Another TTM Success From Chris Hoiles

Another TTM success from former Oriole, Chris Hoiles came in recently that put some really nice cards into my album. The above 1994 Fleer Ultra All Star card is a great looking card.

I also got a 1998 Topps, 1995 Upper Deck SP and a 1997 Score foil signed.  The SP has the one-off gray Orioles hat that they wore for only one season.  I had one of them then, but it is somewhere at my parents house.  I'd like to find it some day.

I mailed to Hoiles on October 24 and got the cards back on January 8, for a 76-day TAT.

TTM Success - Allen Watson

Here are some more 90s cards I was able to get signed TTM, these being from Allen Watson.  The above 1995 Topps Finest is a highlight.  

I also got a 1995 Donruss and 1998 Topps signed.  Both of these turned out nicely as well.

Watson (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1993 to 2000 for the  Cardinals, Giants, Angels, Mets, Mariners and Yankees.  He had a record of 51-55 with 589 strike outs and a 5.03 ERA.  He won the World Series with the 1999 Yankees, but did not pitch in the series.

I mailed to Watson on October 10 and got the cards back on November 16, for a 37-day TAT. 

Another TTM Success From Jay Bell

There have been quite a few TTM success recently where I went back and got guys I had gotten before.  This was a result of going through a bunch of boxes during the playoffs and amassing a huge stack of guys to send to.  One of them was Jay Bell.  Bell signs a bunch, and has a ton of cool cards.  The above 1992 Donruss Diamond King was a definite highlight.

The above 2000 Bowman and 2001 Upper Deck were some pretty cool cards.  I like how Bowman updated the classic 1955 Bowman TV Set design.  That's one of my all-time favorite sets and adding this with the updated (now, not so updated) design to the autograph album. 

I also got a 1993 Triple Play, 1995 Finest, 1998 Topps and 1999 Topps signed during this TTM request to Bell.

I mailed to Bell on October 11 and got the cards back on November 15, for a 35-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Willie Adams

Willie Adams was a player that I thought I had gotten TTM before.  After a search of the blog (how convenient), I realized that I hadn't gotten him before, so I sent off the above 1997 Topps and the below 1998 Topps.  Both turned out nicely, and I believe it has been a while since either set made it onto the blog.

Adams (b. 1972) played in the majors in 1996 and 1997 for the A's.  He had a record of 6-9 with 105 strike outs and a 5.81 ERA.

I mailed to Adams on October 22 and got the cards back on December 17, for a 56-day TAT.

TTM Success - Roger Bailey

Here are some 90s cards that I got back signed from Roger Bailey.  The above card is a 1996 Fleer. This is one of the base cards I talked about a few posts ago. The finish is matte and the autograph shows up well.

Here is another 1992 Stadium Club and a 1998 Topps. Both turned out nicely. 

Bailey (b. 1970) played in the majors from 1995 to 1997 for the Rockies. He had a record of  18-19 with 162 strike outs and a 4.90 ERA.

I mailed to Bailey on March 24 and got the cards back on April 4, for an 11-day TAT. 

TTM Success - Jim Eisenreich

Hey, it's another 1995 Fleer in my autograph album! The freakiest set yields some nice signed cards, and this one was the key to what I sent off TTM to Jim Eisenreich.

I added some nice Topps cards, as well, but the Fleer turned out the best, in my opinion.

This 1998 Topps is a great card, as well.

Eisenreich (b. 1959) played in the majors from 1982 to 1984 and 1987 to 1998 for the Twins, Royals, Phillies, Marlins and Dodgers.  He had 1,160 hits, 52 home runs and a .290 batting average.  He won the World Series with the Marlins in 1997. He appeared on the 2004 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 0.6% of the vote.

I mailed to Eisenreich on February 10 and got the cards back on March 19, for a 37-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Nomar Garciaparra

These 1998 Topps Lords of the Diamond cards are awesome.  I already had gotten one signed by Andres Galarraga, and when I saw another private signing for Nomar come up, I pulled this one from my collection and sent it along.  The card turned out great!

I mailed to the private signing on January 27 and got the card back on February 26, for a 30-day TAT.

TTM Success - Lyle Mouton

Three attempts were made, but I finally got a TTM success back from Lyle Mouton.  The cards I sent turned out great, so I was really glad when they finally came in.  The above 1996 Finest looks a lot better in person.

I also had Mouton sign a 1996 Topps Gallery, 1998 Topps, 1997 Score and a 1997 Fleer Metal.

Mouton (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1995 to 2001 for the White Sox, Orioles, Brewers and Marlins.  He had 225 hits, 22 home runs and a .280 batting average.

I mailed to Mouton on January 21 and got the cards back on January 31, for a 10-day TAT.

TTM Success - Matt Karchner

Matt Karchner may need a new marker, or he put this one in the envelope while it was still wet.  Even further, he may have used a dry erase marker on the card, but whichever it is, this card did not turn out well, at all.  Still, it is signed, and it isn't the worst that I've seen (which says a lot).  To be fair, the 1998 Stadium Club cards have a ton of gloss and that also could have contributed to the auto not sticking at all.

