Willie Horton, Vern Law and Rollie Fingers

Weird weather in Minnesota this time of year.  I fell asleep to thunder, and woke up to fresh snow on the ground.  It was feeling like spring until the new snow landed.

Any, two ttm returns and a paid signing return arrived in my mailbox today.

The paid signing was from Willie Horton, who signed six cards for me, including a couple Tigers team cards.  I really like the 1976 Topps set, but while the photography is great, they aren't always great for autographs, thanks to busy and sometimes dark backgrounds.

I had asked specifically for him to sign over the players' pictures on the team card to be sure his signature showed up and he didn't have to sign too small.

TTM All-Star Vern Law signed four cards for me in just eight days.  As usual, he added a bunch of inscriptions.  He signed three Pirates team cards and his 1967 Topps.  I now have all of his regular Topps cards signed from 1952 though 1967 (He didn't have cards in the 1953 or 1955 sets).  I also have several of his Bowman, a Fleer, and some oddball and Leaders cards.  I have quite a few duplicates because he sometimes signs in black, and I had a few signed in very fading ink, and sent the same cards again later to try to upgrade them.

I'm disappointed I didn't send some of the Pirates team cards from years other than the sets I'm working on to these Pirates players that are (and were) such good signers.  Face, Mazeroski, Friend, Groat, Thomas, Vernon, etc., etc.  I have some nice ones like this 1963 for the 1961, 1965, and 1972 sets though.

Rollie Fingers, another ttm All-Star, also signed his cards in just eight days.  He finished of the 1979 Topps Leading Firemen card, which I can't believe I haven't already completed, his 1976 Topps, and both of his 1982 Topps.  He charges $15 per card, as he has since I started this hobby in 2003.

I'm hoping for me paid signing returns as well as some ttm returns next week and hope it's a busy one.

Steve Carlton TTM Return

It's been a pretty slow week for returns.  I have about 20 requests outstanding from the last few weeks, and am expecting a handful of mail-in signing returns as well, so next week should pick up a bit.

Today brought a nice return from Steve Carlton, who signed a Grand Slam print as well as a 1972 Topps Cy Young Award card.

I sent Mr. Carlton, in care of Game Winner Sports, a rookie card last year along with a couple others.  I didn't include the extra fee for the rookie card, but he signed it anyway.  So, when I sent this request, I told them about my shortage, and added an extra $35 to this request to cover it.  That might be why he added some inscriptions to my Grand Slam print, despite me not requesting them or paying for them.  He normally charges $20 per inscription, and he added three:"329" (wins), "4136" (strikeouts) and "HOF94" (self explanatory).  Either that, or it was just a mistake, but I appreciate that he added them.  It looks nice, I think.

The only remaining cards I'd like to get signed by him are his 1975 Topps, and his three different 1982 Topps cards.  He is also on a Strikeout Leaders card in the 1975 set along with Nolan Ryan.  Ryan has become too expensive to get ttm now, but maybe I can find that one already signed by at least Ryan, if not both of them.  I can look for Carlton's 82 Topps already signed as well, but am prepared to send them ttm soon.  He's on card #1, which commemorates his NL Strikeout Record, hitting 3,128 on his way to 4,136.  He currently ranks 4th all-time, behind Roger Clemens*, Randy Johnson, who has 4,875, and Nolan Ryan, who has an unbelievable 5,714.  Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, compared to Carlton's 24.

I was surprised that Bob Gibson wasn't higher on the list.  He's at #16 all-time, with 3,117.  I didn't remember that he only pitched for 17 seasons.  He had more strikeouts per year than Carlton, but played 7 years less.

Bobby Richardson Grand Slam Print

I was happy to see this print of Bobby Richardson available on their eBay site and didn't waste any time buying it and sending it out to him.  I included $20 with my request as well as a blue sharpie.  He added several inscriptions without me having to ask for them.  

Sammy Sosa Rookie Card Purchase

I don't collect much of the PED guys, but I don't explicitly avoid them either.  The home run race in 1998 between Sosa and McGwire was pretty exciting and brought a lot of attention to the game after the strike a few years earlier.

I was looking for cards to potentially send in to a signing and realized I could by a slabbed copy of his rookie card for at least the same amount, or a little less.

I'm going to send in a 2003 Topps Heritage to his signing, and probably one other card that I haven't identified yet.

Randy Dobnak TTM Return - Spring Training 2025

Last February, I sent Randy Dobnak a 2021 Topps Heritage and two 2022 Topps Heritage, with a note offering the duplicate card for him to keep.

