Another TTM Success From Rich Bordi

Rich Bordi signed for me TTM originally in 2017.  I realized I needed him again when I got this 1987 Topps Orioles leaders card in that was previously signed by the late Earl Weaver.  I sent the card off with my fingers crossed, and was happy to see it come back signed.  Now, all I need is Rick Dempsey.

I included this 1991 Crown Orioles card, since I hadn't included it with my earlier request.

Both cards turned out great, and I'm one step closer in completing another 1987 Topps leaders card.

I mailed to Bordi on June 8 and got the cards back on June 21, for a 13-day TAT.

50/50 Return From Preston

Finally.  After waiting for years, and several missed opportunities, I was able to get some of my Jake Burger cards signed.  My friend, Preston, graphs the Charlotte Knights, and took some cards 50/50 for me this past season.  The cards came back the other day, and I was happy to see that some of the Jake Burger cards I sent got inked.  Burger was injured whenever he was slated to come through Kinston, so I missed out on him.

Thankfully, Preston hooked me up and got several of my cards signed.

Preston also helped me move a couple of these 2017 SAL All Star Game cards that I've had for a long time.  These weren't exactly a 50/50, but I hooked Preston up with some nice signed stuff in trade, and it worked out.

Preston also got me some guys I had seen before; it helped me move some cards out of my boxes and gave me some stuff I could use as trade bait in future deals.  I'm surprised that I have yet to run into Preston at any games, but I'm sure I will, since we both graph NC teams.

Thanks for getting these done, Preston!

TTM Success - Thad Bosley

Thad Bosley was already in my 1987 Topps set, but I sent to him TTM anyway when I saw that he was signing.  I got this 1980 Topps signed, along with two other Topps cards.

He signed my 1978 Topps and a 1987 Topps, which will upgrade the one I had.  The cards look nice, and I was glad to move them out of my TTM box.

Bosley (b. 1956) played in the majors from 1977 to 1990 for the Angels, White, Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Royals, and Rangers.  He had 430 hits, 20 home runs and a .272 batting average.

I mailed to Bosley on January 28 and got the cards back on June 19, for a 142-day TAT.

This Year's 50/50s From Matthew F.

The 50/50s that I sent out this season have finally come in, for the most part.  I sent out a ton of cards, and while some of the 50/50s were a bit disappointing for me, this one that I got back from Matthew F. really was awesome.  There were a few cards in the batch that I was really excited to see come back signed, and Matthew really came through.

I had this 2010 Topps Chrome Red Hot Rookie Logan Morrison for a long time, and had been wanting to get it signed.  I held off sending it TTM, since I didn't want to lose it.  I, then, held it to see if I could get him at a High Point Rockers game this season, but he was signed by the Reds before I could get to a game.  Luckily, he was stashed at the Reds AAA (Louisville) and Matthew got the card signed for me.

Matthew got three other LoMos signed for me, two of which are above, and the other has been sent to a buddy of mine who is working on a set.

The best card of the whole bunch may be this 2021 Bowman Chrome green sparkle refractor of Clayton Beeter that he got signed for me.  The card is numbered 30/99 and Beeter actually inscribed it to Matthew, but Matthew was able to clean the card off for me.  You can't tell he fixed it, and the card looks awesome when scanned.

I had gotten a couple Lyon Richardson cards signed a couple years ago from another 50/50, but Matthew hooked me up with quite a few here.  I especially like the 2019 Bowman Heritage, which is the rightmost card.

I had been wanting to get Timmy Lopes to sign the 2010 Bowman USA card for a long time, and Matthew came through once again.  I also added a 2020 Topps to the album, and it turned out great.

I like these 2020 Topps Heritage Minors Scratch Off cards, and Matthew got a couple of them done for me.  The above Miguel Vargas turned out really well.

I was also happy Matthew got my Vargad Midwest League All Star card signed.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get that signed.

He got an Austin Drury card from that same set done, as well as some other team set cards, like my Hickory Sam Hellinger (former Wood Duck) card, or my Mudcats team set cards of Mario Feliciano or Quintin Torres-Costa.

Matthew helped me get a bunch of older Bowman cards out of my box, like the 2017 Bowman Morgan Cooper, or some 2019 Bowmans, like the Jack Little or Mike Siani.

These also turned out great, and there's another scratch off card from 2020 Heritage Minors.  I was really glad to move a lot of this stuff, and Matthew was a big help.

I got Matthew a bunch of Low A guys, and I know I will be sending to him again next season.  He probably hooked me up more than most people did this season, and he was really easy to work with.

He missed a few guys due to early season COVID restrictions and player movement.  Still, this was a very successful 50/50.  Thanks Matthew.

