TTM Success! Pat Verbeek

I received a returned custom just a couple of weeks ago, this one from former Devil, Whaler, Ranger, Star and Red Wing *exhale* - Pat Verbeek, "The Little Ball of Hate".

I'm not sure how many customs I've had returned now but I think the number has finally reached double digits.  Actually out of all the requests that I had previously sent away, I'm only waiting on two returns.  Pretty good numbers in my opinion.



Verbeek signed the 'back' of the card and also a few hockey cards that I also sent along for the ride but are seemingly lost in my stacks of cards that are laid out on my desk.



Not sure of the exact date in which I mailed this lot of customs but it was the latest of the bunch.

TTM Success! Carey Price

Sorry about the lack of updates everyone, hopefully I can pitch in a little more on the blog and keep its head above the water for the time being.

I was happy to wake up this morning to find a self-addressed stamped envelope waiting for me at the end of my hallway, which only means one thing - a TTM success.

Carey Price signed and returned 1 out of the 2 cards that I had sent away to have inked back on June 28, 2011.  I guess he liked the custom card so much that he decided to keep it for himself?

Price became a highight during this years All-Star Weekend for showcasing his sense of humor during the Skills Competition's breakaway challenge.  If you've seen it then you know what I mean.

Here's an article I found earlier in regards to Carey, the All-Star Weekend and his love for autograph collecting.

Thanks Carey!

TTM Success! Michael Ryder

Well it's definitely been a while - but alas another update from Cards From The Crease rises its ugly head.

It has a slack four months since I last sent out a few custom cards to have signed and sent back, it has been two months since I even received a return - but that changed yesterday when Newfoundland native Michael Ryder pulled through.

I sent this custom back on June 28, 2011.  It was one of the first cards that I created to have signed and probably my favorite custom yet.  As time passed and the mailbox didn't deliver, I figured that this card was never going to show up in my hands again.  So you can imagine how happy I was when I pulled the SASE from the box yesterday.

I sent this card before Ryder was signed by the Stars, hence the Bruins logo.  The background on the front features a shot from Ryder's hometown of Bonavista, Newfoundland and the green, white and pink colors at the bottom is taken from the Newfoundland flag before confederation.  It had intentions of creating a series of custom cards showcasing Newfoundland hockey players featuring a shot of their hometown as the background drop and sending it off to have signed and returned but that idea didn't go any further than this card.

The signature is actually on a sticker and stuck to the custom.  The scan doesn't show it but the sticker has a patterned hologram with the words 'Authentic Autograph'.  The first TTM success featuring a stickered signature for me but I'll take it!

The back features Ryder and a background drop of a map of Newfoundland; I still love the idea and look of the custom and this return sort of motivates me to create and send more.

TTM Success! Kelly Hrudey

Another TTM success, this time from former Los Angeles Kings alumni netminder and current Hockey Night In Canada broadcaster Kelly Hrudey.

I was sparked to create a custom and send a letter to Kelly after recently watching his 1987 Game 7 "Easter Epic" performance where Kelly made 73 saves (a playoff record) in a 3–2 Islander victory.

Reverse Side

Along with the custom I sent a 1992-93 Pro Set to have signed and returned, which Kelly happily did - aside from the cards, Mr Hrudey also left a short message on my original letter thanking me for the kind words.

Great return from Kelly Hrudey, I especially admire his choice to script me a personalized message at the botom of the original letter.

TTM Success! Curtis Joseph

I'm stoked to post about my most recent TTM custom return from retired netminder Curtis Joseph!  I remember Cujo most vividly from his time spent with the Oilers and his first stint with the Maple Leafs.
Joseph is recognizable for his masks featuring a snarling dog, inspiration drawn from the Stephen King novel 'Cujo' - which is also his nickname.

I also sent away a this 1998-99 Pacific Paramount card to Joseph to have signed and returned.  Probably my favorite Curtis Joseph card that I've ever owned featuring a photo from the press conference when he announced his signing with the Maple Leafs.  Joseph became a superstar from there becoming one of the franchises fan favorites.

TTM Success! Jean Beliveau

Another great return from one of the classiest players to ever play the game.  I was sparked to write Beliveau after watching his segment on the Legends of Hockey mini-series.

I like where Mr Beliveau decided to place his sig on the custom, directly inside the Stanley Cup.



As a player Beliveau won the Stanley Cup 10 times, and as an executive he was part of another seven championship teams, the most Stanley Cup victories by an individual to date. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.

TTM Success! Wendel Clark

I was surprised to find a ttm return awaiting me in my mailbox yesterday, lately I've almost given up on all the cards that I've sent out - but Wendel Clark pulled through, sending back the cards that I mailed off to him at the beginning of September; his John Hancock included.



Clarks return makes it number eight in my signed custom card collection, not too shabby in my opinion.

TTM Success! Glenn Hall

Another custom TTM return, this one is from Hall of Famer Glenn Hall; former Red Wing, Hawk and Blues crease guard.  And of course, Glenn is the goalie in the famous Bobby Orr flying goal photograph.

I read somewhere that Glenn had stopped signing because he was too busy caring for his sick wife - I hope things have gotten better on their end and so hence why I received this back from Mr. Hall. 

TTM Success! Johnny Bower

Great success from one of the greatest players to ever stand between the pipes.  Mr. Bower took the time to sign my custom card on both sides in black sharpie.

 
The China Wall is an excellent addition to this signed custom trading card thing that I've been building on, his return makes it six in total.

TTM Success! Dion Phaneuf

Well to be honest when I sent this custom away in the mail I didn't really expect to have it returned; but here it is, back in my hands and signed by one of the NHL's top hitters of today.

A few sharpie scratches over his image (my fault for choosing a dark image) from Dion, I can see an 'I' in there - but even so I'm still happy to have this returned even if the signature is a little unidentifiable.

TTM Success! Henri "the Pocket-Rocket" Richard

This is my fastest return yet, only 14 days from Henri Richard who was kind enough to sign my custom and send a few other things back along with it.

Henri retired in 1975 and was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1979.  In 1998 he was ranked by the Hockey News number 29 on their list of 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Like I mentioned earlier, Mr. Richard sent a few other items as well; check under the cut to check them out.

TTM Success! Guy Lafleur

As I have been told, Hall of Famer Mr Guy Lafleur pulled through and signed and returned my custom card that I had sent him.

Very happy about the return from the former Canadien, he was poetry on ice. This return expands my signature custom collection to three.  Fingers still crossed on receiving the others.

TTM Success! Theoren Fleury

Receiving a return from Fleury felt a little up in the air, but he pulled through signing all 3 of the items that I had sent out.

Here's the custom that I made, now sporting the signature.  I'm now 2/3 on my first send out.

Fleury also signed a 92-93 Upper Deck card and a 97-98 Kraft Peanut Butter lid that I sent along.  He even returned a Sakic/Brodeur lid that I sent with the package by accident.

Overall very happy about the return, Fleury was one of my favorite players and someone who I looked up to as a kid.  Great to have him as part of my custom collection.

TTM Success! Don Cherry

Received my first ever TTM success earlier today from Mr Don Cherry on a custom card that I had made just for him.  He signed both sides of the card and even personalized it for me.  Thank you Don for pulling through! 

He also responded to my letter and sent along a few other things as well, check it all out under the cut.