Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Mailing for autographs : 1990 Sports Illustrated for Kids

My literal biggest ever through-the-mail (TTM) autograph request came back this week, being a full-page panel plucked from Sports Illustrated for Kids.

Blue Jays third baseman Kelly Gruber signed his lower-left spot and returned it with this signed index card. He also thanked me on its flipside for contributing to the charity he supports via TTM requests.

Many know SI for Kids cards today thanks to their breadth of athletes and significant cards outside America's big four sports. Key cards for their 1990 series (#109-216) include Diego Maradona and Tony Hawk.

Many SI for Kids subscribers left their nine-card sheets intact, so you can find many of them in today's hobby. Another collector gave me two for free, including the page I sent to Kelly, who seems its most accessible TTM signer. 

This autographed page will move along to a Canadian friend and longtime Jays fan soon and they can decide whether to pursue its other eight. My guess on those from easiest to hardest, with ages noted.

  1. Shannon Higgins-Cirovski (nee Higgins, 56)
  2. Bobby Bonilla (61)
  3. Sinjin Smith (67)
  4. Ronnie Lott (65)
  5. Jimmy Connors (72)
  6. Danny Sullivan (74)
  7. Ana Quirot (61)
  8. Jack Nicklaus (84)
Many TTM senders are willing to share their successes or failures, mailing address, waiting times, and other experiences at sites like SportsCollectors.net.

1 comment:

The Angels In Order said...

Impressive, but how do you get them to mail it back...a large SASE with a stiffener?