Dick Estelle, Billy Grabarkewitz and John "Blue Moon" Odom Returns

This is my fifth, completed copy of this 1965 Topps with Dick Estelle and Masanori Murakami.  It's not hard to complete, but you do need to send to Japan, which is only a little extra work by getting the appropriate outgoing postage.

I wouldn't mind having a nine-pocket page full of this card, but the card itself has gotten quite expensive, and I'm not sure why.  It's #282, so not close to being a high number card.  Of the last four copies of this card I bought, only one was less than $20.

Typically, Billy Grabarkewitz signs the cards you send him with just a "G." for his last name.  He has done that since my first request to him in 2011, so I don't know if he used to sign his full name and started to abbreviate it at some point, or if he's always abbreviated.  He doesn't charge a fee, but I included $20 with this request along with a polite request to sign his full name, and apologizing if he has difficulty signing in which case any signature would be greatly appreciated and keep the money anyway.  Here are his abbreviated examples:

He signed his full name on both cards and even added an All Star inscription.  Since he added an inscription, I'm assuming he doesn't have trouble signing, so I'd say a full last name request with money is an option with him.

I made a similar request to Danny Cater a while ago when I asked him to add his full last name to a couple multi-signed cards and really wanted his full name signature to match the others.  I also included $10 per card on that request, which was enough apparently.

John "Blue Moon" Odom signed his 1971 Topps, which is an upgrade to the one he signed in black about four years ago, and a 1980 Fleer Laughlin card commemorating the 1973 World Series where the A's beat the Mets in seven games.  Odom pitched in two of those World Series games for a total of 4.2 innings.

Willie Stargell - 1996 Canadian Club

I ran across this card on eBay and hadn't seen this small set before.  I would have thought that MLB would has ceased advertising with liquor companies long before 1996 but I guess not.

This Willie Stargell example is one of the six card set which also includes Ernie Banks, Brooks Robinson, Billy Williams, Frank Robinson and Rollie Fingers.

For $21 shipped, I couldn't resist another Stargell autograph for my collection.  Other than a 1978 Topps, all of my Stargell autographs are from similar sets from the 1990's.

Hillshire Farms from 1999.

Nabisco from 1993.

MLBPA from 1996.

I'm always surprised that these cards go for only $15 - $20.  The cards themselves aren't spectacular, and they're often signed in black, but for a certified, deceased Hall of Famer, they're a pretty good deal.  Even the Don Drysdale card from the 1993 Nabisco set was less than $30.

Reggie Jackson and Ron Guidry

After receiving two of my three Reggie Jackson rookie cards back from a signing, I was worried about the status of the third.  The check I sent along with it hadn't been cashed so I assumed it got missed.  I sent the promoter a couple of notes and didn't hear back, but then I saw the return tracking showed it was being returned.

It arrived today and it's signed!  The check still hasn't been cashed but I assume it will be shortly.  I don't know why it was delayed, but I'm happy to get it back.  I have one of the other signed cards out to a submission with JSA/CGC. 

I also received a card back from Ron Guidry, who signed a 1979 ERA Leaders card already signed by Craig Swan.

Chaney, Gaspar, Jarvis, and Roof TTM Successes and Yastrzemski Mail-In Signing Results

I had a pretty nice start to the week with several ttm returns and a Yaz signing return. 

Darrel Chaney signed his 74 and 76 Topps and also included a signed religious card, as usual.  I forgot to scan the religious card this time.

After receiving a surprise phone call from Rod Gaspar a couple weeks ago, I sent him a large sase as he requested and today I received it back with these photos included.  I also show the back of the Hawaii Islanders card with his notes on it.  What a generous man!

Along with my sase, I also included this 1980 Fleer Laughlin card commemorating the 69 World Series.  I love these cartoonish cards but they usually aren't great for autographs due to a lot of very dark or busy backgrounds.  Mr. Gaspar signed this one in the only light area on the card so it turned out as well as it possibly could have.

Pat Jarvis signed a 1970 Topps Buy Back card and included a black & white, personalized and signed picture.

Phil Roof became the sixth player to sign my 1966 K.C. Athletics year book.  I asked him to sign the cover, as well as his bio section inside, as I've done with all the players so far.

