Official Pay It Forward Thread! Dedicated to Chajones & Aaron ( 4/8/88-4/8/05 )

[CliffAnderson92]

Like others have said, it's a great "warm and fuzzy feeling", both to receive something unexpected, or to return the favor to someone else. I checked the mail one day in May, and was surprised to see that I had gotten an envelope from a fellow autograph collector in Spain. I communicated with him through email on and off prior to that. I'm not sure if he's a member of SCF, but his name is Ian Ashman and he lives in Spain.

I believe that he has been collecting autographs for many years, and has 6,000-7,000+ compared to my 590+ When I got inside and opened the envelope, there was between 7 and 11 autographs inside along with a letter. So I quickly sent him a thank you email, and posted the autographs on my blog.

Then later on I was emailed a few times by another autograph collector that's a big fan of sports, but he has had multiple strokes and was let go of his job of 30 years. He thanked me for sharing my autograph success's on my blog because it helped him to get lots of autographs while he was doing lots of rehab stuff. He told me that he liked my collection of racing autographs, and that Richard Petty was one of his heroes growing up.

His strokes caused him to have to write with his other hand, and at that time he wasn't able to send TTM's requests anymore. He asked me if I knew any email/website address's for racing greats, but I couldn't really help him with that, since I had gotten most of my racing autos ttm. But since I had gotten a bunch of cards signed by Richard Petty, I decided to send him one. I like all of my autographs and cards, but I had many multiples and thought that it would make his day, and would be a piece of his collection that he would cherish. Sending that card to him made me feel really good.

It kind of reminded me how I felt as a little kid,when I stopped breathing one night. I was probably 3-4 years old at the time. I went to the hospital, and while I was there a nurse or doctor gave me a small stack of baseball cards. They became my prized possessions, and I never forgot that. My parents didn't let me buy cards at my local Wal-Mart because they were about $5 a pack, and my allowance at the time was $5 or $6 a week if I did my chores....which I usually only did if I was trying to save up to buy a videogame or something.

But I never gave up on the hobby, bought some cards when I was 12.....then in 2012 I bought a few boxes of 1991-1992 Upper Deck baseball, basketball, football, and hockey cards, hoping to strike it rich with Jordan's and Gretzky's .....but I soon learned how stupid that idea was ......although that led me to finding out about SCF and ttm autographs, and all is well now.

Soon I'm going to send some of my racing ttm multiples to the son of a lady I know in Russia. She's trying to find some hobbies for him besides videogames (he's 12 or 13). She showed him my blog and he thought it was cool and he loves racing, so hopefully he'll like some Petty's, a Schraeder, and maybe another.

I'm sorry for rambling on, but "Paying it forward" is an amazing thing, keep up the great work!

[dbacksfan4life]

This is an awesome idea! I look forward to helping others collection grow!

[papaperk]

Halloween was a BIG success!!! Trick or Treating is over here in Bettendorf, Iowa. Gave away a bunch of candy and also gave away 65 packs of cards! Team bags with 10-15 mixed cards in each. Man did some of the kids get excited. Questions like "Who is your favorite team?" "Do you have any Bears?" "Do you like the Cowboys?". Kids running back to their parents, cards in hand, "Mom, Dad, look what I got!" One young man said he even remembers getting cards last year. Told him to come back next Halloween and maybe I'll have more. One young man, maybe 8 yrs old was by himself except for dad. I asked him if he likes football and without missing a beat he said "Yes sir". His politeness earned him a 2012 Limited Michael Floyd Jumbo patch/auto #ed 1/25. Wish I could see his face when he gets it home and sees it in the light.
Give a kid a "useless" card and that card finds a whole new purpose. I got a smile on my face that won't come off for days, or at least until I have to go back to work!
Happy Halloween everybody and God bless the children!
Rick

[BigBaller23]

I would like to recognize NYC13 who sent me a package on his own free will to help my PC. I can't thank him enough for the kind gesture. I hope to one day make another collector feel the way he has made me.

[ReedAutos]

Nice gesture from nyc13

[patriotsguy]

I would like to recognize NYC13 who sent me a package on his own free will to help my PC. I can't thank him enough for the kind gesture. I hope to one day make another collector feel the way he has made me.

Kudos to NYC13!

[hawk2618]

I've been on this site since 2008 and am always learning how to use it and to try and read posts that look interesting that might help me in collecting today and down the road.Today I saw this thread and said "let me see what this is about"...clicked on it and read a few posts.I then was curious in how it all started and clicked 1st post.Very touching post and teaches us all, its not what you pull in packs,its the magic that happens to someone's face that matters.Hope to read more inspiring posts in the future and God bless Aaron Rick

[ttmtrader101]

Great thread. I collect Jimmy Garoppolo and Robert Woods.

Recently sent out some supplies and a flat rate box of ttm/certified autos and relics to a collector who I knew didn't have much and couldn't afford good supplies for his own PC.

[BillyOcean]

just stumbled across this thread, very touching.

[Trevor44]

That's really cool. I wish I had some autographs to send. (I only have a Ryan Swope auto and a Xavier Su'a Filo auto and nobody knows who they are) I collect Derek Carr and Russel Wilson.