TTM Success - Travis Phelps

The early 2000s cards I found in my boxes from the LCS really are nice.  I kind of wish I had gotten more cards back then, but I wasn't at a place where I really could afford them at the time.  Of course, if I knew then, what I know now, I would have definitely been sending TTMs.

This 2001 Donruss Class of 2001 card is numbered 731 of 1,875.  I sent to Travis Phelps TTM hoping I could get it signed and add it to my album.  I was successful, and the card looks nice.

Phelps (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2001 to 2002 and 2004 for the Devil Rays and Brewers.  He had a record of 3-5 with 93 strike outs and a 4.34 ERA.

I mailed to Phelps on April 21 and got the card back on June 19, for a 59-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jalen Beeks

My good friend, Gerard, hosted a private signing recently with Rays pitcher, Jalen Beeks.  I had some base cards of his, but I decided to splurge and get some nice color parallels from 2020 Topps Update Chrome for this signing.  So, I had the Ebay seller ship directly to Gerard, and the resulting autographs look great.

The above orange refractor is numbered 23/25 and turned out amazing.  It scanned a bit more red than orange, but in natural light, it is orange.

This blue refractor was one both of us were a little worried about.  We weren't sure how the autograph would turn out, but in the end, it turned out great.

Beeks (b. 1993) missed this season, but has played in the majors from 2018 to 2020 for the Red Sox, and Rays.  He has a record of 12-5 with 157 strike outs and a 4.54 ERA.

I mailed to the signing on April 24 and got the cards back on June 19, for a 56-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10/card.

TTM Success - Jaime Bubela

One of the reasons I really enjoyed going through the boxes I got from my former LCS was because there was a lot of early 2000s stuff in there that I never opened.  I didn't get back into cards until 2005, so I didn't have a lot of cards prior to that.  So, in my search through the boxes, I found some nice cards from back then that I was able to send off TTM.  One of the successes that came back was from Jaime Bubela.  The above 2003 Bowman Chrome turned out better than the scan shows.

I was also able to get this 2003 Topps signed, and it also turned out well.

Bubela (b. 1978) played in the majors in 2005 for the Mariners.  He had 2 hits, no home runs and a .105 batting average.  

I mailed to Bubela on May 3 and got the cards back on June 19, for a 47-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jim Presley

Yet another 1987 Topps was removed from my list via a private signing when I got this one back from Jim Presley.  He is apparently a bit of a tough signer, so I was glad to cross him off of my list.

Presley (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1984 to 1991 for the Mariners, Braves and Padres.  He had 875 hits, 135 home runs and a .247 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1986 and finished 21st in the AL MVP race that season.

I mailed to the signing on April 8 and got the card back on June 17, for a 70-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Buddy Biancalana

Buddy Biancalana was another player I needed for my 1987 Topps set, and he had signed TTM some.  I sent to him several months ago, but got a note back saying he was now charging a fee.  I held off returning the card for a signature for a while, but finally got around to it and crossed him off of my list.

Biancalana (b. 1960) played in the majors from 1982 to 1987 for the Royals and Astros.  He had 113 hits, 6 home runs and a .205 batting average.  He won the World Series in 1985 with the Royals.

I mailed to Biancalana on June 1 and got the card back on June 17, for a 16-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $10.00.

TTM Success - Greg Swindell

Here's another 1987 Topps that dropped off of my list.  A private signing came up for Greg Swindell, and I took advantage so I could cross him off of my list.  The card looks great and puts me closer to my goal of completing the set.  I am almost at 700 signed cards, which is a feat in itself.

Swindell (b. 1965) played in the majors from 1986 to 2002 for the Indians, Reds, Astros, Twins, Red Sox and Diamondbacks.  He had a record of 123-122 with 1,542 strike outs and a 3.86 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1989.

I mailed to the signing on April 23 and got the card back on June 15, for a 53-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $12.00.

TTM Success - Paul Wagner

There were a bunch of Paul Wagner cards in my TTM box.  He signs a lot, so I went ahead and sent 7 cards, since I couldn't decide on ones to hold back.  I don't mind if a player decides to not sign something I send, so I didn't see much of an issue with sending 7 cards.  That is the max I would send, though, in case someone was wondering.

The cards I sent all turned out great. They'll look good in my autograph album, especially the 1991 Carolina League All Star card.

Wagner (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1992 to 1999 for the Pirates, Brewers and Indians.  He had a record of 29-45 with 452 strike outs and a 4.83 ERA.

I mailed to Wagner on May 10 and got the cards back on June 15, for a 36-day TAT.

