Wally Bunker TTM Return and Another Morneau Purchase

I sent out 11 requests today.  I've sent out 254 requests so far this year, which is a pretty good total for an entire year, based on my history.  I sent out 253 requests in all of 2020, but I purposely slowed down because I wasn't sure how players were going to react to COVID and if it would prevent them from signing.

The last four years I've sent out between 325 and 483 but am on pace this year to send out about 500. In my first year sending out ttm requests, I sent 506, and I didn't start until June!  And back then, I wrote most of my letters by hand.  Prior to 2020, I had about four non-consecutive years where I didn't even send out 100.  My lowest total was only 21 requests in 2017.

Anyway, today I received a disappointing return from Wally Bunker, who used my least favorite type of pen.  I don't know exactly what he used, but when players use a fine, black felt tip, there's a very high probability that the signatures will be smeared.  And that's what happened with this request.  Three of the four cards smeared quite badly.  Bummer.  The 1966 Topps also has a pretty good crease on it now.  I don't recall that being there when I sent it, but I can't be sure.  The other cards also have some warping and don't lie completely flat, so something also happened to these cards since early March when I sent them out.

The 1980 Fleer commemorating the 1966 World Series was previously signed by Jim Palmer.  It's a tough card to get signed because it's very busy and dark.  Maybe I should have just left it with Palmer's signature and called it done.

I also received an eBay purchase of a Justin Morneau signed 2024 Topps Archives on a 2012 Topps Heritage.  I don't know if they reprint the card, or if they simply stamp the Archives logo on it like they do with the Buy Back cards.  The copyright on the back of the card says 2012, so I think it might be an original card.

I'm not 100% sure why I bought this, which is a disturbing trend lately, because I have a 2012 Topps Heritage which I got signed by him at TwinsFest in 2013.  The one I got signed at Twinsfest (pictured below) has a much stronger, bolder signature.  I probably saw a few certified cards of his considerably cheaper on eBay than what I just paid to get a few cards signed by him at a FanHQ signing, so decided they were a bargain.  I paid about $23 for this 2024 Archives card.