Collecting Autographs in the good old days

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Richard I kept a journal like yours from 1977 thru 1988 on my TTM requests. I got most of the baseball addresses from The Trader Speaks, they ran a few inside the front cover for years.

One of my favorites was a Cool Papa Bell from 1979. His daughter enclosed a note that said "Cool Papa can't see no more but he liked your letter so he signed your photo." It made me feel great.

In the early 1980s one of my jobs as SID at a school was to oversee a photo lab. I used to make 8x10s from photos in books then mail them away. I ran into some strange happenings in the 1980s. A request to Jocko Conlan came back with his personal request for prayers. He died the next day. Same from Carl Hubbell, he passed a week later.

On the football side, my letter to Sammy Baugh was mailed July 17, 1986 and the photo came back July 17, 1987. A request to Bobby Layne came back in 6 days and while watching Sports Center that night I learned that he died that day. I quit writing people for a period after that.

I did a project in the late 1980s writing to the 1964 Cardinals, they were wonderful, most sent letters and additional photos since I was just sending index cards.

Earlier this year I wrote Wally Moon, Carl Erskine and George Shuba, my first letters in over a decade. I received no responses. I guess those days have passed.

I looked back through my journals this morning and I can't find a single instance from that earlier period when a football player including HOFers did not respond. I am guessing that the hockey guys were much the same. Every one that I have ever met in person has been wonderful.