Quote:
Originally Posted by akleinb611
This references 1950's cards, but a good example of a player who was once considered very tough - almost Holy Grail tough - and then became common was NY Giants utility infielder Foster Castleman. His signed cards retailed in the hundreds of dollars, and then it was discovered that if you made a modest contribution to his church, he would be happy to sign. He died a few years later, but by then, anyone who wanted Foster Castleman had Foster Castleman.
Okay, I'll admit that I really like saying Foster Castleman...
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Dave Revering and Allen Ripley are in this category too. It was long believed they were completely non-responsive to mail requests, but turns out that bad addresses were out there for both of them. Once their correct addresses were discovered, they quickly and consistently started answering their mail. Before he passed away, Ripley had even commented that he had zero problem signing autographs and often wondered why he didn't get more fan mail.