Another TTM Success From Tom Burgmeier

The last time I sent to Tom Burgmeier TTM, I only had two of his cards.  Since then, I got a lot more in my hoard and was able to send off these five, which included the above 1972 Topps.  I love how the 72s look when signed. 

I also got his 1973, 1978, 1982 and 1973 Topps signed. This helped me move several cards out of the boxes.

I mailed to Burgmeier on January 3 and got the cards back on March 29, for an 86-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Charles Nagy

This TTM success from Charles Nagy hel0ed me to clean out a couple more cards from my boxes.  The above 1996 Fleer Metal is a cool card that will fit nicely into the autograph album. 

I also got this 2000 Upper Deck signed.  I got a decent sized stack of 2000 Upper Deck from one of the shows in Virginia with Ryan.  This was a period where I wasn't opening any cards, so leave 90s and early 00s non-Topps stuff is rare in my hoard of cards.

I mailed to Nagy on March 14 and got the cards back today (March 29), for a 15-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Justin Jacome

Here are a couple 2015 Bowman that I got signed TTM by Justin Jacome.  I sent off his Bowman base and chrome, and got both of them back signed in black Sharpie. 

Both of the cards turned out nicely.  I was glad to get a couple of these out of the box.

Jacome (b. 1993) was a 5th round pick by the Marlins in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of UC Santa Barbara.  He played in the minors in 2015 and 2016 in the Marlins system. He had a record of 1-6 with 76 strike outs and a 3.33 ERA.

I mailed to Jacome on February 5 and got the cards back on March 27, for a 51-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Donnie Elliott

The above 1993 Richmond Braves team set card of Donnie Elliott drove me to send to him TTM.  The card is pretty cool, and turned out nicely.

I also sent a 1993 Bowman and a 1994 Collectors Choice silver signature.  The Bowman smeared just a bit, but looks nice.

Elliott (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1994 to 1995 for the Padres. He had a record of 0-1, with 27 strike outs and a 3.09 ERA.

I mailed to Elliott on January 8 and got the cards back on March 26, for a 78-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Howard

Here is a random 2002 Donruss of Ben Howard that I got signed TTM recently.  The card looks nice. I couldn't tell you where u fit it, but it is a nice addition to the autograph album. 

Howard (b. 1979) played in the majors from 2002 to 2004 for the Padres and Marlins. He had a record of 2-5 with 67 strike outs and a 5.20 ERA.

I mailed to Howard on January 18 and got the card back on March 26, for a 68-day TAT.

March 27, 2024, Graphing of UNCW at ECU

Last night, my friend Jesse and I went to see UNCW at ECU.  I actually hadn't graphed at ECU before, so this was a new experience for me.  I wanted to get Parker Byrd on the Bowman U card that i picked up.  The card turned out great.

Byrd was injured in a boating accident last summer and lost his leg.  He now plays on a prosthetic leg, and got into a game earlier this season. He was a really nice guy when he signed for us.

Trey Yesavage was the first autograph I got at a game this season.  His card is an Onyx card, and turned out great.

I had seen that Bryant Packard was one of the graduate assistant coaches, so i was able to get my one card that i had of him signed.

Finally, I searched the roster and found that four of the guys had Perfect Game cards.  I got everyone that I had cards of, except for Bristol Carter.  Pregame, he said he'd get me after the game, then after the game, he wasn't feeling well and had already left the facility.  All good, I'll probably try to go back and finish him up.  I almost had a clean sweep for the first time in forever.

The Pirates won the game 7-4, after coming from behind after being down 4-0 in the second inning.  We didn't get to see Byrd play, but we did get to watch him practice.

In all, we got the following autographs: Isaac Armstrong x 10, Walker Barron x 10, Parker Byrd x 3, Jason Janesko x 10, Bryant Packard x 1 and Trey Yesavage x 1 (35).

TTM Success - Danny Payne

He may have used a super sized Sharpie, but these cards are still signed.  I got a TTM success back from Danny Payne, and was surprised at how big his signature was on each card.  He must have used a giant marker.  I had a bunch of his 2007 Tristar Prospects Plus cards, so getting one of them signed was nice. 

I also got a 2007 Donruss Elite Extra.Edition and a 2007 Bowman signed.

Payne (b. 1985) was a first round pick (64th overall) by the Padres in the 2007 June Amateur Draft out of Georgia Tech.  He played in the minors from 2007 to 2011 in the Padres system, reaching AAA.  He had 347 hits, 25 home runs and a .239 batting average.

