ChiSox Collector - 16x20s

Danks/Konerko Triple Threat Sports Signing

Doug — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:55:39 GMT

Last night, Triple Threat Sports held a signing with John Danks and Paul Konerko. The wife and I went to get Konerko on a mini helment at 2005 World Series 16x20. While in the store purchasing the tickets, I noticed they had John Danks authentic jerseys for $100, which is quite a good deal! So I picked up a Danks autograph ticket as well. Here is the bounty!

Picnic in the Park 2010

Doug — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:27:58 GMT

We just got back to the hotel. Picnic in the Park was MUCH different from last year. The impetus for the change? Rain, and lots of it. This year, the autograph session was held in the lower level concourse on the first base side of the stadium, and the actual picnic was held in the Patio area.

I had more success at this year's autograph session. The only drawback to having it in the concourse was that there was no room to move around. I think I said "Excuse me" more today than I had in my entire life prior to today.

Nonetheless, the results were quite good. Surprisingly enough, I got just about every big name on the team. Unfortunately, I got almost none of the lesser names.

Enough small talk, here is the tally!

Gordon Beckham x4 (Card, 8x10, 16x20, Mini Helmet)
Mark Buehrle x4 (Card, Sports Illustrated, 16x20, Gold Glove Baseball)
Ramon Castro x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
John Danks x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Freddy Garcia x6 (Card x5, World Series Baseball)
Ozzie Guillen x4 (Card x3, Jersey)
Bobby Jenks x4 (Card x4)
Andruw Jones x4 (Card, 16x20 x2, Gold Glove Baseball)
Paul Konerko x4 (Card x4)
Jayson Nix x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Jake Peavy x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Juan Pierre x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
A.J. Pierzynski x4 (Card x4)
J.J. Putz x3 (8x10 x3)
Carlos Quentin x4 (Card x3, 10x20)
Alexei Ramirez x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Alex Rios x4 (Card x3, 16x20)
Sergio Santos x4 (Card x3, 8x10)
Omar Vizquel x4 (Card x2, 16x20, Gold Glove Baseball)

I got 14 rookie cards signed for my rookie card project. They were Beckham, Danks, Garcia x2, Guillen, Jenks, Konerko, Peavy, Pierre, Pierzynski, Quentin, Ramirez, Santos, & Vizquel. I also got a total of 20 Upper Deck cards signed for my All-Time Upper Deck project.

I have posted images of everything except for the 8x10s and magazines. Lots of good stuff, take a look!

2/25/10 - Astros Full Workout

Doug — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:08:46 GMT

I went back to Astros camp today. My main objective was getting my Carlos Lee 16x20 done. It ended up being a very good day!

Carlos Lee - 3/3, 1/1 (16x20 w/ El Caballo inscription, White Sox mini helmet, 2 cards)
Lance Berkman - 1/1
Jeff Bagwell - 1/1, 1/1 (help)
Alberto Arias - 2/2
Brad Arnsberg - 4/4
Jason Bourgeois - 4/4
Michael Bourne - 2/4
Britt Burns - 2/8
Roy Corcoran - 3/3
Brian Esposito - 1/1
Pedro Feliz - 1/1
Jeff Keppinger - 1/1
Gary Majewski - 4/4
Bobby Meacham - 1/1
Brian Moehler - 3/3
Bud Norris - 1/1
Humberto Quintero - 1/2, 1/1
Jamie Quirk - 2/2
Polin Trinidad - 4/4

I went the extra mile to get Lee a few times today. I arrived at the players parking lot at 6:45am. I made a 16x20 inch sign that simply said "Please Carlos". It's a good thing I got there early, because Lee pulled up at 7am sharp. I was the only person there. He began to give me his customary wave, and it was obvious he was not going to stop. I held up the sign, and Carlos slammed on his brakes. He rolled down his window, and I handed him the 16x20. I started blabbing about how I'm a huge White Sox fan, and told him the sole reason that I was at Astros camp was to get his autograph. He was nice enough to add an "El Caballo" inscription upon request. I then asked if he would mind signing a couple of cards, and he did. Great guy!

