Craig Hodges Private Signing

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to take part in a private signing with former Chicago Bulls guard Craig Hodges. 

I may not be the biggest basketball collector, but I had the chance to get a jersey of his at a great price, so I figured this would be a good chance to get a great-looking new addition to my expanding autographed jersey collection. 

This is my first signed basketball jersey, though, and I must say, it looks great! The colors really pop as it is, with the bright red jersey, combined with the black numbers. I had him sign it in silver with a "91-92 NBA Champs" inscription to signify the two titles he won as a member of the Bulls. I like the idea of separating the inscription and number when they have a double-digit number. It just doesn't make sense to me to fill one number with ink and leave the other one blank. 

I also added a card to this signing. The 90-91 Fleer set is the first that I bought regularly in the short time I was collecting basketball cards. It's not an overly complicated design, which is good, because the signature will stand out even more. I'm not sure if I will end up pursuing a basketball set, but if I do, it will be this one.

Mark Prior Private Signing

I got a nice surprise a couple months ago, when a good friend of mine who puts together private signings with former pro athletes announced he would be doing one with former Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Prior. 

Being as big of a Cubs fan as I am, I had to take part in this one, as Prior was a huge part of am incredible starting rotation for the team in the early/mid 2000s. He came into the league as one of the most prized prospects of the time period. Unfortunately, elbow problems would derail his career, and he would never live up to the potential that he came into the league with. He did make the All-Star team in 2003, and pitched seven scoreless innings in the ill-fated Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS before things started to unravel in an epic fashion one out into the 8th. He never made it to the World Series as a plyer, but did get a championship ring in 2020 as the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While I usually don't go too overboard with these, I made an exception with Prior and went all-in. Part of it was supporting a friend's business, and part of it was just that I wanted all this stuff anyway.

The main item the I wanted was a jersey. if nothing else, I was going to get that much at least. I found a good deal on Ebay, and had him sign the second 2 with a bold silver paint pen. The signature takes up almost the entire width of the number, which is great, and really stands out. The signature can be seen well from a distance, which is what you want with something like this. I really needed a Cubs jersey to add to my jersey wall, and this is a perfect addition 

Of course, to go along with the jersey, I had to get a ball done. I thought about an inscription, but couldn't come up with a good one. Considering how much potential he had, notating just one All Star appearance, I felt, would understate how big of a deal he was at the time. I went with just the signature, which still looks great.

I also picked up a couple signed photos. There were three to pick from. I really liked a posed studio picture that was available, but I also wanted an action shot of him pitching. I couldn't decide between the two, so I got both.

Lastly, I also got a couple cards done. I really like getting the artistic, painted cards done, and there have been a few great-looking releases recently. I probably should have gotten one of his 2006 Allen & Ginter cards, but by the time I decided to get a couple cards done, there wasn't enough time to order one that I could receive, and then ship off for the signing. Still the Topps 206 and Diamond Kings cards I got done look great!

Well, that's it. I decided to stop at 6, because, you know, moderation. It's really great to add so many items of his to my collection, and here's a look at my updated jersey wall.

Private Signings for my 1989 Topps Set

While TTM has been the way to go for me in my set collecting goals, every now and then, I get an opportunity to get some cards signed from some tough-to-get signers. Of course, a lot of these instances happen through private signings. A good friend of mine put a couple together recently, that I was able to utilize for my 1989 Topps set, so I was sure to take advantage of it.

For Dave Magadan, I got my Topps card done, as well as one for my 1987 Donruss set. Also, since he spent a short time (1 season) with the Cubs, I had to also get a photo of him signed from that time period.

I also got a Topps card signed by former Mariners pitcher Mike Jackson. 

The Topps set is a long one, and one I will likely never complete, but it has so far been a fun project to work on.

Pretty Much the Coolest Bobblehead Ever

I'm not much of a bobblehead collector, at all. Of the three I had up until today, all three were acquired as a free giveaway at a baseball or a hockey game. I understand the appeal of them, but it was just never a route that I ever took in pursuing a collection. However, the fine folks at FanHQ ended up convincing me to open my wallet for a bobblehead for the first time ever. 

This past winter, they decided to immortalize, in bobblehead form, an iconic image of former Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly that depicts him using a pitching machine in the Metrodome, also while wearing Zubaz, and also while smoking a cigar. 

