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Posted By: Richard Simon

When I started to collect it was with my son.
Cards at first then expanding into autographs.
At first I would write to retired players asking for a signature. In those days, almost all of them willingly obliged. Even Joe DiMaggio. If you would send DiMaggio ONE item a month, he would sign it. But don't try more than that. . Joe Sewell would thank you for asking him.
I got an index card signed by Ted Williams. My son and I knew he was a tough signer (we used to read Baseball Hobby News), and one day I received a bunch of stickers in the mail. It was some type of charitable organization and the stickers were adorned with my name and address and an American flag. I got the idea, because Ted was an ex Marine that I should use these stickers, when I wrote him. It took one year, but he did return a signed index card for us.
We would keep charts of the date we mailed away to the player for an autograph and when we would get it back. I still have some of those charts . We would always get excited when a reply would come in the mail. Some never answered and that was always a disappointment.
Now my son lives in another state, works for ESPN on the Baseball Tonight show, does some blogging and Internet broadcasting also, and still collects. His collecting now centers around broadcasters, sportswriters and Peanuts. But we still fondly recall the old days of checking the mailbox and buying our first complete card set at a show (1975 Topps).

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
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We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss