TTM Success - Jeff Abbott

I added some cool, older Bowman cards to my album with this TTM success from Jeff Abbott.  He signed a 1998 Bowman Chrome, a 1996 Bowman and a 1996 Bowman Foil.

Abbott (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1997 to 2001 for the White Sox and Marlins.  He had 157 hits, 18 home runs and a .263 batting average.

I mailed to Abbott on April 11 and got the cards back on May 1, for a 20-day TAT.

TTM Success - Dustin Hermanson

I got some nice cards signed TTM from former pitcher, Dustin Hermanson.  The aboce 1995 Score looked really cool, and will look even better in my album.

I also got a 1995 Collectors Choice SE, 1995 Fleer and 2001 Topps signed by Hermanson.

Hermanson (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1995 to 2006 for the Padres, Expos, Cardinals, Red Sox, Giants and White Sox.  He had a career record of 73-78 with 874 strike outs and a 4.21 ERA.  He won the World Series in 2005 with the White Sox.

I mailed to Hermanson on April 21 and got the cards back on April 30, for a 9-day TAT.

TTM Success - Alan Closter

I added another 1973 Topps to my autograph album when this card signed by Alan Closter came back TTM.  He signed it nicely in black pen.

Closter (b. 1943) played in the majors in 1966 and 1971 to 1973 for the Seators, Yankees and Braves.  He had a career record of 2-2 with 26 strike outs and a 6.62 ERA.

I mailed to Closter on April 16 and got the card back on April 30, for a 14-day TAT.

Gerard Helps With The 87 Set - Terry Kennedy

My buddy, Gerard, sent off a TTM recently to former catcher, Terry Kennedy and helped cross off another card that I needed for my 1987 set.

I had sent to Kennedy several years ago, but wasn't focusing on this set.  I sent him some Orioles cards, instead, and missed the opportunity to get this one done.  He has been hit or miss signing TTM, or I would have sent this (and the 1987 Topps Padres leaders card) a while ago.

Thanks so much for getting this to me, Gerard!

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 - Terry Funk

I've gotten thousands of signed cards back from folks over the years, but this might have been one of the coolest returns that I have ever gotten, and it was all because I didn't have any cards of my own for former wrestler, Terry Funk.

Chris had gone through his box of wrestling cards and found a Terry Funk card.  He asked me to check and see if Funk signed TTM.  He did, and I decided that I wanted to send something for myself.  I knew I was going to include a 1987 Topps checklist, since I wanted to get one of those signed by him and into my 87 album.  I also had seen the above "steel chair" card in Chris's box, which he told me that I could have.  So, I included it in the TTM request to Funk (I also put in Chris's original card, which Funk signed and went in Chris's album).

I got the steel chair card back that Funk drew a self portrait on.  It looks really awesome, and I was really amazed that he took the time to draw on my card.  It will look awesome in my album.

He signed the back of the 87 Topps checklist, which works out, since I can show both the fronts and backs of the checklists in my album.  I've had a couple folks sign some on the front, and a couple sign the backs, so if someone it flipping through my album, they can see what both sides look like inked up.

Funk (b. 1944) began wrestling in 1965 and has wrestled all over the globe in many national wrestling promotions, most notably, WWE, WCW and ECW.  In the latter part of his career, Funk became known for more of a hardcore style of wrestling (the use of weapons, etc, which makes the steel chair card really cool).

Funk won the NWA Heavyweight Championship in 1975 by defeating Jack Brisco and later lost the title to Harley Race.  He wrestled in WWF in the mid-80s, appearing with his brother Dory Funk, Jr. as a tag team at Wrestlemaina 2.

Funk fought in a "King of the Death Match" tournament in Japan in 1995, losing in the finals to an "up and coming" hardcore wrestler named Cactus Jack (more people know him as Mick Foley, or Mankind).

Funk has held numerous wrestling titles and has been inducted into many wrestling halls of fame, including the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 along with his brother, Dory, Jr.

In 1989, Funk appeared as a bouncer in the movie, Roadhouse, alongside Patrick Swayze.  He also choreographed the street fight scene between Rocky and Tommy Gunn in Rocky V.

I mailed to Funk on April 18 and got the cards back on April 29, for an 11-day TAT.

Instagram Trade With Brandon - Several Autos

My friend Brandon messaged me recently to let me know that he was getting out of the hobby and that he had several signed Braves cards from the 1987 Topps set.  He sent me over  alist of who he had, and the only one I needed was Braves legend, Dale Murphy.  I actually had a conversation with Murphy at the National a couple years ago. but of course I don't just walk around with a stash of 87s in my pocket, so I wasn't able to get one signed.  I'm sure Brandon had met him a few times.  Murph was really nice, and I'm glad Brandon was willing to part with it for the stack of Christian Pache cards that I sent him.

I wasn't expecting Brandon to send anything extre in the trade, but he included a bunch of other autos for my album.  I needed all of them, and a couple were pretty unique cards.

I had gotten Barbaro Garbey at a Danville Braves game a while back, and was happy to see this one was a Topps Buyback 86 Topps.  So, it is pretty cool, and was something I definitely didn't have.  The John Mosts is a Topps Tiffany (super glossy version of the original set).

I also liked the 1988 Donruss The Rookies card of Damon Berryhill.  I didn't have any Pedro Florimon cards, either, and these two look great.

Thanks for the deal, Brandon.  I know you'll be back in the hobby sometime in the future.