Thanks Jerry G for this amazing multi year journey!
 

To all:

Brevity is the key here.

Jerry G started my 1961 Fleer Signed Basketball journey a few years ago by selling me a starter lot on this very site.

I aggressively put together the #1 Registry Set missing Carl Braun (none exist in a PSA/DNA slab).

For personal reasons I have sadly decided to break this beauty up (trust me I'm saving some of the rare pops including the signed Wilt Rookies) by sending about 70% of the set to REA for their Fall or Spring auction.

I pulled them out of their temp home today (safety deposit box) and found a low pop #42 Jack Twyman that is personalized "To Jerry".

I have in the past resisted offers to sell this card (3 exist in PSA/DNA holders) but in light of Jerry starting my amazing journey, I am offering this card back to him for free!

Jerry.......just say "I'll take it". One of the original cards that started me on this quest will now be back in your collection! Keep it, regift it, sell it or see how far you can throw it! lol

I hope you will accept!

Peace and happy collecting!

Mike

Attachment 480908

That is beyond awesome. Being nice to those that have helped us should be something we all do.

Mike very cool gesture!
Good luck w/ the REA consignments

Mike! Dude! I am truly touched. What a nice gesture.

I have followed your relentless journey and enjoyed every update. You are an amazing collector!

Thanks so much for remembering me. I look forward to telling OUR story each time I show the Jack Twyman card. Pretty damn cool!

So, yeah, I'LL TAKE IT! Thanks again, Mike and best of health and happiness to you and yours.

:)
 

Thanks Jerry for those kind words! Your collecting instincts were amazing! I need your address sorry, its been awhile, will send it out ASAP. Private message me!

Thanks to the comments from Jay and Ben also! Such a cool journey!

Peace, Mike

PS Can you share the Twyman story with everyone? I forgot how you got him. I believe it was raw when I got it from you and I sent it to PSA/DNA for slabbing. Did you meet him at a show or was it through the mail? Thanks!

PS 2 I forgot how good he was!!!

Jack Twyman Career highlights and awards:
6× NBA All-Star (1957–1960, 1962, 1963)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1960, 1962)
No. 27 retired by Sacramento Kings
Second-team All-American – NEA, INS (1955)
No. 27 retired by Cincinnati Bearcats

Peace, Mike

Incredible fact!
 

I JUST realized that

Koufax and Twyman were on the same hoops team in 1954!!!!

Cincy Bearcats!

So cool!

Peace, Mike
Attachment 480930

I believe Twyman is the tall feller right next to Sandy!

I'm sure I obtained the signature TTM to Mr. Twyman's home address. I am out of town at the moment, but when I return I will check my records for dates and response time and any other info I might have recorded.

Thanks, again, Champ.

Fantastic story.

Also, that Koufax/Twyman team photo is incredible!

Great stuff

What a story, what a thread! This has to rank up there with the "best of" on net54, yes?

Got it! This will be a great story to share when I have visitors to my card room. Thank you, Mike!

You kow Michael Jordan was not the only future NBA star to get cut form his high school team. Twyman was cut three times. He went on to play 11 years in the NBA. He was a six time all-star and averaged 19.2 points per game. After playing, he had a long career as an announcer with Chris Schenkel

He was even a better human being, though. His friend and teammate, Maurice Stokes suffered a head injury that left him paralysed. At 23 years old, Jackie T became Stokes' legal guardian and supported him he rest of his life.

Back to Mike's question of how did I obtain the signature. I kept pretty good records of when I mailed the cards out and when I received them. I'll be danged if I can find them right now!

When I started TTM autographs as a kid, I always requested that they sign, "To Jerry". Many did, like Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg and Stan Muisial. Most didn't, like Jimmy Foxx and Dizzy Dean. As years went by, I started thinking about passing them on. Chances are they wouldn't go to someone named Jerry. So, I stopped requesting the personalization. The best I can deduce is that this card was sent and returned around 2008. I did not request, "To Jerry", but I am quite OK with the result.

Mike, you are one Hell of a collector and a fine gentleman. Thanks, again.

Welcome!
 

Very welcome Jerry! It's back home!

Peace, Mike

This is what makes this place unlike any other. Great stuff.

Terrific