I re-mailed MacEwan, and also sent out Terry Nicholl, Mike Brady, Nebo Bandovic, John Bain, Jeff Cacciatore, Tim Schulz, and Paul Krumpe. Also I'm going to finally buy some international postage this week and get crazy on some requests overseas. Once I do so, I likely will write a short tutorial on it as I found a few nice resources for it.
The mailbox was nicely full this week, including a few big names...
SEPTEMBER 20
Gary Etherington, 3/3. This one was a different one-- Gary signed all three cards I sent, but signed the two 1987-88 cards on the back-- possibly due to the Etherington/Ethernigton error? Took about two weeks.
SEPTEMBER 22
Steve Zungul, 7/7. WOW. I was a little shocked by this one since my attempt on him a year ago went unanswered. Fortunately this time I had a good address and he signed everything I sent. Finally, I have all of the top five all-time goal scorers in indoor soccer history (Marinaro, Zungul, Tatu, Karic, and Michael King). I didn't have the 1987-88 card at all, unfortunately. Took about a week and a half and is my 100th all-time indoor soccer autograph success via mail.
SEPTEMBER 26
Daryl Doran, 5/5. This is my second time ever writing to Doran, having gotten him a few years ago before the project began, and also getting him back in 2002 IP at the All-Star Game. Two weeks.
Steve Eise, 1/1; Thomas Strunk, 2/2; Chris Kenny, 3/2. A trio from Missouri that each took a week.
Currently I'm at a 60.8% success rate all-time via mail (104/171). However 23 of those were hit with the Dreaded Yellow Sticker of RTS Doom, and 22 were sent less than a month ago. So only 26 are (currently) outright failures.
To go along with that, I need to update my percentages soon. As of right now, I'm at something like this (slightly off due to disappearance of multi-signed ones)...
1987-88: roughly 62%
1988-89: roughly 67%
1989-90: roughly 79%
1990-91: roughly 56%
1991-92: roughly 57%
TOTAL: roughly 62%
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
A 1987-1992 Pacific Soccer Error and Variation Compendium
Normally when I work on getting a set completely signed, I won't bother with most of the error cards or even the variations. The only ones I would mess with are any wrong photo errors. Everything else I'd let go.
But with the soccer sets, I decided I'd go for the whole thing. After all, which version of the 1987-88 Chicago Sting cards are correct, the white text or the black text?
So even with true errors, I'm getting them all signed. Cards with the wrong photo I'm going to get signed hopefully by both the listed player and the depicted player. Here's a full list of corrected errors, uncorrected wrong-photo errors, and variations. I'm not going to list things like wrong birthdates or incomplete stat lines; only errors that affect the front of the card. Fortunately Pacific got it together and the final two sets had no problems. But the first three were loaded with them.
Cards I have signed already have no note, cards I need either signed or unsigned are notated, as are ones I have but not signed.
1987-88
#2 ERR - Krys Sobiesk
#2 COR - Krys Sobieski
#4 ERR - Willie Molino
#4 COR - Willie Molano
#17 ERR - Rickey Davis
#17 COR - Ricky Davis
#43 ERR - Victor Nogueria
#43 COR - Victor Nogueira
#74 VAR - Cris Vacarro, black text
#74 VAR - Cris Vacarro, white text
#75 VAR - Heinz Wirtz, black text
#75 VAR - Heinz Wirtz, white text
#76 VAR - Ben Collins, black text
#76 VAR - Ben Collins, white text
#77 VAR - Frank Klopas, black text
#77 VAR - Frank Klopas, white text
#78 VAR - Paul Krumpe, black text
#78 VAR - Paul Krumpe, white text
#79 VAR - Chico Moreira, black text
#79 VAR - Chico Moreira, white text
#80 VAR - Batata, black text
#80 VAR - Batata, white text
#81 VAR - Teddy Kraft, black text
#81 VAR - Teddy Kraft, white text
#82 VAR - Mark Simanton, black text
#82 VAR - Mark Simanton, white text
#84 ERR - Tino Lettieri, green border
#84 COR - Tino Lettieri, red border
#85 ERR - Gary Ethernigton
#85 COR - Gary Etherington
#92 ERR - Ken Forgerty
#92 COR - Ken Fogarty
1988-89
#53 - David Doyle, photo actually Duncan MacEwan
#67 - Mike Sweeney, photo actually Dave MacKenzie
#84 - A.J. Lachowecki, photo actually Kris Peat
1989-90
#34 ERR - Scoop Stanisic, photo is Scott Manning
#34 COR - Scoop Stanisic, correct photo
#67 ERR - Kevin Hundelt, photo is Chris Hundelt (got it signed by Kevin; need it signed by Chris)
#67 COR - Chris Hundelt, same photo but correct name (need it signed!)
