Wanna make some money - help me locate these 3 1989 Topps Baseball Cards

T_Hamilton · 10-20-2022, 10:27 AM

In the Fall of 1989, I was 7 year old boy growing up in Napa, California and my entire attention was on the 1989 Oakland Athletics and their World Series run.

Fast forward 30 years, and I decided I needed to add something to the collection to commemorate my favorite team as a child. Over the last 3 years I have spent my collecting time, trying to hunt down private signings and already autographed 1989 Topps cards of this team. Making the project a bit more difficult is my OCD nature of only wanting the cards signed in blue sharpie.

As you can see in the picture, I am just 3 cards away:

- Todd Burns
- Tony Phillips
- Mike Moore

If you can help me locate one and I successfully purchase it, I have $50 paypal with your name on it!

Thanks for all the help!

Taylor

SupermanBrandon · 10-20-2022, 10:41 AM

What a cool project. Congrats on getting this far. Im sure you've already looked but do any of these guys have Twitter/Instagram/etc that you could reach out to them directly?

shanks25 · 10-20-2022, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Hamilton

In the Fall of 1989, I was 7 year old boy growing up in Napa, California and my entire attention was on the 1989 Oakland Athletics and their World Series run.

Fast forward 30 years, and I decided I needed to add something to the collection to commemorate my favorite team as a child. Over the last 3 years I have spent my collecting time, trying to hunt down private signings and already autographed 1989 Topps cards of this team. Making the project a bit more difficult is my OCD nature of only wanting the cards signed in blue sharpie.

As you can see in the picture, I am just 3 cards away:

- Todd Burns
- Tony Phillips
- Mike Moore

If you can help me locate one and I successfully purchase it, I have $50 paypal with your name on it!

Thanks for all the help!

Taylor

This is my favorite team of all time. I was 16 at the time. Love the set you've put together. Don't have any cards you need. Just wanted to say nice work and thanks for sharing!

ThoseBackPages · 10-20-2022, 10:42 AM

Damn, that is awesome!

towerymt · 10-20-2022, 10:48 AM

Tony Phillips died in 2016

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...e/60507964007/

"“Mike Moore made a good living in Major League Baseball, enough to own a cattle ranch in Arizona and a farm in Oklahoma, where he grew up and still lives. At 58, Moore said, he spends his days ‘just doing the things I enjoy doing,’ and that means working as a volunteer baseball coach at Lookeba-Sickles High School."

Maybe you've tried these leads already? Maybe contact the high school. Or take a trip

ClevelandIC · 10-20-2022, 10:49 AM

Love the World Series inscriptions, this is what it is all about!

towerymt · 10-20-2022, 10:54 AM

1989 Topps PSA/DNA Tony Phillips pop 1.

So you're telling me there's a chance

good luck!

eye4talent · 10-20-2022, 10:55 AM

As a NorCal guy who bought WAY too much ‘89 Topps, I love this!

As mentioned above, Phillips passed away, so that’ll be a waiting game for one of those cards to pop up. But I’d suggest reaching out to Burns directly:

And Probably Moore, too, as Towerymt suggested.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

rngrdanny22 · 10-20-2022, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by towerymt

1989 Topps PSA/DNA Tony Phillips pop 1.

So you're telling me there's a chance

good luck!

And this is "already graded", but there are higher chances there are some non-graded auto copies floating around. Finding one in blue sharpie will be the kicker.

Andr3000 · 10-20-2022, 10:57 AM

Great project. I looked through my small binder of through-the-mail autos I collected as a kid, but none of these guys in there. I had some randoms, good times…Milt Thompson, Horace Grant, Todd Frohwirth, Luc Longley, BJ Surhoff…

towerymt · 10-20-2022, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rngrdanny22

And this is "already graded", but there are higher chances there are some non-graded auto copies floating around. Finding one in blue sharpie will be the kicker.

Yup, agreed. At least we know there's one signed out there. I couldn't find a photo of an 89 Topps signed, but did find a bunch of other cards signed in person by Phillips.

eye4talent · 10-20-2022, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rngrdanny22

And this is "already graded", but there are higher chances there are some non-graded auto copies floating around. Finding one in blue sharpie will be the kicker.

Darn black sharpie…

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

gmarutiak · 10-20-2022, 11:13 AM

Very cool collection! That Rickey Henderson was designed to be autographed. Good luck with your quest.

pnft17 · 10-20-2022, 11:16 AM

Love seeing projects like these. Collectors getting ip auto sets done. Sometimes it’s the obscure guys that hardest to find. Good luck getting those last few!!

eye4talent · 10-20-2022, 11:18 AM

Also, try reaching out to some card shops. Unfortunately, there aren’t many left in the Bay Area, but I always found the owner of Talkin’ Baseball in Danville to be friendly, as well as Peninsula Sports Cards in Belmont. The Danville store particularly seems like the kind of place that would put the word out, maybe put a note on the bulletin board.

