Joe Mauer first year card set finds

I was thumbing through cards in a dollar box from a seller's table at a card show and started finding some Joe Mauer minor league cards - it was a no brainer to make at least one or two a keeper since it's just cool to have so long ago, formative cards of a player who has been minted as a Hall of Famer.

I do not know if these cards were from a legitimate issue or are particularly valued other than what I paid per card - since it looked like I found all the pieces towards a 10-card set, I put them in my keeper stack.

Card show buys - miscellaneous stuff

I thumbed through some cards arranged in a binder at a seller's table and found this Logan O' Hoppe rookie card in the $2 or '6 for $10' portion - while I might be a fan of a last place Angels team that lost Shohei Ohtani, I'm always looking for cards of 'future guys' to latch onto as the next team stars.

O'Hoppe has the potential to be a frontline catcher, which means he can be both hit and can handle a pitching staff - if he can develop as intended, he could be a franchise player for years to come.

Making the O'Hoppe rookie a keeper, I decided to see if I can fish out some other cards to amuse me - I picked up some old school / vintage odds and ends that end up being at least 45-years old.

I am not a fan of manager cards but I like the backs of the 1969 Topps manager cards - they give a larger than life feel when the fronts of the cards are pretty sleepy.

TTM autograph received: Jim Palmer

It might have been sometime in February when my buddy decided to make a card show run and took me along to make a day of it - the first stop was at a card shop I go to with a card show that runs twice a week.

I browsed through the old-school and vintage showcase when I saw a 1966 Topps Jim Palmer rookie card #126 - I figured for $25, the card was an impulse buy that might end up as TTM fuel.

I sent off the card with $10 in a TTM request to the Hall of Fame pitcher a week or so before I left for some overseas travel - but unlike the other requests I'd sent off, I anticipated getting a response from Palmer back quickly.

Things might not have worked out as far as the timing goes, where I would have to wait a couple of months more to see whether I had a good or bad result - but did get my rookie card back signed the last day I could go to the mail box before leaving the country.

TTM autographs received: Bill Mazeroski

In early March, I sent out some TTM requests in anticipation they would be returned when I finally came home from some overseas travel - I was able to get the Hall of Fame second baseman to sign my cards for $20.

I picked this 2023 Panini Prizm Hot Box Purple Prizm for a dollar - I tried to prep the glossy surface as best as I could, so that the card would be easier to sign without any mess ups.

I fished out a 1963 Fleer from an assorted card show seller stack - it's probably easier said than done, but it's fun taking a well loved vintage card and turning into TTM fuel, where the result ends up being pretty good.

TTM autograph received: Ruben Sierra

In early March, I sent out some TTM requests in anticipation they would be returned when I finally came home from some overseas travel - the former big league slugger was on my scratch the itch list since I saw a random success posted on Twitter / X.

I sent Sierra a 2004 Topps Cracker Jack 'set card' and $10, which is his apparent fee to sign things TTM - maybe it's been a thing where I've sent out less TTM requests over the past couple of years and might need to add $5 or $10 to more requests in order to get something signed.

On the other hand I do not really mind when subjects charge outright, rather than through a middleman or promoter - where it might be fun to see what results I get from a guy like Sierra, who I've never had TTM history with.

I would have also liked to also get a 1990 Leaf signed, but did not have the card in-hand - so I might end up looking for one that is already inked up.

TTM autograph received: Camilo Pascual

In early March, I sent out some TTM requests in anticipation they would be returned when I finally came home from some overseas travel - one of the requests I sent was to the 90-year old former big league pitcher, with $10 and a vintage 1959 Topps card I fished out of a dollar box last year, like the Whitey Herzog card from the previous post.

Maybe the odd thing was the card I sent Pascual pictures him - but is an uncorrected error card, picturing teammate Ralph Lumenti.

TTM autograph received: Whitey Herzog

In early March, I sent out some TTM requests in anticipation they would be returned when I finally came home from some overseas travel - one of the requests I sent was to the Hall of Fame manager, with $5 and a vintage Topps card I fished out of a dollar box last year.

While on the other side of the world, I'd read that Herzog had passed and for that matter, another TTM signing great in Carl Erskine - for a moment I was wondering what I would get back, but it looks like I was able to get my request within the window where my card was inked up.