Featured Breaks

Two packs of 2007 Topps Turkey Red retail [$2.99 each at Target] - Vladimir Guerrero base card, Phil Hughes Turkey Red Ad back variation and A-Rod home run #302 insert card. As a collector who tries to get cards signed randomly either in-person or through the mail, I can't keep up with these nice looking, arty, retro cards.

1.) You don't want to plunk down $4-$5 a pack for these cards - you are competing with collectors who build these sets. You don't collect these sets for how they look in binders, unsigned. You don't want to pay $25-$40 on Ebay for a hand collated set of cards at one time either, if it means having to add another base card set [usually not the short prints] to your stash just for 'autograph endeavors.'

2.) The 'white whales' add up - as far as players have retired, moved on [figuratively, literally, etc] and are basically tough to get an autograph from in-person and don't usually sign in the mail. If you had a chance to actually see Ichiro, Dice-K, Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, et al and they are going to sign for you - I'm not going to have them sign a card, no matter how great it looks. Some guys like my favorite pictured does not even bother to acknowledge you. You basically have to shoot for the subjects within the sets that you have a realistic chance of actually getting an autograph from.

3.) The Turkey Red oversized box toppers - maybe the ones to focus on, if you want something unique to get signed, without having to focus on the entire regular card set.

4.) I guess, it would just be a matter of - trying to get the cards you do have signed and sticking them together, so at least you have a 'representive' sampling of cards you can show off.