100 Posts and Yogi!

This is my 101st post on this blog. I have missed a day here and there, but for the most part I have been able to post every day. I use Google Analytics to see how many visitors I receive and where they are from. I have had visitors from 22 countries including India, Canada, the U.K., Australia, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Iceland and the Faroe Islands (look it up!). I've had visitors from every state except Alaska, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexio.

I plan to continue this blog and would appreciate any feedback from fellow collectors on what they'd like to see or information they'd like provided.

Yesterday I received Yogi Berra who signed his 1965 Topps for his fee, sent in care of the Yogi Berra Museum. I think I have all the Yogi autographs I need now which includes three cards, a magazine and a ball, as well as a picture signed along with Don Larsen.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get back to posting some TwinsFest items. Today, I'm posting a picture of just how crowded it got on Saturday there.

Finished The Basement

No news today on returns or requests. I forgot to mention that yesterday I finally sent off my 1965 Topps to Yogi Berra. But, we did put the final coat of paint on the basement today, so soon we can get the furniture back in order. I still have to decide where things will go.

I was watching the prices of LCD TVs, waiting for the big "sales" for the Super Bowl. Since I've already been watching the prices, I'll have a pretty good idea of how good the deals are. Well, so far I've looked at Amazon and Best Buy, and the prices are higher than they were last week! Looks like rather than try to entice people to buy a new TV, they're assuming people will anyway and don't feel they need to motivate us.

I'll wait. Maybe the real deals will come after the Super Bowl is over and they try to get rid of the current models.

One autograph-related item of note: I signed my sons up for a Mauer Hitting Clinic next Sunday. It's a two hour clinic that Joe and his family (Jake, Billy and Stephanie) put on each year. The description said each participant will be able to get one autograph. Hopefully next week I'll have pictures of my sons and Joe Mauer.

We have gotten Joe's autograph a couple of times at Dick's Sporting Goods. One time, both he and Morneau were signing. This was in May of 2006, before they were the big names they are today. As I recall, the line wasn't really that long.

Yogi

I really need to get my act together and get my 1965 Topps out to Yogi Berra. Despite his reputation as a bit of a goofball, Yogi had a Hall of Fame career. He is famous for his "Yogiisms", such as, "Ninety percent of this game is half mental".

Yogi played in 14 World Series with the Yankees and won 10 of them. He was an All-Star 15 times and league MVP three times. He also caught Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.



Yogi also managed and coached for several teams after his playing days were over in 1963.


I have been fortunate enough to get Yogi's autograph several times via the instructions on his website. When I started collecting autographs in 2003, he charged $10 to sign a baseball card. Today it is $50. I have a couple cards, a baseball and a magazine signed by him, as well as a picture of him and Don Larsen after the 1956 perfect game, signed by Larsen as well. In fact, you can purchase this picture directly from Don Larsen signed by both him and Yogi for only $40, which is a pretty good deal.

No returns today

An empty mailbox today, but the UPS deliver person was busy dropping off all the Christmas presents we ordered from Best Buy and Amazon. Cyber Monday was more of a bust than Black Friday. I looked online briefly, and the video games and accessories I ordered from Amazon before Thanksgiving were cheaper then than they were today.

However, the cameras I was contemplating buying got cheaper so I bought them both. One will be mine and the other will by my wife's.

I write 8 requests tonight, using many of the cards I bought at the card show on Saturday. I should have some time tomorrow to write a few more. Tomorrow's Tuesday, so I'm not hopeful that I'll get many returns, if any.

Today I did receive a photo I purchased directly from Don Larsen. He sells a black & white photo of him and Yogi Berra celebrating after Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series signed by them both. It's cheaper than the fee Yogi charges for signing a single item so it's a pretty nice deal. I already have one, but this one is for Johnny for Christmas.