With 2022 coming to a close, I set career highs in both attempts (251) and successes (141). I added 24 ‘retry/ replies’ -or players that I have tried previously and failed on in the past. I was probably most pumped about finally getting Garrison Hearst on his beautiful Classic 1993 card. In total the encyclopedia is sitting at 4,869 autographed cards- with 641 being added in calendar 2022. Troy Benson (LB) was the first response of the season.
Members of the World League continue to dominate the furthest distance list, with Victor X Ebubedike joining the top 5 just a few miles out of the top 3. (There are still a few players in Europe and Canada that I’m still after.)
Three late in the year additions came in clocking at over 1000 days each. Ernie Mills, a send out from 2017, jumped into the top 3. Then later on Tim Lewis, a 2019 send out showed up, pushing former Eagle Calvin Williams at 1227 days, out of the top 8. I got Mike Munchak on a retry reply at a shade over 1000 days, but he missed the top 8 by about 300 days. Still I hadn’t seen this much action in the top 8 in quite a few years. Typically I write requests off at about a year. It seems that there’s actually a steep decline in responses around that point. I doubt I’ll see anything older than 2016 come back, as my address changed and the forwarding is long gone/ expired.
Although COVID has left a mark on the hobby, the numbers indicate that I had already increased my workload in the year prior to the pandemic. 2022 was quietly a banner campaign in both attempts and successes- with about 56% responding to requests. That fits in just slightly below my career average of 58%.
The big movers this year as far as set needs are concerned:
- Fleer 1990 +46
- Action Packed 1990 +31
- Gameday 1992 +26
- Skybox Impact 1992 +16
These sets are close to being completed:
- Upper Deck University of Texas 2011 – 3/100
- Action Packed 1990 Rookies & Stars – 15/84
- Pro Set WLAF – 20/150
On a side note I completed out my first set:
- Topps AAF 2019 Certifed Autographs (104)