Another TTM Success From The Original Frank Thomas

I sent off this 1992 Action Packed card, along with the $5.00 fee to get another Frank Thomas autograph for my collection.  I had mailed to him a few years ago, and in addition to the cards I got signed, I paid for a couple signed photos, as well.  He was surprised at the time that I didn't request the signed photo from when he was part of a 4-home run succession feat accomplished by the Milwaukee Braves in 1961.  I kept meaning to pick it up and kept putting it off.

I finally got around to sending to him again, and made sure to let him know that I was including $20.00 for the signed photo.  He included the signed custom card above, and sent the signed photo (below) separately.

Thomas signed and inscribed the photo as follows:

On June 8, 1961, I made baseball history when I hit the 4th home run in succession in one inning by these 4 Milwaukee Braves players.  First time this feat has ever been done in Major League Baseball.  Frank Thomas The Original One.

I just realized that today is the anniversary of the feat, which occurred 59-years ago today.  Funny how that worked out.  The four players are:  Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas.

Finally, Thomas included a hand written note, as always, which reads:

Dear William,
Enclosed is the collectable picture that you ordered.  The kids where the money goes, I thank you for them.  I've enclosed my card with my address and phone number so when you get the picture, call me and let me know you received it.  If I don't answer, just leave your name and phone number and I will call you back, ok?

Sincerely,

Frank Thomas
The Original One
1951-1966

I did call Thomas, and he picked up.  It was just a brief conversation letting him know the photo came, and that I liked it.  It was very quick and to the point.  Still, he is a really nice guy.

I wrote to Thomas on April 20 and got the cards back on April 30, for a 10-day TAT.  I paid his fee of $5/card and also $20 for the photo.

TTM Success - Ty Cline

I haven't added very many 60s cards to my autograph album lately, as I have been focusing on my 87 set, and getting some other years represented (namely 80s and late 00s stuff).  Still, the occasional 1960s card will come in, as did this 1965 of Ty Cline.

I love the 1965 set.  It is a really great set that I likely will take up building sooner than later.

Cline (b. 1939) played in the majors from 1960 to 1971 for the Indians, Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta), Cubs, Giants, Expos and Reds.  He had 437 hits, 6 home runs and a .238 batting average.

I mailed to Cline on October 3 and got the card back on October 11, for an 8-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 - Hank Fischer

Yep, the TTMs are finally rolling in again.  I got some nice vintage cards in from Hank Fischer with this success.  I especially enjoyed the 1964 Topps above.  These cards really turn out well, and this one was no exception.

I also added the 1966 and 1967 Topps of Fischer.  He has a really nice signature, and it shows up well on these cards.

Fischer (b. 1940) played in the majors from 1962 to 1967 for the Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta), Reds and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 30-39 with 369 strike outs and a 4.23 ERA.

I mailed to Fischer on January 8 and got the cards back on January 24, for a 16-day TAT.

TTM Success - Denny Lemaster

Here is another TTM success that I was able to get on some nice vintage cards from former pitcher, Denny Lemaster.  The above 1963 Topps turned out really nice.  I like the old Milwaukee Braves hat.  The clouds in the background really look like the way the weather was here today, cold, cloudy and rainy.  Ugh.  It does make for a cool backdrop, though.

I liked the 1971 Topps on the left due to the old Astros jersey.  The 1972 on the right is cool, as well.

Lemaster (b. 1939) played in the majors from 1962 to 1972 for the Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta), Astros and Expos.  He had a career record of 90-105 with 1,305 strike outs and an ERA of 3.58.  He was an All Star in 1967 while with the Braves.

I mailed to Lemaster on October 16 and got the cards back on November 6, for a 21-day TAT.

2017 National Card Show - The Big Pickup

It seems that every year, I have one huge pickup from the National, and this year was no different.  I didn't stop at the 1955 Bowmans that I grabbed for the collection.  I had in my mind that if I could find a decent Hank Aaron rookie at a reasonable price, I would leave the show with one.

