Frank Dipino TTM Returns and Some Purchases

I eked out another day for my consecutive day streak, to bring it to 13.

Frank Dipino signed four cards for me, including his 1982 and 1985 cards for the sets I'm working on.

I bought several cards from Tom Orr's eBay auctions again.  I really need to stop watching those.  But I got some stars and Hall of Famers for my 1982 and 1983 sets, as well as my first Randy Johnson autograph.  Johnson's fees are about $115 for cards at signings, so I saved about $25 by purchasing this.  He's not in any sets that I'm working on, so a rookie card seems like the best choice to have signed by him.

Frank LaCorte TTM Return

Just a single ttm return today, but it's enough to keep my streak going.

Frank LaCorte signed his 1982 and 1985 Topps for me in a little under three weeks.

Five More Successes Including a 64-Year-Old Ticket Stub and Bill Mazeroski

I am enjoying receiving returns every day, but it can't last.  I need to take some time to write a few more letters.  I have the cards to send out, I just need to find the motivation. 

After receiving a return from his brother, Ken, a few days ago, Bob Aspromonte returned my request with four cards.  He signed a 1963 Fleer, 1965 Topps, 1966 Topps and the 1966 Topps Astros Aces card with Rusty Staub.  The aces card would have been great to get signed by both of them, and I'm sure many collectors did.  

Staub didn't sign ttm much, but he did do a signing or two each year for a decade or so before he passed away in 2018.  I only sent to one signing, back in 2017, where he signed his 1963 and 1965 Topps.  I wish I had also sent his 1971 Topps to that signing.  I still don't have one signed by him.

While browsing eBay one evening, I came across a 1960 ticket stub for a Reds/Braves game at Milwaukee County Stadium.  Jay Hook threw a 2-hitter and won the game 9-0.  I decided to buy it and send it off to him to sign, which he did nicely with the blue sharpie I included (presumably).  I had the ticket affixed to cardboard and most of it covered up with post-it notes and since I had him sign the back you couldn't see the front of it.  I thought he might want to see the ticket, so I scanned it and printed it out, along with the box score to the game, and included it with my letter.  He didn't comment or anything, and he returned the scan and box score.  Hopefully he enjoyed the memory.

After receiving my check and unsigned cards back a few weeks ago, Bill Mazeroski signed a couple cards for the $20 cash I included.  I know players mostly prefer cash over checks, but I didn't want to send $50 cash in the mail.  So, I'll send requests with fewer cards and less money.  I have sent him checks in the past, which he cashed, but he must have changed his mind.

He signed the 1958 and 1961 Topps Pirates team cards for me.  The card from 1958 has 10 signatures on it now and I am considering retiring it.  I bought this card with the Bob G. Smith (d. 2003) and Bill Virdon (d. 2021) signatures already on it and got the rest ttm. 

I have another copy of the 1958 Pirates team card that I've been working on for some reason.  The first signature on this one was Gene Freese (top margin) in 2011, and the latest was Bennie Daniels (lower right) in 2023.

I previously had Maz sign the 1961 team card and left it with just his signature but decided it would be nice to add him to more cards with his teammates as well.  The 1961 Pirates team card is rather expense, since it is in the high number series, and it commemorates the World Series-winning 1960 team when Maz hit his dramatic home run.  I paid a little more than $30 for each of my two cards.  It's hard to find decently centered cards and bad centering is my biggest pet peeve!  Looking at the sold auctions on eBay just now, it looks like I was lucky, or patient, to get cards in this condition in the $30 range.

1961 Topps #312, which commemorates Maz's World Series-winning home run in 1960, is one of the toughest cards to find well-centered that I have come across.  You can buy one for $10 or less, but the centering and printing spots are usually issues at that price.  I paid $16-$17 for each of the two cards I have.  The first one was signed by Mazeroski in the summer of 2021.  The second one was part of my ttm request with the check that was returned unsigned, so I'll send it to him again in a while.  I really want to upgrade the first card that has poor centering.

Former-Twin Dave Goltz signed four cards for me, including a 1982 Topps as I start working on that set.  On the 82, his signature is a bit uncharacteristic, mostly the "D" in his first name.  I'm sure it's just a little sloppy as he worked through signing the cards and I'm not at all doubting its authenticity, but I can see how someone else might if it were up for sale or trade (which it is not).

Another-former Twin, Rich Reese, signed his 1967 and 1971 Topps as well as a pretty-crowded 1972 Twins team card.  His signature is changing a bit, probably due to age, but it is smaller and less loopy, for lack of a better description.  The team card is close to retirement.  I'll have to review who I don't yet have on it and decide if it's worth the risk to send it out again.

Here are a couple cards he signed for me in 2021.

