Catching Up

I've fallen behind a few days so this post will cover back to last Thursday, when I posted about some returns but forgot to post about a 1962 Topps Twins card I purchased.  I had previously paid a LOT for this card blank, and never saw it again after sending it to Bill Pleis shortly before he passed away last fall.  I had hoped that I might see it again, as sometimes family members return requests that didn't get signed.  I know they have more important things to do so at this point I consider it gone.

I was trying to find another copy of the card, and decent copies can be $50 or more.  But, I came across this card on eBay that was about $40 and already has some signatures on it, including Hal Naragon, Joe Altobelli, Jim Snyder, Billy Gardner and Gerry Arrigo.  Only Arrigo is still with us.

I can send this off to Jim Kaat, Camilo Pascual and Don Lee.

On Saturday, I received returns from Carlton Fisk, who signed his 1972 Topps. 

        

And John O'Donoghue signed three cards for me. 

Today, I got back a couple cards I sent to a Sammy Sosa signing.  I had him sign a 1972 Topps MVP Award card as well as his 2003 Topps Heritage.

I really like the 2003 Topps Heritage set, and have about 120 of them signed, but there are too many non-ttm-signers to try to tackle as a whole set.  I'd end up paying too much for common players.  So, I occasionally get cards from the set signed when convenient and/or cheap.

Also today, I received a couple cards back from Mike Garman, who signed another copy of the 1972 Red Sox Rookies card and the team card from the same set.

I am waiting on another card back from Cecil Cooper, then I'll send them all out again.  I'm getting a little impatient though, and might start doubling up the cards.

Just a Couple Purchases

It's been very slow lately.  I only have five or six signings that I'm waiting on, and they're pretty spread out with a couple on their way back and some not taking place until late July.

I sent out eight ttm requests a week ago today.  One was a 1972 Topps that is on its way back from Carlton Fisk, according to the return tracking.  None of the others have tracking.  I am working on three copies of the Fisk rookie card, with other copies currently out to Cooper and Garman.  Rather than sending all three to each player at a time, I decided to send one card to each three times.  This reduces the risk that one of the guys stops signing for some reason.  I already have one copy of the card signed only by Fisk, and three completed copies, so I should end up with six completed, and one of just Fisk.

I had a couple of them authenticated and slabbed by JSA/CGC.

I received a couple purchases over the last few days.  One was from eBay and included 1964 Topps cards signed by Stigman and Goryl.  I have these cards already, but these were really cheap and are decent copies signed in blue.

And I added another Twins card to my 2023 Topps Heritage team set.  I was surprised when I realized I have about 15 card signed from this set.  Almost all have been purchases, like this Jorge Polanco card.

Bob G. Smith 1958 Topps Purchase

I already have this card, which I received ttm in 2010, but it was signed on the back because the picture isn't actually Bob G. Smith, but Bobby Gene Smith.  Easy mistake by Topps, I guess.  At the time I was sending to him, he wasn't signing the card at all, so I suggested he sign the back which at least had his correct stats, and he did.

Obviously, someone convinced him to sign the front, so I bought it as an upgrade to my older one.

Hank Fischer TTM, Jeff Burroughs Signing Return and a Steve Mingori Purchase

All sorts of returns today.

A couple days ago I complained about not getting returns form some otherwise reliable signers, including Hank Fischer.  Well, today I received the Fischer returned.  He signed four cards for me.  Oddly, one was in black, the others in blue.  This also included one of the three 1963 Braves team cards I'm working on.

I sent in to a Tom Orr signing for Jeff Burroughs, who signed a 1972 Topps, the 72 MVP award card, a 73 Topps and the 75 MVP Award card already signed by Garvey.

Finally, I bought a 72 Topps signed by Steve Mingori from Tampa Bay Cards on eBay.

Frank Zupo - 1958 Topps Purchase

I used some credit card points to buy this 1958 Topps Frank Zupo card for my set collection. The scan looks a little dark because I didn't bother taking it out of the protective plastic bag before scanning it.

I attempted to send to him in 2003, when I started collecting this set, but I never heard back.  He passed away in 2005.  There was only one other attempt noted on SCN, which appeared to be successful in 2001.

I am down to needing 74 cards from this 494 card set, which I'll never complete but will keep working on.  The only living player in the set I don't have is Koufax.

Billy Cowan and Amado Samuel TTM Returns

The two returns that showed up in my Informed Delivery email this morning surprised me, considering I don't have that many requests out.

Billy Cowan signed three cards for me.  I have all these already, but the 65 is a nice upgrade over a previous one that he signed lightly in ballpoint 22 years ago.  I sent the other cards along because I had them. 

Here's the previous copy of the 65:

This request was sent after my previous one to him, back last November, was never returned.  Odd for someone who is as reliable as he is, but a trend I'm seeing.  Not sure if it's the players or the post office.

Amado Samuel signed his 1964 Topps, his only Topps card, as well as a 1963 Braves team card.  

I have three versions of the Brave's team card going around.  I've decided that my strategy years ago should have been to work on multiple versions of the same team cards simultaneously, as long as there are at least a handful of signers.  That prevents me from having cards sitting around waiting to be sent while waiting on other players to return them, only for others on the roster to either quit signing or pass away.  Also, if one of the cards goes missing in the mail or doesn't get returned for some reason, I'd still have other copies to keep working on, rather than starting over again and not being able to replace those that have passed away since.  I'm sending to these guys multiple times over the years anyway, so why not include a team card as well.  Oh well, lesson learned.

Here is the other copy of the 63 Braves team card I'm working on.  I've only sent them to a couple guys so far.

I lost the original copy of the card I was working on to a request to Amado Samuel in 2024, along with his 1962 rookie card that cost over $30.  Ouch.

Here was the progress to that point (Jack Curtis, Lou Klimchock, Hank Fischer, Ken Aspromonte and  Claude Raymond).

I'm also waiting on a copy of the Braves team card from Hank Fischer that I sent back in late March.  I'm assuming that's not coming back.  He was super dependable up until that time, but no returns have come back for anybody since.

I'm seeing several reliable players that didn't return my requests lately.  Players such as Bobby Richardson, Gene Alley, Larry Elliot, Bert Campaneris, Al Spangler and Terry Fox.  I'm starting to think that sending expensive cards and cash through the mail to elderly people may not be a great idea.  

Leon Durham Signing Return and Some Vintage Bobbleheads

I mainly wanted Mr. Durham to sign the 1983 Cubs Leaders card already signed by Fergie Jenkins, but then decided to get some other 80's cards signed while I was sending in.  Unfortunately, the 1982 Topps I sent didn't make its way back to me.  I reached out to the promoter, and he is looking into it. 

Tomorrow, I am sending my Johnny Bench card in for a signing tat doesn't take place until July.  I tried to send it to a signing last year but the USPS decided it should take about 11 days to deliver it just a couple states away, so I missed that one.

I received more vintage bobbleheads last week.  The highlight was a very rare Twins mini bobblehead.  Not only does it not have the most common "moon face", but it also has short sleeves.  To someone that doesn't collect them, I'm sure that sounds silly.  But it's one that I haven't seen before or even knew existed, so I shelled out the money for it, doubling the highest price I've paid for a bobblehead.

Here's what the most common version of the Twins mini looks like:

I also bought another uncommon mini bobblehead, a Tigers version with a green base.  Almost all of these minis come with a white base.

My purchase also included a gold base Tigers doll from the late 60's/early 70's.

I couldn't resist my tenth Twins blue base version.  These are quite common and even high quality ones can be had at a reasonable price.  I plan to display my collection of these together like a team picture.

I bought another Willie Mays version that has a different skin tone.  There are "light" and "dark" versions, and this is the "dark" version.

I bought the light version a while ago.  The shading actually looks reversed in these photos, but it's probably my poor and inconsistent photography.

I bought my first minor league version, of which there are three teams represented from the Pacific Coast League.  This one is Tacoma.  I'll need to keep an eye out for the Portland and Seattle versions. 

I bought a couple Red Sox dolls.  The blue cap version is less common.

I got just one football nodder this time.  I'll probably back off these except those I feel are a good value, like this Falcons version from 1965.

I bought a few non-sports bobbleheads too.  I won't bore you with all of them, but I really like this Astronaut, that was sold at the Astrodome, and this scuba diver that was an advertisement for Sportsways Scuba Gear.

Oh, and who can resist Smokey the Bear?