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Kelsey Plum’s run-in with autograph seeker raises questions about proper etiquette

More than ever before, autographs on sports memorabilia are currency, not just nostalgia. Just about every signing it may seem is the first step to the secondary market, not someone’s scrapbook. A recent incident involving the Los Angeles Sparks’ Kelsey Plum is raising the question of what the etiquette should be when making a request. Should athletes just expect to face these asks whenever they step out in public, given that the people with pens are the new paparazzi?

What’s not disputed according to video of the incident is that Plum was outside the team hotel in Minnesota when approached by men with open books of trading cards for her to sign. The three-time WNBA All-Star is a player whose autographed cards are valued by collectors in the resale market. Plum felt it was “weird” for men to be waiting outside of her hotel with books of things to sign and called them out for it.

“Don’t you find it kind of weird, like low-key?” she asked the autograph seeker about him being at the Sparks’ hotel before they were. “I’m a little turned off right now,” she added before saying she appreciated the fan and signing one card.

For further context, teammate Dearica Hamby tweeted:

“We literally left for practice and changed hotels… so to be there the moment we got there after SWITCHING hotels without being like HEY WE’RE SWITCHING HOTELS was weird.”

When the video of the encounter went viral, people took sides, with many coming out against Plum and in favor of the autograph seekers. The man in the encounter, Nick Pedersen, “minneygraphs99” on TikTok, captioned the video by saying, “Kelsey Plum is not a fan of the WNBA fans who like to collect her autographs.”

Pederson then attempted to defend himself in a Facebook group for WNBA fans.

“I asked Kelsey and she went ballistic and started calling me weird and I was ‘turning her off.’ Kelsey has always had something against male fans who want her autograph,” Pederson wrote. “Autographs are a hobby just like fishing or sewing. It brings me and a lot of others happiness.”

Through his eBay store, Minygraphs LLC, Pederson has sold over 3,000 items, including trading cards bearing similar after-market autographs.

When asked on Facebook about Plum being uncomfortable with him knowing the new hotel where she was staying, Pederson said that there was no stalking involved since “she’s older than me.” He added that the account of her reaction to him knowing about the new hotel was, “100% true, but they went to a hotel one block down the street and they all had their suitcases in the morning before practice. They loaded them in the bus and I heard the bus driver say something about the hotel they were switching to. Nothing creepy involved.”

At Fanatics Fest over the weekend, autograph dealers and collectors were apprised of the incident and asked what the policy should be when seeking autographs from athletes in public places.

“If it’s a whole bunch of items that you’re trying to get signed and you see an athlete in public, it’s probably not going to go favorable to you as a fan,” said Ray Bartreau of Black Tie Breaks in Safety Harbor, FL. “These people are very busy. They’re getting hounded for autographs all the time. I think the best etiquette is to ask nicely with one or maybe two items at the most.

“I do signings in volume where it’s a sanctioned, paid event, and to get the athletes to those is harder (given) their time. They’re being paid. So to catch them on the street and say, ‘Hey, spend 15 minutes signing all of my cards….’ I think that’s a little reach. I side with the athlete on this one.”

Zach Haire, owner of Sports Treasures in Knoxville, TN said, “I’ve always felt if it’s at a public place, but, you know, not a restaurant, I would never approach you at a restaurant, in their own personal space…. But if they’re at the hotel and there’s the barricades up and you’re behind the barricade, being respectful, I don’t see a problem asking an athlete.”

Fans waiting on line at Fanatics Fest for their purchased autographs in personalized signings to be authenticated sided with the player.

“I think first and foremost, you should have a lot of respect for that person,” Kevin Urbanczyk of Buffalo, NY said. “And if that person doesn’t want to give the autograph or needs that personal space, everyone’s entitled to that personal space. If that (autograph seeker) went above and beyond, then, you know, whoever got the signatures had a good day.”

“Respect her space,” said Randy Singh of Paterson, NJ. “It’s not an official event for autograph signings. If she stopped to say hi or take pictures or something and you’re like, ‘Hey, would you mind signing one autograph or taking one selfie picture?’ Then that’s appropriate. And if she says no, just say, ‘Hey, thank you for your time.’ It’s not an official signing event or appearance by that athlete. And you can’t ask for multiple signings. One is the limit.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA, Culture, Memorabilia & Collectibles

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