But with the soccer sets, I decided I'd go for the whole thing. After all, which version of the 1987-88 Chicago Sting cards are correct, the white text or the black text?
So even with true errors, I'm getting them all signed. Cards with the wrong photo I'm going to get signed hopefully by both the listed player and the depicted player. Here's a full list of corrected errors, uncorrected wrong-photo errors, and variations. I'm not going to list things like wrong birthdates or incomplete stat lines; only errors that affect the front of the card. Fortunately Pacific got it together and the final two sets had no problems. But the first three were loaded with them.
Cards I have signed already have no note, cards I need either signed or unsigned are notated, as are ones I have but not signed.
1987-88
#2 ERR - Krys Sobiesk
#2 COR - Krys Sobieski
#4 ERR - Willie Molino
#4 COR - Willie Molano
#17 ERR - Rickey Davis
#17 COR - Ricky Davis
#43 ERR - Victor Nogueria
#43 COR - Victor Nogueira
#74 VAR - Cris Vacarro, black text
#74 VAR - Cris Vacarro, white text
#75 VAR - Heinz Wirtz, black text
#75 VAR - Heinz Wirtz, white text
#76 VAR - Ben Collins, black text
#76 VAR - Ben Collins, white text
#77 VAR - Frank Klopas, black text
#77 VAR - Frank Klopas, white text
#78 VAR - Paul Krumpe, black text
#78 VAR - Paul Krumpe, white text
#79 VAR - Chico Moreira, black text
#79 VAR - Chico Moreira, white text
#80 VAR - Batata, black text
#80 VAR - Batata, white text
#81 VAR - Teddy Kraft, black text
#81 VAR - Teddy Kraft, white text
#82 VAR - Mark Simanton, black text
#82 VAR - Mark Simanton, white text
#84 ERR - Tino Lettieri, green border
#84 COR - Tino Lettieri, red border
#85 ERR - Gary Ethernigton
#85 COR - Gary Etherington
#92 ERR - Ken Forgerty
#92 COR - Ken Fogarty
1988-89
#53 - David Doyle, photo actually Duncan MacEwan
#67 - Mike Sweeney, photo actually Dave MacKenzie
#84 - A.J. Lachowecki, photo actually Kris Peat
1989-90
#34 ERR - Scoop Stanisic, photo is Scott Manning
#34 COR - Scoop Stanisic, correct photo
#67 ERR - Kevin Hundelt, photo is Chris Hundelt (got it signed by Kevin; need it signed by Chris)
#67 COR - Chris Hundelt, same photo but correct name (need it signed!)
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Mail Call, 9/19/2016
Got four in yesterday as well as a RTS.
SEPTEMBER 19
Tino Lettieri, c/o work, 3/2, 2 weeks - In addition to both the red and green versions of his 1987-88 Pacific card, Tino also signed my letter via his pizzeria in Minnesota.
Dave Clements, c/o work, 2/2, 2 weeks - Two cards from him, he even put in cardboard piexes to prevent bending and paid extra postage on it via his cotton candy vending business
Terry Brown, c/o home, 4/3, 2 weeks - Nice one here, signed three cards and even wrote a short note back thanking me for following his career.