I priced Aarons the last few days of the show, and used my memo feature on my phone to log the table numbers where I saw each card and at what price.  I actually did this for several of the cards I ended up buying, and it made the chore of remembering where the heck I saw a card so much easier to manage.  I had also bought portable batteries for my phone in case I ran my charge down.  I was really smart about my phone usage on this trip, and it paid off that Sunday when I got a nice deal on this Aaron.

Yeah, the card isn't in mint condition, but neither are my Banks or Kaline rookies.  I could make a nice run at the 1954 set, now.  I might take a look at the bulk cards that I have and see if I can manage it, but in the meantime, I am just going to sit back and enjoy the fact that I finally have this awesome rookie in my collection.

TTM Success - Mel Roach

I added another 1954 Topps to the autograph album with this success from Mel Roach.  This was another vintage card that I picked up at the Raleigh card show in February.  The card itself is a little rough, but it still turned out pretty well.

Roach (b. 1933) played in the majors from 1953, 1954 and 1957 to 1962 for the (Milwaukee) Braves, Cubs and Phillies.  He had 119 hits, 7 home runs and a .238 batting average.  He missed the 1955 and 1956 seasons due to military service.

I mailed to Roach on February 13 and got the card back on February 23, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Al Spangler

1961 Topps cards weren't the only ones I picked up from the antique shop in January.  I also grabbed a few 1969 Topps for my set.  I found out when I got home that I hadn't quite updated my needs list like I had thought.  I had maybe three or four of the cards already.  One of them was Al Spangler.  No worries, though, I saw that he signed TTM, so I sent my extra 69 along.  After a look through some boxes, I saw that I had this 1961 Topps buyback and a 1968 as well, so those went too.

I'm really not the biggest fan of how Topps does their buybacks.  I don't care for the foil stamps on the cards.  I see the point that some folks need them to be pointed out to them, but if I were building a set, I wouldn't include a buyback with a stamp.  I also don't include them among my Topps Autograph Project.  Still, they're pretty cool, and they give me ideas of guys to look up at times.  All of that being said, this 2015 buyback of a 1961 Topps turned out really nice, I think.

The 1968 was in my vintage box.  I had maybe a third of the set in my box at one point, but have robbed from it to send TTMs.  I don't think I have put myself to far behind on that one if I ever get around to starting the set.  Most of the guys I have pulled from it are non-stars.  I still need to finish the 69 set sometime soon.  I'll get there.

Spangler (b.1933) played in the majors from 1959 to 1971 for the Braves (Milwaukee), Colt .45s/Astros, Angels and Cubs.  He had 594 hits, 21 home runs and a .262 batting average.  He was the 8th pick in the premium phase of the 1961 Expansion Draft (picked up by the Colt .45s).

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

TTM Success - Frank Bolling

A day after my Ray Rippelmeyer success came in, I got another of the guys I found at the antique shop back.  This 1961 Topps Franks Bolling doesn't look as painted as the Rippelmeyer does, but it is still a nice card.

I had picked up a '62 Bolling at the shop and had the 1965 in my vintage box at the house.  That made for a nice little package to send out and see what happened.  Bolling has a very modest signature, but you can see it, so that's all that matters.

Bolling (b. 1931) played in the majors from 1954 and 1956 to 1966 for the Tigers and Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta).  He had 1,415 hits, 106 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1961 and 1962 and won the Gold Glove Award in 1958.  He finished his highest in the MVP voting in 1958 when he finished 16th in the AL voting.

I mailed to Bolling on January 17 and got the cards back on January 26, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Johnny O'Brien

I received a TTM success today from former player, Johnny O'Brien.  His cards were some of the last that I have been waiting on that I bought at the Columbia antique shop back in April.  I'm happy that I have gotten the cards back, because I was beginning to worry.

