Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A No Autograph Autograph Card

The title leave you confused?  Puzzled?

Well, allow me to explain.

Darwin Barney was included in 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Edition set.  He was coming off a great career at Oregon State and had just been drafted by the Cubs.

First off is the has a base card.


Then, along with OSU teammate Mitch Canham, he's included in the College Ties insert set. 


This is a shiny gold foil carded numbered to 500.



There's also a green foil card /1500.


The two were also paired on a jersey card, again numbered to 500.

Then, we get to the autograph card.  It's also numbered, though only to 100.  Here's part of the back...



....which states that...


....it includes authentic autographs personally signed by Darwin Barney and Mitch Canham.

Now, take a look at the front...


....and only one autograph, Cahahm's.  Barney's sticker should be on the top of the card, but instead it says....


....No Autograph!

My very first No Autograph Autograph card!

According to this page on the Panini website, they tried but could never get Barney to sign.  The site also specifically mentions this card, and that it will have a "No Autograph" stamp on it.  Barney was also supposed to have a couple redemption cards in the set, but had to be replaced.

I wonder what happened?  It doesn't seem like Barney to stiff them.  Was he promised something that Panini didn't deliver?  He signed a boatload of cards for USA baseball around the same time.  Was he exclusive to them?

For whatever the reason, I end up with a no autograph card and an autograph of a catcher that spent most of 2012 with Long Island in the independent Atlantic League.

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