New Blog, and a Look at My Autographed Bobby Hull Jersey

Hey everyone. After blogging for over three years at my card-collecting blog, Cardboard Conundrum, I wanted to create this off-shoot to focus more on the other part of my collection. While I do love card-collecting itself, I am also a big fan o fin-person autographs, wether on balls, pucks equipment, or even cards.

This blog will focus solely on those in-person encounters, along with a few through-the-mail successes, and any other part of collecting that can't be pulled out of a pack of cards.

I'm big on organization and collation, as the large number of Photobucket links on Cardboard Conundrum have shown readers of that blog, and I will try and do the same here, so be patient while construction is being completed.

Anyway, to kick things off, I will share the story of acquiring my favorite (so far) in-person autograph. As you can see from the background that I am currently using, I have a beautiful Bobby Hull autographed jersey that is proudly displayed in my home office/man cave. Here's the story of me meeting Hull and getting the jersey signed.

I was living in Houston, TX in the mid-'90s, and every year, Tri-Star Sports has a major card show downtown. Being in Houston, the hockey-related autograph guests are rare, but one particular year, they brought Bobby Hull to town. As it turns out, I already had a Hull replica jersey that I was wearing on a fairly regular basis, so I saw my chance to get it signed and add a really cool item to my collection. Since I was too young to drive at the time, my dad took me, and told me all about Hull and other Blackhawks like Stan Mikita, Keith Magnuson, and Tony Esposito, and how they never seemed to be able to beat "those damn Canadiens" in the finals, and told me that when I get up there, to tell Hull how it broke his heart that they always kept losing to the Canadiens.

So, I get in line and get closer to the front, and realize that this is one big dude. Big guy, big booming voice, and I'm just a 15-year-old kid. My turn comes up next, I say hi, hand him the jersey, and since I'm not sure if he is aware of the importance of symmetry in autograph placement, and what collector's like myself look for, I ask him if he can sign his name on the middle bar of the "9." He doesn't say anything, and begins to sign his name on the TOP of the "9." I'm a little disappointed that I won't get my jersey signed quite the way I want it, but THEN, he goes to the middle of the number and inscribes his nickname, "The Golden Jet." AWESOME! It turned out even better than I thought it would.

I had just a few seconds, so I shake his GIGANTIC hand, thank him for his time, and then tell him, "My dad grew up a huge Blackhawks fan, and it broke his heart how you guys could never beat those Canadiens." Then Hull, who looks like the kind of guy who would have no problem punching a kid, let out a laugh, shook his head, and said, "Aw, don't remind me, kid." He then thanked me for coming, and I went on my way.

Not only do I have a great piece at the center of my hockey collection, but even more, I have a cool story to go with it.