The above 1956 Topps turned out really nice, I think.  I like the play at second base depicted on the card in the background.  1956 Topps is a really nice set, and I believe more and more that I am going to go for this set sometime soon.  Of course, I need to get the Mantle.

This 1959 Topps also turned out nicely.  I'm glad I was able to get this one signed, as well.

O'Brien (b. 1930) played in the majors from 1953 and 1955 to 1959 for the Pirates, Cardinals and Braves.  He missed the 1954 season due to military service.  He had 204 hits, 4 home runs and a .250 batting average over his major league career.  He also pitched in 25 games (61.0 IP) in his career.  He had a career won-loss record of 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA and 30 strike outs.

I mailed to him on April 18 and got the cards back today, for a 102-day TAT.

TTM Success - Del Crandall

I had a TTM return waiting on me when I got home from Baltimore, yesterday.  The envelope had come on Saturday, but I was sitting in the heat, watching the Orioles beat the Angels.  Inside the envelope was a success from former player, Del Crandall.  Crandall charges $5/card, but since I bought all of these cards at the Columbia antique shop in April, I went ahead and sent $20 to get them all signed.

Above are the 1953 and 1954 Topps that I got signed.  They both turned out great.  I feel like I really enjoy getting the 53s signed for some reason.  I wish I had the money to build that set, but that one will cost an arm and about 8 legs.  1954 Topps is a great set, too, and it is one that is far more realistic to pursue.

Here are the 1957 and 1959 Topps that I got signed.  I like the huge Braves logo on Crandall's sleeve on the 1957.  Both of these turned out nice, as well.

Crandall (b. 1930) played in the majors from 1949 to 1950 and 1953 to 1966 for the Braves (Boston and Milwaukee), Giants, Pirates and Indians.  He had 1,276 hits, 179 home runs and a .254 batting average.  He was an 8-time All Star (1953 to 1956, 1958 to 1960 and 1962).  He finished second in the 1949 NL Rookie of the Year Award voting to Don Newcombe and finished as high as 10th in the NL MVP voting (1958).  Crandall was also a 4-time Gold Glove Award winner.  He won the World Series with the Braves in 1957.  He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot 4 times between 1976 and 1979, but only got as high as 3.9% of the vote.

I mailed to Crandall on June 27 and got the cards back on Saturday (July 9) for a 12-day TAT.

TTM Success - Gene Conley

I got a few more 1950s-era cards signed TTM recently when I received these from Gene Conley.  This beat up 1953 Topps turned out really nice.  He charges a fee of $5 per card, which was ok.

This 1955 Topps card also looks really nice.  I am surprised at how many of these 1950s cards I was able to get done after my April visit to the Columbia antique shop.

Conley (b. 1930) played in the majors from 1952 and 1954 to 1963 for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, Phillies and Red Sox.  He had a career record of 91-96 with an ERA of 3.82 and 888 strike outs.  He won the World Series in 1957 with the Braves.  He was an All Star three times, finished 3rd in the 1954 NL MVP voting and finished as high as 22nd in the NL MVP voting.

I mailed to Conley on May 2 and got the cards back on May 14, for a 12-day TAT.

Nice Mailday From Dylan

I got two packages in the mail from my friend, Dylan, who sent me an Adam Jones Sports Illustrated in one package, and some Orioles (and a set need) cards in the other.

The above Joe Adcock is a card that Dylan picked up to help me with my 1959 set, and he hit a home run.  The card is in awesome shape.  Additionally, Dylan made a little pocket list for me to make it easier for me to find the rest of the cards that I need for the set.  That was a really cool gesture, and I was thankful for the effort he put in.

The Adcock leaves me with 30 more that I need in order to complete the set.  One of my main goals for the National is to come home with those 30 cards.  I've got my fingers crossed.

Dylan also included quite a few cards that I needed for my various PCs.  He had complained a few times about how difficult it was for him to find cards that I needed.  This is something that I hear a lot, which is why I added the Google docs spreadsheet to my wishlist.  One can at least tell which Davis and Reimold cards I have.

