From the Collection: Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Griffey…

A1AF02:  08 Topps Co-Signers Cust, Ellis:  I know why I bought this card.  Cust and Ellis were, and still are, some of my favorite players to put on an Oakland uniform.  And a care that has both their signatures really is too cool.  That said, stickers.  Why?!  Not only stickers, but the ugly silver stickers.  These work on one set:  Bowman Sterling, and even then I am not happy about it.  It’s a real shame that there will be an entire generation of players who never have a proper, on card autograph.  

A1AF09: 01 Fleer Greats of the Game Frank Robinson:  One of the great autograph sets of all time.  The only thing I would change is that I wish the graphs where in blue, not black.  But what can you do.  At least they are not on a stupid sticker.

A1AF07: Hank Aaron / A1AF08 Rocky Colavito:  The Aaron was acquired from a Private signing.  It is about as nice an AAron was you are going to find, though for what it cost me it had better be.  It looks like the “A” in Aaron is streaked or fading, but that is not the case–his pen just streaked a little.  I am a condition freak, and it does not bother me.  Sharpies are funny like that.  The Colavito was acquired via a Charity in 2012…and I even got a nice note from him.  He is on the short list of players that I would like to meet someday, though that will probably never happen.

 A1AF05: 08 Upper Deck Chirography CD-PE Brandon Phillips/Edward Encarnacion: I have always though of Encarnacion as one of those Milton Brandley type guys, who have all the talent in the world but an attitude that wont let them succeed.  Encarnacion in like Phillips though, in that once the old team gave up on his lack of production and poor attitude, the acquiring team got a steal.  With the Reds Encarnacion was streaky, showing power potential but never really putting it together.  He hit 26 HR is 2008, but normally was more of a 10-15 guy.  Then we was sent to the Blue Jays, and in 2012 would hit 42 HR.  That is crazy.  And his BB/K ration was great–84/94.  All while playing the hot corner.

A1AF05: 05 Upper Deck Signature HR HR-RG Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr:  This might be the most attractive autograph in my collection.  I really like the Reds theme.  I only have a couple Griffey autographs in my collection, and this is easily my favorite.  I remember that I got it for a really good price, less the $50.

A1AF01: David Zastudil:  I dont really have many punters in my collection.  I got this from a private signing in Cleveland back in 2007, when the Browns actually looked like they might have had the makings of a good team.  That would not come to pass.  Zastudil is still a heck of a punter though, on the roster with the Arizona Cardinals.

 

From the Collection: Cliff Lee, Stan the Man and Reggie Jackson…

A1AE05: Stan The Man / A1AE06: Jeff Kent

Stan Musial and Jeff Kent.  Both great players, but I was more excited to get Kent since he is an ex-Indian and a really good player.  Would have been neat to see what would have happened if the Indians kept him around.

A1AE09: Eckersley / A1AE10: John Lackey

Dennis Eckersley and John Lackey.  I have been a big Lackey fan since he was in AAA.  I got this Lackey through the mail right around the time that he joined Boston.  It took almost three years to find its way back.

A1AE03: Omar Vizquel/ A1AE04: Cliff Lee

Omar and Cliff Lee.  Omar was suppose to write all that on the 3×5 sized Sweet Spot card, but the promoter I was working through made a mistake.  The Cliff Lee was not a huge deal when I got TTM since he was about the get sent to AAA for sucking…but a year later he would win the Cy Young.

A1AE01: Utley / A1AE02: Santana

Chase Utley and Carlos Santana.  The Santana was TTM, and about a nice an autograph from him as you are ever going to get.

A1AE07: Rollie Fingers/ A1AE08: Reggie Jackson

Rollie Finger and Reggie Jackson.

 

From the Collection: Andre Thornton

A1AD05: Andre Thornton

Andre Thornton:  Via TTM.  Thorton is one of the greatest Indians, but his personal tragedies and mishandling at the hands of the Cleveland organization also was a pretty good representation of the Indians organization as a whole for most of the second half of the century.

One of my favorite facts about Thornton:  Andre was drafted by the Phillies in 1967, but then traded to the Braves in 1972.  The Braves traded him in 1976 to the Expos, and then later that season was traded to the Indians.  For a guy who was one of the best power hitters in the league in the late 70′s, it took him some time to get there.

I have gotten his autograph twice over the years.  I always include a donation, since he is still active in the Cleveland area with a bunch of Charities.  Anyone who is willing to stay in Cleveland–especially after all those years playing with the Indians–I have to be a fan of.

