TTM Success - Cooper Brannan

This was kind of an odd TTM.  I found this 2007 Bowman Heritage card of Cooper Brannan in my box while I was looking for other cards.  I randomly checked to see if he signed TTM, saw that he did, then was amazed at where he was living now.  He currently lives across town from me, in Winterville.  Weird.  So, I added that to my note, and he returned a note with my signed card saying that maybe we will run into each other sometime and grab a beer.  I thought that was pretty cool.

Brannan (b. 1984) was an undrafted pitcher in the Padres organization from 2007 to 2008.  He pitched to a record of 2-3 with 21 strike outs and a 8.18 ERA, reaching low A ball.

I mailed to Brannan on September 11 and got the card back on October 14, for a 33-day TAT.

TTM Success - Brian Schlitter

Here is a nice 2015 Topps that I was able to get signed TTM by Brian Schlitter.

Schlitter (b. 1985) played in the majors in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2019 for the Cubs and A's.  He had a record of 3-6 with 48 strike outs and a 5.20 ERA.

I mailed to Schlitter on December 2, 2020, and got the card back on October 12, 2021, for a 314-day TAT.

TTM Success - Luis Aparicio

Here is a TTM success from a private signing that I got really excited about.  I had a few Luis Aparicio cards put aside ready to send out, then they got moved around and mistakenly placed into a box.  When this private signing popped up, I freaked out because the cards weren't where I thought they would be.  I tore through a ton of boxes until I finally found this 2015 Topps Tribute (and the other cards I had put aside).  One of the other cards was a Topps Tier One, but that card was damaged a bit, so opted not to send it.  Also, the price point of the signing convinced me not to send in the 1991 Crown Orioles Aparicio.

I wanted to send two cards, so my decision was down to this 1973 Topps and a lower grade 1959 Topps.  I went with this 1973, because I thought it looked really nice, and I don't often think of the Red Sox when I think of Aparicio, so I thought it would be something a little different in my album.

Aparicio (b. 1934) played in the majors from 1956 to 1973 for the White Sox, Orioles and Red Sox.  He had 2,677 hits, 83 home runs and a .262 batting average.  He also had 506 career stolen bases; leading the league in nine consecutive seasons from 1956 to 1964.  He was an All Star ten times (1958-1964 and 1970-1972) and a Gold Glove Award winner nine times (1958-1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970).  His best MVP finish was second in 1959.  He was the 1956 AL Rookie of the Year.  He won the World Series with the Orioles in 1966.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 (his sixth ballot) and received 84.6% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on August 14 and got the cards back on October 8, for a 55-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $90/card.

TTM Success - Roberto Alomar

Pinnacle Aficionado may be one of my all-time favorite sets.  When I was looking for a Roberto Alomar card to send in to a private signing, it didn't take me long to decide what to send.  I've gotten other Aficionado cards signed, but this one was nice because it is an Oriole, and obviously a Hall of Famer.  I'm really happy to add this to my album.

Alomar (b. 1968) played in the majors from 1988 to 2004 for the Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians, Mets, White Sox and Diamondbacks.  He had 2,724 hits, 210 home runs and a .300 batting average.  He was a 12-time All Star (1990-2001) and a 9-time Gold Glove Award winner (1991-1996, 1998-2001).  His best MVP finish was 3rd (1999).  He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011, when he was named on 90.0% of the ballot.  He was elected during his second year of eligibility.

I mailed to the signing on September 13 and got the card back on October 5, for a 22-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $40.00.

TTM Success - Rey Quinones

Here is another 1987 Topps card that I have added to my set.  Rey Quinones has been tough for me to get, so I was happy to see him pop up in a private signing.

Quinones (b. 1963) played in the majors from 1986 to 1989 for the Red Sox, Mariners and Pirates.  He had 373 hits, 29 home runs and a .243 batting average.

I mailed to the signing on June 23 and got the card back on October 2, for a 101-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $15.00.

TTM Success - Sandy Alomar, Jr.

Another example of me finding cards in my boxes that I really wanted to get signed is evident in this TTM success from Sandy Alomar, Jr.   I had him on a 1995 Topps that my friend, Max, got done for me a while back.  Still, when I saw these two cards in my boxes, I put them aside and waited for the next time Alomar popped up in a signing, and off they went.

The above 1998 Topps Tek really turned out amazingly.  I like these acetate cards; I have liked them since they were put into Marvel sets back in the mid 90s.  I'm glad I sent this one off to be signed and had it added to my album.

This 1998 Pacific Crown Collection card is really cool.  It is actually laser-cut; the area behind Alomar is some kind of mesh design, and looks really great.  I haven't seen any others from this set, so I definitely wanted to add it to my autograph album.  This card kind of snuck up on me, as far as it being something that I really enjoy having in my collection.

Alomar (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1988 to 2007 for the Padres, Indians, White Sox, Rockies, Rangers, Dodgers and Mets.  He had 1,236 hits, 112 home runs and a .273 batting average.  He was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year and a 6-time All Star (1990-1992 and 1996-1998).  He was a Gold Glove Award winner in 1990, and his best MVP finish was 14th (1997; AL).  He appeared on the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 2.8% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on September 13 and got the cards back on September 28, for a 15-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $20/card.

TTM Success - Aaron Laffey

Here are some nice cards that I was able to get signed by former pitcher, Aaron Laffey.  The above 2009 Topps Heritage turned out nicely, even though it wasn't one of the cards that I had sent him.  I have always enjoyed the 1960 Topps design, so adding a 2009 Heritage to the autograph album was nice.

This 2010 Topps also turned out well.  This has been a pretty decent design in my mind, and I have gotten quite a few of these signed.

Laffey (b. 1985) played in the majors from 2007 to 2013 and 2015 for the Indians, Mariners, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets and Rockies.  He had a record of 26-29 with 245 strike outs and a 4.44 ERA.

I mailed to Laffey on September 11 and got the cards back on September 23, for a 12-day TAT.  I had actually sent Laffey a 2010 Topps and a 2010 Topps WalMart Black, which he swapped for an extra 2010 Topps and the 2009 Heritage.