Unfortunately, Geoff Blum was not as accomodating. I made an 8x10 inch sign that said "Please Geoff". When he pulled up, he told me he would sign in the parking lot after the workout. When he came out after the workout, he completely ignored me and drove off. Not cool. =(

I got an inside tip that Jeff Bagwell would be arriving today, and it turned out to be true. He arrived in the players lot after the workout had ended. After about an hour or so inside, he came out. He was nice enough to pull over and sign one per for the 8 or so of us that were still there. I asked if he would mind signing a baseball too, and he said "Just one today". In any case, a great success.

The surprise of the day was Lance Berkman. He did not sign inside, and I was sure he wouldn't be one to pull over. Lo and behold, that is exactly what he did! There were quite a few people there at that point too.

I will post pictures later!

2010 Spring Training Totals - 91 cards, 1 8x10, 1 mini helmet, 1 16x20

Quick update from Astros camp

Doug — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:05:44 GMT

Carlos Lee signed 3 items for me at 7am this morning, including a 16x20 with "El Caballo" inscription! I'm a very happy guy! Details and pictures will be posted when I get to my hotel in Fort Myers tonight.

An excellent 50/50!

Doug — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:38:49 GMT

A San Diego area collector helped me out at a Toys for Tots event last month. Jake Peavy honored his previous San Diego commitments, even though he is no longer on the Padres. Sounds like a guy I want on the Sox!

I sent two 16x20 photos of Peavy in a Sox uniform, one for each of us. Here is what I got back:

I'm thrilled to already be able to knock this off of my "to do" list for 2010.

On my way to the Post Office!

Doug — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:38:54 GMT

I am about to head to the Post Office to mail out ALL Photofile preorders. I had planned on getting everything out on Saturday, but it was not meant to be. For those of you that had ordered photos on the "maybe" list, I was able to order everything but Jim Thome, Bobby Jenks, and Chris Getz. There was very little interest in Thome and Jenks. There was a good deal of interest in Getz, but not enough to justify an order of 25 photos, which is the minimum order for Getz.

Thanks to everybody that took part in this. I look forward to our next order!

By the way, I do still have some 16x20s of this Mark Buehrle perfect game shot:

If you are interested, here are the prices:

16x20 (shipped rolled) - $25
16x20 (shipped flat) - $28
Each additional 16x20 - $20 each

I do also have these Photofile 16x20s available, for the same prices. Both shots are from the Blackout game last year, and look fantastic signed:

Orders can be combined. For example, if you want one of each, shipped rolled, your cost would be $25 + $20 + $20 = $65. If you are interested, send me an email using the address on the left side of this page. Thanks!

Photofile order shipped!

Doug — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:16:16 GMT

Good news. I placed the photo order this morning, and Steve at Photofile was able to expedite it for same day shipping!

Also, I will have some extra 16x20's of this Mark Buehrle perfect game shot:

If you are interested, the price will be $25 shipped rolled, or $28 shipped flat. If you want more than one, add $20 for each additional photo. On eBay, the only seller selling these is asking for about $29 each, plus $9 shipping.

Photofile 16x20 order

Doug — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:25:17 GMT

I've had some inquires regarding ordering 16x20s of the Buehrle w/ scoreboard and Wise shots. If I can get enough interest, I will order them. The cost will be:

Each 16x20 = $18
Flat shipping cost = $5 (rolled) or $8 (flat)

If you are interested, please email me at the email address on the left side of this page with the quantity of each image you would like. 16x20 orders will be shipped separately from 8x10 orders. Just for clarification, these are the 2 images:

A:

B:

This order will be placed with Photofile on Friday as well.

I'm baaaaaaaack! (Fan's Edge show & Picnic in the Park!)

Doug — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:29:41 GMT

First, let me apologize for the lengthy period of time between posts. Basically, for the last month I have had ZERO free time. A combination of being crazy busy travelling for my job, visiting my ailing father in California, and a vacation in Chicago has taken up every bit of my time.

But I'm back, and should be posting regularly again from this point forward. To make up for my absence, this will be the longest post ever. I have a lot to show you!