Anyway, thanks so much for the packages, Dylan.  I liked all of the cards!

Vintage Pickups From Bryce

I got a Kik message the other day from my buddy, Bryce, showing me this sweet Carlos Gomez patch card that he was hoping to be able to pick up.  Bryce was a little worried, though, that he wouldn't be able to raise enough funds fast enough, before someone else jumped on the card.

I had a little money in my PayPal, so I was willing to help him out.  While looking on his page, I noticed that he had a few vintage cards that I really liked, so, instead of contributing a little bit toward his cause, I ended up putting him over the top of what he needed.

The above Roberto Clemente was the card that was the key to the deal, for me.  I knew I had my '64 Mantle coming in, so I figured if I could get this one as well, I would be well on my way with the '64 set, whenever I decided to start it.

The card is in great shape, regardless of the bad centering.  The corners are sharp, and there are no creases.  Bryce was really reluctant to let it go, but he knew I would give the card a good home.

I have picked up a few '61 Topps cards here and there, the Ernie Banks being a key one, so I was happy to see that Bryce had this Mathews available.  The '61 set is another of those early 60s sets that I want to get moving on, but will have to wait until I get some others completed.

Here is yet another set that I already have a good head start on, being that I have the Ernie Banks and Sandy Koufax in my possession.  This Killebrew second year card has soft corners, but is otherwise in pretty decent shape.  1956 Topps has grown on me, and I wouldn't be surprised if I get the urge to start building this one if I can get some others out of the way.

I was really happy with the deal with Bryce.  He has quickly become one of the people I talk to the most from Instagram.  He wrote me a really nice, long note that he included with the deal, and you all know that the notes are my favorite part of any package.

Thanks for the deal, Bryce!  I hope you enjoy your Carlos Gomez patch card as much as I enjoy these sweet vintage cards!

Instagram Trade With Noah - 1959 Topps Warren Spahn

I completed a trade recently on Instagram and Skype with a guy from Michigan named Noah.  I sent him a few Tigers relics (of note, one was a Torii Hunter Golden Moments relic numbered 1/99) and a Nick Castellanos Finest auto.  In return, Noah knocked this Warren Spahn off of my 1959 Topps set.

This is the "1921" version of the card.  There is an error version that has Spahn's birth year as 1931.  Another version has 1931, but the 3 is obscured (thanks Rob).  This version of the card is in pretty good shape, with a little bit of damage on the right site.  Not quite a crease, more of an indentation. It fits right into my set, though.

Noah also hooked me up with the Orioles Wild Card win card from 2013 Topps; an emerald parallel version for my set.  I can't believe I didn't have that one yet!

Thanks for the trade, Noah!  I'm glad we have this one complete, now we can work on more deals!  Check out Noah's blog here and also his YouTube  +NoahJohns _INC.

Ebay Pickup - 1959 Topps Hank Aaron All Star

Another high numbered All Star has been removed from my needs list for 1959 Topps.  I picked up this Hank Aaron for $25 on Ebay after watching a few lower grade ones go by.  I wanted to go ahead and pick one up and liked the deal I got on this one.  It is in great shape, so I feel like I did a good job.

This card puts me at 93 cards to go for my set.  I really believe I can get it wrapped up soon.  I'm watching a few other All Stars and will probably make a huge dent in the list at the next card show I go to (probably later this winter, more toward spring).

When this set is done, I will concentrate harder on the 1969 set and I will also officially begin (even though I've been chipping away at some cards already) the 1967 set.

Vintage Card Pickups From The Card Shop

One of the things I miss the most from my time helping out at the card shop in Winston-Salem was when folks would bring in their cards that they wanted to sell.  Lots of times, the cards they were dumping were garbage, but every now and then someone would come in with a shoebox full of vintage and I would enjoy countless hours of sorting and pricing the cards, and sometimes I would have the opportunity to buy the cards for myself, depending on the price that the person wanted.