From the Collection: Feller, Carbo, Berra and Perry

 

A1AD0: Bob Feller / A1AD02 Bernie Carbo

Bob Feller: I sent this to him about three years before he died.  I sent double the normal donation hoping he would add “USS Alabama”, but he did not.  That was something he did for other people. so I am not sure why I was not able to get it.  Don’t really care…I am just happy to have gotten him.

Bernie Carbo: Fun fact about Carbo:  he would be a  hairdresser after he retired from the game.  I wrote to him after reading about his 1970 season:  21 HR, 94 walks to 77 K’s with a .310 AVG and .454 OBP.  I am not really sure how Carl Morton beat him that season for the NL ROY.

A1AD03: Yogi Berra / A1AD04 Jim Perry

Jim Perry:  Got this TTM.  I cannot remember if I sent a donation…it was a few years ago, so I might not have.  Nice of him to add the inscription.  I actually met him once at a golfing event, but all I had him sign was a cheap Rawlings official league ball.  I was not always such a smooth collector as I am now…

Yogi Berra:  Got this for a $20 donation.  The only Berra in my collection.

From the Collection: Section A1AC

• A1AC01: Ubaldo Jimenez – This was a TTM return while he was with the Rockies.  I knew trading for him was a bad idea…I am still not sure if I am right, but it is not looking good.  Though, the guys that we got rid of are not really lighting the word on fire.
• A1AC02: Josh Johnson, P – From a private signing.  Small smudge.  Still looks nice, I think.

• A1AC09: Ron Santo – Via TTM.  I got this in 2009, a year before he died.
• A1AC10: Wade Boggs – I was really excited to get this in the mail.  I wrote to him, and even though had a low return rate I got lucky.  He signed the back, which is a bummer.  Now he is a great signing TTM with a small donation.

• A1AC03:  Frank Robinson - From a private signing.  I must have written to him a dozen times before I finally gave up and paid for a autograph through a show.
• A1AC04:  Al Kaline - Via TTM.

• A1AC05:  Robin Yount - Via TTM.  Not a great looking autograph, but I was still really excited to get a player that I was a fan of when I was younger.
• A1AC06:  George Brett - I wrote to him a couple times over the years and never got anything.  I heard that if you sent a donation to his sporting goods store you might have a chance, so I sent this card and a $50 check.  It took 9 months, but this is what I got.  I will take it.  He is not a nice guy.  I met him once:  he never spoke, spilled beer on me, and signed a ball on the side panel…in sharpie.

 

• A1AC07:  Ernie Banks - I sent this just before Banks started charging big bucks…this is what I got back.  I will take it.
• A1AC08:  Shin Soo-Choo - Got this IP after standing in the rain for 5 hours.  Totally worth standing in the rain for.

My Collection: Section A1AB

• A1AB02:  Max Alvis – Two time All Star (1965, 1967).  Stuck out too much, did not get on base all that well…but was excellent defense.  Manned the hot corner in Cleveland for almost the whole 1960′s.  Got this TTM.
• A1AB04:  Whitey Ford.  This was the first autograph that I ever sent to a player with a payment to get.  It was pretty exciting, and a turning point in my collection.  After that I spent a lot more time paying attention to private signings and who took donations.

 

 

• A1AB05:  Curt Simmons.  Via TTM.  I am not a big fan of the Phillies of new…but any Phillies player before 1970 is OK with me.
• A1AB06:  Carlton Fisk:  Via TTM.  This was a really nice return…one that I was not expecting.

 

• A1AB07:  Joey Votto – Got this while he was in the minor leagues.  Probably one of my favorite pieces in my collection.
• A1AB08:  Eddie Murrray – I really only knew him as the old guy who was the Indians DH from 1994-1996, but he had a great career.  This was from a private signing.

• A1AB09:  Frank Thomas –  He and Griffey were the center of the collectors universe for most of the 90′s.  He was one of the games more dangerous hitters, and maybe of one the more underrated hitters to ever play the game.  Not quite as good as Pujols while in his prime, but close.  From a signing.
• A1AB10:  Roberto Alomar – I was so excited when he and Omar anchored the Indians IF in the late 90′s.  From a signing.