The image was incredibly popular for FanHQ whenever Kelly did a signing with them, as the novelty of the elements contained combined with the absurdity of it, when being looked at through the lense of 2021, drew the attention of collectors. Of course, I had to pick up an 8x10 (pictured above), but, man, the idea of such a novelty being transformed in to a bobblehead was too good to pass up.

FanHQ stared taking preorders back in December, and as soon as I could. Since it was a preorder, so I knew there would be a wait for these to first, be produced, and second, arranged for them to be signed, but sure enough, they made their way to Kelly to sign earlier this month, and made its way to my doorstep today!

What I was really impressed with here was the sheer attention to detail. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into recreating the multi-colored crazy-striped look of the Zubaz pants that were popularized in the early 90s. The giant-sized head has the typical spring-loaded, bobble, complete with cigar, plus a light, cottony material to resemble the smoke. They also recreated the pitching machine in true-to-form detail, and included movable parts, with rotating wheels. Lastly, is the addition of the "bobblehand." Not only does his head move, but his right hand holding the baseball in the air has a small spring attached to it, giving it just a little extra movement.

The nice thing about when these items are designed by fellow collectors, is not only that extra attention to detail that I mentioned, but the available space for ink. While many people enjoy getting a signed bobblehead, many of them have to be signed in a less-than-optimal spot, like my Matt Cullen that had to be signed on its back. FanHQ was smart with this one, in that they created a placard for the front with the Zubaz logo that could be reversed to a blank white surface that would prominently and boldly display a signature. Tom Kelly has a great-looking signature, and I'm happy that this was done in blue, to make it stand out even more.

Bill Mazeroski Signed Photo

To follow up to my last post, there was one more that I had, and wanted to give it a post all to itself, and here it is: a signed 8x10 of Bill Mazeroski, from TSE.

For me, as great of a game as baseball is, just on its own merits, the game is also about the moments. This one harkens back to the 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees. Mazeroski's Game 7 home run still stands as the only Game 7 Walk-Off Home Run in Major League history, and the moment was captured in this photo, signed beautifully in blue ink. Mazeroski was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, and I'm sure I'll get my hands on a signed ball soon enough, but for now, this photo will sit proudly in my collection. 

Catching Up

 In case anyone is still reading this...

I've had quite a few items over the years that I have managed to get my hands on. Once they came in, I did my due blogging diligence in scanning them, photographing them, and uploading them to a blogger post, to be completed later. Unfortunately, due to my severe procrastination, those posts never got completed.

So, in the interest of just getting those items out there, and showing off some pretty cool items, I'm just going to rapid-fire those bad boys here. Hopefully, I'll do a better job of keeping up with those in the future, but I've said that plenty of times in the past, so who knows.

I picked up this Matt Murray puck on a sale from Pittsburgh's Total Sports Enterprises a while back, and now that I finally got around to posting it, he is no longer with the team, as he was traded this past off-season, but before then, he backstopped the Penguins to Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. 

Next, is a puck, from a short-lived Penguin, Nick Bjugstad. He played for the Penguins for just two seasons, but I had to get something of his, as he's a Minnesota native, and as luck would have it, is now playing for his homestate team, after being traded to the Minnesota Wild.

I picked up this Michael Pineda baseball from a FanHQ baseball draft, full of current and former Minnesota Twins players. I ended up being randomed a lower spot in the order, but it is always nice to get a ball from a guy I don't already have. Pineda has played for the Twins since the 2018 season and is signed through the end of 2021.

As a Cubs fan, I am supposed to hate the St. Louis Cardinals and everything associated with them, but I still decided to grab two autographed photos from a sale at St. Louis area's Collectors Corner. I got the Vince Coleman because not only is he a record-setting base stealer, but the photo looks amazing signed in blue. I also got Terry Pendleton, who was the 1991 National League MVP. Both were under 10 bucks a piece, which was too good of an offer to pass up.

Lastly, is an autographed LeVeon Bell photo that I got out of a mystery envelope from TSE. I got this right after his rookie season, after a great year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, since then, he has cut ties with the Steelers, played two tears with the Jets, and is now playing in the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Well, I'm finally caught up with my backlog of autographs. There is one more, though, but that one deserves its own post.