Chico Borja, c/o work, 5/5, 1 week - Speedy response from a multi-time All-Star who now coaches soccer and golf while working as a high school assistant principal.
Unfortunately the failbox delivered Duncan MacEwan with the Yellow Sticker of Doom. I did find another potential address for him though, so I'll likely give it a shot tomorrow, along with writing out a few more.
SEPTEMBER 19
Tino Lettieri, c/o work, 3/2, 2 weeks - In addition to both the red and green versions of his 1987-88 Pacific card, Tino also signed my letter via his pizzeria in Minnesota.
Dave Clements, c/o work, 2/2, 2 weeks - Two cards from him, he even put in cardboard piexes to prevent bending and paid extra postage on it via his cotton candy vending business
Terry Brown, c/o home, 4/3, 2 weeks - Nice one here, signed three cards and even wrote a short note back thanking me for following his career.
Chico Borja, c/o work, 5/5, 1 week - Speedy response from a multi-time All-Star who now coaches soccer and golf while working as a high school assistant principal.
Unfortunately the failbox delivered Duncan MacEwan with the Yellow Sticker of Doom. I did find another potential address for him though, so I'll likely give it a shot tomorrow, along with writing out a few more.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Back to the grind
I figured I would have a couple fast ones roll in from my most recent batch.
In two weeks, both A.J. Lachowecki and Kevin Crow came back to me, signing two and four cards, respectively. Lachowecki signed the back of the 1988-89 error card (Kris Peat is depicted; he signed the front).
I also mailed out to Steve Zungul, Daryl Doran, Wes Wade, Duncan MacEwan, Chico Borja, Theo Kulsdom, Ted Krafft, Steve Eise, Thomas Strunk, John O'Hara, Sean Phillips, Mike Fox, Branko Segota, and Chris Kenny. Fox is a second attempt: my try a week and a half ago resulted in a note back from a different Mike Fox (owner of M&M Paper) saying he was not the soccer player. I found a new address in Colorado I plan to try.
Kulsdom took some work: a former Cleveland favorite, I tried an address in the Netherlands earlier this year with no luck, getting a note back from the woman now living there that he wasn't there-- she suggested I try Facebook. So I was able to find him there and messaged him asking if he could sign my card. He answered a week later that he would love to, and included his address. Fortunately I have a couple of Dutch stamps left so I can cover postage just fine.
Speaking of foreign postage, my batch for October has been selected. I plan to buy international stamps around the first part of the month, writing, mailing, hoping, and waiting. I also have about 8 more domestics to write this week and am already planning my November group as well.
In two weeks, both A.J. Lachowecki and Kevin Crow came back to me, signing two and four cards, respectively. Lachowecki signed the back of the 1988-89 error card (Kris Peat is depicted; he signed the front).
I also mailed out to Steve Zungul, Daryl Doran, Wes Wade, Duncan MacEwan, Chico Borja, Theo Kulsdom, Ted Krafft, Steve Eise, Thomas Strunk, John O'Hara, Sean Phillips, Mike Fox, Branko Segota, and Chris Kenny. Fox is a second attempt: my try a week and a half ago resulted in a note back from a different Mike Fox (owner of M&M Paper) saying he was not the soccer player. I found a new address in Colorado I plan to try.
Kulsdom took some work: a former Cleveland favorite, I tried an address in the Netherlands earlier this year with no luck, getting a note back from the woman now living there that he wasn't there-- she suggested I try Facebook. So I was able to find him there and messaged him asking if he could sign my card. He answered a week later that he would love to, and included his address. Fortunately I have a couple of Dutch stamps left so I can cover postage just fine.
Speaking of foreign postage, my batch for October has been selected. I plan to buy international stamps around the first part of the month, writing, mailing, hoping, and waiting. I also have about 8 more domestics to write this week and am already planning my November group as well.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
One year of the project: a look back
So much has happened in the last year that it's hard to believe that this project is only 365 days old.
