Welcome to my blog!!!

I have collected baseball cards and autographs over the years. I still have boxes full of cards (as well as newer cards) that are just sitting there. So, I have decided to see how many of them I can get autographed. I use through the mail as my preferred route for this adventure. I also have an account on Zistle and The Trading Card Database for trading purposes (stevienicks77).



Monday, March 28, 2011

No mail for a week!

Its been a week since I got any mail. :( However, today I am getting more cards ready to send out since opening day is right around the corner!!

Here is a list of players I'm still waiting on from the beginning of 2011 until today:
Jason Isringhausen /Bobby Bonilla
Scott Podsednik /Steve Balboni
Omir Sanos /John Olerud
Tony Pena Jr /Tom Herr
Tony LaRussa / Charlie Hough
Ian Kinsler/ Mackey Sasser
Greg Dobbs / Mike Mussina
Jeff Francis /Whitey Herzog
Wilfredo Ledezma / Phil Stephenson
Joe Thruston /Oddibe McDowell
Buddy Carlyle/ Dontrelle Willis
Jeremy Reed / Adam LaRoche

Felix Wright (NFL)
Pat Swilling (NFL)
Andre Reed (NFL - second try)
Pat Leahy (NFL)

Monday, March 21, 2011

1st personalized autograph!

WOW! My first personalized autograph from the wonderful Jim McMahon!!! I wished I would have found a Bears card for him to sign!


Jim McMahon
signed 1/1
Sent c/o Home address
21 days

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Former Husker in the mail!

Super excited to see today's mail! It had been awhile since I had gotten some TTM autographs! Former Nebraska Cornhusker Mike Rozier sent me an autograph today!! I also found a new address for Andre Reed (Buffalo Bills), so I will try a second time to get his card signed.

Mike Rozier
signed 1/1
Sent c/o Home address
8 days

Friday, March 18, 2011

No mail :(

No mail for 3 days. BOO!! Although, I have decided what players I'm going to send to once the season starts, including Mr. Pat Neshek!!! Here's the link to his awesome website!!!

http://www.eteamz.com/PatNeshek/

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Paul Noce in the mail, and another RTS

Another former Cub, Paul Noce, in the mail on Saturday. Yes! On the flip side, I got a treturn to sender from Dave Dravecky. I think I will try him again, through his foundation.

Dave Dravecky
signed 0/2
Sent c/o home address
5 days


Paul Noce
signed 1/1
Sent c/o Home address
17 days

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Return to sender, and a smudge

Well, I got my first return to sender from Andre Reed, formally of the Buffalo Bills. Oh well, Can't win them all! I also received Bill Swift today, however, the Donruss has a smudge on it.

Andre Reed
signed 0/2 (return to sender)
Sent c/o Home address
10 days


Bill Swift
signed 2/2
Sent c/o Home Address
10 days

More mail!!!

I've been working the last couple of days, so I haven't had the chance to scan the mail I've received. I got one each day! Its nice to come home to something fun in the mail; bills are no fun. I got my first NFL home TTM autograph, courtesy of Karl Mecklenburg. He also included a personal note, to check out his book, Heart of a Student Athlete. I have included links below to the website and also to the Facebook page. Check it out!!

Karl Mecklenburg
signed 1/1
c/o Home address
7 days


http://www.studentathlete.us/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/HeartofaStudentAthlete

Andy LaRoche
signed 1/1
c/o Oakland A's ST
9 days


Rick Cerone
signed 1/2
c/o Home address
8 days

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Vance Law in the mail!!!

Vance Law received in the mail yesterday!! Thanks!!! I love collecting Cub autographs!!

Vance Law
signed 3/3
c/o Home address
10 days

Saturday, March 5, 2011

How I prep my cards for autographing

I have read many posts and articles on the internet on how to prep cards for autographing. If your having older cards signed, there is no prep involved because they have no gloss on them. However, any card that you would buy today, they all pretty much have gloss on them, and they are hard to autograph or smear (see Dante Bichette cards under TTM augographs 1996-2006). So, with all this being said, here is how I prep my cards for autographing:

1. Take an large eraser and go over whole card.
2. Place baby power on card. Using a cloth, rub baby powder all over card.
3. Using dry erase board eraser, rub over card.

Using this technique, I have been able to get high glossy cards ready to be autographed without smearing. See the Mark Buehrle and Kyle Phillips cards from First Autographs from Spring Training TTM. These cards were very glossy (esp. the Kyle Phillips Upper Deck), but when I got them back, they look great! No smears!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

First autographs from spring training TTM!!!

This is the first time I have ever sent cards to spring training sites to get autographs. Thank you Mark Buehrle and Kyle Phillips!!

Mark Buehrle
signed 1/1
c/o Chicago White Sox ST
9 days




Kyle Phillips
signed 1/1
c/o San Diego Padres ST
9 days

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

FIrst sent to home success!!

This was the first time I have tried to send an autograph to a former player's home, and Frank Tanana came through!!! Thanks!!! He also included a pre-printed autographed personal testimony card!

Frank Tanana
signed 3/3
c/o Home address
7 days