TTM Success - Kyle Skipworth

There weren't nearly as many TTM requests sent off this year as I had done last year during COVID.  Still, I sent off a decent amount of stuff when I had the chance between Wood Ducks games.  I didn't go through boxes as much as usual, either, which contributed to my not sending out as much, also.  Still, I found some cards of guys who signed, and was able to thin out a few boxes, as was the case with this return from Kyle Skipworth.  I had the above 2008 Razor card for a long time in one of the boxes, and used the ones I got from the former LCS to add two more to the package.  The Razor card turned out great; I always liked this design.

I also sent the above 2010 Topps Pro Debut and the 2011 Topps Heritage Minors.  Both look great.

Skipworth (b. 1990) played in the majors in 2013 for the Marlins.  He appeared in 4 games and had no hits.  He was a first round pick (6th overall) in the 2008 June Amateur Draft by the Marlins out of Patriot High School in Glen Avon, California.

I mailed to Skipworth on January 11 and got the cards back on June 5, for a 145-day TAT.

TTM Success - Robert Parish

There aren't many basketball cards in my autograph albums, but some do exist in there.  I was able to move a few basketball cards from the boxes I got from my former LCS with this TTM success from Robert Parish.

Parish (b. 1953) played in the NBA from the 1976-1977 season to the 1996-1997 season for the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls.  He played in 1,611 games and scored a total of 23,334 points.  He was an All Star 9 times and won the NBA Championship 4 times (1980-81, 1983-84 and 1985-86 with the Celtics and 1996-97 with the Bulls).  He was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

I mailed to Parish on April 20 and got the cards back on June 4, for a 45-day TAT.

TTM Success - Adam Piatt

This TTM success from Adam Piatt added some really cool early 2000s cards to my autograph album.  The above 2001 Topps Gold Label was probably the highlight of the bunch, and scanned great.

I also sent two different 2000 Topps Stars (top), a 2000 Topps Gallery (bottom left) and a 2003 Topps (bottom right).  All of the cards look great.

Piatt (b. 1976) played in the majors from 2000 to 2003 for the A's and Devil Rays.  He had 129 hits, 16 home runs and a .248 batting average.

I mailed to Piatt on May 20 and got the cards back on June 4, for a 15-day TAT.

TTM Success - Jeremy Papelbon

He isn't nearly as famous as his brother, but I was still excited to get a few cards back signed TTM from Jeremy Papelbon.  The above 2007 Bowman Heritage turned out well.  I have a small handful of these, and they look great when signed.

I was also really happy to move some of these 2007 Bowman, and they all turned out great.  I have a bunch of 2007 Bowmans, and am happy to get them signed.

Papelbon (b. 1983) was a 19th round pick by the Cubs in the 2006 June Amateur Draft out of the University of North Florida.  He played in the minors from 2006 to 2010, all in the Cubs system.  He reached AAA in his time in the minors.  He had a record of 22-15 with 338 strike outs and a 3.47 ERA.

He is the brother of former Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon.

I mailed to Papelbon on May 24 and got the cards back on June 1, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Rafael Furcal

This 2000 Topps Gold Label Rafael Furcal was an insert card in a box of 2000 Topps that I picked up when I was building that set years ago. It floated around my boxes for a while, then I saw a private signing come up. I naturally picked this card to get signed and it turned out great.

Furcal (b. 1977) played in the majors from 2000 to 2012 and 2014 for the Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals and Marlins.  He had 1,817 hits, 113 home runs and a .281 batting average.  He was the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year and a 3-time All Star (2003, 2010 and 2012).  His best MVP finish was 14th in 2006. He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.

I mailed to the signing on May 7 and got the card back on June 1, for a 25-day TAT. I paid a fee of $25.00.

TTM Success - Heath Phillips

There were two of these 2008 Topps Finest Heath Phillips cards in my boxes (one refractor, above, and one base card, below). I saw that Phillips signed TTM, so I sent both cards. 

Both of the cards turned out great, and I hadn't had any 08 Topps Finest in my album. I don't think I have any other 08 Finest anywhere else, really.

Phillips (b. 1982) played in the majors in 2007 for the White Sox. He had a record of 1-1 with 2 strikeouts and a 3.68 ERA.

I mailed to Phillips on May 12 and got the cards back May 29, for a 17-day TAT.

TTM Success - Shawn Senior

Before I got this 1996 Bowman back signed TTM from Shawn Senior, there were no logged requests or successes from him on SCN.  So, mine was the first.  That was kind of cool.  Since then, one other person has gotten their card signed, and a third person has sent theirs off and are waiting for their success.

My card was signed in ballpoint pen, and the signature isn't all that great, but I did get a 1996 Bowman added to my album.

