Tag Archives: Team Collecting

Wednesday Weekly; June 27, 2012

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This week I am going to focus on one of my favorite parts of the hobby, Through the Mail (TTM) autograph collecting. It is a fun and inexpensive way (most times) to add autographs of players to your collection. There are a ton of resources available to find addresses and success/failure information. FCB has its own TTM forum.

You may want to do research to decide on whom to send to. As a Reds fan, I tend to send off to current and former Reds players, regardless of signing history. There is always a chance you may get lucky. When it comes to former players, it is best to check to see if that player charges or not. Generally, the ones who do will send your item back, unsigned, with a price sheet for future reference. As for current players, most are free TTM signers; however, the Pirates and Tigers do require donations to their funds. Price lists are available from the teams.

The most important thing that is required is patience. Sometimes you will get lightning fast responses and other times it may take a year or longer. For record keeping, write down or make a spreadsheet to keep track of who you sent to, when, what you sent, when it was returned, and success/failure. This will help you remember who you have sent to as well as be a tool to help share with others.

There are particular sets that I think look better signed and I tend to stick with those. Topps Heritage and Allen & Ginter’s look fantastic when signed. Of course, any card will do the trick. The reason those two sets tend to work better is because they are not glossy. You can still get glossy/chrome cards signed, you just have to do prepwork to make the signature stick and not bubble.

 

 

The trick I use on glossy/chrome cards was passed onto me by a fellow board member (predatorkj). I rub the surface of the card with my shirt sleeve for 30 seconds. While doing this, I use a lot of pressure. Not enough to damage the card, but enough to generate heat on the card. Every glossy/chrome card I have sent off using this trick has came back perfect. There are other tricks as well. A lot of people will rub the surface with baby powder and have had success.

TTM is a very fun hobby. Most of the time, you can get autographs of your favorite team/players for fifty cents. An envelope, a letter, a card, a return envelope, and a couple of stamps are all it takes. Again, not every player is guaranteed to sign, but it’s always a nice mailday when they do. We’ll get further into this on another Wednesday Weekly, but if you have any questions, check the TTM forum or contact me.

 

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Wednesday Weekly; June 20, 2012

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What a difference a year makes. Last year, many were questioning if Adam Dunn had anything left in the tank. This year, he’s currently the MLB leader in home runs (23), tied for third in the American League in RBI (52), and leads the American League in Walks (54). He still strikes out a ton and maintains a low batting average, but he has rebounded this season on the field and in the hobby world.

Dunn’s, like Hamilton’s, rookie card to have would be the 1999 Topps Traded autograph. He came up in 2001 with the Cincinnati Reds and is now bashing home runs for the Chicago White Sox. He has always wanted to play the field as opposed to just doing DH duties, which is why he spent the bulk of his career in the National League.

Last season was tough for the left handed slugger. The transition to the American League as well as playing the majority of his time at DH could potentially provide the answer to his down season a year ago. A lot of fans have a lot of love for the long ball and Dunn is back to bashing them like he always has. Because of this, his cards are beginning to see a rise.

I have been a fan of Dunn since Day 1 and I am also a collector. I look for cards I need daily. Going to a larger market in Chicago caused a little spike last season. As his production fell off, card prices followed. Collectors and White Sox fans didn’t appear interested in picking up his stuff. This season has been a major change. His 2011 Bowman Chrome Superfractor recently sold in a BIN/BO for $107 and change. The purchaser has since re-listed the card and has constantly changed the BIN price from as much as $25,000 to what it is now at $500.

His card prices have been settled for years. As with most veterans, he had fallen into his place in the hobby and was pretty consistent. His bounce back to form has caused some change in his hobby numbers though.

 

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Wednesday Weekly; June 13, 2012

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You may be sick of hearing about it, but Josh Hamilton is solid. When healthy, he is one of the best producers in the game. He plays great defense and is a beast at the plate. Everyone knows about his past and the problems he dealt with and overcame to be where he is today. He was highly touted, out of baseball, and then given a second chance. So far, he has made the most of his second opportunity.

He continues to wow with his bat and it can only leave fans and collectors alike to wonder, What if? If he had made it from Day 1, what could his career have been? If he were able to produce like he does now, there could be legitimate Hall of Fame discussions. All of the All-Star Games, MVPs, and other awards the he could have accumulated. As it is, one can only wonder.

There are plenty of great cards out there, but a Hamilton collection would have to have a 1999 Topps Traded autograph for sure. There are some great 1999 Bowman Chrome parallels as well, but that would be THE Hamilton card to have in your collection. To be a Hamilton collector has been a bumpy road. His cards have followed the same ups and downs that his career has. He was pricey, dirt cheap, and then expensive.

His big four home run game caused a spike earlier this year. That is a pain for player and team collectors. You want players to perform well because you are a fan and collector, but it causes an increase in the prices you pay. However, when a player does something historic, it can help to bring some of those hard to find cards to light. Cards that other collectors have had buried deep in the dark corners of their collections will suddenly be listed. It’s the Catch-22 of collecting.

It’s still very early in the 2012 season, but Josh Hamilton could end up having a chance at the Triple Crown. Currently, he’s second in batting average, first in home runs, and first in RBI. The MLB season is long and Hamilton hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to health. If Josh were to win the Triple Crown or be as close as he is now, it would certainly cause a temporary spike in his cards. It’s a pain for collectors, but some of those hidden gems would also find the light of day.

 

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