Lately my posts have focused on all sorts of random topics ranging from baseball card shows to reality TV. I try to write about what interests me, and hope you all find some enjoyment from it. Since this is a sports autograph community, I realized I need to make a bigger effort to write more posts directly related to our hobby.

One of the questions I get asked repeatedly is "What is your favorite autographed card?" My answer is that it is so hard to pick one (as I must have somewhere between 10,000-20,000), but it would have to be a multi-signed one. So this post will be dedicated to my love for collecting multi-signed cards.

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved cards with multiple players. Whether it's the 60's-80's Topps leaders or the 80's Fleer Baseball specials, they have always appealed to me. I have always loved picking up cards featuring multiple stars (even before I fell in love with autograph collecting). So once I caught the autograph bug in the 1980's, multi-signed cards quickly became a passion.

The first trick is to find the unsigned card with multiple players I feel I can possibly get to sign it. You'd think this would be easy, but it's tougher than you'd think. One of these days I'll get smart and make a list of cards I think can fit this description - then I can look on eBay, Sportlots, and at card shows to pick these up. Some of the ones I look for are a few bucks, but the vast majority are commons. Dime and quarter boxes at shows seem to be gold mines for finding these.

The golden rule of this hobby is to never send anything to players that you don't want to lose, as there are no guarantees you will get it back. There is certainly risk when you send a card that has already been signed to someone else. I have lost some really nice items over the years (even sending to guys who have been consistently good signers), but it makes getting one back with multiple signatures all the more rewarding.

Right now I have a pile of roughly 300 cards that feature multiple players, that have been signed by only one. Some of these I know I will never get signed by more than one, and others I know I have to get around to sending out.

Below are some of my favorite multi-signed cards:

I love 1970's NBA, and these are simply gorgeous. Each featrues 3 different HOF point guards that I was able to get signed by mail. The 1973 Topps would be tough to get now, as Dave Bing has not been signing the past year and half.

If I had a gun to my head to pick my favorite signed card, I would probably pick the 1972 card (with Jerry West) as my favorite. If I get the Koufax-Gibson-Marichal-Perry card signed by all four, it would be the no-brainer winner.

Continuing my theme of 1970's NBA, here are three 1975 Topps team leaders. I am casually working on the 1975 Topps set, so I have been trying to get a bunch of these. All of these signatures I received by mail, and I just got Rick Barry to sign the Warriors leaders earlier this week.

Switching to baseball, I almost have the clean sweep of 1968 Topps NL pitching leaders. Only missing is Chris Short on the ERA leaders (who passed away in 1991). I really love the Strikeout laeaders that features 3 HOFers.

For NHL, my favorite is the 1973 Topps Espostio-Clarke Scoring leaders. As a Bruins fan, I really wanted Espo - it took over 2 years to get it back personalized to me (back in 2003).

Even though I think the super shiny silver Eric Lindros-Gordie Howe card is beyond ugly (I am not a fan in most new cards in general), I still love it. I got it when that set came out in the late 90's and sent it to Lindros in the offseason. I had no other card of Mr Hockey, so I sent him this one and he came through big time.

It's also worth noting how Federko and Mullen signed on top of the other guy's name. I have seen this card signed before, and it is always signed this way. I believe it is because OPC screwed up and mismatched the names and pictures (as Federko was the one with a mustache and not Mullen).

When I can't find a good multiplayer card, I have started to send out team cards. The 1977 Topps Canadiens card I picked up in a dime box and have since gotten it signed by Guy Lapointe, Guy Lafleur, and Yvon Cournoyer. Need to send it to Jacques Lemaire and Bob Gainey next. 

I need to be on the lookout for Tony Esposito and Gilbert Perreault to finish each of the cards on the right column.

About 4 years ago I stumbled upon the 1991 Pinnacle set from MLB, NFL, and NHL. There was a subset in each called Pinnacle Idols, featuring a current player and their childhood hero. The combos here are Ron Cey-Gregg Jefferies, Thurman Thomas-Earl Campbell, and Sandy Alomar-Roberto Alomar.

I was drooling when I got the cards on the left, and I am not even a Bills fan who has lost brain cells freezing to death at games in Ralph Wilson stadium. The Jim Kelly-Andre Reed and Bruce Smith-Darryl Taley combos are awesome.

Before he got in the HOF, Eric Dickerson was a great signer by mail. It took me many years later to find Curt Warner at his car dealership to finish off this awesome 1987 leaders card. It is interesting as these two were also on the Rushing leaders card in 1984 Topps - the rookie season for both players.

There was a very brief window when Jerry Rice signed by mail while with the Raiders, and I was able to get this great card with him and Andre Reed. It was probably one of the biggest surprise successes I have ever had in 20+ years.

So far I've shown cards featuring bigger stars and HOFers. But I do not necessarily discriminate, I love to get lesser players on newer cards such as the ones pictured directly above.

My favorite of this group is the 1989 Fleer Basketball card featuring Cavs All Stars Brad Daugherty-Larry Nance-Mark Price.

The 1993 Rookie Checklist is also interesting, as Rick Mirer, Lincoln Kennedy, and Garrison Hearst all had significant obstacles with their inital teams in the picture. If only Curtis Conway could take some time away from his new bride (Laila Ali) and start signing so I could finish the card off.

Even though I am too young to remember, Goose and the Mad Hungarian were two of the more colorful characters of the 1970's closers - and I knew the second I saw the card that I had to get it signed by both.

It was tough for me, but I had to leave the 1988 Fleer Damon Berryhill-Jeff Montgomery dual signed rookie card out of the scan... I have a number of those types in my collection. 

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I'd love to hear about other members who have good luck collecting multi-signed cards. I am always looking out for new ones to add to my collection and would love to hear what you guys have gotten. Please post comments or contact me with ones you have gotten.

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