Cubs Convention and Christmas From Max

Finding folks who "get me" as far as collecting goes can be tough at times.  One person who really does, is my good friend, Max.  Like me, he enjoys getting stuff signed, and our continued partnership has resulted in me passing off a ton of cards to him; with him returning several back to me signed, so I can add them to the autograph albums.  Max has been a tremendous help in getting my boxes condensed down every season.  I always enjoy his messages asking me for cards of lists of current and former players.  It keeps stuff cycling out of the boxes, and keeps me from being crushed under an avalanche of junk wax era stuff.  Recently, Max sent me the attendance list for this year's Cubs Convention.  I searched my boxes and came up with two large packages (and almost had a third, before we ran out of time) of cards for the event.  Additionally, Max took one of my ROMLBs that I have and got newly minted Hall of Famer, Pat Hughes, on a ball for my Hall of Fame collection.

Max took a lot of cards that I had tried to get signed via 50/50s this summer.  So, it was easy to go through the Box of Shame and try one more time to get a few of the guys that my 50/50 partners may have missed.  Owen Caissie was one of them.  I had held onto the above Panini Prizm for a while, hoping that I would see Caissie via Myrtle Beach.  I think I got this at a card show during COVID.

I pulled several Ray Burris cards (and found even more this week while going through my boxes I just got in from Conrad in Columbia).  I was glad to get some of these random Topps cards signed.

Max has gotten me Bob Dernier a few times before, so I wasn't sure which of these that I already had.  They'll all go into the album together, with the rest of this 2023 Cubs Convention stack.

I thought I would have had a lot more Carlos Marmol cards, but I didn't find nearly as many of them as I would have thought.  I did find a lot of Ryan Sweeney, so it was nice to move those out of the boxes.

Max hit some of the random Cubs team cards I sent; these two were signed by Jon Lieber.  Even though I will put these in the album with each other, they are labeled on the back with sticky notes, so I don't forget who signed them.

I had gotten Lieber TTM in the past, so I need to check and see what cards I already have.  I was glad to see the two older Bowmans in the stack; they are 2006 and 2007 Bowman.

I had tried Reed Johnson TTM, but never got my cards back.  It was nice to be able to pull these out of the TTM leftovers pile and get them out.  I wish the ones I had sent him would have come back, as well.  Still, these are nice.

I was really happy to get the 2005 Donruss Champions card back signed.  This product was one of the first I purchased when I got back into collecting back in 2005.  I don't have many of them left, and even fewer in my autograph album.

Mike Fontenot was another guy who I had gotten TTM in the past, but I had gotten a 2002 Topps Traded Chrome; so these should be new to the albums.  I believe Max had gotten me a Geovany Soto or two in years past, but I think these three are ones I don't already have.

Max sent me a Christmas gift back in December, as well.  Unfortunately, I had no way to coordinate my needs list with my friends who were helping me build the set, so I got doubles of Tim Flannery and Jeff Hamilton.  The Flannery is in blue, so I will upgrade the set with this one, and the other will go in the regular autograph album with the Hamilton that Max sent.

Thank you doesn't say enough for how much Max helps me with the collection.  We are pushing 10 years of knowing each other (next year, I think), and I am very happy that we have been able to keep this thing going.  He is an awesome guy, and it has been really cool watching him grow up.  He has always been one of the best friends that I made during collecting and graphing.  I can't wait til the National this summer in Chicago, when I can see him in person, again.  As always, thank you so much for the cards and the Christmas gift, Max.  Also, thanks for making it so easy to cut these deals, I know there is a mutual give and take with me providing cards and you providing signatures, and it is really appreciated on my end.  Thank you, buddy!

By the way, Hughes is Hall of Famer #168 in my collection.  I haven't added a broadcaster in a while (and I have one that I still haven't posted, or counted.  I need to get on that...).