He also signed some cards for me, including a 1966 Topps Athletics team card.  I know this card is actually for the 65 team, but I already have a couple pretty good 65 A's team cards going and wanted to work on a 66, which has a lot of the same players anyway.  

A lot of the guys on the yearbook don't charge a fee, but I always include at least $20, and up to $40, depending on how many interior pictures I want signed and how many cards I include.  Even just the unpacking and signing of the cover, as well as packaging it up again deserves $20, I think.  

This isn't going to be a very high value piece when it's done.  The team wasn't very successful that year, and the only Hall of Famer on the team was Catfish Hunter.  But there are still a bunch of willing signers left and the program itself is pretty cool.

I have had this 1967 Life Magazine lying around for years.  Actually, probably close to 20 years!  It was expensive to get signed, but I finally decided to get it done.  It was supposed to be authenticated, but it is not.  This is the second time this promoter didn't get an item authenticated that I paid for, and the last one was also Yaz.  I hate to keep bugging this promoter, but I should get what I paid for.

I've been "bugging" him about my missing Reggie Jackson rookie card.  Twice I've messaged him on SCN with no response, but I see that the package is on the way back to me.  I'll be happy to just get the unsigned card back and be done with it.

Yaz also signed his 1964 Topps Stand Up, which I've been trying to get done for a long time.  Yaz has signings frequently, but it took me a long time to find this card in an acceptable condition for a reasonable price.  This one has creases across the card from side to side at about his stomach level.  It also has some creases from the head to the top of the card and the perforations are coming loose on the cutout.  But it displays pretty well and I'm happy to finally get it done and added to my collection.

There are only three living players left in this set that I don't already have: Sandy Koufax, Ron Hunt and Bill White.  Koufax is impossible, so I won't even bother thinking about it.  Even if I had the opportunity, there are other cards I'd want him to sign before this one.  Ron Hunt doesn't appear to want to sign anymore.  It looks like he requests unreasonable fees, and if someone actually pays it, he still refuses.  I have purchased several of his cards though as he used to sign ttm.  Maybe I'll give it a try anyway, but include a check instead of cash in case it doesn't come back.  I think I'd have to send $50 though.  And Bill White, the last player I need that's still alive, is unhealthy, I believe, and no longer signing.  A mail-in signing I sent to three years ago was cancelled and I haven't seen anything with him since.

These Stand Up cards are tough to come by signed.  I guess they just weren't popular, or at least not the type of card people chose to get signed.

I also had Yaz finish off a 1975 Topps MVP card already signed by Cepeda.  Another card I'll never get my money back from, but that's not why we do this, right?  Wait.  Why do we do this again?  It's cool to have a couple Hall of Famers on the same card.  It was easy to get Cepeda on it ttm, and I couldn't just let it sit half-signed when Yaz is available.

Hopefully, the rest of the week is as eventful as today!

Dennis Leonard, Mike Mussina, Jim Nettles and Lou Whitaker TTM Returns

Four blue-sharpie ttm returns to end the week.  I had enclosed a pen with two of them, but al least the other two also used blue sharpie.

Dennis Leonard signed five cards for me, including his 1975 Topps rookie card already signed by Pat Darcy.  He also answered a couple questions I asked in my letter.  He charges $5 for two cards or $10 for five.  So I included $10 cash with my request.

Mike Mussina signed his 2005 Topps Heritage and 2025 Allen & Ginter.  He added his HOF inscription, as usual.  Mr. Mussina is part of what's left of the HOF players that sign through the mail for a reasonable fee.  We've lost a few, including Orlando Cepeda and Bill Mazeroski.

Former-Twin Jim Nettles was kind enough to tolerate my pen requests.  I sent along a fine blue Staedtler for most of the cards but a Bic Cristal Stic ballpoint pen for the 1971 Topps which was already signed by Pete Hamm in ballpoint.  He doesn't normally charge, but I sent him $5 per card due to my picky pen requests and the large number of cards.

Finally, Sweet Lou Whitaker signed his Grand Slam print as well as a 1972 Topps Rookie of the Year Award card and his 1982 Topps.  He won ROY in 1978.  He added "Sweet" to his signature on the 82 Topps.