I'm getting back into TTM - Wow, the past couple years have been rough!

JHS5120

The last 3-4 years have been pretty busy for me but, while cleaning out one of my closets, I came across a couple of my TTM binders from a little while back. I noticed some of my favorite players to write to; Bobby Thomson, Duke Snider, Sparky Anderson, George Kell, Hank Bauer, Ralph Houk, Robin Roberts and Bob Feller have all passed since I left TTM. I feel a bit of regret not writing to these greats one last time but, now that I am getting back into it, I can't help but wonder, now what? Obviously there are plenty of athletes to write to but I truly feel that these players were some of our hobby's greatest TTM signers. Now, if you want an autograph from a former great you need to pay a steeper and steeper fee. 5 years ago I would gladly write a $5.00 check to the Mary Ann Kaat Fund but today it is $25 to "Thrill of Victory". Now, I 110% understand why these players are charging fees and I will gladly pay $25 to Jim Kaat even though probably less than $10 of it goes to his wife's charity but have we reached the end of an era? I know that there are still great players to write to but how long until they pass? or how long until they send us back our card with a price schedule? I am just getting back into TTM after a 4 year hiatus and I am shocked to see what has changed in such a short period of time. I do not mind paying money for these autographs but I hate to see what this has become.

^^^ That was my rant. I hope you enjoyed it

So, I renewed my sportscollector.net membership, bought some stamps, I got my envelopes and I plan to hit the ground running! I need to do a bit of digging to find out who still signs and who doesn't (suggestions?). I think I will send out a few cards to individual players before I try to tackle some of my countless unfinished projects but I am pretty optimistic, despite my previous rant.

Now that I am back I am looking around to find some of the projects that I never quite finished.

I started a 1975 set TTM that has about 170 of 660 signed which I will try to work on (even though it will never be finished).

I found this photo in one of the binders and I think that this would be a great starting point.

mrpeanut39

Ahh. The Thad Tillotson, Horace Clarke and Jake Gibbs years.