I do owe Mr. Jones an apology. My first round of cards I sent to attempt to get signed included Arizona's Chris Young. After sending the cards out he got demoted to the minors. The next round included David Wright, who then gets hit in the head with a fastball. The third attempt was Mr. Jones' round. I just found out that Adam Jones is out for the season due to an ankle injury. So Mr. Jones, I am sorry for sending this bad luck your way.
As for the auto, it is very nice, blue sharpie and all. The only thing that is a little disappointing is that the signature smeared when it was put back into the penny sleeve. For those veteran TTM; Is there any way to help avoid this when sending out the cards?
Thanks Adam!
Jones is a great guy. I was in Baltimore for a game last year and he must have spent 20 minutes signing for people pre-game. Every single last person who wanted an auto got one, even the kids who ran up late. Really classy guy. Hope he gets better soon!
ReplyDeleteyes, there is a way to avoid the penny sleeve smear - DON'T USE ONE!
ReplyDeleteI don't even use a toploader for my cards. I have good results using the smaller size envelope for the return of the card (less room to move around n there during USPS processing/delivery) and I haven't gotten back a creased or damaged card in my TTM successes.
Don't use the penny sleeves. I've got a couple of TTMs back with creases, but that's out of a few hundred. Plus, every once in awhile, there is the dreaded horror story of someone signing the sleeve rather than the card.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! You are officially on your way.
This scrambles my brain. I send the cards in a top loader and penny sleeve to make sure it is protected, but it is ending up keeping the card safe and damaging the auto. It goes against my current knowledge of protection sending out a bare card, but I also do not want to get smeared autos, or worse yet a signed sleeve.
ReplyDeleteHow exactly do you guys send them out? any protection? The smaller size envelopes you are talking about, are they padded?
I use a business size envelope when I mail the card (and address it to the player). I SASE a smaller envelope - the envelope size that is about the same height as the business size envelope but it's width is only about 2/3 as wide as a business size envelope. I write my note on a half piece of 8x11 paper, fold the SASE in thirds, place the bare card (no toploader or penny sleeve trash) against the SASE and fold the request letter around all of that. I figure the "stiffness" of a folded SASE helps protect the card outbound and the request letter wraparound keeps it all from sliding around inside the envelope.
ReplyDeleteI use the smaller envelopes so when the player signs the card, the smaller size keeps the card from sliding around too far - there is only about 1 inch of room or so on each side to slide around as the card comes inbound. I also like the peel and seal envelopes for the returned card because no licking in involved so it only takes seconds to seal the envelope.
I figure I probably have decent success because I don't appear to be a professional TTM'er because I don't use all that supplies trash to protect the card. It might also be that I K.I.S.S. my request and thus it doesn't take 5 minutes just to prepare the card for signing and
to get it ready to return.
I do like 2PAD does, except I don't bother with the folding the SASE envelope.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I have heard that people do is put a couple of index cards around the card. Maybe you could even tape a couple inside the SASE envelope.
Having been encouraged by the responses I will be sending a few more than usual this next time (Will be delayed by budget though). I will use these suggestions It even sounds cheaper as the cards will not be in the heavy top loaders.
ReplyDelete