Felipe Lopez Signed Game-Worn Jersey

In my previous post about a few private signings that I got baseballs from, I made reference to one more item that I got from Felipe Lopez. Well, here it is.

This jersey is game-worn and is from his time with the Milwaukee Brewers. He had two short stints with the team, playing 66 games for them in 2006, and finished his career with them in 2011 with 16 games. His partial season in '06 was actually pretty good, as he batted .320 with 20 doubles and 32 RBIs before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in the off-season.

There were actually a few Lopez jerseys up for sale. In addition to this one, there was also Cardinals away, Puerto Rico WBC away, and Boston Red Sox home & red, plus a Puerto Rico WBC game-used batting helmet. I'm not a huge fan of any of the teams in particular, so I simply made my decision on what I thought would look cooler. Milwaukee home it is!

Being an owner of a couple replica MLB jerseys and a couple gamers from our local independent league team, these MLB gamers are (no pun intended) in a league of their own. Right away, from the first time I picked the jersey up, I could tell a difference. It's a thicker, stronger fabric, that feels soft, but is built for durability. There is also a separate, more ventilated fabric beneath the armpits for added comfort.

Of course, the most noticeable part of an authentic jersey is the intricate patches that are the name and numbers. The Brewers have their lettering using an off-set design of blue, on top of a white border, on top of a gold backing. The letters look great, but you can really see the colors with the larger type of the jersey number. The font they use also work out perfectly in this case. The solid block in the middle of the "3" is perfect for Lopez, whose signature is as tall as it is long.

The other patches look great, too. There is a lot of intricacy in the "Brewers" script on the front of the jersey and the number on the bottom right is a nice touch. One of the other pieces that drew me to this particular jersey was the sleeve patch of their secondary logo on the left arm. Not all teams have them, so it's definitely nice to get that little extra, especially when it looks as nice as this one does.

Lastly, are the few extra element the certify this as a top-of-the-line collectible. The first is the patch on all authentic jerseys, usually toward the bottom of the front, that certifies it as authentic. That is on the gamers, as well, as store-bought jerseys. What makes this one stand out as a game-used item, is the patch on the collar reading "09 LOPEZ 48 2022." From what I can tell the "09" is from the year he wore this and the "48" is the size, but I'm not sure what the "2022" is for.

I was very happy to have this item added to my collection, as the Brewers make some great looking jerseys. Not sure if I'll be adding any more any time soon, but I will say, my curiosity has definitely been peaked.

Baseballs from a Few Private Signings

I just added a few more baseballs to my collection courtesy of my good friend Darrell, who runs a number of private signings throughout the year, at Halkman Sports.

It all started with a Roy Oswalt signing that took place last Summer. I was excited to find out that Darrell was putting together a signing with him. I grew up in the Houston area, and he was one of my favorite Astros of the 2000s. He was a big part of the Astros' run to the World Series in 2005, and was named the NLCS MVP. I sent in a 2011 Heritage card to be signed and ordered a baseball, as well. The card came back soon after the signing, but due to the confusion of different orders being submitted at different times, the ball did not arrive with it. I'm good friends with Darrel, and trust him completely, so I knew it would make it's way eventually. After a few messages back and forth, I finally got the ball in the mail to go with the card I got earlier.

It took longer then expected, but like I said, that was ok. I knew it would be on the way before too long, so I was patient. Still, Darrell felt bad for the wait, and sent me another ball to go along with it, free of charge! This one is from a signing he did last year with former Major League outfielder Jacque Jones. It is absolutely perfect for me, as I am a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and live in Minnesota, and Jones played all but one season on his MLB career with either of those two teams.

Lastly, is another throw-in from Darrell's most recent signing, with former Major League shortstop Felip Lopez. He was quite the journeyman, playing for eight different teams (including two stops in St. Louis and Milwaukee) during his 11-year career. His longest tenure with a team is three years with the Cincinnati Reds, which included his best season, when he made the 2005 All-Star Team. Of course, I had to get a ball with that inscription, which always makes it look better.

Speaking of Felipe Lopez. there is one more item of his that I have to show off. In fact, it was the item that actually sparked the initial exchange that resulted in this delivery, but that will have to wait for another day.