I mailed to Payne on March 5 and got the cards back on March 25, for a 20-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Campanis Jr

Here are a couple cards that I got signed TTM by Jim Campanis, Jr.  I had gotten his dad a while back and then found these to send off.  The above 1988 Topps turned out nicely.

I also got this 1992 Topps signed.  I doubt I will be able to finish the card, but I may give it a shot.

Campanis (b. 1967) was a 3rd round pick by the Mariners in the 1988 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Southern California. He played in the minors from 1989 to 1994 in the Mariners and Angels systems.  He reached AA.  He had 478 hits, 56 home runs and a .254 batting average. 

I mailed to Campanis on February 7 and got the cards back on March 25, for a 47-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Eric Gagne

Back in November; I got Eric Gagne to sign a few cards TTM.  I had a few more that I had put aside, so I decided to try him again. The cards turned out nicely. I got this 2004 Topps All Star signed. I had to choose between this one and his record breaker card. I think I chose well.

The decision had already been made to include these two in the mailer.  The (left) 2006 Fleer Ultra Gold turned out great.  The card on the right is a 2004 Fleer Draft Edition thar came out of the boxes I inherited from the former LCS. These two are a couple nice additions of some obscure sets to the autograph album. 

I mailed to Gagne on March 9 and got the cards back on March 25, for a 16-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Mike Greenwell

Back in 2019, I answered a private signing for a signing with Mike Greenwell.  I got my 1987 Topps signed back then.  I saw another signing come up and I decided to send this 1991 Fleer Pro Visions.  This subset from a very overproduced 90s product still stands tall.  I really like this set.  I got the Canseco signed at a National a few years ago.

I mailed to the signing on February 2 and got the card back today (March 25), for a 52-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Taylor Hill

This 2015 Topps was signed TTM by Taylor Hill, who color matched it with a red Sharpie.  The card looks pretty cool, honestly, even though I still prefer blue.

Hill (b. 1989) played in the majors from 2014 to 2015 for the Nationals.  He had a record of 0-1 with 14 strike outs and a 6.00 ERA.

I mailed to Hill on December 5 and got the card back on March 23, for a 109-day TAT.

TTM Success - Michael Garciaparra

The last name sounds familiar. Michael Garciaparra is the younger brother of Nomar, or Nomahhh as folks from Boston like to say.  This Garciaparra was a Mariners prospect who appeared in the 2003 Topps complete set on a prospect card.

Garciaparra (b. 1983) was a first round (36th overall) pick by the Mariners in the 2001 June Amateur Draft out of Don Bosco Technical Institute in California.  He played in the minors from 2002 to 2010 in the Mariners, Phillies, Brewers and Astros systems.  He had 560 hits, 19 home runs and a .263 batting average.  He would reach AAA before hanging up his Spikes.

I mailed to Garciaparra on February 13 and got the card back on March 23, for a 39-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Lance Pendleton

This 2011 Bowman of Lance Pendleton was kind of beat up before I decided to send it out TTM.  I don't know how it got scuffed up, but it was.  Still, I dropped it in the mail and was able to get it signed and out of my box.

Pendleton (b. 1983) played in the majors in 2011 for the Astros and Yankees.  He had no record, 13 strike outs and a 6.75 ERA.

I mailed to Pendleton on March 11 and got the card back on March 23, for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Lance Carter

Here is a 2004 Topps card that I got back signed TTM from Lance Carter.  The card turned out well, and I was able to add a random player to my autograph album. 

Carter (b. 1974) played in the majors in 1999 and from 2002 to  2006 for the Royals, Devil Rays and Dodgers.  He had a record of 13-12 with 127 strike outs and a 4.15 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2003.

I mailed to Carter on March 14 and got the card back on March 22, for an 8-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Jerry Don Gleaton

A few Jerry Don Gleaton cards came back signed TTM when I sent to him a second time.  I found these cards after going through my boxes recently, and decided it was time to send to him again. I was glad to get his 1980 Topps rookie card signed. 

I had also found this 1992 Donruss and a 1993 Stadium Club Team Stadium Club card showing Gleaton as a Marlin.  I had to add some more teal to the autograph album.

I mailed to Gleaton on March 11 and got the cards back on March 21 for a 10-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Andrew Abbott

Another TTM success from Spring Training came in when I got this nice 1989 Chrome back signed from Andrew Abbott.  The card turned out nicely. Abbott kept my 2024 Topps base card. 

Abbott (b. 1999) made his MLB debut last season with the Reds.  He had a record of 8-6 with 120 strike outs and a 3.87 ERA.

