General Forum

I mailed out my first TTM autograph try June 2nd this year. I had started to lose hope but today, (a day before my birthday,) my 3 Kevin Tapani, (surprise!) cards came back auto'd! I was very happy with the process, and will definently try more TTMs in the future. What was your first TTM and was it succesful? Thanks!

My first ever TTM was Shawon Dunston back in the 1990's... and it was successful.

I got away from it for awhile, then started back up in earnest in 2010.  Since then I am 952 of 1451 requests for a return rate just above 65%.  2022 has been slow though... only have a return rate around 38% for this year.

Maybe not my first, but one of my earliest. Circa 2002. I had just gotten into TTM (which I was really into for a good handful of years up until maybe 2016).

Tom Brady.

I still have the card. I need to get it authenticated but I have no reason to think that it isn't authentic. It's a prized possession - he's always been my favorite football player and I'll keep it forever.

I also landed Joey Votto at some point TTM. How big of a Votto fan am I? My cat's name is Votto. So that one was cool. 

Anyway. First one was Mark Buehrle. I think Brady was like the third one I ever got.

I only did it once around 2000. And sent out about ten. All were mailed to the Montreal Expos. I got back Ugueth Urbina, Dustin Hermanson, and Vlad Guerrero (Sr. for you kids out there). I just remembered that I also sent out a Gary Carter photo I took of him talking to Andre Dawson the day he announced his retirement at Olympic Stadium. I must have mailed that out mid 90's and I don't know where I sent that to... I got the photo back and he threw in a promo card as well. The rest...? Who knows what recycling bins they ended up in.

I first sent cards out for TTM maybe 10 years ago to a real variety of current and former players.

Successes included Kirk Cousins, Bill Lee, Jose Contreras, Fernando Viña, Roger Craig. I’ve added a few successes this year: Pat Neshek, Brian Hoyer and Kwity Paye.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a few more make it back to me..

never give up hope, i once had one that came back like 3 and half years later, i used to do a lot of ttm but then i found the trade feature on here and haven't looked back

The first attempt (which happened to be successful) I remember was Mike Henneman, a reliever for Detroit. It was returned within 10 days.

This portion of the hobby is definitely an exercise in patience. Rick Dempsey returned a postcard that he finally signed, and it took - are you ready? - 2002 days!

I've only tried it once and didn't get it back.  Had no idea what to say, so I probably came off as a weirdo. Ha.

It was a James Lofton card, sent to a local TV News station where he was doing analysis during football season.  But it wasn't my best Lofton card, so I'll live. 

I'm surprised Brady signed his.  Dude must get flooded with requests. 

Back in the early 80s I got returns from Jim Palmer, Hank Aaron, Catfish Hunter and Sandy Koufax.  Not sure how many of them are legit (esp. Koufax) but it was nice to get those back as a little kid.

If I had to guess, I would say he doesn't respond to TTM requests anymore. It was 2002, and I remember because it was just a few months after the first Super Bowl. He was still what I would consider a relatively unknown player, or maybe a "flash in the pan" is a better description.