Senior (b. 1972) was a 4th round draft pick by the Red Sox in the 1993 June Amateur Draft out of NC State University.  He played in the minors from 1993 to 1996, all in the Red Sox system, reaching AAA.  He had a record of 38-23 with 354 strike outs and a 3.99 ERA.

I mailed to Senior on May 13 and got the card back on May 29, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Mark Mangum

This is a nice card that I found while I was going through the boxes I got when my LCS closed down.  This is a 1998 Stadium Club, and I found an address for Mark Mangum so I could send it TTM.  The card turned out great, even though the autograph is hard to see on the scan.  These cards are super glossy, and I prepped it, just in case.

Mangum (b. 1978) was a 1st round (18th overall) pick by the Rockies in the 1997 June Amateur Draft out of Kingwood High School in Kingwood Texas.  Mangum played in the minors from 1997 to 2002 in the Rockies and Expos systems, reaching AA.  He had a record of 37-47 with 397 strike outs and a 4.19 ERA.

I mailed to Mangum on November 30 and got the card back signed on May 28, for a 179-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Sammy Khalifa

Sammy Khalifa signed TTM for me back in 2019, but personalized my card.  The card went into my 1987 Topps album anyway.  However, I saw that Khalifa was signing through a private signing, so I took the opportunity to upgrade my set card, and move the personalized one into my normal autograph album.  This one turned out great, and now fits better into my 1987 set.  The personalized one is fine in my autograph album, and I'm happy either way.

I mailed to the signing on April 23 and got the card back on May 28, for a 35-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $7.00.

TTM Success - Bruce Hurst

There seems to have been quite a few private signings lately, which have helped me shave some much-needed cards off of my checklist for my signed 1987 Topps set.  Another one came up recently, Bruce Hurst, and I was able to cross him off and rest the card in my album.

Hurst (b. 1958) played in the majors from 1980 to 1994 for the Red Sox, Padres, Rockies and Rangers.  He had a record of 145-113 with 1,689 strike outs and a 3.92 ERA.  He was an All Star in 1987 and received votes for both the AL Cy Young Award and the AL MVP Award in 1988, finishing 5th and 14th, respectively.  He appeared on the 2000 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.2% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on February 23 and got the card back on May 25, for a 91-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $30.00.

TTM Success - Bill Greason

There is an assortment of generic cards that I keep handy in order to send to folks who normally don't have cards.  In the case of Bill Greason, I had this cool Topps Stadium Club ad card that would have looked cool, had Greason signed the front.  Still, he did sign my card, and his autograph has been added to my album.

I also had sent Greason a 2010 Topps Cardinals team card.  He signed the back of this one as well.  I'll keep trying with guys like this, but some signatures on the fronts of the cards would have been nice.  I'm honestly just happy with a response.  TTMs got pretty dry this summer, and any return was welcome.  Things have picked up lately, but the goal is to catch up on posts before the year is out.  We'll see if I can reach that goal.

Greason (b. 1924) played in the Negro Leagues in 1948 for the Birmingham Black Barons and in the Majors in 1954 for the Cardinals.  He had a career record of 3-3 (including his Negro League stats) with 36 strike outs and a 5.15 ERA.

I mailed to Greason on May 10 and got the cards back signed on May 25, for a 15-day TAT.  He also signed my note.

TTM Success - Jake Petricka

Here are some nice cards that I got signed TTM from Jake Petricka.  The above 2010 Topps Pro Debut turned out really well.  I remember when Topps started doing Pro Debut that year; I bought a box of each series.  I had hoped I would go to games and get some signed, and I didn't really end up doing that until 6 years later.  If I knew then what I know now, I'd have graphed more back then.

I also got a 2014 Topps and a 2014 Topps Gold signed by Petricka.

Petricka (b. 1988) has played in the majors since 2013 (with the exception of missing 2020 during COVID) for the White Sox, Blue Jays, Brewers and Angels.  He has a record of 10-13 with 183 strike outs and a 4.24 ERA.

I mailed to Petricka on April 6 and got the cards back on May 22, for a 46-day TAT.

TTM Success - Anthony Aliotti

Getting some 2014 Bowman out of my box is always a good thing, since a lot of what I have left is stuff of guys who are no longer playing.  Adding these two signed cards from Anthony Aliotti that he signed TTM was really nice.  the cards turned out great.

Aliotti (b. 1987) was a 15th round pick by the A's in the 2009 June Amateur Draft out of Saint Mary's College (CA).  He played in the A's system from 2009 to 2015, reaching AAA.  He had 821 hits, 15 home runs and a .282 batting average.

I mailed to Aliotti on May 6 and got the cards back on May 22, for a 16-day TAT.