Toughest signed cards possible

[Exhibitman]

There are really two aspects to this: rarity of the card and rarity of the signature. If you want a signature on a specific card--like I collect signed exhibit cards--then even a relatively common signer can be hard to find. Jack Dempsey is the most common prewar heavyweight champ but I've never seen a legitimate signed exhibit card.

[Gmrson]

From my early collecting days, a '78 Topps Lyman Bostock and a '79 Topps Thurman Munson.

[slidekellyslide]

For some reason Ricky Wright will not sign his 1987 Topps card and apparently nobody knows why.

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

For some reason Ricky Wright will not sign his 1987 Topps card and apparently nobody knows why.

He probably has a stash of them somewhere for his family after he is gone.

[djson1]

Originally Posted by mschwade

He probably has a stash of them somewhere for his family after he is gone.

I'm sorry, but the stash of his cards (signed or not) would only be used as a table leg prop. Sorry if that sounds mean.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by djson1

I'm sorry, but the stash of his cards (signed or not) would only be used as a table leg prop. Sorry if that sounds mean.

Must be one expensive table you have there

[SetBuilder]

Originally Posted by mschwade

He probably has a stash of them somewhere for his family after he is gone.

That's what author Cormac McCarthy is doing with first edition copies of The Road.

He has said publicly several times that he will not sign a first edition of that book, but you still see fake signed copies on eBay every now and then.

That's when you realize how delusional some people can be when they, a) don't do basic research before spending $400 on an autograph, and b) even when presented with evidence that an author/athlete does not sign a specific item, they still reason that maybe one slipped by somehow. Maybe an autograph collector put a false dustjacket on The Road and tricked McCarthy into signing it! It's possible.

[jbhofmann]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

For some reason Ricky Wright will not sign his 1987 Topps card and apparently nobody knows why.

Do you blame him? Just look at the thing...

[dgo71]

Brian Cole, a Mets prospect, passed away in a car accident leaving ST in 2001. A few of his '01 cards came out about 3-4 weeks prior. They aren't widely collected but incredibly tough to find signed. His '01 UD Victory and UD Vintage (3-player with Grant Roberts and Timo Perez) lead the list, as well as his '01 Topps RC with Chris Wakeland and Jason Conti

It's been talked about here I think that Doug Flynn almost never signs his 1986 Topps card. He did sign a small quantity (5 l think) for charity and I believe they sold in the $500 range.

1987 Topps Al Pulido is tough because he was back in Mexico by the time it was issued.

Byron McLaughlin's 84 Topps is very difficult to find as he was on the run from the FBI when it was issued and fled the country soon after. I don't think anyone knows to this day where he is, though the rumor is he now lives in France.

Others that are rare due to the player passing away soon after the card was issued:

1989 Score/Fleer Donnie Moore
2002 Topps Total Darryl Kile
2003 Topps Total Dernell Stenson
1987 Topps Dick Howser

[MooseDog]

Good thread, hope it keeps on going and would love to hear Stinson and Simon chime in…

I have seen a 1969 Topps Minnie Rojas (not mine) so at least one exists.

A few more to add…

1990 Leaf Kelly Gruber (will sign anything else but not this one)
1976 Topps Mike Miley
1977 Topps Mike Miley (might be impossible, he died Jan 1977)
1961 Topps Duke Maas (when offered sells > $1,000)

[vintagechris]

1981 Topps and Donruss Steve Macko are fairly tough. He passed on Nov 15 1981.

[dgo71]

1981 Topps/Donruss reminded me of Win Remmerswaal, pitcher briefly for the Red Sox who has lived the better part of the last two decades in an asylum in The Netherlands. I believe he had several strokes (likely from heavy drug use) and is incapable of signing. I saw an 81 Donruss in dried up blue sharpie that honestly looked awful on eBay years back and it sold for well over $200.

Another toughie and a common name on 1986 Topps want lists is Ramon Romero. A pitcher for the Indians, he disappeared to the Dominican about a year after the card was issued. Romero is in the 1986 Donruss set as well, but it's his Topps card most collectors are after. On one of his many Dominican Republic private signing trips, collector Dave Cameron was informed that Romero had died (perhaps even was murdered) in NYC years ago. His death hasn't been "officially" confirmed though and most websites do not list him as deceased.

