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Saturday, June 30, 2018

A sweet addition to my collection!!!!

So I am getting away from the 'What I have done so far' posts, but for really good reason. While I really don't do ttm autograph requests much anymore, I still like to get autographs to add to my collection. If I see one at a good price of a player I like, I've been known to get some at card shops, and I love to try to get autographs at games.
A few weeks ago at work, a coworker and I were talking, and we got to the subject of baseball. I mentioned that I love baseball, and how I collect baseball cards and stuff, and she mentioned that she has a neighbor whose late husband loved baseball. She is trying to get rid of alot of the stuff in her house, and she gave my coworker a bunch of stuff that she no longer needed or wanted, including some of her late husband's baseball stuff. My coworker mentioned that she had no use for the baseball stuff she got, and that I could have it if I could find some use for it. I told her sure, and a week or so later, she got my address, and showed up at my house with a box full of some '90's-era Yankee steins. I'm not a big stein (or Yankee) guy, but they were unique, and I was happy to get them, and I now have them up in a little display section in our house. On her way out, my coworker mentioned that she also had a book of Mickey Mantle with an autograph in it that she would get to me when she found it. I didn't get my hopes up, and I figured it would be a pre-print anyways, but a week or so later (today), I show up to work, and she has 2 Mickey Mantle books for me, one with this inside the front cover!!!
A nice autograph of The Mick!!! Complete with a notation of when and where it was obtained (in 1972 in West Haven Connecticut at what looks like a minor league ballgame. I don't know if Mickey was a coach there or if he was scheduled to make an appearance, but that's where the signature was obtained. The book was from 1966, so that also backs up its authenticity. I'll have to look at BBref and maybe see if I can find out anything about the 1972 West Haven Yankees. I'm leaning towards it maybe being an appearance by Mickey at the game (why would anyone bring a random book of Mickey Mantle to a minor league game?), or perhaps Mickey made frequent appearances at the ballpark as a retired instructor?  Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

This was a nice surprise for me. Never in my life did I think I would get an actual autograph of Mickey Mantle in my collection. While doing research on the value, they really aren't too terribly expensive (compared to what I figured it would be worth), at anywhere from $150 and up, depending on what kind of item it is on, so I say if you have the money and are a fan, to definitely try to get one, but try to get one that's been authenticated, or a certified pack-pulled one if you can. I am hoping to add a cheap memorabilia card to go along with it (maybe one of those 'shirt' relics from the '07? Topps complete sets). Not sure if I will add Mantle to my Favorite Player Collection, but after getting this autograph, it sure is tempting. Thanks for checking out my latest post.
-Jeremy

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