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More Autograph Stalking Tales, This one from the self proclaimed "SI KING"
metrotheme
Posts: 548
An interesting email that I just received which made me just laugh at this guy's tactics to acquire a retired Dallas Cowboys cheerleader's autograph who appeared on an SI cover. Peep game. Listen to the depths this guy will go to get an autograph, including getting someone's SSN.
Hello All,
I apologize in advance for the length of this email... but will be well worth it and a nice read.
I have a very very very rare opportunity to toss you all tonight.
The last time I felt like this was when I scored big with 92 year old Betty DiBugnano.
I felt like this when I was in contact with Bobby Fischers right hand man (before Fischer unfortunately died.)
I have an offer that the DIE HARD SIGNED SI COLLECTOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REFUSE!!!
(At least I think you wont) LOL
I'll hit you with the cover subject first, then I will tell you about the agonizing pain I have gone through in trying to obtain this incredibly rare signature. On July 2, 2001, SI put out a cover called "Where are they Now" and it featured 5 of the Original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. See the image below.
Football, Dallas Cowboys
In my quest to try to get every last cover of SI signed since 1954... I figured this would be an easy one.
4 of the 5 girls signed my covers that I sent to them. It wasn't easy finding them, but I did with some hard work. The 5th and final girl has been the biggest pain in my ass for 8 years.
I am trying very hard right now to crack the barrier and I might have a way to get her to sign. But it means dropping 1000 on her to do it and will be done under some deceptive means. Nothing illegal, just a little slight of hand in trying to get her through a third party.
ROSY HALL... is the good looking blonde in the lower right corner of the cover.
She has rejected me 12 times over the years. All letters have gone unanswered.
All phone calls to her family have gone unreturned. Even 2 in person visits to her homes have resulted in agonizing defeats and a ton of money spent trying to track her down already. This just kills me. I hate to lose.
From all of the research I've done. Through calling family and friends of hers. From contacting former landlords of hers and from paying 2 visits to her property and town's she's moved into... by all accounts she is a hermit. She could be a little schizophrenic or could have some type of disability that doesn't allow her to function with strangers or requests properly...
I have been trying to complete this cover for 8 years and I will fight till the death to get it done for me and for you if you want this added to your collections.
I first flew to Texas to locate her 3 years ago when I went to see Rocket Ismail for a signing.
I spent 2 hours in the car driving to the home where she lived in a rented cottage on a large property. It ended up being her sisters property. I arrived at night to possibly do a sneak attack hoping to catch the family at home. Unfortunately after 30 minutes of haggling and explaining my historic collection, I was told by her sister that she had recently moved "south of here". I originally thought she was lying, but she had no reason to. Turns out, her sister allowed me to call back an hour later and she'd call Rosy for me and see if she'd be open to meeting me to sign my prized covers. She completely rejected the idea of meeting me and signing for me having her sister tell me that she is no longer interested in any type of fame or notoriety. She wants to be left alone and asked that I not contact her again. If any of you know me... that just add's fuel to the fire and makes me try harder.
I waited 6 months and had 2 very special friends of mine help me locate her and get a current address.
I ran her social security number and found her again... about 2 hours south of where her last address was with her sister. I even had one special friend attempt a visit to one address we found, but it turned out to be a different Rosy Hall (with a different SS #).
After another few months went by, I tried a heart tugging letter. Explaining who I am... what I do for a living... mentioned my wife and kids and sent a picture to make it personal. Explained I will buy her whatever she likes... gifts, books, flowers... whatever... never heard back.
Another year and a half goes by and my friend Sam and I went to Houston for the Steve Slaton signing and a massive house call run. We clobbered some great signatures on the way and had some fun stories to tell.
What we didn't tell you was that we took a 4 hour ride North of Houston to visit the new address we had for Rosy Hall. It's about a 10-12 acre parcel of land with a 1/4 mile long driveway and a fenced off gate where you can't even see the home from the street.
