Cooperstown. Show anything & everything related to the Hall of Fame...

[Cooptown]

Great topic. This is my first time posting (I just joined yesterday). But Cooperstown is my favorite memory from childhood growing up. My father and I attended the HOF Inductions from 1987-1998. It was the one thing I looked forward to all summer, and as soon as it passed, I was constantly looking forward to next year. I can post more photos later, but here is a TTM project I just started working on:

20 years ago my father and I attended the 50th anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I bought this program then, and a couple of months later I had Bob Feller sign it at a local show. The program then sat in my parent's closet for the next 20 or so years when I found it recently. I always knew I had it, but I thought what am I going to do with this program that is signed by Bob Feller?

Then I thought about turning it into a TTM project. I first sent it out to Bobby Doerr, turnaround in less than a week. Next I sent it out to Lee MacPhail, who had it for about a month and I started to get a bit nervous. After that it was Monte Irvin, with $20 fee, and took about a week. Next, I got it back from Al Kaline ($20 fee) that took a little less than two weeks. Was kind of torn on how he signed it. Gave a nice, big, bold signature but the way he signed it kind of took away space from other players down the road. The next day it was sent out to Red Schoendienst, with a $10 fee. Got that back in about a week, and was sent out the following day to Duke Snider (with fee) and it has been over two weeks. Starting to get a bit antsy. I've had people who have seen it saying that I shouldnt add any players who were inducted after 1989 (the 50th Anniversary of the HOF), such as Lee MacPhail, but I am going to try and jam pack it with as many HOFers as possible.

[thekingofclout]

Very nice first post. As far as what others are trying to tell you to do or not do things a certain way...DON"T LISTEN TO THEM. Do what pleases you and collect what you enjoy and you'll always come out on top.

Here is a page from Bill Dickey's scrapbook that goes with the letter I started the thread with...

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[Cooptown]

Here is a Doubleday Field Bat I am working on having signed by HOFers. I had Johnny Mize sign it in 1990, and it has been a slow work in process ever since. It is signed by the following:
Johnny Mize
Billy Herman
George Kell
Jim Catfish Hunter
Ferguson Jenkins
Hal Newhouser
Buck Leonard
Hoyt Wilhelm
Juan Marichal
Ray Dandridge
Paul Molitor
Earl Weaver
Bobby Doerr
Bob Gibson
Warren Spahn
Enos Slaughter
Luis Aparicio
Bob Feller
Red Schoendienst

[aelefson]

Say Hey-
I found the Pennock piece at a flea market in Holyoke and consigned it to Lelands. I am really glad a fellow board member bought it. The dealer I bought it from said he got it over 30 years ago in a town a few miles from Cooperstown. Both the dealer I bought it from and Lelands thought it was used in his induction ceremony. I hope you enjoy it!
Yours in collecting,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Cooptown]

Originally Posted by Cooptown

Great topic. This is my first time posting (I just joined yesterday). But Cooperstown is my favorite memory from childhood growing up. My father and I attended the HOF Inductions from 1987-1998. It was the one thing I looked forward to all summer, and as soon as it passed, I was constantly looking forward to next year. I can post more photos later, but here is a TTM project I just started working on:

20 years ago my father and I attended the 50th anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I bought this program then, and a couple of months later I had Bob Feller sign it at a local show. The program then sat in my parent's closet for the next 20 or so years when I found it recently. I always knew I had it, but I thought what am I going to do with this program that is signed by Bob Feller?

Then I thought about turning it into a TTM project. I first sent it out to Bobby Doerr, turnaround in less than a week. Next I sent it out to Lee MacPhail, who had it for about a month and I started to get a bit nervous. After that it was Monte Irvin, with $20 fee, and took about a week. Next, I got it back from Al Kaline ($20 fee) that took a little less than two weeks. Was kind of torn on how he signed it. Gave a nice, big, bold signature but the way he signed it kind of took away space from other players down the road. The next day it was sent out to Red Schoendienst, with a $10 fee. Got that back in about a week, and was sent out the following day to Duke Snider (with fee) and it has been over two weeks. Starting to get a bit antsy. I've had people who have seen it saying that I shouldnt add any players who were inducted after 1989 (the 50th Anniversary of the HOF), such as Lee MacPhail, but I am going to try and jam pack it with as many HOFers as possible.

Just a bit of an update on this. I was able to add two more HOFers since the last time I posted. Robin Roberts and Duke Snider, each with a $10 donation. Both are interesting stories. Roberts I included a $10 check to BAT the first time, and he sent everything back to me, including my check, asking for a donation to BAT. He must not have seen the check. I re-sent it to him, and got it back within a week. Snider I included $10, and a blue sharpie. He signed the program in black (everyone else has signed it in blue) and kept my blue sharpie. Oh well, the risk you take with TTM I guess. People have said that Snider signing in black gives it some character. At least now I dont have to worry about if anyone in the future signs it in blue vs. black.

I got both of those guys in late October/early November, and then my Father, who I have very great memories of going to Cooperstown with and who brought me to this game when we bought the program, passed away in December. I put the program on the backburner, and I think it's about time to start working on it again.