Category Archives: autographic deification

Autograph Update

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Got some autograph happenings yesterday that I want to share, especially the one from poker last night at Extra Innings. Mike and Mitch hosted their second tourney, and this time I decided on a guaranteed dual auto instead of a box for my entry fee. Guys, again, if you live in the Los Angeles area and you are looking for a shop, Extra Innings in Culver City (by LAX) could not be a better choice. Check it out and tell them I sent you.
To have these two autos on a display worthy football, and knowing that they are real was definitely more attractive to me than buying a box of Heroes or UD Draft and getting nothing. I think you guys will agree with my decision, especially if both Stafford and Moreno have good careers.

Secondly, got my first TTM back of the four I sent out a few weeks ago, and it is a fucking beaut! Laurinaitis is from Minnesota and even though he played for OSU, he is still a target of mine. This card I sent turned out great with his well done signature. So, one down, three to go!

Ill be sure to post on the other three if, or when, I get them. Right now Im just crossing my fingers.

Retrospective: Changing My Labels

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You know, its weird, after talking with a few people yesterday, Im not sure I have the same view about my labels that I once did. I still consider myself to be a card collector, but only secondary to the true reason I love this hobby: autographs. I usually tell people that I am an autograph collector turned card collector, but I still believe that the autograph collector label still applies.

When I first started collecting back in the late 80s, early 90s, I chose specific players and tried to get every single card they had. Kirby Puckett, Tom Glavine, Shane Mack, all those guys. When my dad got to play golf with Wade Wilson ( a former Vikings QB) for a Diabetes fundraiser, I started to collect Wade Wilson cards. However, I didn’t really go after the autographs until my dad showed me his collection. My dad was a TTM freak when he was growing up, writing to every President and Congressman he could think of, athletes, music artists, everyone. He had Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, Eisenhower, sometimes with personal letters to him. He had Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, too many to count. At that point collecting the cardboard was secondary. I wanted the autographs.

Within the next five years, due to many opportunities put on by the teams, I had met just about every Twin from the 1991 team, many of the current Vikings, and obtained many autographs the way my dad got them. We went to golf tournaments, signings, card shows, even my uncles in other cities would help us grow our collection. When Music became more important to me, so did getting music autographs. I wasn’t as successful, but I got some from my favorite bands at the time. In fact, even though both my brother and I are past college, our rooms at home are still plastered with framed pieces. My younger sister even has Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and others. Its crazy.

Now, after entering my 6th year back in the actual card hobby, I still care about autographs more than anything. My shelf creaks with my displays of everything I have. In Minneapolis, I have much more, from Stone Cold Steve Austin all the way through to Kevin Garnett. To me, if you took away every single base card putout in the industry every year, leaving only the autographs, I wouldn’t change a thing about much of my collecting. I have accumulated some fun cards here and there, but 90% of my collection is full of signatures. Does that mean that I don’t love collecting cards of my favorite players that arent autos? No, not at all, its just not as much of a focus. For me, having a signed ball of each of the players on the Minnesota Twins retired numbers curtain is much more important to me than any team set or base set that I could spend years collecting.

Call This My (Photo)Bucket List

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When each person enters into collecting, they have a list. Their list consists of all the cards they want before they move on or whatever the case is. For me I have a list of autos, ones that I want to have in my possession before I stop collecting/die/sell everything. Aside from the guys on the twins curtain HOF, or many of the Vikings, there are a few other non-related things I want to get. I usually wont buy before I know its display-able, and as a memorabilia collecting sports card guy, I have some standards that must be met. Whether its on a card, on a ball, or on a jersey, it has to be real beyond a shadow of a doubt. It needs to fit on my wall, my shelf, or my desk, no exceptions. It also needs to be with the team they were mostly known for, so no Unitas on the chargers. Other than that, it just has to be cool. Here is my list:

Michael Jordan

Why he is on the list is a no brainer. I have an obsession with obtaining autos of all the greatest players from the modern era of sports, and he is obviously at or near the top of the list. He has tons out there, but everything remains ridiculous – a testament to how great he actually was. I would love to get a great photo or a nice card, but the counterfeits are tough to avoid.

Wayne Gretzky

Hockey was never one of my favorite sports, but I had an admiration for Gretzky as a player. He dominated much like Jordan dominated, and his autos are quite similar in price to Jordans at points, only because there are less Hockey cards than Basketball cards. When it comes to memorabilia, his stuff is much lower, but it is an auto that the casual fan can appreciate.

Hank Aaron (obtained)

Hammerin’ Hank is one of the best baseball players ever. Add in the fact that he did it in a time of racial predjudice and adversity makes it more impressive. I read his biography in second grade, and became enamored with his accomplishments. I was very sad when a juiced douche broke his records, because Hank was a good guy, Bonds was not. I was lucky enough to get an auto’ed baseball which I had authenticated, so that one is checked.

Walter Payton (obtained)

Payton is the best running back I have seen, ever. Barry Sanders was on a similar level, and so was Emmitt Smith, but even at the pinnacles of their careers, they were still compared to Payton. His autos are still relatively cheap, as football history will never rival baseball history, but his cards are ridiculous. I opted for a signed notecard with a dark and wonderful sig. It came with a JSA letter, so im good on that.

Tiger Woods

I already posted on Tiger, so you know what I am about when it comes to him. I think that I would love a nice action shot to frame and hang, but a ball would do just fine. Ill never be able to afford a card, so that’s out, and my dream of owning a signed Masters pin flag from him will cost me thousands. I have no idea how I will get this one checked. I would also like a Nicklaus sig, but that is way down the list.

Joe Montana

I have had a Montana auto in my possession, but I sold it for the money to pay bills. Montana is considered one of the best football players ever, and I was a fan of the Niners while I was growing up. I think of all the people on the list, his auto is cheapest, but for my collection it would be great.

Tom Brady

Brady is still playing but his autograph is still pretty valuable. The reason is that he doesn’t sign much for the companies from what I have seen, although Topps must have a few stickers on demand for Triple Suck every year, and he hasn’t had a UD auto for ages. Brady has already won 3 superbowls, set a single season TD record, and done a whole lot of hot ass babes. This is one I want.

Mickey Mantle

I want a Mantle auto, and I am not sure why, considering my hate for the Yankees and for less than class act players. Mantle was both, but he still has an incredible value to the hobby. The problem is that he has to be one of the most counterfitted autos in the history of collecting, so even with PSA or JSA, there is no telling if it is real or fake without some expensive provenance. Ill probably not get this one out of all the list for that reason.

So far, that is my list, and I have a long, long way to go and a lot of money to spend. Hopefully I can get somewhere close to completion. My shelves are already pretty impressive, if I do say so myself, but this would make it that much better. I know you all have your list, who is on yours?