I ran aerial images on Google Maps and saw this giant piece of property had a home on top of a hill, but it was covered in trees and brush where it was not visible from the street. I was warned by a good friend who works for the Government not trespass onto people's property in Texas... because the rules are different down there. They can shoot to kill and I wanted no part of that on someone else's land. I know I am harmless, but maybe they don't.
We waited a few hours by her home and saw no movement. Even through binoculars... I saw nothing.
We drove around this complete ghost town as well... found a church and attempted a few discussions before coming across a bit of an eccentric woman riding her bicycle in a tie die T Shirt with her dog in tow.
We spoke with her for a short time and she explained how she knew Rosy for 20+ years. She knew the family and thought she could possibly help us. We followed her back to her art studio and then to her home and she tried making a few calls. No one answered at her friends home and Rosy didn't pick up either. She explained Rosy rarely goes out and never picks up her phone. She is "on" some days but most days she is "off". This information leads me to believe she is on medication for something and not all that with it.
We struck out in the end... waiting a little while longer for some movement.
I left 12 of my covers with this woman hoping she'd help find Rosy and get her to sign them, but 4 months later they were returned without her signature. She felt odd doing this favor for me as time ran on and simply returned my covers to me.
Another 1 1/2 years have gone by and I get a great idea... My buddy Joe (former collector from NJ) is now living the Dallas lifestyle and working with past and present Dallas Cowboys. His passion.
He's putting on a giant autograph and memorabilia show this weekend in Dallas to commemorate their new stadium. I thought to myself... let me write to Rosy again... but this time, I will write as if I was my friend Joe, and I will invite her to be a paid VIP celebrity guest to sign autographs at the show. I offered her a few dollars to attend and see if she'd go for it. SHE DID!!! She called and emailed my buddy Joe (who's number I included in my letter to her.) I also included his flier for the show so she knew it was a legit opportunity and event. Unfortunately, she didn't leave a cell or phone number so Joe couldn't call her back on my behalf to set up the signing and appearance. In her email to Joe.. .she did shake me down for a $1000 cash in advance payment... which I will easily agree to. She said she would show up for 2 hours... but again... we are talking about THIS WEEKEND and I have no time to get hold of her and set it up.
SO... I set up a new AOL account and new screen name... just to make believe I WAS JOE and try to contact her again via email. I offered to do a private signing with her. I offered her 1000 for 15 minutes of her time to sign for me and all of you. Then I offered more money for another public appearance down the road. That's to be seen if it even happens. My ultimate goal is to get her to agree to do a private signing first, then I can go down to Texas with all of our covers... get them signed and be done with her.
While down there... I can also try to make some house calls to the other former cheerleaders... if I have all of your covers, I will try to get the other girls as well for the rest of you.
The BIGGEST ONE THOUGH IS ROSY HALL. All the other girls will be a piece of cake compared to getting Rosy. She is an impossible signature. I am working very very hard right now to try to make this happen.
The reason for this email tonight is to take a pulse for interest.
I need to know how many of you would like to get this signature in your collections.
I need to know if it will be worth my time and money to travel to Texas a 3rd time to get this done.
This will run me about 1700 bucks. 1000 for her and 700 for airfare, hotel, car rental, gas and food.
My time means nothing on this one if I can get this done.
If I can get 20 commitments, I can keep this at 75 each. If I get 30 covers, I can get it down to 55 per signature. It all depends on how many of you want this one.
If I get this done... I'll even make the house calls to the other women and keep that at a lousy 10 per signature just to pay for a tank of gas. 3 of the women are housewives and 1 is a flight attendant. It will be hit or miss but I'll spend 2 days tracking them down for you all.
PLEASE SEND ME AN IMMEDIATE REPLY.
Please let me know how many signatures you will want.
If I can communicate with Rosy over the next few days or week, I will let you know with an immediate email and ask you to fire up your SI's to me as fast as you can via priority mail. I'd need them pretty fast in case I fly right down to get her while I know she is home.
this is a real rare one... I've only said that once in 15 years (1955 cover Betty DiBugnano being the other)
I get an incredible charge at finding the odd ball cover subjects and I will do everything I can to get this done.