This 1998 Topps looks better, but still shows some of the signs of not sticking like the other one.

Karchner (b. 1967) played in the majors from 1995 to 2000 for the White Sox and Cubs.  He had a record of 21-13 with 166 strike outs and a 4.21 ERA.

I mailed to Karchner on October 19 and got the cards back on October 26, for a 7-day TAT.

TTM Success - Woody Williams

Woody Williams is a player who I had cards set aside to send TTM for quite a while.  Something like 3 or 4 years, I believe.  I finally found a working address and mailed some cards to him and got a nice return.  This 2003 Topps turned out great and is a nice set to get signed.

I also sent off a 1998 Topps, 2000 Topps and 2004 Topps.  All of the cards look great and have made it into my album.

Williams (b. 1966) played in the majors from 1993 to 2007 for the Blue Jays, Padres, Cardinals and Astros.  He had a record of 132-116 with 1,480 strike outs and a 4.19 ERA.  He was an All Star in 2003.  He appeared on the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, but received no votes.

I mailed to Williams on April 27 and got the cards back on May 8, for an 11-day TAT.

TTM Success - Vladimir Guerrero

There are a handful of cards that, if I see a signing come up, I'll pay the money to get the card signed.  This 1998 Topps Vladimir Guerrero is one of those cards.  The shot is iconic, even though, I'd be hard pressed to say that any iconic cards came out of the late 90s.  Still, this card looks amazing.  I was really glad to get it done, and I still have a handful of other cards that I want to send off, but I have to allocate the money.

I mailed to the signing on February 2 and got the card back on May 7, for a 94-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $50.00.  Well worth it, in my opinion.

TTM Success - Andres Galarraga

This 1998 Topps Lords of the Diamond card had a place in my TTM box for a long time.  I pulled it from a pack back when I was building the 98 set and kept telling myself that I really wanted to get it signed.  I missed an Andres Galarraga signing soon after, then had to wait patiently for another to pop up.  Meanwhile, I kept the card in my box, that way I knew exactly where it was when the signing did happen.

Finally, a signing popped up and I was able to move the card.  I'm glad I sent it out, because it turned out great.

Galarraga (b. 1961) played in the majors from 1985 to 1998 and 2000 to 2004 for the Expos, Cardinals, Rockies, Braves, Rangers, Giants and Angels.  He had 2,333 hits, 399 home runs and a .288 batting average.  He was a five-time All Star and two-time Gold.Glove Award winner.  His best MVP finish was 6th (1996 and 1998).  He appeared on the 2010 Hall of Fame ballot, but received only 4.1% of the vote.

I mailed to the signing on January 19 and got the card back on March 12, for a 52-day TAT.  I paid a fee of $40.00.

Signed Aramis Ramirez Cards From Max

My good friend, Max, helped with a private signing with Aramis Ramirez where I sent him a ton of cards.  Max sent me a few back signed, and they all look great.  The above 1998 Topps New Breed was the one that I really wanted back, and it looks amazing.  I vaguely remembered I had it, and was so glad to find it when Max asked for Ramirez.  That made the whole thing worthwhile.  I am so glad he asked me for the help with the signing.

I really enjoy when Max asks me to look for certain players.  I am able to clear out some room in my boxes and help him with his signings.  Sometimes, I throw some money his way, as well, in order to see some of the cards come back signed and add them to my albums.  Ramirez isn't someone I'd come in contact with, so I definitely wanted to get a few cards back.

Ramirez (b. 1978) played in the majors from 1998 to 2015 for the Pirates, Cubs and Brewers.  He had 2,303 hits, 386 home runs and a .283 batting average.  He was an All Star 3 times (2005, 2008 and 2013).  He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2011.  His best finish in the MVP race was 9th (NL) in 2012.

Thanks for the signed cards and the huge box of other stuff you sent my way, Max!

TTM Success - Mike Holtz

I was able to move a 1998 Topps out of my box when I got this card back signed TTM from Mike Holtz.  I have a ton of 1998 Topps, and moving some out of my box is always nice.  They're nice looking cards, but look too similar to 1999 and 2000 Topps.  The foil names and the super gloss also make it hard to leaf through them really quickly, so it can be an annoying trip through my box when I am looking for something specific.

Holtz (b. 1972) played in the majors from 1996 to 2002 and 2006 for the Angels, A's, Padres and Red Sox.  He had a record of 16-20 with 223 strike outs and a 4.76 ERA.

I mailed to Holtz on October 22 and got the card back on November 6, for a 15-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Rich Becker

I had gotten Rich Becker TTM once before, back in May 2017, so I figured it was time to send to him again.  I had a bunch of nice cards, and needed to make room in my box.  The above 1994 Upper Deck Electric Diamond turned out really well.  It was pretty much the card that inspired me to send to him again.