[BrianinAZ]

Originally Posted by dgo71

Byron McLaughlin's 84 Topps is very difficult to find as he was on the run from the FBI when it was issued and fled the country soon after. I don't think anyone knows to this day where he is, though the rumor is he now lives in France.

McLaughlin was around to sign in the spring of 1984 and throughout the year.
He was not arrested until 1990 and signed mail through his parents address (which Jack Smalling published) during that time. The key was to mail to him right before Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Received in Mail from his parents home in the mid 1980s

Received in person in 1984

[vintagehofrookies]

this should be somewhat tough (Died in 1955)

[egri]

The 1991 Topps Archives Johnny Mize must be very difficult. It was released in December, and he died in 1993 after having been in bad health. I've only seen one, and the signature was very shaky.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

There are really two aspects to this: rarity of the card and rarity of the signature. If you want a signature on a specific card--like I collect signed exhibit cards--then even a relatively common signer can be hard to find. Jack Dempsey is the most common prewar heavyweight champ but I've never seen a legitimate signed exhibit card.

Good point, I would say not the rarity of the card, but just the signature on the card itself, like some of the examples mentioned.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theshleps]

This is sad but I got a 2009 UD signed by Nick Adenhart. I got it just before he left spring training in 2009 in March. It had about a 3 week window to be signed.
I need Cobb on 60 and 61 Fleer which are very tough and a few 61 Scoops that I do not know if anyone has- Cobb, Cochrane and Gaedel

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by theshleps

This is sad but I got a 2009 UD signed by Nick Adenhart. I got it just before he left spring training in 2009 in March. It had about a 3 week window to be signed.

Just to clarify - this thread is about cards where few, if any, signed examples could possibly exist.

There are plenty of "certified autograph" Nick Adenhart cards out there, so if you just want "a" signed Adenhart card and don't care about manufacturer or year, you won't have any problem finding one. Those are not the type of cards being discussed here.

Am I correct in my understanding of this thread?

[Republicaninmass]

The player only had a super short window of a year or two to sign a card before their death, like Ken Hubbs, Foxx '61

Actually, Brent did mention this in his question. Although I dont collect modern, I find these tidbits about modern players intersting

[EldoEsq]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

Just to clarify - this thread is about cards where few, if any, signed examples could possibly exist.

There are plenty of "certified autograph" Nick Adenhart cards out there, so if you just want "a" signed Adenhart card and don't care about manufacturer or year, you won't have any problem finding one. Those are not the type of cards being discussed here.

Am I correct in my understanding of this thread?

I think his card is EXACTLY what the thread is about...there may be a million signed Nick Adenhart cards, but there are probably only a handful of 2009 Upper Deck signed cards based on the set's release and him passing in April 2009.

Plenty of Dick Howser autographs out there...good luck with 1987 Topps.

I thought the thread was about rare signed cards...not just rare signers. Or did I miss the theme of the thread???

[Orioles1954]

1954 Topps Howie Fox---know of one in existence.

1969 Topps Bird Hill Aces--know of one signed by all four.

[Republicaninmass]

1954 Topps Howie Fox---know of one in existence.


If you are counting the one I sold, I know of one other

Never have seen a 53 Bowman

[pooh528]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

1969 Topps Bird Hill Aces--know of one signed by all four.

Not sure if its the same one, but I have one signed by all 4

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

I thought the thread was about rare signed cards...not just rare signers. Or did I miss the theme of the thread???

That's the theme. Maybe I missed something too but it seems to me the cards folks are disucssing here are exactly that. Tough cards to find signed. I'm a little surprised at the confusion this is causing.

Another more modern toughie is Rod Scurry on his 1989 Score and Upper Deck issues, his only mainstream Mariners cards. I've never seen one I thought was authentic. Even though Scurry was a decent signer and passed away in 1992, he was out of baseball before these cards were issued and hard to track down due to leading a life of drug use. Scurry was actually arrested trying to buy crack the day after being released from Seattle at the end of 1988.