This time it's real

I teased you in an earlier post. I claimed my 2007 Topps Chrome Refractor of Ken Griffey Jr. was autographed. It's a facsimile signature. But today I have the first card I purchased after Hurricane Katrina. The card that restarted my collection. I give you:

2005 Artifacts
Autofacts No. JR
Numbered 414 / 699

This card has it all. Good design. Great photo. Clear signature. This is a grand slam of autograph cards. I found this card on ebay and it was won for around $80. It was the first time I ever bought a Ken Griffey Jr. autograph. I know. I know. A life long Reds fan and no Griffey Jr. autograph. But I have a great card now (have added three more since) and am proud to show it to all today.
The card itself has a nice, crisp photo of Ken Griffey Jr. smacking Home run 500. The crowd rising and the thunderous cheers raining down. The look on his face as he follows the ball out of the park and begins his trot around the dirt. Touching all four. The colors of the card work well with the photo. I am no fan of the color brown and its derivatives. But, this works well when added all together. The whatever smeared in the back is actually interesting. It offsets and makes the photo stand out even more. The blue ink used for the signature looks great. A black or red would have blended too much or just clashed with the design. The big signing area is great. Now for the back. Most cards nowadays with autographs or relics just have a congrats blurb.
Not this baby!


How cool is it to hit your 500th home run to join that club? How much cooler is it to do it on Father's Day? With Dad and your kids watching? I still remember that homer. I was listening to Reds on the Radio on my xm radio and actually clapped for him. I doubt he heard my claps from 800 miles away but I know he thanked me for them. The card back is well laid out also. Easy to read and lets me know that the autograph is actually certified and authentic. The fact about his 500th home run is a great touch. And Richard McWilliam actually wants me to write him. He gave his address.

So envy me all you want for having this or copy the photos. Print them out. Paste them together and have your own Ken Griffey Jr. autographed card. Just put a new serial number on there so we don't have any confusion in the future.