I also sent a 1993 Bowman, 1998 Stadium Club, 1998 Topps and a 2001 Topps.

I mailed to Becker on October 26 and got the cards back on November 3, for an 8-day TAT.

TTM Success - Ben Ford

Two of these Ben Ford cards came out of the cheap 5,000-count boxes I picked up from my LCS.  The only one that was mine was the 1998 Topps shown below (below, left).  I happened to look to see if he signed, and saw that he did, so I pulled the two I saw in the card shop boxes, and then pulled the 1998 from my stash of Topps cards.

The above 1998 Chrome must have been sitting in these boxes for a long time, as the cards had to be peeled apart, and they seemingly don't need prepping.  I think whatever UV coating Topps used then was pretty bad, and was susceptible to melting and sticking to other cards.  I hate it.  Still, the card looks ok, but a lot of the cards from those boxes look kind of cloudy, especially when I prep them with powder, so I sent off a few last week unprepped, just to see what happens.

Ford (b. 1975) played in the majors in 1998, 2000 and 2004 for the Diamondbacks, Yankees and Brewers.  He had a career record of 1-2 with 23 strike outs and a 7.80 ERA.

I mailed to Ford on August 31 and got the cards back on September 17, for a 17-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Jim Leyritz

I had forgotten that I had received a TTM success from Jim Leyritz back in 2017, but I suppose that's ok, because I got some nice cards back signed (and a couple smudges).  The above 1990 Score Traded is a nice card, but Leyritz smudged the crap out of it.  What a shame.

The 1993 Topps buyback (above left) was what caused me to want to send to Leyritz again, and at least that card turned out great.  The 1998 Topps got smudged, as well, but the 1991 Donruss turned out pretty nicely.

I mailed to Leyritz on May 21 and got the cards back on June 11, for a 21-day TAT.

Another TTM Success From Juan Gonzalez

I sent to Juan Gonzalez a few times already, but I had compiled several cards that I really wanted to get signed, so I finally sent more to him recently.  The above 2019 Panini Prizm is what started me with picking up more Gonzo cards.  This one is numbered 348/399.  I wish he had used a better Sharpie, but it is signed, and I can't really complain.

I really love the 1997 Zenith set (top left).  I looked at picking up a box of it, and it turns out, it is a very small set.  I may pick some more up and try to get a few more signed for my album.  Top right is a 2001 Topps Heritage.  I like that 1952 design, and also a photo of Gonzalez as a Tiger.  The 2002 Stadium Club (bottom left) is the only one from that set that has made it into the album as of yet.  The photo is really nice and glossy.  I might have to look into a box of those, as well, depending on price.  Finally, the 1998 Topps Picture Perfect insert turned out well and finishes off the success.

I mailed to Gonzalez on January 6 and got the cards back on March 17, for a 71-day TAT.

TTM Success - Troy O'Leary

Here are a few cards from the late 90s/early 2000s that I was able to get signed TTM by Troy O'Leary.  He kind of used a fading Sharpie, but the cards are ok, I think.  I have a bunch of signed 1998 Topps, but I hadn't added any new ones in a while.

I was surprised that this 2002 Topps bubbled like it did.  I maybe should have prepped it, but I hadn't had to in the past.  Maybe it was the marker he used.

O'Leary (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1993 to 2003 for the Brewers, Red Sox, Expos and Cubs.  He had 1,100 hits, 127 home runs and a .274 batting average.

I mailed to O'Leary on October 23 and got the cards back on January 4, for a 73-day TAT.  I had sent him 3 cards, but the third was either lost in the mail (he didn't seal the envelope), or he kept it.

TTM Success - Damion Easley

So, this one definitely took a while.  I had forgotten about all of the cool cards that I sent TTM to Damion Easley, so when this one finally made its way back to me, I was really excited to see the cards that fell out of the envelope.

I actually robbed this 1994 Pinnacle from a set my mom had started to put together back in 1994.  She gave me the album at one point, and I saw this Easley in there when I was just about to send to him.  I'm actually glad I pulled from the set, because this card looks spectacular, and will be a really cool addition to my autograph album.  Thanks Mom!

I also got a Pacific Crown Royale signed (top, crown shaped card) which looks pretty cool.  The 1993 Flair beneath it also is very sharp.

I love the old 1994 Finest design (left).  It turned out great.  I also added a 1998 Topps because I love the dirt shot of the card.  Those are some nice shots on cards, when you get a good portion of the card taken up by the dirt.  Those have always been some of my favorites.

Easley (b. 1969) played in the majors from 1992 to 2008 for the Angels, Tigers, Devil Rays, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Mets.  He had 1,386 hits, 163 home runs and a .253 batting average.  He was an All Star in 1998, and was also a Silver Slugger Award winner that season.

I mailed to Easley on February 13, 2017 and got the cards back on October 31, 2019, for a 990-day TAT.