Well, that shop is closed, has been for 3 and a half years now, and I live clear across the state.  The shop owner here in Winterville knows I am a huge fan of vintage, so when I walked in there yesterday, he handed me a stack of cards that he had just purchased off of someone.  The top card was a 1958 Mantle, so I knew he scored big.  There ended up being 3 or 4 Mantles, 3 or 4 Willie Mays, a '62 Clemente, a '63 Ford, several of the '62 Babe Ruth Story cards, and some other nice early to mid 60s cards.

I decided that I really liked the above 1963 Topps Warren Spahn, just because, and I picked it up for $25.00.  The card is in great shape, as you can see from the scan.

Since Windell (the shop owner) made me a good deal, I also picked up a couple 1967 Topps cards, even though I haven't officially started my set.  I got this Whitey Ford and the below Elston Howard for really good prices ($8 for Ford, $5 for Howard) and can add them to my set.

I really wish they carried more vintage cards at my local shop, but they don't.  I have to wait til September 27 and 28 before I can go to my next card show, so I'll just bide my time until I can get some good steals on nice vintage.  I also have my birthday coming up, so maybe someone will help me with some set needs, as well.

Instagram Trade With Max S.

I completed a trade with a young Cubs fan named Max recently when I sent him some Cubs cards and two Albert Almora Team USA cards in exchange for this Red Schoendienst manufactured patch card and a couple 2013 Emeralds.

I like this patch card in that is represents the Braves' 1957 World Series victory, their only one in Milwaukee.  I keep forgetting that Schoendienst was on that Braves team, as I always think of him as a Cardinal.

The patch itself is pretty cool, and I keep telling myself that I'll pick up the ones of Brooks Robinson, but I wanted to finish up my letter patches first.  Glad I wasn't holding my breath. Anyway, I appreciate the trade, Max, and I hope we can trade again!

Ebay Pickup - 1959 Topps Hank Aaron

I got a great pickup for my 1959 set of of Ebay recently when I got this Hank Aaron at a great price.  I had sold some of my cards, gotten my payments and also got a $10 off coupon from Ebay for selling, so I ended up paying only $12 for this card.  Hooray for extreme couponing, foulbunt edition!

The Aaron is a major pickup, especially since I already have the Gibson RC and the Mantle.  I'm slowly, but surely knocking these out, though.  I counted today and after I post another card tomorrow and get in a trade from a really awesome guy on Instagram named Keton, I will need only 304 cards to complete the set. The toughest ones will be the All Stat cards, since they are stars (obviously) and high numbers.  We're getting them moving though.

Card Show Rookie Card Pickups

One thing I was looking for, or one type of thing, rather, was picking up some notable rookie cards for my collection.  At the card show, I was able to do just that.  I got several copies of a couple rookies with the intention of keeping one of each for myself and flipping the rest on for a small profit.  That should tell you that I got these pretty cheaply.

I remember when the above Mark McGwire and below Roger Clemens rookie cards were really expensive.  $50 each, if I remember correctly.  My how the mighty have fallen.  I got each of them for a few bucks each.  I got two copies of each card.  I already had one of each in my 85 set and now I have one each to put with my notable rookies.

Each card I got is in really good shape.  If I were into it, I would consider shipping a couple off to be graded.  However, I really don't care for grading cards, so they will stay in top loaders in my collection.

One card I found really cheap and am unable to explain why was the Kirby Puckett RC.  It was the same price as the Clemens and McGwire.  Oh well, I took advantage.  I already had an additional Puckett RC, so the two I added at the show are sale able or trade able.  They look good and I enjoy the retro Twins uniform.

This card I was able to get for $10.  A 1962 Topps Joe Torre RC.  This one if strictly for my RC collection and not for sale or trade.

I was looking for this specific card before I even embarked on the card show trip and was glad to find it at a reasonable price early on.