How many guys here still collect some TTM?
 

I started my son's autograph collection TTM recently, getting mostly in-state guys that he'll know. Anybody else still collect through the mail? What sites do you use for addresses and what's the success rate?

Thanks,
Matt

There is no feeling in the world like rushing to the mailbox to look for folded-over envelopes with my handwritten address on them!

I haven't sent anything out in over a decade, which makes me feel old. I did think about it recently, but felt odd sending requests solely to add to my own collection. If I had a son interested in collecting, though, I would get him started doing exactly what I did as a young man -- write letters by hand and think of creative items to send (I would often send old newspaper clippings, book pages, etc that I found for pennies on ebay, along with an index card).

I think you have to do it yourself and do it the hard way to really get the value out of it. If I had just bought 8x10's and shipped them out en masse, I don't think I'd care about the items like I do now. As it is, I wouldn't trade my computer paper printouts of low-res internet photos with signatures of guys like Ace Adama, Elden Auker, and Moose Skowron for anything!

That being said, I have considered sending a request out to Carl Erskine. I got a very nice Roman vintage reproduction Brooklyn Dodgers cap for $10 on ebay, and it would look great with his fine signature on it. If I do, though, I think I will include a note that I've made a substantial donation to his autism charity -- he already beautifully signed a baseball for me 12 years ago, and I think that as an adult it is only right that his effort go towards a good cause.

I have gotten a few in recent years, including this guy just put in the Hall!

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...NFT/Larkin.jpg

I also got Pat Gillick this last year, whose address I got on thebenchtrading.com

I still get that rush whenever I buy something or trade something.

Got that same feeling at the mailbox when my son's index card came back signed by Jim Tressel :) He put an inscription "To Chase - Come to Ohio State! Jim Tressel"

Those kind of inscriptions are the best -- my two favorite were from Irv Noren and Phil Rizzuto, both of whom thanked me effusively for writing them.

I think what makes the TTM experience different for me is that you never really know what is inside -- which player is it? Did they sign? Is Phil Rizzuto himself really going to send back the $15 check I wrote him and write on it that "there is no charge, that's just what the agents say"?!

Neat story on Scooter! I was bummed he couldn't be there for the All Star Game the last year of the Stadium.

The TTM experience was something I thoroughly enjoyed as a child and I wanted to make sure my son experienced that too.

I still do...check out Sportsgraphing.com. Send me a note and I can help you more, too. Matt

-

Just got an email from Steiner that indicates they now have a Barry Larkin exclusive. :rolleyes:

So I guess that means it'll cost around $200 to add his HOF Postcard to my collection. :mad:

I use sportscollectors.net and it's great to give you addresses, signing trends, success rates, exactly what items are likely to be signed, fees (if any), etc. It's a subscription only site with a nominal charge of around $15 annually if I remember correctly. (may be a little more or a little less, but well worth the cost IMO)

I started my autograph collection back in the early 60's be mailing out items to players. I still send out about 20 items a month with a success rate of about 70%

I love TTM as a Father-Son activity. I blogged about it here, if anyone is interested:

http://www.9goodones.com/2011/12/22/...ning-to-write/

The gist of the post is that TTM is such a rewarding activity for kids, that it actually teaches them to write. I couldn't bribe my kids to write a school assignment with a positive attitude. But they have never complained about writing for TTM.

And I agree, the best part are the surprises you get. Carl Erskine wrote my kids a very nice note. George Shuba included a book for them with a note. And Don Mueller, RIP, also sent back a note and a nice inscription on the ball.

I also use sportscollectors.net. It is very helpful for knowing who is worth trying for and who is not.

Would love any suggestions and tips!

Eric

-

-

Nice Eric! But where did your 11 and 12 year old kids get 1951 Topps cards from?! ;) Nice blog, enjoyed reading it!

I don't collect autos TTM, but I do check in on a thread across the street that shows how cool a TTM collection can be. Mike over on the CU forums chose an interesting theme, created some clean cards with old school logos, and amassed a very nice collection:
http://forums.collectors.com/message...hreadid=841685

(he might also be a good person to contact about addresses, etc.)

Matt, I got both Bob Hale and Tex Clevenger, from the 61 Yankees, last year through the mail. Mr. Clevenger even sent additional cards back which was really cool. I've been using Sportscollectors.net to get addresses and hope to get some additonal requests sent out this month.

