[jpleazme805]

What players autos have you got In Person (IP)?

It would be a cool idea to hear people's stories & see their pictures..

I received an autograph "Custom Made Card" of Thomas Kelati today from folkertino. At first, I thought the card was of Kobe, since I was opening up the envelope in my car & only glanced at the face.. thought it was a younger picture of kobe, but knew it was not him. I never heard of Thomas Kelati. So as soon as I got home, I had to read up on him. He has had a tuff career, jumping around from team to team & league to league..

but he did attend Lakers Training Camp... because of that, he will be a great asset to my Lakers Collection..

Because of that, I probably have 1 of the only 2 autograph basketball cards of him wearing a Lakers Uniform... (I'll post pictures tomorrow)

When I was in high school I used to go to Lakers practice games at UCSB (University California Santa Barbara)... My brother was a school photographer, so he would use his little school photo pass & talk his way onto the court before & after the games to take pictures & get autographs... he would then take them the following year to get them signed... or mail them to the players to get signed..

I did the same thing, but my pictures never turned out that good.. the pictures I have signed are in storage up in Santa Barbara, Ca.. I live in San Diego...

I used to go to Charity games at the Staples Center too.. don't go very often any more, because it is hard to get out of work.. well, used to be.. I was in the Navy for 12+ years.. now I have a little more free time & hoping to attend some games this season..

when I was in high school & a few years after, My Dad would get free tickets from Bill Bertka. Anybody remember him? I was lucky to meet a few basketball players at his house, when I would beg my dad to go with him to work.. as my Dad was a plummer.. Bertka or his Wife would always tell me stories of the Lakers..

Well, here are a few pictures that are on my brothers facebook page..

[taffster74]

Closest I've got to in person autos are four Andrew Gaze cards (1991-92 Wild Card, 1994 Futera series 1 & 2 base, 1995 Futera base) that a friend of mine got signed for me when Gaze was in talks to buy the melbourne tigers. my friend was part of those talks so he was able to get the cards to Andrew.

[rjcj2017]

I have two favorite (short) stories ...

One was back in 1998-99, I was at a Toys R Us in Sacramento, and I saw Michael 'Yogi' Stewart of the Kings walk in (not for a signing, just as a customer ...)

I remembered I had gone to a Kings game a couple of weeks before, and I had the game program in my trunk — which just so happened to have Yogi on the cover.

He was a really nice guy and signed it in red Sharpie (the only color I had with me, LOL) ...

The other one was in the 96-97 season, when the Kings played the 76ers, their only visit to Arco Arena that season.

Allen Iverson was a rookie and Jerry Stackhouse was in his second year, and I got them both to sign my program before the game.

At the time, they were like the most popular young backcourt in the league, so it was pretty awesome.

Great thread, thanks ...

[folkertino]

Thanks for the dedication thread - although I'm not dead yet, lol.

Glad you liked the Kelati card. Here's a video of the signing session: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miS5ewGkp5k I think they started recording pretty late, because there were way more people than you see in the video. I'm in the video at 0:59 in the queue and appear wearing a grey shirt when the guy with the black shirt moves to the (viewer's) left.

The great thing about getting in-person auto's from Americans and other English speakers here in Spain is that they're so relieved they can speak Englsih to someone. You say like "Hey, how are you doin'" and it's such an ice breaker.

My in-person pick ups from last Sunday are

William Buford


Bernard Hopkins (not the boxer) custom card - former Valencia player, this is a huge set I'm making for our local team.


Mindaugas Lukauskis custom card - same set


Other in-person auto's I got:

Thomas Kelati of course
Ime Udoka (currently Spurs coaching staff)
Nando de Colo (current Spurs)
Victor Claver (current Trailblazers)
Nik Caner-Medley
Justin Doellman
Taquan Dean
Pooh Jeter
Chuck Eidson
Yaroslav Korolev (former Clippers)
Rudy Fernandez (former Trailblazers, Nuggets)
Juan Carlos Navarro (former Grizzlies)
Fran Vazquez (drafted Timberwolves, never claimed)
Henk Norel (drafted Timberwolves, to be possibly claimed next season)
Brad Newley
A.J. Ogilvy
Kirk Penney
Florent Pietrus (Valencia player, brother of Mickael Pietrus)
Rafa Martinez
Serhiy Lishchuk
Vitor Faverani
Stefan Markovic
Marko Keselj

and through the mail auto's I got from Rik Smits, Geert Hammink and another one from Henk Norel.

[Blury1]

Once I wa at a bar and Alfonso soriano when he played for the Texas rangers I got him to sign a napkin on another note he was making out with a super ugly white girl that night always found that funny for some reason

[rjcj2017]

Once I wa at a bar and Alfonso soriano when he played for the Texas rangers I got him to sign a napkin on another note he was making out with a super ugly white girl that night always found that funny for some reason

And I thought my stories were cool ... LOL

[jpleazme805]

FOLKERTINO... I told the other Beckett Amigos that I'd post a pic of the card you sent me.. Been trying to find a case to put it in.. right now, it's sitting on the dresser in a document protector...

Thanks. I still owe you!!

[folkertino]

Been trying to find a case to put it in.. right now, it's sitting on the dresser in a document protector...

Yeah, I noticed when I wanted to store my card that it was way too big. I have put it in an A4 document protector for the time being and hope to find an A5 soon.

[quavis]

I ve gotten several through the years. Ill have to post scans later. The players I have met and gotten Autos fromn are: Muggsy Bouges, Dell Curry, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Boris Diaw, Tyrus Thomas, and one other guy.....Oh yeah Michael Jordan. Of course meeting Michael was a dream come true, and I wont tell the story again since everyone has heard it Im sure.

[creativemunky]

I ve gotten several through the years. Ill have to post scans later. The players I have met and gotten Autos fromn are: Muggsy Bouges, Dell Curry, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Boris Diaw, Tyrus Thomas, and one other guy.....Oh yeah Michael Jordan. Of course meeting Michael was a dream come true, and I wont tell the story again since everyone has heard it Im sure.

Nope.....didnt hear it.