Phil Kessel Autographed Puck

Right alongside my Mike Lange puck is a brand new addition that I am super excited about, an autographed puck of Penguins superstar Phil Kessel from a private signing at Total Sports Enterprises.

The item was actually purchased back in May. TSE had announced that Kessel had agreed to a signing, but it all depended on the Penguins' playoff run, as to when the event would take place. Well, the Penguins went the distance, and it ended up being August before the signing happened, but I now finally have this great puck to add to my expanding Penguins puck collection.

I should probably write more about Kessel, but this video says it all:

"Phil Kessel is a Stanley Cup champion." - Barack Obama

Autograph Signing with Charlie Coyle and Marco Scandella

AME Sports recently held an autograph signing with Charlie Coyle and Marco Scandella of the Minnesota Wild. I was fortunate enough to be in the Twin Cities for the Neal Broten & Buzz Scneider signing a couple of weeks ago, but this one, I would have to sit out. Still, I never have to miss out completely, as AME is great with mail orders, so I was able to participate that way.

I have become a huge fan of Coyle from watching the Wild the last few years, and think he has the potential to become a major player in the NHL. I don't think he gets quite a lot of recognition across the league, but in the "State of Hockey," he has become a fan favorite, not only because of how good he is on the ice, but also because of how great he is with the fans.

I got two 8x10s of Coyle. One is taken from a moment during pre-game warmups a few years ago, when he waved hello to a young fan. The video of this, and the fan's reaction went viral, so I really wanted to get a photo of that moment signed. I asked fr gold ink, because I thought it would stand out better than blue or black, and it sometimes does, depending on how the light is hitting it.

I also got another 8x10 signed by Coyle, which I purchased from the AME. It really shows what I love about signed hockey photos when you see how much that blue in pops out of the photo when signed on the ice surface.

Lastly, I also got three cards signed. I had both Coyle and Scandella sign their Young Guns rookie cards, since I'm trying to accumulate as many of those and I can. I also had Scandella sign his 2010-11 Luxury Suite rookie card. I'm not collecting that set, I just thought it would look amazing when signed in blue. I was right.

That's it for this round. Between AME and FanHQ, both places have plenty of Minnesota Wild signings, so I'm sure there will be plenty more in the future.

Private Signing with Raven and Justin Credible

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to get a couple autographs of one of my all-time favorite professional wrestlers, when Past Pros and Power Trip Media hosted a signing with ECW legend Raven.

Now, I never watched ECW in its heyday, since it never aired anywhere near the Huston area, so my introduction to Raven was in WCW, when he formed The Flock with a bunch of WCW rejects. For me, I always loved his promo work. While most guys of that era where just spouting off catch phrases, Raven was way more poetic with his messages to his opponents. While his overall look would evolve over time, when I first saw him, it was the denim, flannel and leather of the '90s grunge movement, which also really appealed to me at the time. He eventually made it to the WWE, but never quite became the big name he was in the other two groups. I had him sign three cards, two WWE ones that I already had, and one WCW one that I purchased from the signing, as that was my favorite era of the Raven character.

Also signing with Raven that day was former ECW wrestler Justin Credible. Like Raven, he made it to the WWE, but his greatest accomplishments came while he was in ECW, where he was a World Heavyweight Champion and a two-time World Tag Team Champion. I had two cards of his that I sent in, but one got severely smudged. PastPros offered me a refund for that one, but the fee was only $2 a piece, which didn't really bother me enough to make a fuss over.

Being as big of a pro wrestling fan as I am, I am always surprised at how few wrestling autographs I have in my collection. Luckily, with companies like PastPros hosting so many signings, I have a great chance of adding to what I already have.

Ben Bishop Autographed Puck

Even though my Pittsburgh Penguins beat them in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, I still jumped at the chance to get my hands on an autographed puck of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop when he did a signing with St. Louis Sports Collectors a couple of months ago.

I usually like to get the Official Game Pucks signed, but the only ones they had for purchase through the mail order were the "autograph pucks." When you consider the cost of purchasing one of my own, plus shipping both ways, it's much easier to go with the one they provide at an additional cost of just $4. Plus, it still looks great, and the signature came out pretty well. Admittedly, St. Louis Sports Collectors has earned a reputation of being very slow when it comes to returning mail orders, but their prices are some of the best out there, and I'm happy to add this to my collection.

