Tough 1970's & 1980's Autographed Cards

[btcarfagno]

Are Anderson and Wright tough on other media? I have Anderson on an index card and Wright on a team issue photo.

Tom C

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

Are Anderson and Wright tough on other media? I have Anderson on an index card and Wright on a team issue photo.

Tom C

I don't really track other media, but I venture that they would still classify as "tough", Anderson more so than Wright. I've seen a handful of Anderson index cards and PC's the past couple of years, but didn't track sales. I'd imagine an authenticated index would bring a couple hundred to a roster collector. I've seen a couple Fleer Wrights sell in the $50-$100 range. He's tough because he just won't sign and he's the sore thumb in the most collected signed set of the past 40 years. Just a guess - maybe ~$100 for a single signed item and his signature probably adds half that value to a multi signed piece. All things considered there are a couple dozen guys that are easily a rarer signature from the 80's but he's probably the most well known in the hobby due to his 87 Topps.

[dgo71]

I'd always heard Wright readily signs his other cards, just not the 87T. Seems like I've seen quite a few 83F over the years.

[Steve D]

What about Randy Myers?

He was notoriously difficult to get; IIRC, he refused to sign anything related to any team he was no longer with, especially the Reds.

Steve

[Republicaninmass]

It's always about the medium. Cards have most always outsold flats, and therefore even the year or brand will always bring a premium. Just like the guys who won't sign certain cards, ones issued close to the date of death are usually the toughest. Guys like Mike Miley nust have just sat around signing because his other years are unusually pleantiful for someone who passed so young.

I'm enjoying this thread, as after 1960 or so, I only know the main names for difficulty

[Tyranusberg]

Signed '86 Topps and Donruss cards of Ramon Romero are very tough.

Legend has it he was killed in a drug deal in New York City in the late 80s.

Efforts to find him in the DR apparently were stymied by the fact that there was a different Ramon Romero playing in the White Sox organization at the same time.

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by Tyranusberg

Signed '86 Topps and Donruss cards of Ramon Romero are very tough.

Legend has it he was killed in a drug deal in New York City in the late 80s.

Efforts to find him in the DR apparently were stymied by the fact that there was a different Ramon Romero playing in the White Sox organization at the same time.

He died in 1988 but his death wasn't confirmed until 2014. He fell 6 stories while trying to use a fire escape to run from police officers who had witnessed him selling crack cocaine. Details can be found in this article:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ramon_Romero

[HOFAUTOS]

A 1981 Topps Rick Anderson is up on ebay right now

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Topps-...oAAOSwf5BbBzYH

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by Steve D

What about Randy Myers?

Good one. Myers was very difficult after his first full season in the majors. He would only sign cards from the current year (and dated them) then became current team/current year after his trade to Cincinnati. A couple years later he basically just stopped signing altogether. I guess he got tired of explaining his weird rules to people?

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by dgo71

I'd always heard Wright readily signs his other cards, just not the 87T. Seems like I've seen quite a few 83F over the years.

I haven't tried to get him, but somewhere along the line I heard he mentioned once he would never signed his Topps (86 traded or 87) and that he would sign his Fleer for $500. If that's true or if he had any takers I'm not sure. I believe, though I could be wrong, that most anything signed by him is period signed.

[dgo71]

Interesting for sure. He must have guessed correctly that the only way his cards would have value was to create it.

How about the Latino guys whose careers ended before the internet boom? There have been private signings in those countries since, but I'd think a lot of them are still pretty rare.
Guys like Juan Espino, Salome Barojas, Enrique & Vicente Romo (especially their 1983 issues), Jose Román, Vic Mata, etc.

[mrmopar]

Past Pros just had a private signing with several guys (Mario Mendoza, Enrique Romo, Jose Pena, Carlos Lopez, etc). That should help offer more supply for those guys.

Originally Posted by dgo71

Interesting for sure. He must have guessed correctly that the only way his cards would have value was to create it.

How about the Latino guys whose careers ended before the internet boom? There have been private signings in those countries since, but I'd think a lot of them are still pretty rare.
Guys like Juan Espino, Salome Barojas, Enrique & Vicente Romo (especially their 1983 issues), Jose Román, Vic Mata, etc.

I generally take notice of many of the tougher cards because I just like older signed cards, but I also need the player to have some sort of meaning for me. If they won an award, was an AS, or set some sort of record, I will try for their auto. If they played for the Dodgers or were on a Dodger card, then it is a MUST and if they had a Mariners card from 1977-1987, then I chase those too. That is how I found out so many Mariners were harder than they should be given the player careers they had (you'd think most would enjoy a request for a signature)!

[mrmopar]

There is one that never gets mention in these types of conversations and seems to be insanely hard that I stumbled upon by accident. I had obtained a 72T Ray Newman card (Cubs) sometime along the way (it was in a lot I won). Didn't care about it and it sat in my extra vintage box. Then I decided to catalog cool cards I wanted signed and a lot of the 73-74 Topps are on that list because of the great action poses.

Ray Newman has a nice action pitching card in 1973 while with the Brewers. I don't look all the time, but have only seen one listed ever and it went for about $100! I have seen no other 72T signed Newman either.

He is apparently still alive, but he must not do much signing, if any now.

[mrmopar]

I have several Wright cards that are not the 87T and I have him on balls and a team sheet. I don't know if his habits changed to include everything more recently, but his signature on something other than 87T is not easy, but not hard either.

I have been loosely tracking Anderson stuff lately because when I saw the 81T pop up that sold for over a grand, I practically crapped myself. I figured it was hard and expensive, but I just couldn't believe anyone would pay so much for one. Goes to show completists with money to burn can set the bar higher than imaginable.

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

Are Anderson and Wright tough on other media? I have Anderson on an index card and Wright on a team issue photo.

Tom C

[homerunhitter]

terry forster signed 1987 topps seems hard to find.

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

terry forster signed 1987 topps seems hard to find.

I though I read Forster started signing recently. Maybe did a private signing? Am I imagining that?