My Whitey Ford ttm experience...

[Kzoo]

Guys............I used to own a couple signed Whitey Ford Bowman RC's that I sent to his company about 15 years ago, but for some stupid reason, I sold them several years ago.

So, a friend got me interested again in ttm autographs this past spring and I decided to send out some RC's to guys that still sign for a fee.......one of which I noticed was Whitey Ford. I bought a decent RC on ebay, sent it out in April, then waited..........

Now, the word on the street is that Whitey has really bad dementia in his old age and tends to mix up peoples' cards, but I was sure this wasn't going to happen to me ......until I received back this signed 1960 Topps card on July 10th. Frustrated with the results and having only 1 longshot option, I mailed him another letter with a SASE and big scan of my exact 51 Bowman card, asking only for it's return, signed or not.

I was shocked when this arrived today!! It's my exact card with most of Whitey's name spelled correctly, at least. Whether it was done on purpose or not, I'm thankful to get it back.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Perhaps I can interest you in its sister piece?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Or how about this one? Rickey DO sign, some times better than others!

[jimjim]

So they kept the card on purpose? If they had mixed them up then it would have been sent to someone else, correct?

[Sladge34]

I literally just sent him two baseballs less than a week ago. I'm hoping for the best...

[Kzoo]

Jim............After hearing from other collectors that Whitey's dementia is severe, it sounds like he has 'handlers' that may help him with mail requests. I know that at the Cooperstown induction signings in 2016, he was accompanied by 'handlers' that took control of the signing, telling him what to sign, how to sign, and where to sign individual items. Whether it is a family member or some other 'handler' that helps with fan mail, I honestly don't believe Whitey has a mental condition good enough for him to open his own mail, sign stuff, and then return items on his own. It sounds like there's more to the story. Just my opinion and glad someone on the other end located my card and sent it back.

[Ryan1125]

I sent him an 8x10, a 53' Topps, and $80 a few years back. Got the photo back, never got the 53' Topps. I sent him a letter with a picture of the card, requesting it back. He signed the letter, never got the card LOL.

It still bothers me, but it's a funny story!

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by BillyCox3

Perhaps I can interest you in its sister piece?

Is this serious? If so, is McCarver ill?

I can see a dedication getting messed up... but messing up your own name...

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I'll be charitable and say he's temperamental. This was signed at a paid signing this year. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps his mind wasn't on the task at hand. "Cardinals" was on the jersey right above his signature. Maybe he was seeing that and thinking about another obligation, or lunch, and the team name subconsciously traveled from his brain to his writing hand! He can be ornery, but this was a paid signing, so I highly doubt this was done on purpose. You have to feel for the owner of that premium item, though.

(Also, the above examples I posted were not done in order to derail the original thought of this thread, but rather to illustrate how the OP's scenario isn't isolated to just one player or one reason for ruining an item.)

[7nohitter]

Wow, very interesting hearing about Whitey and your experience. I also love seeing players mess up their own signatures....

[packs]

Once me and my dad went to a show so he could get Rod Carew's autograph and he asked Rod if he would sign his full name. He looked at my dad and said, "No, I can't." So my dad asked him why not and Rod said, "Because I don't know how. I haven't written it since I was a kid."

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Kzoo

Guys............I used to own a couple signed Whitey Ford Bowman RC's that I sent to his company about 15 years ago, but for some stupid reason, I sold them several years ago.

So, a friend got me interested again in ttm autographs this past spring and I decided to send out some RC's to guys that still sign for a fee.......one of which I noticed was Whitey Ford. I bought a decent RC on ebay, sent it out in April, then waited..........

Now, the word on the street is that Whitey has really bad dementia in his old age and tends to mix up peoples' cards, but I was sure this wasn't going to happen to me ......until I received back this signed 1960 Topps card on July 10th. Frustrated with the results and having only 1 longshot option, I mailed him another letter with a SASE and big scan of my exact 51 Bowman card, asking only for it's return, signed or not.

I was shocked when this arrived today!! It's my exact card with most of Whitey's name spelled correctly, at least. Whether it was done on purpose or not, I'm thankful to get it back.

That is nice that you got your card back. Did you return the 1960 card so it could hopefully get back to its owner?

[Kzoo]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That is nice that you got your card back. Did you return the 1960 card so it could hopefully get back to its owner?

Honestly, I haven't thought about that since 7 pm yesterday, but do you really think that 1960 Topps card would ever reach it's owner if I mailed it back? If anybody can truthfully prove that's their card, I'd be happy to reunite it with them, but nobody on any board that I read regularly is missing a signed '60 Topps. Now that you bring it up, I'll plan to keep that card to help offset the 'half signature' I received, instead of the full signature I paid for on my RC. Just my thoughts.