Another TTM Success From Jon Lieber

Back in 2017, I received a TTM success from Jon Lieber.  In the meantime, I have acquired a bunch more boxes of cards and came across several nice Liebers that I wanted to send to him.  So, I decided it was a good time to send out another request, and these signed cards are the results.

The 1995 Topps Finest shown above was one of the cards that I absolutely wanted to see come back.  I obviously had removed the protective UV film that used to come on the card, and it turned out great.

In the package, I also sent a 2002 Fleer Focus, 2007 Topps Chrome, 1992 Stadium Club and a 1998 Stadium Club.

I mailed to Lieber on January 28 and got the cards back on February 13, for a 16-day TAT.

A Bunch of Autos From Max

My good friend, Max, hooked me up yet again with some great autos that I got from Cubs Convention.  I had sent him several recently, and some were ones that I had been perpetually sending him over time.

I really like the above 2003 Topps Gary Matthews.  I had gotten him TTM a while back, but at that time, only had a handful of 2003s.  I finally got the bulk cards from my LCS, and this one was in that batch.

The above 2007 Topps Matthews is beat all to hell, and if I had to guess, it was in a lot of cards that someone sent me a while back as a care package.  I can't remember who, but the card is one that most people would have just thrown out.  I kept it, and upgraded it with a signature.  Now, the beat up card will take residence in my autograph album and will remain there.

I felt like I had gotten some Larry Biittner cards signed before, but I couldn't find where that had happened.  I was able to get all of these out of some boxes, which is always nice.

I'm pretty sure that the Classic Jon Lieber was from a box of cards that Mal got me maybe 10 years ago, and still insists that I didn't like.  That's far from the truth, as I love looking through it here and there, and pulling cards out to get signed.  It's the gift that keeps on giving all year round, Clark.

Finally, if Max had a dollar for every Ron Coomer card that I have sent him over the years, he would have a lot of dollars.  He got three more back to me, and they look great.

The sad part of all of this is that over the last 6 years or so, I've watched Max grow up.  He is about to graduate high school and go off to college.  His graphing days are going to be coming to an end for a while, as he embarks on the next journey in his life.  Thankfully, as things have gotten busier and busier for him, he still thinks of me, and messages me when he can.  I'm hoping we can get together and do some graphing at a Wood Ducks game in the future.  In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on him from afar, and know that he's going to do some great things.  Thanks, as always, for everything you do, Max.

TTM Succes - Jon Lieber

I was able to get some nice 90s cards back from Jon Lieber not too long ago. The above 1995 Collector's Choice SE turned out much better than I had expected.  This was a product that I got a ton of when I was growing up.  This card probably is a holdover from that era in my collection, most likely. I had so many of these cards, but unfortunately, lots of them were destroyed due to sticking together from the over-gloss.  Thankfully, this one will live on in my autograph binder.

Here is an assortment of other cards I got from Lieber.  The top left 1995 Donruss looked really nice.  That was a set that I completed a while back, long after I started collating it in 1995.  I didn't love the set more than any other at the time, I just opened a ton of it and thought it would be cool to assemble the set.  The rest of the above cards are some Topps versions.  The blue 2003 Topps is one of only 4 2003s that I have been able to get signed so far.  I'm leaning toward buying an early 2000s box of Topps and 2003 is on the short list of cards I may pick up.

Finally, here is a card that was victim of the "sticking together" of the overglossed 90s cards.  I was able to pretty much salvage it, but it did take a hit.  I had to include it in the mailing, though, mainly because of the gold foil, but also because there are a few fellow bloggers who love "pitchers at bat".

Lieber (b.1970) played in the majors from 1994 to 2002 and 204 to 2008 for the Pirates, Cubs, Yankees and Phillies.  He had a career record of 131-124 with 1,553 strike outs and an ERA of 4.27.  He had his best season in 2001 when he was 20-6 with a 3.80 ERA for the Cubs.  That season, he finished 4th inthe Cy Young voting and received his only All Star nod.

I mailed to Lieber on January 11 and got the cards back on January 28, for a 17-day TAT.