My son and I started TTM over 20 years ago.
Those were the days when Joe DiMaggio, yes Joe DiMaggio, would sign one item TTM. But he would sign every month if you sent him another item.
We used to keep charts to see who were the quckest signers and the slowest.
Clint Hartung took one year.
Many HOFers took only a few days as did Bobby Thomson.
I can remember the joy of going to the mailbox every day to see who sent us back an autograph today. Great bonding experience with my son.
Now my son has a great job at ESPN and works closely with all the baseball people there. No autographs though :(.
It is a shame that this is what it has turned into:
"Just got an email from Steiner that indicates they now have a Barry Larkin exclusive."

I didn't know your son was old enough to have a job at ESPN.. Is your son Mark Simon?

Yes my son is Mark Simon :).
Have you read his work on the ESPN blog or listen to his podcast or you follow him on Twitter?

I read the Schilling article today comparing him to Gibson. Small World!

I'm no artist, so these are as custom as I can get...
 

Hey Matt...per my note to you, below are a few examples of the "custom" index cards I've sent HOF/Award winners for the past several years...seems to get good responses...

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images.../carlton-steve
http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...1/fisk-carlton
http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...69/ford-whitey
http://www.collectorfocus.com/images.../roberts-robin

Hi Matt

You might want to check out this website. thebenchtrading.com

Near the top of the homepage, they have a TTM prompt. After clicking on it, look to the left and you will see a Master list prompt. If you click on that, it will bring up all the players that board members have tried to get autographs from, along with their success rate and any other information.

Its free! You don't have to be a member of the site or pay any fee to get this information.

Also, if you don't want the cards you send to get damaged in the mail or the autograph to get smeared when the autographer puts it back into the envelope try this. Take a top-loader and insert something sturdy ( I used a piece of sheet metal ) into the top-loader & take a razor or exacto knife and cut a window on one side of the top-loader. Then the autographer never even has to take the card out of the top-loader. I put a piece of masking tape across the top-loader just below the window and on the tape I wrote "please autograph here", along with an arrow pointing to the window. This worked well for me & neither the autograph or card got damaged.

On last thing, my first TTM was Andre Dawson. I mailed him 2 cards, a short letter and a $20 check for the childrens charity that he sponsored. In the letter I told him to keep one of the cards since I had read that he collected baseball cards too. I mailed all this out on a Monday and by Friday I got my SASE back from him. In it was my autographed card & a hand written letter from Andre. He informed me that if I wanted anything else autographed to send it to him and he would autograph them for free. I never sent anything else, I was happy with just the card, but it was a really nice gesture from him though.

Jantz

Thanks Matt! Yea, my kids are rather spoiled in that I still have my cards from when I was a kid.....

Eric Cohen
http://www.9goodones.com

Great thread! Brings me back to the early 90's where I'd find team addresses in Beckett guides and send out cards ttm that way. I still have them Andy Benes Troy Aikman Raul Mondesi Brett Favre a bunch of Jagrs love going to mail box seeing if my sase returned to me

giving this thread a bump as it gave me a great idea to start a TTM project for my 1989/90 topps and donruss cards...my first years collecting. going for guys i ripped packs trying to get (jefferies, alomar jr, avery, ventura, etc..) who were rookies back then and probably brief footnotes in baseball history but i enjoyed.

Good news is Ventura is a Manager now :)

yes! and alomar is a coach for cleveland. some of the tougher guys would be monty fariss billy bene ty griffin etc...also looking forward to jim abbott.

True story.. I saw Jim Abbott get a base-hit in a Spring Training game against the Florida Marlins. The standing ovation he got as he stood on first base was something I'll never forget.

In the early 80's, I saw an add for Jack Smalling's baseball address list in SCD. It talked about writing to players for autographs. I was skeptical but decided to give it a try.

I saved my allowance for a couple weeks, sent it off and decided to test it out with some players when the book came in. I sent to Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose and Ted Williams to see if this would work.

Alas, nothing came back after a few months of waiting. Then one day, six months after I had sent my requests, my Dad comes home from work and calls me from my room. He said I had some mail. Ted Williams had signed and returned the 1976 Topps All Time All star card I had sent him. The thrill I had opening that from Ted Williams was and still probably today is my greatest hobby memory.

I ended up sending to players for a couple of years after that. Instead of spending all of my whopping $6 allowance on cards, I started spending it on stamps for requests.

growing up in socal jim abbott was a big hero and inspiration to us. it was always cool seeing him do the glove switch after every pitch.

chris--i felt the same way when getting TTM returns and seeing the fruit of your labor bloomed. i imagine having the same excitement today as i'm sorting out all the cards to send out.

p.s. i also can't wait to get my son started when he's old enough. we won't care if the sigs are secretarial, clubhouse, autopen etc...and i won't burden him with TPAs and forensic. that i can promise.