It's rare that I buy autographs. Part of it is that you can't guarantee authenticity without seeing something signed right in front of you. The top authenticators say up to 90% of what's on eBay is fake. Granted, they have a stake in that: by their fear-mongering, it makes people likely to flock to them even though the science of authentication is an inexact one at best and puts more money in their pockets.
Fortunately, fakes are rare in the indoor soccer world, if they even exist. When the top scorers of all-time are all VERY willing signers, there is no reason for fakes to exist. And so I don't hesitate to buy from other collectors if they have something I need.
This week I picked up a few major needs from another Baltimore-area collector, Jeff, who is a friend of Ray's whom I have mentioned on here before. Getting a Slobo Ilijevski, a Billy Ronson, a Preki, a Kai Haaskivi, and two Tatu certainly helps to lighten the load of big names and deceased players. I also grabbed a few others to whom I had written once and didn't include every single card of them in Gary Heale and Fernando Clavijo.
He also tossed in a 1992-93 NPSL Victor Nogueira. So I guess that means I need to start on that set next! Hell, maybe I should go for that 1991-92 Soccer Shots set eventually too.
Brian sent me an eBay auction for a signed Stan Stamenkovic card from the 1987-88 set. But at $50, I'll have to pass on it for now. If I'm too cheap to pay $5 for Ryne Sandberg for my baseball sets, I can't see myself spending $50 on Stamenkovic just yet. Maybe once I'm down to the last few...
I'm finally getting prepped to mail out all the 11x14 hockey photos I mentioned in my last post. So March 1 should be the next grouping of soccer mailings. I'll likely post a list later this month of who I'll be sending to.
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