The stores in San Rafael and Burlingame might be able to help. Not sure about Stevens Creek, but would be worth a call.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

T_Hamilton · 10-20-2022, 11:26 AM

Thanks for all the great ideas! I will definitely keep this thread updated on the progress... projects like these are what makes collecting so fun!

iluvfish2 · 10-20-2022, 11:42 AM

As far as the card shops...If they went to college I'd try those locations/areas and dont forget where they grew up as home town hero's always have some interest.

You may also want to try and find a few online IP autograph forums/groups as these guys might be a great in to try and find down the specifics.

Obviously with the PSA post above..dont forget to check BGS.

stormshadow815 · 10-20-2022, 12:20 PM

What a fantastic idea and collection, good luck on your hunt!

ScooterD · 10-20-2022, 01:28 PM

Great idea and progress OP

Did anyone else know that Tony Phillips had 2k+ hits and a 46fWAR/51bWAR??

eye4talent · 10-20-2022, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iluvfish2

As far as the card shops...If they went to college I'd try those locations/areas and dont forget where they grew up as home town hero's always have some interest.

You may also want to try and find a few online IP autograph forums/groups as these guys might be a great in to try and find down the specifics.

Obviously with the PSA post above..dont forget to check BGS.

Randomly, Burns and Moore both went to Old Dominion. So that consolidates the search a bit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

calculusdork · 10-20-2022, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eye4talent

As a NorCal guy who bought WAY too much ‘89 Topps, I love this!

As mentioned above, Phillips passed away, so that’ll be a waiting game for one of those cards to pop up. But I’d suggest reaching out to Burns directly:

And Probably Moore, too, as Towerymt suggested.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Interesting ... I am currently sitting ~12 minutes away from there and had no idea this was even a thing.

T_Hamilton · 10-20-2022, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calculusdork

Interesting ... I am currently sitting ~12 minutes away from there and had no idea this was even a thing.

Let me know if you have any interest in taking a drive with a 1989 Topps Todd Burns and a blue sharpie :-D

PuddleMonkey · 10-20-2022, 07:46 PM

I have thousands of in person autos, I'll double check for any of those but odds are it'll be a black sharpie as that was the norm back then. Every so often some moron with a blue sharpie would show up and a player would grab the first pen put in his face and sign everyones stuff with that one pen and it would piss all of us off lol.

Edit: I also know I have a ton of Mike Moore autos because he played for the Mariners.

pnft17 · 10-20-2022, 07:54 PM

Big autograph group on Facebook that all about private signings. Lots collectors doing sets
Like these. Easy to look up. Just search baseball private signings on FB and put a message in there. Sure someone knows leads on them and if any of those guys did signings in past. Hi

PuddleMonkey · 10-20-2022, 08:16 PM

Sorry hommie, nadda.

Anyone know why Larry Walker was signing sideways back in the 90's?

10-20-2022, 10:27 AM	#1
T_Hamilton Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pleasant Hill, CA Posts: 1,903	Wanna make some money - help me locate these 3 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the Fall of 1989, I was 7 year old boy growing up in Napa, California and my entire attention was on the 1989 Oakland Athletics and their World Series run. Fast forward 30 years, and I decided I needed to add something to the collection to commemorate my favorite team as a child. Over the last 3 years I have spent my collecting time, trying to hunt down private signings and already autographed 1989 Topps cards of this team. Making the project a bit more difficult is my OCD nature of only wanting the cards signed in blue sharpie. As you can see in the picture, I am just 3 cards away: - Todd Burns - Tony Phillips - Mike Moore If you can help me locate one and I successfully purchase it, I have $50 paypal with your name on it! Thanks for all the help! Taylor Attached Thumbnails

10-20-2022, 10:42 AM	#4
ThoseBackPages Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 88,606 ThoseBackPages	Damn, that is awesome! __________________ Pumpers Paradise #YouCryIBuy Four things that we cannot change each others minds about: Politics, Religion, Third Party Grading, and 2021 Bowman's Best Rookie Cards

10-20-2022, 10:49 AM	#6
ClevelandIC Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Westlake, Ohio Posts: 5,437 Jakpi20 Jakpi20	Love the World Series inscriptions, this is what it is all about! __________________ Always buying GU/Autos to resell to Blowout. Would love to add them to any deal we do so please let me know what you have!