Today I received all three of them back, signed nicely in blue sharpie.  He is a very generous signer, but the pen he uses is unpredictable.  It's never bad, but I've had some signed in black sharpie, and some in very fine blue, which are okay, but today's return is perfect, in my opinion.

The sase was postmarked from Tampa, FL.  He is currently listed as non-Roster with the Mariners, who hold their spring training in Arizona.  He was previously with the Tigers, who have spring training close to Tampa, in Lakeland, FL.  However, I noticed that my very first request to him back in February, 2021, which I received 26 days later, was also postmarked from Tampa.  He lives in Pennsylvania, I believe, so my guess is he, or his family, have a winter place in Tampa.  I'm surprised he hasn't been in Arizona for a while already though.  Oh well, enough analyzing my Randy Dobnak return.

Today I mailed off five cards to a signing with Twins Second Baseman Luke Keaschall, including a Bowman First, a 2023 Topps Heritage rookie (and a chrome version), a 2026 Topps with the Rookie Trophy icon, and a Topps Living set card.  Hopefully he is still with the team by the time I get these back.  

I'd like to get Royce Lewis on the 25 Topps Heritage as well, but his ttm days appear to be about over.  He was pretty automatic until about the spring of 2024.  My spring training request to him last year didn't come back (yet?), but I did receive returns from him the two years prior to that.  I might send off a request just for the heck of it.  It definitely won't come back if I don't even send one, so...

I also sent off a decent amount of items to the Dugout Zone in Maryland for a Boog Powell signing.  This venue seems to be the only way to get him now.  The last couple of years they did signings in the fall only, but they've added a spring signing this year.

I sent in a couple magazines, including the 1969 Sports Illustrated already signed by Frank Robinson that I posted about a couple days ago.  I also sent five cards: his 1966 Topps, a 1970 Topps AL Playoff card, a couple 1971 Topps including the Orioles Celebration card and the Orioles team card, and the 1972 Topps MVP Award card. I'm not sure exactly when this signing is.  They said "early spring" so I'm guessing later in March or maybe April.  I had more I'd like to send, but I couldn't justify writing a check that big just for Boog Powell autographs.  I have some more cards set aside and will send them in the fall if they do another signing then.

Marichal, Shantz, Sheldon and Lee Smith TTM Returns and Killebrew and McCovey Purchases

I came home from a weekend away to a very full mailbox, mostly with ttm returns.  Almost all of them were returned very quickly, too.

First, Bobby Shantz signed a 1953 Athletics Yearbook, including a few interior photos, as well as a couple team cards from 1965 in just 10 days.  The Cardinals card is getting pretty full, and has Dick Groat on it, so I may be retiring this card since it would be too heartbreaking to lose it now.

This is the second copy of the 53 Yearbook he signed for me.  I came across another copy and couldn't resist.  I'm running out of things to send to Mr. Shantz, so apparently I'm doubling up on things.  I need to take some time to see if I'm overlooking anything I'll really regret not getting signed if I should miss the opportunity.  I had enclosed a Staedtler with my request, and told him to keep it, but he returned some other pen.  It is a Doctors Without Borders pen with a little flashlight on the end. 

Rollie Sheldon is the fifth player to sign my 1966 Kansas City Athletics Yearbook.  He signed the cover, as well as his picture next to his biography inside in 10 days.

He also signed a 1966 Athletics team card, and his 1965 and 1966 Topps cards.  He appears to have used the Staedtler I enclosed with my request.

Lee Smith signed a Grand Slam print and a 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game (GOTG) nicely in blue in just seven days!  I don't think I included a pen with this request because he appears to always use a nice blue marker.  This is my 41st autographed Grand Slam print.

I haven't really worked on the gotg set lately, although it is one of my favorite modern sets.  I have decided to try to get the last living players I need.  At least the affordable ones.  I probably won't send one in to George Brett at $200, bit maybe I'll buy an authenticated one if I can find one significantly cheaper than that.

I did just send some cards in to a Reggie Jackson signing, who I still need for this set, but I am getting a few copies of his rookie card done as well as a 2008 Goudey.  I didn't want to spend any more at this time, but maybe next time I'll send the gotg.  I also need Winfield, Righetti, Schmidt, McRae, Concepcion, Dwight Evans, and Don Mattingly.  So, I should be able to get a few of these guys these year.  I'm disappointed that Harmon Killebrew wasn't included in this set.

