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Help with Forbes Column I'm Writing About Rare Baseball Player

Hi Autograph Friends,

I'm writing a column about the appearance of Choo Choo Coleman, an original '62 Met and cult favorite, this past weekend. Before his first autograph show in 2012, he had disappeared for 40 years. This weekend marked only his second appearance in half a century.

Can anyone think of a baseball player who vanished for so long and reappeared? Or maybe a celebrity. I'm trying to make the argument that it creates huge pent-up demand. The show I attended had an hour-long wait for Coleman and they ran out of photos and inscription tickets.

David (Seideman)

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Permalink Reply by Pete Bendu on March 15, 2016 at 10:52am

One name that comes to mind is Spencer Milligan, not a baseball player but an actor who is quite memorable as Rick Marshall in the Land Of The Lost and so many tv shows of the 70's.

He has yet to pop up at a show to sign but he did sign some trading cards for a company last year, after being off the radar since the 80's.

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Permalink Reply by David Seideman on March 15, 2016 at 11:51am

Okay, thank you, Pete. I remember that show well.

David

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Permalink Reply by Pete Bendu on March 15, 2016 at 11:56am

I just read the Hollywood Collector show list for the April show. If you can push your article until after that event, you will have a few opportunities there, Lewis Smith (The North & The South, Heavenly Kid and Buckaroo Banzai) and Damon Hines (Lethal Weapon franchise and Buckaroo Banzai) will both be there. Among plenty of others.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on March 15, 2016 at 3:05pm

Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner attended New England Super Megafest Comic Con in 2014. I hope that this helps your research David.

Lee Majors Autograph

Lindsay Wagner Autograph

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Permalink Reply by David Seideman on March 16, 2016 at 7:58am

Thank you, Mike.

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Permalink Reply by TradeGeek on March 16, 2016 at 5:23pm

I remember reading some time back about an autograph collector who wanted to complete a set of every fighter who ever fought M Ali. He got all but one. Despite great effort he could never find "Sweat Jimmy" Robinson. (I had to look up the name, he had a short career). The guy fell off the face of the earth. Within a year or two of his Ali fight, he was never heard from again.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on March 16, 2016 at 5:27pm

bill russell

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Permalink Reply by David Seideman on March 17, 2016 at 4:44pm

Yes, that's a good one. He went years, right?

David

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Permalink Reply by Dane on March 17, 2016 at 4:38pm

Part of the popularity is also driven by marketing hype. If someone "never" makes public signing appearances, individuals may buy tickets under the possible expectation that the signer won't do another appearance.

I suppose it's the opposite of Monte Irvin, Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson and Mickey Mantle appearances. Due to their prevalent appearances and willingness to sign thousands (millions?) of cards, perceived value of their signatures are suppressed.

Imagine what a single signed Mantle ball would go for if he didn't do the show circuit in the 80s/90s.