10-20-2022, 10:54 AM	#7
towerymt Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: VA Posts: 8,547	1989 Topps PSA/DNA Tony Phillips pop 1. So you're telling me there's a chance good luck! Last edited by towerymt; 11-23-2022 at 11:20 AM.

10-20-2022, 10:55 AM	#8
eye4talent Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 7,909 eye4talent eye4talent	Wanna make some money - help me locate these 3 1989 Topps Baseball Cards As a NorCal guy who bought WAY too much ‘89 Topps, I love this! As mentioned above, Phillips passed away, so that’ll be a waiting game for one of those cards to pop up. But I’d suggest reaching out to Burns directly: And Probably Moore, too, as Towerymt suggested. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

10-20-2022, 10:41 AM	#2
SupermanBrandon Banned Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: TN Posts: 15,843	What a cool project. Congrats on getting this far. Im sure you've already looked but do any of these guys have Twitter/Instagram/etc that you could reach out to them directly?

10-20-2022, 10:48 AM	#5
towerymt Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: VA Posts: 8,547	Tony Phillips died in 2016 https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...e/60507964007/ "“Mike Moore made a good living in Major League Baseball, enough to own a cattle ranch in Arizona and a farm in Oklahoma, where he grew up and still lives. At 58, Moore said, he spends his days ‘just doing the things I enjoy doing,’ and that means working as a volunteer baseball coach at Lookeba-Sickles High School." Maybe you've tried these leads already? Maybe contact the high school. Or take a trip

10-20-2022, 10:57 AM	#10
Andr3000 Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 916 andraska Andr3000	Great project. I looked through my small binder of through-the-mail autos I collected as a kid, but none of these guys in there. I had some randoms, good times…Milt Thompson, Horace Grant, Todd Frohwirth, Luc Longley, BJ Surhoff…

10-20-2022, 11:13 AM	#13
gmarutiak Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Baltimore, MD (but Pittsburgh in my heart!) Posts: 3,112	Very cool collection! That Rickey Henderson was designed to be autographed. Good luck with your quest.

10-20-2022, 11:16 AM	#14
pnft17 Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 3,693	Love seeing projects like these. Collectors getting ip auto sets done. Sometimes it’s the obscure guys that hardest to find. Good luck getting those last few!!

10-20-2022, 11:18 AM	#15
eye4talent Member Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 7,909 eye4talent eye4talent	Also, try reaching out to some card shops. Unfortunately, there aren’t many left in the Bay Area, but I always found the owner of Talkin’ Baseball in Danville to be friendly, as well as Peninsula Sports Cards in Belmont. The Danville store particularly seems like the kind of place that would put the word out, maybe put a note on the bulletin board. The stores in San Rafael and Burlingame might be able to help. Not sure about Stevens Creek, but would be worth a call. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

10-20-2022, 11:26 AM	#16
T_Hamilton Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pleasant Hill, CA Posts: 1,903	Thanks for all the great ideas! I will definitely keep this thread updated on the progress... projects like these are what makes collecting so fun!

10-20-2022, 11:42 AM	#17
iluvfish2 Moderator Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lansing, Michigan Posts: 26,684 iluvfish2 iluvfish2	As far as the card shops...If they went to college I'd try those locations/areas and dont forget where they grew up as home town hero's always have some interest. You may also want to try and find a few online IP autograph forums/groups as these guys might be a great in to try and find down the specifics. Obviously with the PSA post above..dont forget to check BGS. __________________ Blowouts Resident Wade Boggs Super Collector

10-20-2022, 12:20 PM	#18
stormshadow815 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,781	What a fantastic idea and collection, good luck on your hunt! __________________

10-20-2022, 01:28 PM	#19
ScooterD Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 5,118	Great idea and progress OP Did anyone else know that Tony Phillips had 2k+ hits and a 46fWAR/51bWAR??

10-20-2022, 07:46 PM	#23
PuddleMonkey Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,622	I have thousands of in person autos, I'll double check for any of those but odds are it'll be a black sharpie as that was the norm back then. Every so often some moron with a blue sharpie would show up and a player would grab the first pen put in his face and sign everyones stuff with that one pen and it would piss all of us off lol. Edit: I also know I have a ton of Mike Moore autos because he played for the Mariners.

10-20-2022, 07:54 PM	#24
pnft17 Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 3,693	Big autograph group on Facebook that all about private signings. Lots collectors doing sets Like these. Easy to look up. Just search baseball private signings on FB and put a message in there. Sure someone knows leads on them and if any of those guys did signings in past. Hi

10-20-2022, 08:16 PM	#25
PuddleMonkey Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,622	Sorry hommie, nadda. Anyone know why Larry Walker was signing sideways back in the 90's?