I shipped a few bobbleheads for upcoming signings with Rick Aguilera and Jim Kaat.  I signed up for a lot of signings in the next couple of months, mostly for cards.  My attempt to curb my spending this year so far has been a huge failure, and I may need to take more drastic action.  I may try to see if I can go 30 days without spending a cent on this hobby.  I could still send out existing cards with my existing stamps, etc., but no new purchases or signings.  We'll see.

Colborn, Kostro and Murakami TTM Returns

The streak continues with three more returns today.

Jim Colborn signed his 1971, 1972 and 1978 Topps for me as well as the 1972 Brewers team card.

I've been working towards a nice 72 Topps of him for a while.  My first attempt in 2010 resulted in a thick, black sharpie return on not only the 72, but also his 1971, 1973 and 1978 Topps cards.

While this was a good return, I was hoping to upgrade to a blue sharpie signature.  I sent another 72 Topps along with a few other cards in 2022 and received a blue sharpie signature, but unfortunately, it was smeared in the process.

I had previously upgraded some of the other cards, such as the 73 Topps, but today's return also added an upgraded 1978 Topps for my set.

Frank Kostro was kind enough to sign his 1963 Topps and three team cards, including the 1970 Topps Twins team card.  I didn't realize that I had already sent this card to him, and it was signed along the bottom, right edge.  He signed it again very lightly over the players' pictures on the lower left part of the card.  It's very hard to see though, so maybe someone else will sign over it.  I'll be sending the 1966 Twins card off to Jim Perry next.

And all the way from Japan, Masanori Murakami signed his 1965 Topps, a 2023 Topps Living Set card and a 2024 Allen & Ginter.

Sending to Japan is very easy.  It's very similar to a domestic request, but on the outgoing envelope you use a Global Forever Stamp, which currently costs $1.65.  You can see them here:  USPS Store Global Forever Stamp

I don't put any postage on the sase, but I enclose some U.S. cash to help cover the cost.  The return envelope I received today from Japan had a stamp that cost 140 Yen, which today equals about 89 U.S. cents.  

I had enclosed $20 with my request to cover postage, as well as a thank you for signing for me.  I also enclosed an extra Allen & Ginter for him to keep which he did.  I'm not sure how much of a hassle this turns out to be for Mr. Murakami, but he has to purchase his own postage, and at some point, he has to deposit or convert the U.S. currency which also has a cost for him.

He has a nice signature, which has been nearly identical on all of his returns to me except on the Topps Living Set card I received today.  His usual autograph is a one-name signature, but on this card, it looks like perhaps he added a second name.  Or maybe it's an inscription?  I'm really not sure.

Does anyone know?

Carl Yastrzemski and Bob Robertson Returns

I sent a 1961 Topps in for a Carl Yastrzemski signing via Tom Orr of Atommic Sports.  Yaz's fees are getting quite high, but I really wanted his 1961 Topps signed.  It has the rookie star logo in the upper left, and it just seems like an iconic card from the 60's.  With the high price of the signing, I decided to have J.S.A. authenticate it.  I know some people don't like the stickers, but I feel better about having some proof of authenticity after spending a lot.  I don't intend to sell it, but hopefully it will help if my sons sell it after I'm gone if they decide to.

It's not actually his rookie card though, which is his 1960 Topps.  I got that card signed last March.  Luckily, he hasn't begun charging extra for his rookie card like most players have, although his price went up another $15 per card (to $150!) for his next upcoming signing.

In 2018, I paid $58 to have his 1963 Topps signed, and his fee was $50 per card as recently as 2009.  

I would really like to get his 1964 Topps Stand Up signed, but the card itself is well over $100, probably over $200 for a decent one.  So, $375 by the time you add J.S.A., and pay for shipping both ways.  I'd love to have it, but it's just too much.  Signed copies are pretty hard to come by though, so I probably won't ever get one.

I had a special arrangement with a friend of Bob Robertson who negotiated a signing of 11 cards for me at a price that would be comparable to other player's ttm fees or a mail-in signing for retired players such as him.  I mailed the cards directly to Bob Robertson on January 2 and received them back today.  I enclosed a blue sharpie with my request which he used.

I think these are all of his regular Topps cards except 1968 and 1969.  He shares those cards with another player and those players have passed away, so since I don't collect those sets, I decided to skip them.

Mr. Robertson seems to have become frustrated with dealers and seeing his autographs on eBay but also seems to appreciate real collectors.  He signed for me ttm in early 2020 and then he stopped signing shortly after that, with just a handful of successes since.  I'm not sure if the pandemic had anything to do with that decision or if it is just a coincidence.  His last success posted on SCN was in June of 2021.

I didn't pay a fee at that time, and he was kind enough to sign four cards for me.  They were signed in ballpoint, so I took this opportunity to upgrade those along with some additional cards, mostly for the sets I'm working on.

I'm going to count this special arrangement as a ttm success, which keeps my consecutive return streak on track at nine days (not counting Sundays and Jan. 9th, when the post office was closed for President Carter's funeral.