Another TTM Success From Sam Mele

I have been wanting to add Orioles autographs for various years of Topps to kind of run parallel to my Topps Autograph project.  I realized that this would be a lot tougher than the Topps project, since there are very few Browns remaining who could sign Topps cards from 1951 to 1953, and any Bowman cards.  I know there are no living Browns players who could sign a 1948 Bowman, so I would likely have to buy an auto to complete the project.

Regardless, I am pushing forward on it, and have added an Oriole on a 1954 Topps with this second success from Sam Mele.  I got Mele previously on a 1952 Topps, but he wasn't an Oriole on that card.  I bought this 1954 from COMC and sent it to Mele.  He was very nice to sign for me a second time, but I did explain what I was doing in my request letter.

I mailed to Mele on February 13 and got the card back on February 22, for a 9-day TAT.

The cool thing about 1954 Topps Orioles cards is that the set is similar to the 1954 Bowman set.  All of the Orioles hats in this set are "airbrushed".  This is due to the fact that the uniforms hadn't come out at the time of printing.  I thought this was a pretty cool nugget of information.

TTM Success - Sam Mele

I got a TTM success last Monday from former big leaguer, Sam Mele.  I was really excited to get this one back, because I really liked the 1952 Topps that I had picked up for him to sign.  I didn't have to pay much for it, since it had the evident creases on it, but that made it easier to send TTM.

I really wish I could put a 1952 set together, but the Mantle really makes it tough to even consider.  Let alone the other premium cards like Eddie Mathews, Andy Pafko, etc.  I do have a couple other 52s that I have gotten signed, and a couple others that I have out pending signature.  I think they will look really cool in my auto album.

Mele (b. 1922) played in the majors from 1947 to 1956 for the Red Sox, Senators, White Sox, Orioles, Reds and Indians.  He had 916 hits, 80 home runs and a career average of .267.

I mailed to Mele on March 18 and got the signed card back on March 28, for a 10-day TAT.