My last ttm return was from Juan Marichal, who signed his 1970 Topps nicely in blue sharpie.  I didn't send a pen with this one because he is another player who you can usually count on to use a nice blue marker.  I did enclose $20 with my request, which took 71 days to get back.  That's quite a bit longer than usual for him, but he's very dependable.

This 1970 Topps completes the run of all of his regular Topps cards from 1961 through 1974.  I don't have the 74 Topps Traded signed, but I have the card around here somewhere, so maybe that will be my next request.  I also have a bunch of team cards, a couple Post, a 64 Stand Up, and some modern cards for a total of about 40 signed cards.

I also received a 1960 Sport Magazine signed by Killebrew and McCovey that I bought, as well as Killebrew on a 1972 Topps RBI Leaders card.  I think I will crack the card open and send it to Reggie Smith if there is a mail-in signing coming up, but probably not just directly to him.

Mail-In Signing Returns and a Few Purchases

This Rod Carew signing return took quite a while to get back.  The signing was completed in mid-December but it took a while to get the two items I wanted authenticated done.

I am pretty disappointed with the results, too.  I guess Mr. Carew's health is just too poor to provide a good signature.  The last time I sent in something for him to sign, I sent in bobbleheads.  The results were poor, including some smearing, but I chalked that up to bobbleheads being more difficult to sign than a flat item.

The first item I pulled out of the package was the second Grand Slam print I've had him sign (different images).  The signature is very thick and all the letters sort of run together.  I had requested that a blue sharpie be used, but this looks even thicker than a regular sharpie.  I'm glad I got this authenticated.  I don't have any plans to sell it, but if someday I change my mind, or if my kids sell it after I'm gone, I can see some people questioning its authenticity.

I also sent in four cards.  The first one was his 1967 Topps rookie card.  A real splurge for me.  Luckily, there was no upcharge to sign rookies at this signing, but I set my all-time high record for the price of a card.  This one actually turned out quite nicely, and if I could choose just one to turn out, this would obviously be it.  So, I'm very happy with this one.

The next three cards were meant to be upgrades over my current ones.  My current ones are fine, except they are all signed in black.  I've posted my current signed copy of the card after the new ones below.  I could have saved myself hundreds of dollars (yes, hundreds), if only I had made sure he used a blue sharpie when he signed my first cards at TwinsFest years ago.  So much regret.

You can see how they turned out.  Not great.  The 1972 Topps cards are high numbers and I splurged on graded cards (which graded as a 7 PSA and 7.5 SGC).  The In Action card is okay, I'm just not thrilled with the placement.  I had a sticky note at the top of the card asking that he signed across his legs.

His 1972 individual card is the worst of the bunch.  Again, same instructions, but he signed low and to the left.  I actually think I like the black sharpie copy better.

The 2008 Goudey also isn't too bad, and I guess it's as good as I could hope for given the current state of his signature.  I can't decide which one I like better.

I guess I am left feeling very underwhelmed by this return, which cost me a lot despite the reasonable signing fee.  I had considered selling my old copies to help fund these replacements.  But now, I can't decide which are better and think I'd regret selling any of them.  Maybe I'll look for signed copies to replace all of these with and sell these to help.

I think I am done sending in to any of Carew's signings.  I think his signature suffers even more when he's sitting down and cranking out hundreds at a time.  From this point forward, I will try to purchase anything I need already signed.  Even if it's a newer signature, you will know exactly what you're getting rather than rolling the dice on sending it in.

Despite the overall negative tone of this post, I am really happy to add his rookie card to my collection.  A couple years ago I would probably have told you that I'd never own one because it's too expensive.  But, I've loosened the purse strings quite a bit as I consider how much I will regret not adding these types of pieces to my collection after these players pass away.

I also received a few cards back from a Craig Swan signing.  He signs through the mail for a small fee.  I paid a few dollars more per card by sending in to this signing, in hopes that I get a good blue sharpie signature.  His history on SCN shows a lot of ballpoint and black sharpie signatures.

And finally, I bought four cards from Twins-Collector-Extraordinaire, Randy, including a nice 78 Topps Gene Mauch and a beautiful 1971 Topps Red Schoendienst.  (True collectors can spell "Schoendienst" and "Yastrzemski" from memory.  I still struggle with "Pierzynski" and "Mientkiewicz" though.).

The 61 Pagliaroni and 63 Landrum help fill some holes in my set collections.