Please let me know ASAP so I can start my list of commitments.
Thanks a ton... hope you enjoyed the story and I look forward to rackin for ya and adding this to our collections.
Hello All,
I apologize in advance for the length of this email... but will be well worth it and a nice read.
I have a very very very rare opportunity to toss you all tonight.
The last time I felt like this was when I scored big with 92 year old Betty DiBugnano.
I felt like this when I was in contact with Bobby Fischers right hand man (before Fischer unfortunately died.)
I have an offer that the DIE HARD SIGNED SI COLLECTOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REFUSE!!!
(At least I think you wont) LOL
I'll hit you with the cover subject first, then I will tell you about the agonizing pain I have gone through in trying to obtain this incredibly rare signature. On July 2, 2001, SI put out a cover called "Where are they Now" and it featured 5 of the Original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. See the image below.
Football, Dallas Cowboys
In my quest to try to get every last cover of SI signed since 1954... I figured this would be an easy one.
4 of the 5 girls signed my covers that I sent to them. It wasn't easy finding them, but I did with some hard work. The 5th and final girl has been the biggest pain in my ass for 8 years.
I am trying very hard right now to crack the barrier and I might have a way to get her to sign. But it means dropping 1000 on her to do it and will be done under some deceptive means. Nothing illegal, just a little slight of hand in trying to get her through a third party.
ROSY HALL... is the good looking blonde in the lower right corner of the cover.
She has rejected me 12 times over the years. All letters have gone unanswered.
All phone calls to her family have gone unreturned. Even 2 in person visits to her homes have resulted in agonizing defeats and a ton of money spent trying to track her down already. This just kills me. I hate to lose.
From all of the research I've done. Through calling family and friends of hers. From contacting former landlords of hers and from paying 2 visits to her property and town's she's moved into... by all accounts she is a hermit. She could be a little schizophrenic or could have some type of disability that doesn't allow her to function with strangers or requests properly...
I have been trying to complete this cover for 8 years and I will fight till the death to get it done for me and for you if you want this added to your collections.
I first flew to Texas to locate her 3 years ago when I went to see Rocket Ismail for a signing.
I spent 2 hours in the car driving to the home where she lived in a rented cottage on a large property. It ended up being her sisters property. I arrived at night to possibly do a sneak attack hoping to catch the family at home. Unfortunately after 30 minutes of haggling and explaining my historic collection, I was told by her sister that she had recently moved "south of here". I originally thought she was lying, but she had no reason to. Turns out, her sister allowed me to call back an hour later and she'd call Rosy for me and see if she'd be open to meeting me to sign my prized covers. She completely rejected the idea of meeting me and signing for me having her sister tell me that she is no longer interested in any type of fame or notoriety. She wants to be left alone and asked that I not contact her again. If any of you know me... that just add's fuel to the fire and makes me try harder.
I waited 6 months and had 2 very special friends of mine help me locate her and get a current address.
I ran her social security number and found her again... about 2 hours south of where her last address was with her sister. I even had one special friend attempt a visit to one address we found, but it turned out to be a different Rosy Hall (with a different SS #).
After another few months went by, I tried a heart tugging letter. Explaining who I am... what I do for a living... mentioned my wife and kids and sent a picture to make it personal. Explained I will buy her whatever she likes... gifts, books, flowers... whatever... never heard back.
Another year and a half goes by and my friend Sam and I went to Houston for the Steve Slaton signing and a massive house call run. We clobbered some great signatures on the way and had some fun stories to tell.
What we didn't tell you was that we took a 4 hour ride North of Houston to visit the new address we had for Rosy Hall. It's about a 10-12 acre parcel of land with a 1/4 mile long driveway and a fenced off gate where you can't even see the home from the street.
I ran aerial images on Google Maps and saw this giant piece of property had a home on top of a hill, but it was covered in trees and brush where it was not visible from the street. I was warned by a good friend who works for the Government not trespass onto people's property in Texas... because the rules are different down there. They can shoot to kill and I wanted no part of that on someone else's land. I know I am harmless, but maybe they don't.
