More TTM autographs received in 2020

I got the bug to put together autograph requests through the mail after writing exactly one TTM request in 2019 - to have a purpose I've tried to write to former Angels guys, whose unsigned cards I ended up with, but autographs I don't have in my collection.

It might be a little hard to account for everyone, but I'll make the best I can trying to add more names to my Angels all-time autograph collection - it is nice to get something back that goes into my regional collection, even if it is more autographs of rank-and-file types that played years before I was born.

Pictures of these successes were saved in my scan folder and I decided to use them in a blog post that maybe my last before going on a spring hiatus - not like this place has been is buzzing with traffic, but for the 1-3 dedicated readers I might have, this might be my last post for a while.

Some TTM autographs received in 2020

I got the bug to put together some autograph requests through the mail after writing exactly one TTM request in 2019 - I like getting stuff in the mailbox and tend to believe there will always opportunities to get successes even if the idea of writing someone and expecting an actual response is a little quaint and old fashioned.

John Verhoeven signed my Topps buyback card in about 6 days, giving me a new 'old-school' Angels autograph for my all-time collection - he also returned my letter with some responses, so sending him a request turned out pretty good, when the card was kind of just 'loose' in my collection.

Al Spangler signed my 1978 TCMA The 1960s card in about a couple of weeks giving me a new 'vintage' [considering the player, not the card] Angels autograph for my all-time collection - a couple of years ago, I set aside some cards I’d picked up as part of a couple of loose team sets [Angels and Giants] picturing some old-timers still living at the time.

I’d planned to send off the cards to be autographed but simply forgot about them - while former Angel Jim Coates passed and Del Crandall is now in a assisted living facility, I finally wrote to the other players that are still living at the moment.

- Bob Bolin - 1978 TCMA The 1960's - no response yet

- Eddie Bressoud - 1959 Topps and 1978 TCMA The 1960's - took a couple of weeks

- Jim Duffalo - 1978 TCMA The 1960's - took a couple of weeks

A pair of Angels rookie buyback purchases

I don’t think stamped buybacks are remotely collectible as ‘stand alone’ cards unless they are part of some autograph insert - but even if they are low-end gimmicks, with the original copies being worthless otherwise, I actually picked these cards up for a couple of bucks and change [each].

I had my eye on these cards because they are actually rookie cards unlike many buybacks I've seen - featuring a couple of retired Angels stars who made their MLB debuts in the 1990s.

Tim Salmon Bowman buyback purchase

I’m over buybacks in Topps products, but even the concept is literally the same thing [stamping commons with a buyback stamp so there are a cache of cards ready to fill out unopened product with] - it maybe a novelty to find buyback cards in Bowman.

Of course, I could have just picked up an original copy of Salmon's 1997 Bowman card [#5] without the cutesy stamp - still my impulsiveness got the best of me and I put in an eventual winning bid to secure this random card featuring someone relatively notable in my book.

TTM autograph received: Mickey Stanley

From a set of requests I sent out in April, I got a card signed in blue Sharpie by the career Detroit Tigers outfielder - who won Gold Gloves in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1973.

Featured autograph - Danny Goodwin

For a guy who was selected No. 1 overall in the nation twice, Goodwin was a bust - he's been pretty much obscured by history, but the one-time Angel was named to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

I picked up a certified autograph of his and then ended up with this stamped Topps buyback - I find it funny that Goodwin is posing with a glove when the position listed on the card is 'DH.'

2014 Topps Series II five pack recap

I picked up five random packs for $2 each at my LCS - I pulled another buyback card but these maybe my last loose pack purchases of flagship Topps until update comes around.

Pack one
#443 Jeff Kobernus
#439 Jackie Bradley Jr.
#388 Yovani Gallardo
#545 Jeremy Affeldt
#SST-17 Jacoby Ellsbury - Saberstats insert
#530 Danny Salazar
#555 Adam Eaton
#624 Alex Presley
#623 Chad Billingsley
#658 Wade Davis
MLB The Show 14 code card

Pack two
#466 Ryan Dempster
#553 Michael Pineda
#592 Simon Castro
#350 Carlos Gonzalez - Gold parallel serial #'d 0807/2014

1974 Topps Chuck Seelbach #292 - 75th Anniversary foil stamped buyback
#626 Tommy Hanson
#342 Brad Miller
#646 Dan Haren
#355 Jarrod Parker
#601 Jason Hammel

Pack three
#540 Ike Davis
#458 Vinnie Pestano
#468 Wilin Rosario
#573 Adam Lind
#478 Billy Hamilton
#333 Wil Myers - Red Hot Foil parallel
#371 Scott Kazmir
#389 Geovany Soto
#420 Lucas Duda
#510 Matt Den Dekker

Pack four
#613 Mark Teixeira
#634 Gaby Sanchez
#550 Prince Fielder
#491 Felix Doubront
#PP-175 Jedd Gyorko - Power Players code card
#397 Tim Lincecum
#496 Jose Abreu
#416 Josh Reddick
#640 Kyle Blanks
#356 Jose Reyes

Pack five
#521 Anthony Rendon
#404 C.C. Lee
#366 Zack Cosart
#619 Chris Johnson - Gold parallel serial #'d 0087/2014
#FS-20 Chris Sale - Future Stars That Never Were insert; the card has some sort of residue running horizontally [it's kind of like a gum stain from days when Topps used to put gum in packs] in front of the card that I tried to remove with nail polish, but isn't coming off.
#451 Luis Garcia
#611 Patrick Corbin
#337 Zach Walters

2014 Topps Series II hobby jumbo pack

Not a great break for $12 - I pulled an old school buyback card that without the Topps 75th Anniversary stamp, would be the same as other vg-ex 1976 Topps commons collecting dust at my LCS.

#614 Moises Sierra
#432 Dillon Gee
#424 Jose Ramirez
#531 Dylan Bundy
#415 Andre Ethier
#514 Alcides Escobar
#638 Michael Cuddyer
#428 Skip Schumaker
#410 A.J. Griffin
#597 Mat Latos
#465 Justin Morneau
#652 Edinson Volquez
#336 Ben Zobrist
#455 Danny Espinosa
#656 Grant Balfour
#563 Colt Hynes
#528 Shelby Miller
#527 Travis Snider
#582 Desmond Jennings
#344 Kevin Siegrist
#606 Kenley Jansen
#651 Denard Span
#421 R.A. Dickey
#488 Brian Duensing
#364 Mike Trout
#425 Craig Kimbrel - Red Hot Foil parallel
#415 Andre Ethier - Gold parallel serial #'d 0962/2014
#FN-39 Kolten Wong - The Future is Now insert

1976 Topps #483 Mickey Stanley - 75th Anniversary foil stamped buyback; I thought the front of the card was in 'presentable condition,' but the centering on the back is pitiful.
#TM-53 Jose Canseco - 1989 Topps mini die-cut insert
#543 Bud Norris
#575 Josh Hamilton
#361 Edwin Jackson
#583 Ryan Ludwick
#431 Brett Anderson
#469 Jesse Crain
#435 Ryan Braun
#341 Mike Moustakas
#541 Phil Hughes
#609 Jonathan Pettibone
#481 Allen Craig
#600 David Wright
#374 Taylor Jordan
#555 Adam Eaton
#401 Felix Hernandez
#569 Michael Morse
#479 Ivan Nova
#371 Scott Kazmir
#389 Geovany Soto
#577 Steve Ames
MLB The Show 14 code card