Hobby Musings: Catching Up With Honeycutt, Petry, and Soto – Earlier this year at the National Sports Collector’s Convention, I had the chance to catch up with North Carolina’s Vance Honeycutt, South Carolina’s Ethan Petry, and Twins first-round pick Charlee Soto. Courtesy of Onyx at their VIP party, the three talked about their experiences with sports memorabilia and being able to hang out and play games with people at the party.
Hobby Musings: Catching Up With Honeycutt, Petry, and Soto – Honeycutt Interview
Vance Honeycutt
KS: Alright, Mr. Honeycutt, one of the big things in collegiate sports the last couple years has been NIL agreements. How do you think they’ve helped change the landscape for athletes like yourself?
VH: Yeah, I think just being able to do cool events like this, you know, just get out and meet new people. I mean, I find that connections are everything, so being able to come out here and just hang out with the guys. I mean, you can play with these guys, so just being able to hang out with these guys is really cool.
KS: So one of the things you’re able to do, as we have evidence here, is you can sign autographs and all that. How do you think it kind of compares and contrasts to some of your other NIL deals?
VH: This is a cool way to just kind of sign autographs and ship them out. But I mean, other deals. I feel like, it can be anything. I feel like the landscape is pretty cool, and just kind of the diversity of things you can do. It was in college, before one of the games.
KS: What do fans typically ask you to sign?
VH: Pictures or baseballs, normally.
KS: What is the strangest thing someone has ever asked you to sign?
VH: I’m not sure. Probably like their back, like a body part, something like that.
KS: So, you’re not drafted in baseball yet, but just going ahead a little bit, when you do get to that point, What’s the first thing you think you’re going to buy for your contract?
VH: Maybe a car.
KS: Any kind in mind you want to get?
VH: Probably a truck.
KS: Nice. Looking at the memorabilia side of things, how much are you looking forward to seeing more of your cards coming out there? I know you’ve got some already out.
VH: Yeah, I think it’s pretty cool. I think it’s kind of an honor to be able to see yourself. It means you’ve done a little something, but there’s always more work to do. So I just keep focused on that, really. I feel like the results will fall as they will.
KS: Did you ever collect any training cards or autographs growing up?
VH: Not autographs. Some cards here and there, but I wasn’t really big into it, no.
KS: Is there anyone’s autograph you’d like to be able to get eventually?
VH: Yeah, Shohei Ohtani or Ronald Acuna Jr.
Hobby Musings: Catching Up With Honeycutt, Petry, and Soto – Petry Interview
Ethan Petry
KS: All right, Ethan, you’re here signing autographs for Onyx at the VIP party. NIL has changed the landscape of college athletics, allowing you to do deals like this. Overall though, what do you think the impact of it has been?
EP: I feel like NIL is a great opportunity for all student athletes around the world, even at any level of division. And I feel like, you know, just being a student athlete is kind of a struggle. You have classes to worry about. You have other stuff to worry about, so you don’t have time for a job. So, you have kind of a job like this. You have opportunities like this to get money and obtain money rather than just like scrapping for money all year long. You know, helping pay for your education when you have NIL.
So I think it’s a great opportunity.
KS: So before doing kind of professional signing like this, what has been your experience with signing autographs?
EP: I signed probably every game for all of the little kids. They all come out and they want autographs. So, I think it’s a really big deal to sign autographs, and I feel like, you know, whoever asked me for an autograph, obviously I’ll sign an autograph for them.
KS: Do you remember the first time someone asked you to sign an autograph?
EP: Perfect Game National in probably 2021. Someone asked me to sign. It was like a picture of my face and I just signed it.
KS: What do you think is the strangest thing someone has ever asked you to sign?
EP: Someone asked me to sign their arm. It was pretty funny. They were like, I want a tattoo on my arm, so that was pretty funny.
KS: Did you ever collect any autographs or trading cards growing up?
EP: Unfortunately, I did not. I wish I did, but I did not.
KS: Is there an autograph you’d like to get eventually?
EP: Probably Shohei Ohtani’s. That’s obviously one you gotta have.
KS: So looking ahead a little bit when you do sign your first professional contract, what’s the first thing you want to buy with it?
EP: I am going pay off my parent’s student debt or my brother’s student debt. Whoever’s first.
KS: You’ve obviously got some cards out already with Onyx. What are you looking forward to with the rest of your cards coming out eventually?
EP: Just, you know, for everyone to have the opportunity to get it and get my signature, and enjoy my cards b7 collecting them.
KS: How surreal is it to see yourself on a trading card?
EP: It’s surreal. I can’t believe it every day. The ones they just made for me are pretty sweet. It’s Carolina colors, go Gamecocks So, you know, and I just, I can’t believe it every day that I’m getting getting money for my signature. Just writing my name on a piece of paper.
Hobby Musings: Catching Up With Honeycutt, Petry, and Soto – Soto Interview
Charlee Soto
KS: Alright Mr. Soto, you recently got drafted. What has life been like since being drafted?
CS: It’s been incredible. You know, because everything I dreamed for as a kid, you know, was being drafted in the first round, and that’s what happened, and I got the opportunity to do so. And being out there at the academy, the Twins Academy in Fort Myers with all the guys, It’s incredible.
KS: When you do get your contract taken care of, what’s the first thing you want to do with it?
CS: I want to get my mom something nice. I also want to get my dad something nice, you know, because they invested a lot of time and money into me.
KS: What does it feel like seeing yourself on a trading card?
CS: It’s incredible. I collected some cards when I was little. Not much, but you know, to see myself on a trading card, it’s amazing.
KS: When is the first time someone ever asked you to sign an autograph?
CS: I think I was a sophomore in high school, and it was a family member, but I mean it was still pretty cool. No one had asked me to sign an autograph. Now I’m getting them, you know, every here and there, and it’s pretty cool.
KS: What is the strangest thing someone has ever asked you to sign?
CS: Their phone case. They asked me to sign their phone case and it didn’t end well, because the phone case was like rubber, so the pen just wouldn’t write on it.
KS: If any change at all, what kind of change have you seen in the demand for your autograph since being drafted?
CS: Nothing much, just make it look official. You know, there’s some people out there who get an autograph and they want to sell the ball. That’s part of the…program I guess you could say, what they do.
KS: Is there anyone whose an autograph you want to get?
CS: Yeah, I want to get Ohtani’s. It’s going to be very difficult, but I’m going to try to do something.
Hobby Musings: Catching Up With Honeycutt, Petry, and Soto
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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