First off, I received a bunch of autographs from two Chicago collectors that have been helping me out this season. I've been sending them items (mostly photos), and they've been getting them signed for me. In exchange, I send extra photos to get signed for themselves. I met up with them for the first time last week at the Fan's Edge Sports Spectacular in Rosemont, IL. Here is what I received:

Harold Baines - 16x20
Gordon Beckham - 16x20, Card x2
D.J. Carrasco - 8x10
Jose Contreras - 16x20
John Danks - 16x20 x3
Josh Fields - 8x10
Gavin Floyd - 16x20 x2
Chris Getz - 8x10
Ozzie Guillen - 16x20
A.J. Pierzynski - 16x20
Aaron Poreda - Card x2
Clayton Richard - 8x10 x2
Aaron Rowand - 16x20
Jim Thome - 8x10, 16x20 x2 (one with Jonathan Toews)
Matt Thornton - 8x10
Dewayne Wise - 8x10

Here are some of the highlights:

Speaking of the show in Rosemont, I got some great autographs there. The show itself was pretty weak, but the autograph lineup was quite nice. I got the following from the show's autograph guests (all were free except for Aparicio and Fisk):

Luis Aparicio - 16x20 x3, baseball, Gold Glove baseball, mini helmet, jersey, bat, card
Dick Butkus - 8x10
Bob Feller - 8x10 x2, baseball
Carlton Fisk - 16x20, mini helmet, 12x18, card
Jim Morrissey - 8 cards
Billy Pierce - 8x10, 16x20 x2, card x2, mini helmet
Mel Renfro - 8x10, card
Pete Rose - 8x10
Mike Squires - 8x10 x2, Gold Glove baseball, 6 cards
Ken Stabler - 8x10

Carlton Fisk was very interested in the photo showing him and Tom Seaver posing on the dugout steps. I got his mailing information, and promised to send him a copy.

I also promised to send Billy Pierce a copy of the 1959 reunion photo, as he said he only has a very small one. Billy was a class act as always. When I told him that I would send him that photo, I said "It's the least I can do after all of the things you have signed for me through the mail." He replied "I sure do sign a lot of it!"

Luis Aparicio obviously did not want to be there. He tried refusing to put inscriptions that people had paid for (just HOF and ROY and whatnot, nothing strange), and from what I hear he just got up and left with people still in his line.

Mike Squires was extremely friendly. The photo that the official merchandise booth was selling showed Mike with an obvious black eye. He said that photo was taken after he was hit in the face by a groundball, and that it was the only time that had ever happened. While he was signing mine, I asked him to inscribe it "1983 White Sox, Winning Ugly". I said to him that it would be a fitting inscription, with the black eye and all. He and his "handler" both starting cracking up.

Some highlights:

Last, but certainly not least, I attended Picnic in the Park for the first time. For those that don't know, Picnic in the Park is a yearly event held at U.S. Cellular Field. Admission includes a 1 hour autograph signing with just about the entire team, including coaches, an on-field picnic with the players and their families, and a fireworks show. There is also a silent auction where you can bid on game used items, and other great collectibles.

Other than a confrontation with an idiot trying to cut in line, I had an absolute blast! The weather was absolutely perfect for the event. Almost all of the players were very friendly. As usual, Jermaine Dye wasn't very friendly, and Gavin Floyd seemed to be in a bad mood as well. When I put the 16x20 down in front of Aaron Poreda, he said "Whoooooooaaaaah, that's a nice photo!". Chris Getz said something similar when I showed him the triple exposure photo.

