A Few Set Need Pickups From The National

The National wasn't all autographs.  I also knocked out a few set needs from two of the vintage sets I have been slowly working on.  I've been chipping away at the 1955 Bowman and 1962 Topps sets.  I didn't get any 1964 or 1967 Topps while I was there, mainly because it was so hard to get into any of the tables.

Still, I added around 10 cards, each to the 1955 Bowman and 1962 Topps sets.

I didn't add any huge stars to the sets, but there were a bunch of Yankees in thr 1962 pile like the above Elston Howard, a Bobby Richardson, a Whitey Ford in action, etc.

I have updated my needs list, so they are finally accurate, for now.

Another TTM Success From Carl Warwick

Back in 2016, I had sent to Carl Warwick abd got him to sign two cards.  He had signed and personalized a 1964 and 1966 Topps.  This was well before I picked up the complete 1991 Crown Orioles set.  Since then, I've been trying to get some of them signed, so I went ahead and sent to Warwick earlier this month.

He signed the 1991 Crown, and three other cards that I sent.  I had found extra 1964 and 1966 Topps, and Warwick signed them without personalizations now.  I also sent off a 1962 Topps, and Warwick inscribed that one with the 1964 WS Champions inscription.

I mailed to Warwick on May 1 and got the cards back today (May 11) for a 10-day TAT. I paid his fee of $5/card.

TTM Success - Ed Hobaugh

Two move vintage cards from Ryan were signed TTM and added to the autograph album; these being from Ed Hobaugh.  Both of them are a bit rough, but they still turned out nicely.  The above 1963 Topps is a nice card.  I think it may have gotten wet in the past. The card isn't ruined, it just had a funny feel to it.

This 1962 Topps also has been well loved.  Still, it looks nice now that it is signed. 

Hobaugh (b.1934) played in the majors from 1961 to 1963 for the Senators.  He had a record of 9-10 with 115 strike outs and a 4.34 ERA.

I mailed to Hobaugh on December 1 and got the cards back on February 26, for an 87-day TAT.  He also included a note that said "keep the ball down if you are pitching, kindest regards, Ed Hobaugh."

TTM Success - John DeMerit

This 1962 Topps of John DeMerit is another card that I got from my friend, Ryan, to send TTM.  I did, and it came back looking great.  The card seems to have gotten a little water damage, but you can hardly tell.

DeMerit (b. 1936) played in the majors from 1957 to 1959 and 1961 to 1962 for the Braves (Milwaukee) and Mets.  He had 23 hits, 3 home runs and a .174 batting average.

I mailed to DeMerit on December 6 and got the card back on December 27, for a 21-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Bill Pleis

This 1962 Topps of Bill Pleis was another card that I got from friend, Ryan.  I sent it off TTM and it came back pretty quickly. 

Pleis (b. 1937) played in the majors from 1961 to 1966 for the Twins.  He had a record of 21-16 with 184 strike outs and a 4.07 ERA.

I mailed to Pleis on December 4 and got the card back on December 18, for a 14-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Hal Kolstad

This 1962 Topps that I recently got signed TTM by Hal Kolstad is a bit rough, but is still a nice addition to the album.  The card has a good bit of wax residue from the wrapper that encased the card some 60 years ago.  It didn't hinder the signature, though.

Kolstad (b. 1935) played in the majors from 1962 to 1963 for the Red Sox.  He had a record of 0-4 with 42 strike outs and a 6.59 ERA.

I mailed to Kolstad on October 23 and got the card back on November 6, for a 14-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Orlando Cepeda

While initially assembling my partial 1962 Topps set, I found this Orlando Cepeda card that my buddy Carson sent me back in 2014.  I thought it would be cool to get the card signed since Cepeda is such a good TTM signer now. 

The card looms great.  I'm glad I could take the card out of a box and put it in my autograph album. It was even better when I realized that Carson had given the card to me so long ago.

I mailed to Cepeda on July 18 and got the card back on August 1, for a 14-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $20/card.

2023 National Pickups - Vintage Set Needs

Back with a post regarding the National, I only pucked up a handful of cards for set building purposes.  I just recently srarted building the 1962 and 1964 Topps sets.  The 1962 set is farther along than the 1964.  Both sets will take me some time to complete, but it gave me something else to look for at tge show.  I picked up three 1964 Topps, imcluding the above Jim Perry. 

I picked up 23 1962 Topps, including Jim Bunning, Ken Boyer, Vern Law, Reds and Red Sox team cards.

My set needs lists have all been updated (finally).  So, now when I go to shows, I cam bring the lists up on my phone and search away.  I still keep my notebook for set needs as well, but I will probably get away from that sometime soon. It's nice to have the needs on the cloud, because I tend to forget to bring the notebook, but I always have my phone on me.

TTM Success - Camilo Pasqual

My TTM stack is building back up again, thanks in part to my raiding of my vintage box to add some older cards to my album.  This also has caused me to raid my 1955 set, in order to add a couple more of those guys to my album.  Camilo Pasqual was someone I was surprised that I hadn't sent to TTM in the past.  I'm glad I did, this time around.  He signed my 1955 Topps that I pulled from my set (and upgraded with a less off-centered version).