We waited a few hours by her home and saw no movement. Even through binoculars... I saw nothing.
We drove around this complete ghost town as well... found a church and attempted a few discussions before coming across a bit of an eccentric woman riding her bicycle in a tie die T Shirt with her dog in tow.
We spoke with her for a short time and she explained how she knew Rosy for 20+ years. She knew the family and thought she could possibly help us. We followed her back to her art studio and then to her home and she tried making a few calls. No one answered at her friends home and Rosy didn't pick up either. She explained Rosy rarely goes out and never picks up her phone. She is "on" some days but most days she is "off". This information leads me to believe she is on medication for something and not all that with it.
We struck out in the end... waiting a little while longer for some movement.
I left 12 of my covers with this woman hoping she'd help find Rosy and get her to sign them, but 4 months later they were returned without her signature. She felt odd doing this favor for me as time ran on and simply returned my covers to me.
Another 1 1/2 years have gone by and I get a great idea... My buddy Joe (former collector from NJ) is now living the Dallas lifestyle and working with past and present Dallas Cowboys. His passion.
He's putting on a giant autograph and memorabilia show this weekend in Dallas to commemorate their new stadium. I thought to myself... let me write to Rosy again... but this time, I will write as if I was my friend Joe, and I will invite her to be a paid VIP celebrity guest to sign autographs at the show. I offered her a few dollars to attend and see if she'd go for it. SHE DID!!! She called and emailed my buddy Joe (who's number I included in my letter to her.) I also included his flier for the show so she knew it was a legit opportunity and event. Unfortunately, she didn't leave a cell or phone number so Joe couldn't call her back on my behalf to set up the signing and appearance. In her email to Joe.. .she did shake me down for a $1000 cash in advance payment... which I will easily agree to. She said she would show up for 2 hours... but again... we are talking about THIS WEEKEND and I have no time to get hold of her and set it up.
SO... I set up a new AOL account and new screen name... just to make believe I WAS JOE and try to contact her again via email. I offered to do a private signing with her. I offered her 1000 for 15 minutes of her time to sign for me and all of you. Then I offered more money for another public appearance down the road. That's to be seen if it even happens. My ultimate goal is to get her to agree to do a private signing first, then I can go down to Texas with all of our covers... get them signed and be done with her.
While down there... I can also try to make some house calls to the other former cheerleaders... if I have all of your covers, I will try to get the other girls as well for the rest of you.
The BIGGEST ONE THOUGH IS ROSY HALL. All the other girls will be a piece of cake compared to getting Rosy. She is an impossible signature. I am working very very hard right now to try to make this happen.
The reason for this email tonight is to take a pulse for interest.
I need to know how many of you would like to get this signature in your collections.
I need to know if it will be worth my time and money to travel to Texas a 3rd time to get this done.
This will run me about 1700 bucks. 1000 for her and 700 for airfare, hotel, car rental, gas and food.
My time means nothing on this one if I can get this done.
If I can get 20 commitments, I can keep this at 75 each. If I get 30 covers, I can get it down to 55 per signature. It all depends on how many of you want this one.
If I get this done... I'll even make the house calls to the other women and keep that at a lousy 10 per signature just to pay for a tank of gas. 3 of the women are housewives and 1 is a flight attendant. It will be hit or miss but I'll spend 2 days tracking them down for you all.
PLEASE SEND ME AN IMMEDIATE REPLY.
Please let me know how many signatures you will want.
If I can communicate with Rosy over the next few days or week, I will let you know with an immediate email and ask you to fire up your SI's to me as fast as you can via priority mail. I'd need them pretty fast in case I fly right down to get her while I know she is home.
this is a real rare one... I've only said that once in 15 years (1955 cover Betty DiBugnano being the other)
I get an incredible charge at finding the odd ball cover subjects and I will do everything I can to get this done.
Please let me know ASAP so I can start my list of commitments.
Thanks a ton... hope you enjoyed the story and I look forward to rackin for ya and adding this to our collections.
0
Comments
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.