It was on September 4, 2015 that I started this blog and mailed out my first batch of 27 requests. Some took as little as a week to return to me, others still are out a year later, but overall the project has been a big success. In the ensuing 365 days, I've had 88 successes, 21 returns for an incorrect address, and only 21 went unreturned. And I haven't given up hope on those: I've had successes in other sports that have taken over a year to come back (30 to be exact, with one taking 7 years from baseball player Marty Barrett). I also have made a few trades and purchases as well.
So to celebrate a year of work, I mailed out another 14 requests this morning. Two are going to players who already signed for me but have a ton of cards in the sets (George Fernandez and Kevin Crow). I typically try not to send more than 6 cards per request so with those two I mailed in two batches a year apart. In addition to those, I took a flyer on Victor Nogueira who I haven't seen many successes from, along with Desmond Armstrong, Tino Lettieri, Waad Hirmez (another longshot), Joe Papaleo, A.J. Lachowecki, Gregg Willin, Gary Etherington, Dave Clements, Tom Kain, Mike Fox, and Terry Brown.
Also, I just noticed I failed to mention that I did get one of those early stragglers back recently. Mark Mettrick returned his cards signed back in August after about 10 months out. Like I said, never give up, those old ones can come rolling in at any time.
Who am I still waiting on? Here's a breakdown, listed in order of when they were mailed out.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2015: Brian Quinn, Steve Zungul, Beto, David Hoggan, Erik Rasmussen
SEPTEMBER 7, 2015: Mark Frederickson, Steve Kinsey
OCTOBER 6, 2015: Dennis Mepham, Scoop Stanisic, Nenad Zigante, Gregg Blasingame, Andy Chapman
MARCH 7, 2016: Paul Wright, Preki, Kai Haaskivi
MARCH 10, 2016: Jim Gabarra, Kevin Hundelt
MARCH 14, 2016: Marty Templin/Herb Silva
MARCH 30, 2016: Pasquale DeLuca
MAY 25, 2016: Greg Ion
MAY 31, 2016: Iain Fraser
It was on September 4, 2015 that I started this blog and mailed out my first batch of 27 requests. Some took as little as a week to return to me, others still are out a year later, but overall the project has been a big success. In the ensuing 365 days, I've had 88 successes, 21 returns for an incorrect address, and only 21 went unreturned. And I haven't given up hope on those: I've had successes in other sports that have taken over a year to come back (30 to be exact, with one taking 7 years from baseball player Marty Barrett). I also have made a few trades and purchases as well.
So to celebrate a year of work, I mailed out another 14 requests this morning. Two are going to players who already signed for me but have a ton of cards in the sets (George Fernandez and Kevin Crow). I typically try not to send more than 6 cards per request so with those two I mailed in two batches a year apart. In addition to those, I took a flyer on Victor Nogueira who I haven't seen many successes from, along with Desmond Armstrong, Tino Lettieri, Waad Hirmez (another longshot), Joe Papaleo, A.J. Lachowecki, Gregg Willin, Gary Etherington, Dave Clements, Tom Kain, Mike Fox, and Terry Brown.
Also, I just noticed I failed to mention that I did get one of those early stragglers back recently. Mark Mettrick returned his cards signed back in August after about 10 months out. Like I said, never give up, those old ones can come rolling in at any time.
Who am I still waiting on? Here's a breakdown, listed in order of when they were mailed out.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2015: Brian Quinn, Steve Zungul, Beto, David Hoggan, Erik Rasmussen
SEPTEMBER 7, 2015: Mark Frederickson, Steve Kinsey
OCTOBER 6, 2015: Dennis Mepham, Scoop Stanisic, Nenad Zigante, Gregg Blasingame, Andy Chapman
MARCH 7, 2016: Paul Wright, Preki, Kai Haaskivi
MARCH 10, 2016: Jim Gabarra, Kevin Hundelt
MARCH 14, 2016: Marty Templin/Herb Silva
MARCH 30, 2016: Pasquale DeLuca
MAY 25, 2016: Greg Ion
MAY 31, 2016: Iain Fraser
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