I also got these two; a 1962 Topps and a 1963 Topps 1962 AL Strikeout Leaders card.  The 1963 was pre-marked before I even had the card, so it would have been something I would have upgraded anyway if I ever went to build that set.

I was surprised that Pasqual added the above 1955 Topps that he inscribed to the package.  That was a really nice gesture, and I will gladly add it to the album.

Pasqual (b. 1934) played in the majors from 1954 to 1971 for the Senators, Twins, Reds, Dodgers and Indians.  He had a record of 174-170 with 2,167 strike outs and a 3.63 ERA.  He was a 7-time All Star (1959 to 1962 and 1964; with two selections in 1960 and 1962).  He won 20 of more games twice (1962 - 20; 1963 - 21).  His best finish in the MVP voting was 12th (1963; AL).He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1977 and 1978, but only received a high of 0.8% (1977).

I mailed to Pasqual on October 17 and got the cards back on October 25, for an 8-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $10/card and got one card from him for free.

2022 National Free Signer - Ron Hansen

Another former Oriole, and another player that I had gotten TTM, but was at this year's National as a free VIP signer was Ron Hansen.  I was out of his cards, or I didn't find any in time.  So, I bought enough to cover the vouchers that I ended up with.  I got this cool 1961 Post Cereals card that will look cool in the album.

I also picked up a few vintage Topps cards, a 1961, 1962 and a 1963.  All of them turned out great.  Hansen was really nice, and I was glad I got to meet him.

Update: I forgot to scan this awesome 1959 Topps that I got signed by Hansen.  It was with another of the signers cards for whatever reason.  Oh well.  Here it is, and it is a beauty.

TTM Success - Joe McClain

Here are some nice vintage cards that finally came back signed after sitting out there for a while.  This success from Joe McClain added a 1961 Topps and a 1962 Topps to my autograph album.

Both of the cards turned out nicely, and I was glad to finally get them back.  I think I got them from a card show not too long ago, and sent them off TTM.

McClain (b. 1933) played in the majors from 1961 to 1962 for the Senators.  He had a record of 8-22 with 82 strike outs and a 4.42 ERA.

I mailed to McClain on December 13 and got the cards back on March 12, for an 89-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Brooks Robinson

A few Brooks Robinson cards have popped up in my box, seemingly coaxing me to send to him TTM again, so I pulled two of them and did just that - I sent TTM to the greatest third baseman of all-time.  The above 2016 Topps Tribute green parallel turned out so great; I was afraid I would dull it a bit when I prepped it.  The card looks awesome, and my fears were for naught.

I also sent this sad-looking 1962 Topps that I had in my collection so that it would end up in my album, as opposed to buried in the box.  This card was well-loved by someone in the past, and now it can take its rightful place among my signed cards in my album.

I mailed to Brooks on March 27 and got the cards back on April 6, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00/card.

TTM Success - Ken Hamlin

Here are some nice vintage cards of Ken Hamlin that I picked up from a Raleigh card show a while back.  I sent them off for TTM and they came back looking great.  I really like the above 1961 Topps; it is a sharp card and looks great signed.

1962 Topps is such a great set.  I would like to build the set someday; I maybe will at some point.  Signed versions of these cards always seem to look nice, as well.

Hamlin (b. 1935) played in the majors in 1957, from 1959 to 1962 and 1965 to 1966 for the Pirates, A's (KC), Angels and Senators.  He had 323 hits, 11 home runs and a .241 batting average.

I mailed to Hamlin on September 21 and got the cards back on December 28, for a 98-day TAT.

TTM Success - Moe Morhardt

I took another of the vintage cards I got from a Raleigh card show a few months ago, and sent it TTM to get signed.  This one from Moe Morhardt came back signed, with a nice inscription.

Morhardt (b. 1937) played in the majors in 1961 and 1962 for the Cubs.  He had 7 hits, no home runs and a .206 batting average.

I mailed to Morhardt on September 23 and got the card back signed on October 5, for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Don Leppert

I found out that there were two Don Lepperts who played in the major leagues when I was going through my 1991 Crown Orioles set and pulled the card of the Don Leppert who played for the Orioles.  I went on Sportlots and bought this 1962 Topps, only to find out that this Don Leppert was a different guy.  So, I sent to both Lepperts on the same day and got this signed 1962 Topps back.  I'm still waiting on a return from the former Oriole, Leppert.

Leppert (b. 1931) played in the majors from 1961 to 1964 for the Pirates and Senators.  He had 122 hits, 6 home runs and a .229 batting average.  Somehow, with a .237 average, 6 home runs and 50 hits, he was an All Star in 1963.  He played on a pretty bad Senators team that season, so maybe that's why he was selected as a reserve.

I mailed to Leppert on May 12 and got the card back on May 26, for a 14-day TAT.

TTM Success - Felix Mantilla

I raided my vintage box once again when I sent off these two cards to Felix Mantilla.  I got a nice 1960 Topps signed, that turned out really well.