I mailed to Abbott via Reds camp on February 20 and got the card back on March 21, for a 30-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Jim Perry

These two cards should be the last of my Jim Perry cards, unless I end up taking on another vintage collection.  I found them while going through boxes and decided to go ahead and send them out to get them signed.  The 1972 had an ink smudge at the top, which is why it got upgraded in my u2 set.  After it was upgraded, it left this card loose, so it made sense to get it signed and let it remain in the autograph album. 

This 1974 Topps came out of Conrad's boxes.  Note Yankee stadium in the background. 

I mailed to Perry on March 7 and got the cards back on March 21, for a 14-day TAT. I paid his fee of $5/card.  He also sent a note back saying he would donate the money to charity.

TTM Success - Dominic Canzone

Finally, a batch of TTMs came in today.  One of them was this signed 2024 Topps of Dominic Canzone from Mariners Spring Training. The card looks good.

Canzone (b. 1997) made his MLB debut last season and played for the Diamondbacks and Mariners.  He had 38 hits, 6 home runs and a .220 batting average. 

I mailed to Canzone on February 21 and got the card back today (March 21) for a 29-day TAT. 

A Gift From Jesse - James Worthy Signed Photo

My good friend, Jesse, got this signed photo of James Worthy for me recently when he and his Paw Paw Benny met Worthy at a signing at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Worthy (b. 1961) played in the NBA from 1982 to 1994 for the Lakers.  He was the first overall pick in the 1982 Draft out of UNC, where he won the NCAA Championship in 1982.  He was a 7-time All Star (1986 to 1992) and NBA Champion in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Thank you so much for the signed photo Jesse and Paw Paw Benny!

Another TTM Success From Tom Kelly

Another batch of signed cards came in signed from former Twins manager, Tom Kelly.  I had seen these cards in a couple passes through my boxes and wanted to add them to the autograph album. 

The cards I sent were a 2002 and 1989 Topps.  They both turned out great, and I'm glad I got them out of the boxes.

I mailed to Kelly on March 6 and got the cards back today (March 18), for a 12-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Boudreau

While going through boxes the other day, I found this 2006 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts card of Lou Boudreau.  I love the design, but Boudreau has been gone for some time now, so there no way I'd be able to get him to sign it.  I figured I'd try to get one of his kids to sign it; his daughter is married to Denny McLain.  I did some digging and found an address for his son, Jim.  I initially thought it was Boudreau's grandson, but Jim Boudreau corrected me.

Something really cool happened, though; Jim added his dad's auto to the TTM request.  He must have had a stash of his dad's signed cards somewhere.  That was really cool of him.

I also got a note back, explaining that my guess was wrong.  Still, I'm glad I gave it a shot and sent the card out.

I mailed to Boudreau on March 2 and got the card back on March 16, for a 14-day TAT. 

GalaxyCon Richmond 2024

Yesterday, Chris, Jesse and I went to GalaxyCon in Richmond.  I was originally going there to meet Carl Weathers, but after his passing, I settled for Dolph Lundgren and a couple wrestlers.  I was very disappointed in the setup of the Con.  The line to get in the door took us 3 hours, after we circled the venue for almost an hour trying to find parking.

We finally got in and got the autographs we were looking for.  Dolph was really nice.  I didn't get a chance to say a whole lot because it was so crowded, but it was a positive experience meeting him. I wanted my card signed in blue but was in such a hurry getting through the line, I wasn't able to ask him to switch pens.  That was no one's fault.  I was still irritated abd flustered about a guy cutting in front of me in line.

The next booth we stopped at was Barry Windham to finish this 1985 WWF card of the US Express.  They have just been announced as members of WWE's Hall of Fame class of 2024.  Windham was nice enough to add the HOF 24 inscription without us even asking.  I had gotten. Mike Rotunda on the card TTM a couple weeks ago.  I was going to send a picture of this card to my cousin Lynn this morning since I knew she liked Windham and she was the one who got me into wrestling so many years ago.  She passed away this morning, sadly.  It was kind of strange because she was legitimately in my thoughts just yesterday. How short life is astounds me sometimes.

Onto more positive things, I got this card signed by Rikishi yesterday in yellow paint pen.  The card really pops, as Rikishi even said himself.

Rikishi wad really cool, as well.  We talked about who he had in the Wrestlemania match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.  We also talked about how I'd like yo sew him come out and get involved in the Bloodline storyline since he is a senior member of the Anoa'i family.

The poor planning and logistics aside, we did have a good time.  I'm glad Jesse was able to come on the trip with Chris and I.  It took an 11th hour miracle in finding a ticket, but it worked out.

Now that the ComiCon is out of the way, it's time for me to focus on getting prepped for the season. 