 

• A1AB01 – Robin Roberts: TTM, with a donation.
• A1AB02 – Ken Griffey Jr – I am not the worlds biggest Junior fan.  Personally I think that he deserved in the HOF, but I still think that he was a lazy player who could have been way more than what he was.  Loved when he came back to the Reds.  From a short notice private signing…a guy knew a guy on one of the boards I am on.

My Collection: Section A1AA or 09 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts are the coolest thing ever

A couple years ago I started cataloging my collection.  It has taken way long, and more work, than I thought that it would.  But, I am happy to say, it has been every bit as satisfying as I thought that it would be when I started out.

Cataloging a collection of this size is not really easy, because you have two main challenges   one, you have to find a system that actually works for the collection that you have; and two, you have to be able to continue to expand that system as the collection grows.  You have to keep in mind that very quickly you will be past the point of no return, and the system that you have is the system you keep (unless you want to undue days or work).

My system is simple, and I am pretty proud of it:  it is based on storage boxes.

I will try to explain this without getting too confusing.

The bulk of my collection fits into one of three box sizes:

• Regular signed trading cards/sweet spot cards fit into three row “shoe boxes”, or card boxes.  Each of these boxes hold 400-600 cards (depending on the card case.
• Index cards/psotcards and anything like that fix inside postcard boxes.  These boxes hold about 200 items.
• Photo boxes.  They sell these at WalMart.  They looks like fancy little shoe (like on your foot) show boxes.  These are good for odd sized items.
• box.  A box is a box.  For balls, posters, letters, ect.

OK, now the confusing part.  

See, I can’t really alphabeticalize things since it would takes years just to organize, and would make expansion a bitch.  So, instead, I just took each box and gave it a letter and number.  So.

• Three row shoe boxes are “A”.  So, I have box “A1″. “A2″, “A3″ and so on.
• Index cards are “B”
• Photo boxes. “C”
• Boxes are “D”.

Now for the “A” and “B” boxes I decided to divide up the cards inside into sections, that way if at some point I need to transfer cards it would be easier, and also lets me expand and organize things.  So.

• In box “A1″ I have sections “AA”, “AB”, “AC”, “AD”.  Why “AA” and not just “A”, “B”, “C”?  Because most boxes have more than 26 sections, and I needed a way to wrap around.  So I would go from “AY”, “AZ” to “BA”, “BB”.  Make sense?
• Each of those sections have anywhere from 20 to 50 cards.  So…
• “AA01″, “AA02″. “AA03″ and so on.  Finally…
• Each card has it’s code written on there.  ”A1AA01″, “A1AA02″, “A1AA03″ and so on…
• So card “A3AG24″ would be in box three, section AG, card 24.

I only did this for a “A” and “B” boxes.  The others don’t hold enough items to warrant such a huge breakdown. 

Trust me, this is way easier than it sounds.

———

A1AA01: Brooks Robinson / A1AA02 Ernie Banks SS Card

• Both of these cards from a private signing.  I always regret not getting Banks while he was still relatively cheap.

A1AA03: Carlos Santana 2009 Bowman Chrome Auto

• I paid like 10 bucks for this card.  I should have bought 5 more.  Great card, great player.

A1AA06: 09 UD SP Legendary Cuts Beckett/Gibson auto

• From one of my favorite insert sets.  Neither guy is very nice in real life, and they both a bulldogs on the mound.  What a cool card.  I think I paid something like $50 bucks for it.

A1AA05: 09 UD SP Legendary Cuts Gwynn 02/25

• Another 09 UD SP.  They could put this set out every year with no design changes and I would buy it.  I remember Sniping this for less than $20.  Not bad for one of the games greatest hitters ever.

A1AA04: Josh Cribbs SS Card

• The only current Cleveland Brown that I every got TTM.  I remember getting this the weekend after he signed his new contract with Cleveland…I think that was 2009 or 2010.  Cribbs was just about the only thing the Browns had going there for a while.  Very exciting guy, especially on returns.

A1AA07: Curt Schilling / A1AA08: WIll Clark / A1AA09: Posey / A1AA10: Saberhagen

•    This is a nice little group.  The Saberhagen was through a donation, and the Posey was while he was playing here in Hawaii.  The Will Clark was straight TTM–what a great autograph–and the Schilling was from a private signing.  For the record:  I don’t like Schilling.  I thought that his sock was a PR stunt, and I don’t think he deserves to be in the HOF.  I can’t say I would still feel that way if he only every played from teams like the Phillies and D-Backs.