Bob Feller -- Hall of Fame 1962

Acquired: Foundation Purchase

Purchase Date: 11/5/13

Received: 11/12/13
Turnaround: 7 days
Commentary: Even though Bob Feller passed away three years ago, a stockpile of his autographed baseballs remains available for sale. I made this purchase online through the Bob Feller Museum. This marks the first time I have outright purchased an autographed baseball for my collection. It's also my first acquisition from a deceased player. The Venn diagram below summarizes the motivation behind my purchase. But really, the decision was a no-brainer. As an added note, the ball and the autograph are in excellent condition. This is a real plus when you consider there's no way of knowing for sure how long ago Bob Feller signed this ball. 

Phil Niekro -- Hall of Fame 1997

Acquired: TTM
Sent: 11/22/13
Received: 11/29/13
Turnaround: 7 days
Submittal: $25, ROMLB, LOR, SASE
My request: Blue pen, sweet spot, HOF inscription
Commentary: Phil Niekro turned around my request within a week and followed through on everything asked of him -- with one small exception. The knuckleballer signed with black pen instead of blue. The autograph, however, looks fine and so does the ink. Interestingly, I know Niekro had a blue pen readily available. When he returned the ball to me, he included a nice note both written and signed in blue pen. Niekro's stationery was embroidered with Hall of Fame lingo, including a Cooperstown logo at the top with the names of his fellow induction class. I wonder if that's a perk of induction or if he had that custom-made.