TTM Success - Ryan Jaroncyk

This card that I got back signed TTM from Ryan Jaroncyk turned out nicely. It also gave me yet another dual card to try to complete, since Shawn Green is also on it  I haven't seen a Green signing in a bit, but I'll now have to keep my eye out for one.

Jaroncyk (b. 1977) was a first round pick by the Mets in the 1995 June Amateur Draft out of Orange Glen High School in California. He played in the Mets system from 1995 to 1997 and the Dodgers system from 1999 to 2000. He reached high A.  He had 134 hits, 1 home run and a .237 batting average. 

I mailed to Jaroncyk on March 6 and got the card back on March 14, for an 8-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Kevin Bacon

Sending an egg card to Kevin Bacon shouldn't take a whole lot of explanation, I hope.  If you're wondering, sit here for a second and think about it. Anyway, I saw that Kevin Bacon was (maybe) signing, so I picked up this egg card from 2019 Allen amd Ginter and sent it out with a 1987 Topps checklist. Why the checklist? Come on, keep up. Because I have a ton of them still and no clue what to do with them, so I'm adding odd signatures to my album because it's my album and I can.

So, I sent the cards off AND BACON SIGNED THE BACK OF THE EGG CARD!!!! Cue the sad trombone. Oh well, they're signed.  I said maybe earlier because I saw that there may be some question about whether or not these signatures are secretarial. Well, I'm taking them as signed.

Bacon (b. 1958) is known for such movies as Friday the 13th, Animal House, She's Having a Baby, Footloose, Tremors and A Few Good Men.  Obviously, he's been in a ton more. So much so, there's a fun game to play, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.  I used to love playing that.

I mailed to Bacon on March 6 and got the cards back on March 14, for an 8-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Austin Rei

This TTM success from Austin Rei was exciting because I was able to complete this card already signed by Braden Bishop that my friend Sam sent to me for Christmas. I had intended to send to Rei for some time now, and this card pushed him to the front of the line.  The card looks great now that it is complete.

I also sent off a 2015 Bowman and a 2016 Bowman Chrome.  Both of them look really nice.

Rei (b. 1993) was a 3rd round pick by the Red Sox in the 2015 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Washington. He played in the minors from 2015 to 2019 and 2021.  He reached AA in the Red Sox system, then went to the Diamondbacks AA for a season.  He finished his career in independent ball in 2022.  In affiliated ball, he had a total of 242 hits, 19 home runs and a .216 batting average.  I'm sure I got Rei on a 2015 Bowman when he played at Salem, but I went ahead and sent this one to get it out of the box.

I mailed to Rei on February 10 and got the cards back on March 14 for a 33-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Bret Barberie

Finally, my signed cards from a SCN private signing with Bret Barberie came in today.  He had apparently used black Sharpie when he was supposed to use blue, so the return of the cards got delayed.  The promoter replaced my cards that had gotten signed in black, which he didn't have to do.  The above 1995 Topps was one of the replacement cards, and I am happy to get it.  One of the reasons why I wanted to do the signing was because Barberie was in some great early Marlins uniforms. I also like the background of this card; the storm clouds brewing really create a great look on the card.

I had sent 4 cards; a 1993 Topps Team Stadium Club, 1995 Collectors Choice SE, 1993 Upper Deck Marlins checklist and a 1995 Topps Traded (which showed Barberie in an Orioles uniform).

I fully intend to fill out the 93 Upper Deck.  The delay in the cards caused me to miss a signing with Orestes Destrade.  Hopefully another with him pops up soon.  The promoter sent me back an extra 1995 Collectors Choice SE signed in blue since mine was in black.

Here's the 1995 Topps Traded, which I was lucky to have in the first place.  I got a card of Barberie in an Orioles uniform signed, and that's fine with me.

Barberie (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1991 to 1996 for the Expos, Marlins, Orioles and Cubs.  He had 388 hits, 16 home runs and a .271 batting average.  He finished 5th in the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year voting. 

I mailed to the signing on November 16 and got the cards back today (March 14), for a 119-day TAT.  I got a special on the signing; 4 cards for $50.

TTM Success - Will Gaddis

Here are a couple 2017 Bowman Draft cards that I got out of my box with this TTM success from Will Gaddis.  

Gaddis (b. 1996) was a 3rd round pick by the Rockies in the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of Furman. He played in the minors from 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023 in the Rockies system.  He has reached AAA.  He has a record in the minors of 26-22 with 284 strike outs and a 5.94 ERA.

I mailed to Gaddis on February 28 and got the cards back on March 12, for a 13-day TAT.