Couple of TTM Questions. And have 12 ROMLB to send out. Who gets 'em? Would love some advice

[zooiiks]

I'd like to send a ball and an 8x10 to someone, but I'm not sure how to package such a thing without the pic getting bent. I read the tutorial on how to package baseballs and it's wonderful, but how do you send a ball AND a pic or a card(s)? Any ideas?

Also, I've read a lot of people saying they requested sigs in silver or blue or gold or whatever or asking for a specific inscription. How do you do that without sounding greedy? There are a couple of things I have I'd like signed in silver and some things I'd like signed HOF, but it sounds wrong asking for the player to do so. Is it sort of a: "would you mind?" thing?

As for the baseballs, I'm thinking:

Kershaw
Mussina
Whitey Ford
Boggs
Goose
Kaline
Paul O'Neill

In the running:

Carlton
Rollie
Sandberg
Niekro
Fergie
Dawson
Bench
Beltre
Frank Thomas
Blyleven
Bunning

Depending on cost (signings coming up in my area):
Ozzie Smith
Bob Gibson

Or just save for other guys?

I don't have that much money. This is prob it for baseballs for me, so I want it to be as special as possible, I guess. I'd love to get Trout, but I don't see it happening. Is it worth trying next season? I'm afraid of going after big-time specs because of the money I had to spend on the balls. I already have my fav players on baseballs (except Mussina, O'Neill and Mattingly).

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

[Coltron57]

I've never sent balls before, but I know that sending a pen of a color of your choice is a popular option for those that do. As for inscriptions I've always treated it as a "if possible would you mind adding insert inscription here?" You have a solid list there for players to send to. I'd recommend Carl Erskine. Not a HoFer, but I've seen plenty of returns from him where he adds numerous inscriptions. I believe there are some pictures of his signed balls in the TTM Manager under his name if you'd want to see some examples. Good luck!

[r0yals2012]

I second on Erskine. He fills the balls with stats. I'd do Beltre, Sandberg ($5), Kaline ($5), Gossage ($10), Dawson ($20), Fingers ($10), Boggs (will sign for free, but I recommend $5), Bunning (small donation), O'Neill, Kershaw. Rest are a lot riskier and don't have a very high success rate. I would only send balls to people with at least a 90% success rate because balls are so expensive. Also for sending balls send in a plastic bag with a pen. Blue works best but your preference. About 6 stamps each way for a ball. And for a card, do not put in a sleeve or a top loader because they can sign the toploader and not the actual card. And a photo, if you want to protect it put some cardboard around it. That will protect it a little but add some extra postage. I always write do not bend on it but half the time it is bent to heck.

[OC22]

While this isn't a ton of help, Trout usually does one or two signings per year via MLB Alumni Association. That's the good news. The bad news is it'll cost you $200-$250 for a baseball or 8x10. While that's a giant pile of cash, (in my opinion), it's worth it for a future Hall of Famer.

Most of the guys on your list do signings throughout the year for varying fees. I'm usually willing to pay the fee (as long as it's not too absurd) to guarantee an authentic signature. That said, if you prefer TTM, go for it! I've had many returns I never thought I'd see again, so it's always worth a shot!

[zooiiks]

Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! $200-250 for Trout? I'm unfortunately going to have to pass. I gotta go the less expensive route of ttm.

So does anyone have any suggestions on how to package a ball with an 8x10 and/or a baseball card w/out the ball destroying the former? Many thanks again!

[grifnutz]

The only thing I can imagine sending both at the same time is putting them into a box that is big enough for the photo to be flat.

I would suggest sending them separately, as the weight of having a box big enough to send both inside another box that is bigger than that will be extremely expensive to send each way.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/threa...d-info-threads ----- Go down to the 4th entry on this thread for instructions on sending a baseball by itself. Note that the # of stamps maybe be different since 2009.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/threa...o+send+an+8x10 ----- the 2nd entry in this thread is quick and easy for an 8x10. Again. the prices may have changed. And possibly put some thin cardstock/cardboard into the envelope to keep the photo protected.

Get everything ready and do not seal anything. Go to the post office, have them price out the SASE 1st, then seal it. Put the sealed SASE into the other envelope/box and seal it, then have the PO ship that and you're done.

[zooiiks]

That makes sense. Ok. I'll send them separately. Will just have to double up on the donations.

Do you think it's too risky to send to Kershaw at the Dodgers now? Wait 'til next year? I'm worried he'll suddenly stop signing

[grifnutz]

Send to Kershaw now. He signs in the offseason before Spring Training starts.

[OC22]

The only thing I can imagine sending both at the same time is putting them into a box that is big enough for the photo to be flat.

I would suggest sending them separately, as the weight of having a box big enough to send both inside another box that is bigger than that will be extremely expensive to send each way.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/threa...d-info-threads ----- Go down to the 4th entry on this thread for instructions on sending a baseball by itself. Note that the # of stamps maybe be different since 2009.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/threa...o+send+an+8x10 ----- the 2nd entry in this thread is quick and easy for an 8x10. Again. the prices may have changed. And possibly put some thin cardstock/cardboard into the envelope to keep the photo protected.

Get everything ready and do not seal anything. Go to the post office, have them price out the SASE 1st, then seal it. Put the sealed SASE into the other envelope/box and seal it, then have the PO ship that and you're done.

As of this summer, it's seven stamps for a baseball. You may be able to get away with six, but it'd be close. I use seven just to be safe.

[pzero]

Didn't you make a post about how sending 8x10's was too expensive? Definitely not cheap to do ROMLB.