

Elite Extra Edition boxes can pay off for bargain hunters & auto chasers

To say that the baseball card landscape has changed in the last decade might be an understatement, but there’s been one prospecting brand that has delivered many of the biggest names early and often and delivered a good amount of ink, too, thanks to Hot Boxes.

It’s packed a number of surprise inclusions, a tremendous rainbow of serial-numbered parallel autos and even some pretty good bargains as many collectors have their established habits elsewhere. In recent years, it’s also given us a teaser of younger USA Baseball players, too.

This mainstay — and arguably a simultaneous sleeper — is Elite Extra Edition. 

First Buzz: 2017 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Football Mini Helmets

What: 2017 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Football Mini Helmets
Arrives: Feb. 1
Box basics: One autographed mini helmet per box (10 boxes per case).

What’s buzz-worthy: TRISTAR’s Hidden Treasures football brand returns to the field with some extra potential twists for collectors along with a guarantee of six Hall of Famers in every case.

Topps teases four signers for upcoming 2016 Allen & Ginter

Topps‘ annual multi-sport (but still baseball) showcase, Allen & Ginter, doesn’t arrive until July, but that didn’t stop the company from teasing four autograph inclusions coming in the 11th edition of the retro-styled set on Tuesday.