Bob Hooper Purchase

I won #84 Bob Hooper in an auction in eBay a few days ago, and it arrived today.  I was pleasantly surprised that no one else bid on it, so I was able to grab it for the starting bid of $29.99.  I guess it's because the signature is personalized and kind of ugly and the card isn't in great shape either, but Hooper died in 1980, so the pickings are kind of slim.  He is one of two Canadians in the set, the other being #137 John Rutherford.  Incidentally, they are both from the same part of Ontario.  Their hometowns aren't that far from each other.  I don't know who "Larry" is; I wonder if he had brothers named Curly and Moe?

This purchase brings me to 103/274 (37.59%) on the set.  I'm trying to convince myself to sell off a few other pieces of my collection to fund more purchases, but that will probably have to wait until after finals.  I'm looking into moving some 1950's and early 1960's signed Topps cards I have, and a few unsigned 1933 Goudey's I've been holding on to.  

Sam Mele Return

I had one 1949 Bowman come in yesterday, #118 Sam Mele.  He signed it in a little under a month. I think I mailed it out on 3/20 or thereabouts.  This is the first time that Mele has ever signed the card I sent him in the four times I've written.  The first time, he signed two index cards but kept my '49 Bowman, the second time, he kept my '65 Topps and wrote "No card Scott" on my letter, and then the next '49 Bowman I sent him never received a response.  I think what made the difference is I hand wrote my letter.  Usually I type them because my handwriting is atrocious, but I guess that's what he prefers.

This is the 11th signed 1949 Bowman I have.  I'm not actively trying to complete the set like I am with the 1953 Topps, although if I ever win the lottery (or get a job) then I'll try to polish it off after I'm done with the '53 set.

Smokey Burgess Purchase, Carl Scheib, Frank Lary and Steve Mura Returns

I picked up #10 Smokey Burgess off eBay for the 102nd addition to my 1953 Topps project.  I'm now 37.23 % of the way there.  Burgess was a Phillie at the time, which meets my new goal of 1 new Phillie by the end of the year.  On the return side of the ledger, I talked myself in to picking up Carl Scheib's card from the 1949 Bowman set.  He signed it for free at his home in a little over a week. He was card #25, and is the 10th signed '49 Bowman I have.  Frank Lary signed his 1961 Topps card, #243 in about six months at his home in Alabama.  Lastly, Steve Mura signed his 1979 Topps rookie card, #725, in about a week c/o home.  He also included a signed custom card.  The front of the custom is his 1983 Topps card and the back is a logo commemorating the Cardinals 1982 World Championship.  I'm not sure if I'll complete the card; I haven't found a working address for Jim Beswick, and Broderick Perkins seems to be hit-or-miss, with very long wait times when he does sign.  If anyone has had success with either of those two, let me know!  I'd love to complete it.