This 1962 Topps also looks great.  Mantilla has a really nice autograph.

Mantilla (b. 1934) played in the majors from 1956 to 1966 for the Braves (Milwaukee), Red Sox and Astros.  He had 707 hitd, 89 home runs and a .261 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1965 and finished a career-best 29th in the AL MVP voting that season.  He won the World Series with the Braves in 1957.

I mailed to Mantilla on June 20 and got the cards back on August 13, for a 54-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00.

TTM Success - Juan Marichal

It is really nice when you can find a Hall of Famer who signs TTM.  I saw that Juan Marichal was signing, and even though I already had him on a ball in my Hall of Fame collection, I wanted to send off a card.

I got this 1962 Topps that had been in my collection for a long time signed.  It will look great in my album.

I mailed to Marichal on March 28 and got the card back on July 25, for a 119-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $10.00.

This post officially catches me up (for now) on all of the TTMs that I was behind on.  I'm hoping I have some waiting on me when I get home from the National.  Of course, I have a whole slew of posts coming from my trip, so maybe I don't want too many TTMs waiting on me...

June 2, 2019, Graphing in Baltimore

Since Ticketmaster screwed up Orioles Fan Fest in January, I was able to get a free signing with Brooks Robinson and a free ticket to an Orioles game.  The choice ended up being the Sunday, June 2, 2019, game against the Giants.  My friend, Ryan, chose the same game, so we made a trip out of it.

I have Brooks on so much stuff, from baseballs to pool balls, cards, etc.; I had a hard time deciding what to have him sign this go-round.  I settled on the above 1963 Topps that was given to me by my good friend, Kyle.  Kyle was one of the very first people that I traded with on Instagram.  He might have been the third person I traded with on there; I was scammed by a kid named Joe and made a successful deal with my friend, James.

I met up with Kyle and his friend, Jordan, at the National a couple years ago when it was in Atlantic City.  While there, Kyle gave me the 1963 Brooks.  It is a sharp card.  The surface is immaculate, and I really wanted to have it graded by PSA.  You know, for fun, just to see what it would grade.  PSA took the card, and gave it back a couple days later and said that the card had been trimmed.  There was a notch on the side of the card that I hadn't seen before, and it couldn't be graded.  Still, the card meant a lot to me, so that is why I decided to have Brooks sign it.  Screw PSA, the card is priceless now.  I will always remember it as the card that Kyle gave me (I have sent him a snapchat photo of the signed card, and he approves), and it will always have a place in my album.

Here's Brooks signing for Chris.  He was amazing, as always.  He always has time to talk, and make you feel like he has been your buddy for years.

Chris got a blue foil Topps Fire card signed.  I had picked the card up at the Chantilly show with Ryan last year, and held onto it.  Chris liked it, so I let him choose it to be signed.  He has his own album of autographs, and I know he is proud to have this one added to his collection.

Not only were we able to see Brooks, but we were also able to see Boog Powell out in front of Boog's BBQ.  I went ahead and got my 1991 Crown Orioles card signed by Boog, so it would be over and done with.

I also had my 1962 Topps rookie that Mom gave me signed.  Much like Kyle's 63 that he had given me, I wanted the card Mom gave me in my album, instead of buried in a box under my bed.  It looks great signed, and it also has meaning, so it has a rightful place in my album.

I wanted to also get the above relic card signed by Boog.  He signed the relic piece, which I thought was odd, but still cool.

The card underneath the relic card is the only auto we were able to get while standing outside the stadium before the game.  The autograph is of Orioles manager, Brandon Hyde.  Since he doesn't have any cards yet, I figured the Camden Yards backdrop was nice.

TTM Success - JC Martin

I added some more vintage cards to the album with this TTM success from JC Martin.  This 1962 Topps turned out ok, considering that there are a lot of dark spots on the card, and they kind of obscure the autograph.

These two, a 1966 and a 1973 Topps, both turned out really well.

Martin (b. 1936) played in the majors from 1959 to 1972 for the White Sox, Mets and Cubs.  He had 487 hits, 32 home runs and a .222 batting average.  He won the World Series with the 1969 Mets.

I mailed to Martin on March 18 and got the cards back on March 28, for a 10-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Whitey Ford

I was worried that this card was lost forever, since it took so long for it to come back from Whitey Ford.  I had mailed to him in October of last year, along with a check for $40.00, and got the card back unsigned.  The check had been cashed, which I found out due to my online banking.  I found it odd that the card came back unsigned, so I wrote Ford a letter asking if a mistake was made.

I also included a copy of the canceled check.  I waited and waited, thinking that Mr. Ford had taken my money and ran, and the card would be lost forever.  The card had been given to me by my brother, Andy, one Saturday at the Winston-Salem card shop.  He had used his savings to buy me something he thought I would like, and I did!  After those many years sitting in my box, I thought it would be cool to get this card signed by Ford and add it to my autograph album.  So, you can see why I was so worried that it would never come back!

Finally, in July, the card came back, and I was really excited.  I had originally mailed the card on October 30 and re-sent about a month later in November, then it finally came back on July 28, for a total TAT of 271 days.