News
Canadian collector Tim Taylor’s passion for hockey autographs leads to many fun collecting adventures
Tim Taylor was first in line for the autograph signing session on Sunday, Dec. 10 at AJ Sports World in Toronto.
After snagging signatures from Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen, Taylor patiently waited for Ed Belfour and Jeremy Roenick to start signing.
Taylor had books for both to sign and then went to that night’s Toronto Marlies’ American Hockey League (AHL) game at Coca-Cola Coliseum, knowing he may see a scout in attendance that could lead to another signature score.
“I’ve met a lot of people through the hobby,” said Taylor, 61, who lives in the unincorporated village of Kleinburg in the city of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. He’s been married for 35 years and has worked in sales for the same company for 30 years.
Collecting autographs is his true passion, with close to 30,000 in his collection—mostly in books, on cards or hockey pucks.
“I like the public signings because you get to interact with the players and I like to get my stuff signed [in person],” Taylor said. “I attend [public signings] for the enjoyment of the hobby. Others get autographs to sell the items and make a profit; I don’t worry about that. I don’t gamble; I don’t drink [alcohol] and I don’t smoke. This is my vice. My out has long been autographs.”
Taylor will likely be in line this weekend as AJ Sports World hosts autograph signings at the popular Toronto Sport Card Expo, Canada’s largest card show.
He attends most local signings in the Greater Toronto area, plus local shows. He also travels for signings—and has countless memorable road stories over the years.
“My main attraction is seeing the [retired] players, I really enjoy that because I watched so many of the greats, such as Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion,” Taylor said. “If this [signing today] was [with current Toronto Maple Leaf stars] Auston Mathews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander; I probably wouldn’t be here.”
Taylor prefers autographs from stars who played from the late-1960s through the late-’90s. His drive is hockey, baseball and CFL players.
Also See: Hall of Fame hockey heaven for NHL fans
His wish list of future signers is led by the two most common names mentioned by Canadians, for sure, and no doubt collectors worldwide: Wayne Gretzky and Ken Dryden.
“To get my own items signed [by Gretzky], I’d be first in line, for sure,” he said.
Taylor has been collecting since 1984 with decades of collecting memories. Such as the time he flew to Calgary, Alberta, and then drove about 40 miles one way to meet Bert Olmstead—a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame who played left wing in the NHL from 1948–1962—at the McDonald’s in High River. Olmstead signed about 25 items for Taylor, mostly books and cards, and then Taylor flew home.
“It was an awesome experience and he was very receptive,” Taylor said. “I had heard that he was a crusty guy, non-approachable, not interested in signing autographs. But he couldn’t have been nicer.”
In late-November, Taylor made the trek to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to meet Dan Hodgson, who has the most goals and points in Prince Albert Raiders history and now has his number hanging from the rafters of the Art Hauser Centre. Hodgson’s No. 16 was raised to the rafters and now sits alongside fellow Raiders greats Mike Modano and Dave Manson from their Western Hockey League legacy.
Hodgson was the team captain who helped bring the Memorial Cup to Prince Albert for the first time. He was one of the greatest players in WHL history from 1983-85, collecting 188 goals and 493 points in just 204 games, the fifth-most in league history.
“I do it for the fun of the hobby,” said Taylor, a season ticketholder for the Marlies, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
His collection features about 250 books, each filled with about 300 autographs. He only has Hall of Famers sign pucks.
He has thousands of signed cards, too.
“Just supporting [AJ Sports World signings] over the past 20 years, I probably could have purchased two homes. I spend a lot of money [on autographs] out of sheer enjoyment. Happy to say I can afford to do it,” he said.
Taylor also attends signings at other GTA stores, such as Frozen Pond. And, over a 12-week period in late-2023, he drove nearly 375 miles each way from Toronto to Montreal for signings.
“I have hundreds of stories from signings over the years,” said Taylor, who stopped in Chatham years ago to get autographs from Gary Sabourin at the bakery he owned. In 2007, Taylor flew to Regina to meet Don Metz, a right wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1938–1949.
“I’ve met a lot of good people in the hobby.”
Meticulous, Taylor always has pens ready for autographs—and knows who can be added to which publication. He also maintains tickets from signings to further verify each autograph.
