SoCal Autograph Odysses

 I'd previously sent a request to Pirates and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski back in the beginning of 2021, and it was successful as I got a card back signed from him. That original request was an Upper Deck modern card, and over time I've changed to wanting older players on cards from their era. As such, I decided recently to send a 1965 Topps To Mr. Mazeroski, as it was more representative of the era in which he played. It came back in the mail signed yesterday, along with his HOF 01 inscription. I am much happier with this result.  For comparison, here was the last one I was chose to send;

 I actually sent to a request to Bernie Federko, but for whatever reason, it wasn't successful. Sometimes mail gets lost on the way there or the way back. Sometimes mail gets stolen (which I've documented before). Many things can happen. Thankfully, my second request was successful and I got this back earlier this week.  As you can see, he was also kind enough to include his HOF 2002 inscription, which is always a nice bonus. 

 I did not put any of my through the mail autograph collection in the Top 10 list I posted a couple days back so it got me thinking. I wanted to try and formulate a list of  my ten favorite requests I've had returned to me over the years via the through the mail process. That means everything on this list was sent by me directly to the athlete, and I did not use a third party and participate in a signing. Much like the last list, the criterion I used to come up with this list can vary due to provenance or the story behind it, and it could also just come down to frankly what I thought my chances of getting my item back or the status of the athlete themselves.  Please check my Through the Mail Tracker  on this very blog to see every success I have ever had.  To date, I have 141 successes. I have six failures. I had to pare those 141 successes down to the list below. Let's get to it! 1. Peyton Manning This autograph was a slam dunk to make my list because Peyton Manning is so big

 I got my fourth, and last, return from private signings I was participating in mailed back to me recently. Keith Tkachuk, likely future Hall of Famer and someone I grew up watching, signed a 1991/92 Upper Deck World Juniors rookie card I sent in.  Keith is the father of two current NHL players, Matthew and Brady. As a Kings fan, I can say I cannot stand Matthew Tkachuk, who plays a power forward style of hockey that is a page right out of his dad's book. 

 As we creep toward the 50,000 page views mark on this blog, I thought I'd take the time to contemplate what my personal favorite pieces of my collection are. This is going to be a list consisting of items that are not necessarily ranked by value (though some of them are among the priciest items I have), but ranked as my favorites because of different factors. These factors can include things like the provenance of how it was obtained, my like of the athlete, their ranking among the world greats, etc.  Without further ado, here is my list in no particular order. Each name will have a link to their original blog post. 1. Lionel Messi Of course I have to start the list with one of the all time greatest players in their sport. When you are talking about a GOAT among the GOATS, that guy is going to make the list. This is a numbered /100 art piece signed by Leo for Icons, the foremost soccer/futbol associated autograph company in the world. Signed by both Messi himself as well as the ar

 The third of my four recent private signings was returned yesterday, this time in the form of NBA Hall of Famer and Detroit Piston Isiah Thomas. As you can see. this card came out very well. Ii is the famed 1986 fleer set, and these cards tend to be on the pricier side. That is the reason the one I chose is not centered as well. The ones in better condition can cost as much as getting it signed depending on the player. 

 The second of the four private signings I have partaken in recently came back through the mail to me yesterday. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Murphy signed a 1981 Topps rookie card and added the HOF 2004 inscription as requested. One thing I really enjoy about the hockey signings is that they are always affordable compared to their football counterparts in particular. I always recommend going to websites that list out what signings are currently going on, because there are currently a few hundred which brings so many options if you are into this hobby. There are also signings for all price points, so you don't have to be spending $300 plus on most players. This Murphy signing cost $20. 

 I've added a couple of well known active soccer players that are worldwide stars to my collection. Both of them come from the Topps Merlin set, which I really like because it is very high quality. Apparently these cards are printed in Italy, and you can feel the difference in card stock.  Luka Modric Merlin 12/75  Harry Kane Merlin /99 I also added a former England international and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard from Panini Prizm. 

 I recently had an influx of NFL hall of Fame autos come through the mail. These were acquisitions, not sent into any signing or anything along those lines. These were just purchases I made that were all affordable and less than they would have been than it would have been to send a card into a signing. Kurt Warner National Treasures 24/25 with player worn mem. On Card auto.  Tony Gonzalez National Treasures 15/25 with game used mem. Marshall Faulk 1999 Topps on card auto.