Steve Jensen Private Signing

I recently had the opportunity to get an autograph from a former Minnesota North stars player, just because of Facebook. Since I am following the Minnesota North Stars, which focuses more on remembering the legacy of Minnesota's first NHL team, I discovered an upcoming private signing with former North stars left winger Steve Jensen, who signed an 8x10 for me.

Jensen only played in 7 NHL seasons (4 with the North Stars and three with the Los Angeles Kins), but he was still able in do some amazing things. In the 1976-77 season, the North Stars became the first team in NHL history to have four rookies with 30 goals (Jensen had 22), and during the 1980-81 season, he became only the fifth American-born player to score 100 career goals. Since 1985, Jensen has owned and operated the Heartland Hockey Camp out of Deerwood, MN.

Autographed Photos of Daryle Ward & Doug Mientkiewicz

I was able to get my hands on a few mew items to my baseball collection, with these two autographed 8x10s from recent signings at Halkman Sports. 

Daryle Ward
This one was a tough one fore me. Not for deciding whether or not I wanted one, though. I knew I did, and considering the way autographs are going, Ward has an amazing signature. I was undecided on the photo. Ward spent two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, and I am a huge Chicago Cubs fan. However, I grew up in Houston, and watched Ward play for the Astros, so I was also leaning in that direction. Well, I ended up going with the Astros, the team he played his first 5 MLB seasons for, and the team I watched him play for. 

Now living in Minnesota and growing up the son of a Twins fan, I do have a certain appreciation for the team, and the players who spend some time in the "Twin Cities." Mientkiewicz was with the Twins from 1998-2004. He became a part of baseball history in 2004, when the Twins traded him to the Boston Red Sox on the way to Boston's first World Series win since 1918.

I always like to do business with Darrell, who runs Halkman Sports, and I'm sure I'll have more autographs from there before too long.

Autographed Pucks of Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang

I got these about a month ago, but I am just now getting around to posting them, despite how great they both are, and how excited I am to add them to my collection. Total Sports Enterprises hosted a private signing with two Pittsburgh Penguins superstars: goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Kris Letang.

I never get the chance to get them in person for two reasons. For one, I live in Minnesota, so any public signings in the Pittsburgh area are out of the question to attend in-person. Two, the Penguins do come to Minnesota once a year to play the Wild, and I usually go with a few other guys, but we're usually at the bar before and after the game, so no time for autograph seeking.

Anyway, I was able to place a mail order with TSE, which is the best way for me to get my hands on some great-looking Penguins autographs, and here's how they look:

Pucks are usually my first item to get signed when I get the chance, and for me, if I am laying down money for a paid signing, I'm going to get it on an official puck. Players take their time with the signatures, as opposed to a rushed IP signature, and they just look so much better on an official model.

That gives me most of the Penguins I need, although I am still waiting on Crosby to do a signing. I suppose I'll have to get Kessel, too, if he ever does one, but with the season almost over, I may just have to wait until next season.

Niklas Backstrom Autographed Puck

I got really lucky at the Modano/Ciccarelli signing, when I stopped into the FanHQ store, and was able to take advantage of an opportunity that I thought I had lost. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom was doing a private signing just weeks before, and being a little unsure of the funds I would have available due to the other signing, I hesitated and let the opportunity pass. As luck would have it, they had a few Backstrom items left over, including just one Official Game Puck signed by him.

I much prefer these to the other "autograph-style" ones that other people like, so the timing worked out perfectly. Not only that, but I only ended up spending $30 on it, which is a whole $20 cheaper than it would have been, had i ordered the puck/auto/coa/shipping at its original time.

JJ Watt Autographed Helmet

One of my favorite, and newest autographs in my collection is a helmet signed by my favorite football player, J.J. Watt. I got my hand on this through a private signing hosted by H&H Sports over the summer.

This is a full-sized helmet, and while I usually go for authentic models on most items, with football helmets, the replicas are actually much better for signing. Authentic helmets have more grooves and air holes on the top, which serve their purpose during in-game action, but the replicas have more of a classic look, with a larger surface available for the signature. Watt has a great looking signature, and even though I'm mostly a hockey guy, this piece is easily one of the cornerstones of my collection.