TTM autographs received: Greg Luzinski

The former big league slugger from the 1970s through the mid 1980s signed my cards in about three weeks for $20 - for the longest time I thought I had a 1984 Donruss card of Luzinski to send out, but I got the probably got the card from a card show repack back in 1996 and I don't know what ever happened to it.

To finally be able to send out a fee request to Luzinski, I needed to send a copy of the 1984 Donruss - so I ended up picking another copy from an online card outlet, look for the card to arrive in the mail and eventually send it back out, with at least another card I picked up in-person.

TTM autograph received: Bill Melton

The former big league slugger from the early 1970s signed my cards in about a couple of weeks - a card I wanted to pick up and get signed for my own was the 1972 Topps Boyhood Photos of the Stars subset; I like the novelty of the one-time Angel player pictured in an Angels' uniform, though as a kid from his Little League days in Southern California.

Melton would mostly star for the Chicago White Sox, though past his prime, eventually spent a season with the Angels - I had the 1976 Topps Traded to send him with an airbrushed Angels cap, so it may not be an actual Angels card, but he is depicted and identified as such, so that will be the card to go into my all-time Angels autograph collection.

The 1972 Topps In Action card looks like a nice horizontal image of Melton - though it really captures him swinging awkwardly at a ball instead of a more 'natural' follow through.

TTM autograph received: Billy Cowan

I dug this card out from my Angels frankenset and sent it to Cowan to sign - it took about a couple of weeks before my card came back signed in blue Sharpie.

While Cowan's 1972 Topps card is a quirky 'cult favorite,' it maybe one 'fun card' I really haven't dwelled on too much - while the card will definitely be listed in my all-time Angels autograph collection, the actual card may also go back in my frankenset.

TTM autograph received: Ed Sprague Sr.

After not bothering with TTM requests, I really want to start sending off random cards again bit-by-bit so once in a while, I start getting something back in the mail - I sent a request to Ed Sprague Sr. and got my card signed in black ballpoint in nine days.

Sprague Sr. is 70 years old and I wanted my loose 1972 Topps card inked up before I put it away in my 'bloodlines' mini-collection - his son [Ed Sprague Jr.] was an 11-year MLB veteran who was a 'junk wax guy' back in 1990s.

Target binge - leads to a couple of Topps Million Card Giveaway redemptions

I picked up a 2010 Topps 'Honus Wagner' cereal box [$9.99 each at Target], a 2010 Topps jumbo pack [$4.99 each at Target] and a 2010 Upper Deck Fat Pack [$4.99 each at Target] - I thought I'd impusively pick up one of the Topps cereal boxes, since it is a half the price of a blaster and I've never busted one of these before.

I will concede, I was also looking for a Topps Million Card Giveaway redemption code card - even though the contest seems like an exercise in futility for a baseball card collector looking for what I may consider a historically valuable Topps card.

Much to my wallet's detriment however, the Topps' Million Card Giveaway promotion will probably make me - pick up one more pack, one more jumbo pack or perhaps cereal box of 2010 Topps baseball cards that I may have otherwise ignored [since the cards are plentiful and found everywhere].

Out of the cereal box - I pulled the following in addition to the typical base cards / inserts.
Legends Chrome Refractor pack
#GC-6 Tom Seaver
#TMC-3 Bob Gibson - Million Card Giveaway redemption / redeemed online for a 1971 Topps Oscar Gamble

From the jumbo pack - I pulled a Topps Million Card Giveaway redemption code card.
#TMC-4 Ichiro - Million Card Giveaway redemption / redeemed online for a 1972 Topps Ivan Murrell.