Here is a picture of me in front of Billy Pierce's outfield wall display, taken by my friend Mike, whom I met up with there:

Here is my bounty from PitP:

Brian Anderson - 2 cards, 8x10
Harold Baines - 8x10, 12x18
Mark Buehrle - 16x20, 2005 ASG Ball
D.J. Carrasco - 2 cards
Jose Contreras - 16x20, card
John Danks - 16x20, 10x20
Jermaine Dye - 16x20, 2 cards, 2 8x10s
Gavin Floyd - 10x20, 2008 Yankee Stadium Final Game ball
Chris Getz - 16x20, 8x10
Ozzie Guillen - 16x20, 12x18
Kevin Hickey - 2 cards
Paul Konerko - Bat, 16x20
Minnie Minoso - Card, mini helmet
A.J. Pierzynski - 2 16x20s
Scott Podsednik - 2 16x20s
Aaron Poreda - 2 cards, 16x20
Jim Thome - 16x20, card
Matt Thornton - 2 cards, 2 8x10s
Greg Walker - 2 8x10s

Once again, the highlights:

I forgot to mention, I also took part in a private signing that PCM Sports did with Alexei Ramirez backstage at the Fan's Edge show Thursday night. I got ten large photos signed by Alexei (9 16x20s, 1 12x18). It was crazy behind the curtain, lol. Here are a few of the Alexei's:

A nice jersey to get signed, and some Rock 16x20s!

Doug — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:27:04 GMT

I ordered a Luis Aparicio 1968 home jersey from the Mitchell and Ness website last weekend. I plan on getting it signed at the Fan's Edge show in Chicago in July. It arrived yesterday:

Today, I received some Tim Raines 16x20s that I sent to a collector in New Jersey as part of a 50/50 trade. I sent him 4 photos total. Two for him, and two to get signed for me. Here they are:

Recent successes

Doug — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:20:34 GMT

I apologize for the lack of updates over the last 2 weeks. I have been having serious issues with my hosting company. Things are still pretty bad, so I may be leaving godaddy soon.

Anyway, here is what I have gotten back in the last 2 weeks. Scans of ALL items can be found in the mailbag:

Gerry Arrigo 2/2
Alan Bannister 3/3
Bobby Bonilla 1/1 (16x20, really nice signature... thanks Bobby!)
Phil Cavaretta 2/2
Tim Cullen 1/1
Sammy Esposito 3/3
Ted Gray 1/1
Johnny Groth 2/2 (with fee)
Ed Herrmann 3/3
Bruce Howard 3/3
Bob James 3/3
Howie Judson 2/2
Steve Kemp 3/3
Bobby Knoop 3/3
Turk Lown 1/1 (with fee)
Ken McBride 3/3
Don Mueller 3/1
Phil Niekro 1/1 (with fee)
Juan Pizarro 2/2
Ron Santo 1/1 (with fee)
Roy Sievers 2/2 (1 card, 1 8x10)
Lou Skizas 1/1
Kevin Tapani 2/2
Dick Tidrow 2/2
Virgil Trucks 3/1

UPS Delivery

Doug — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:45:57 GMT

Taj, my friendly neighborhood UPS delivery man, just made a delivery. Here is what he brought me!

I sent this bad boy up to the MAB show to have Fisk complete it. Unfortunately, Fisk used a much thinner Sharpie than Tom did, but it still looks pretty good. Make sure to click the picture to see a bigger scan.

A big addition!

Doug — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:14:21 GMT

I have added an excellent 16x20 to the collection. He is probably my least favorite baseball player ever, but that doesn't change the fact that he will be a first ballot hall of famer, and that means I need him in my collection. To this point, I have refused to spend the money it would have taken to get a high end item. I finally found a deal too good to pass up!

I got this bad boy for $85 on eBay. It is Upper Deck Authenticated and everything! The unpleasant task of shopping for a high end Ken Griffey Jr. item is complete!

Another TTM success

Doug — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:32:55 GMT

I got back 1/1 from Gustavo Molina this week, c/o the Washington Nationals:

I also picked up a great HOFer autograph. Most people don't even know he played for the Sox, so I'm very pleased that I was able to find a signed White Sox item:

Last, but certainly not lease, I got back the stuff I sent to MAB Celebrity Services for the Secaucus NJ show on February 28. All three photos are 16x20s.

Tom Seaver

Steve Carlton

Doug Drabek

I'll be sending the Seaver 16x20 back to MAB for the April 4th show in Sturbridge MA, where Carlton Fisk will be signing. I can't wait to frame that bad boy once they've both signed it!