Fleer Autograph Project - Parts 55 and 56

The 1983 Fleer Project was one of several blogs that led me back to the hobby. I admire the ambition and focus that it takes to build an autograph set of a major flagship issue.  Having to work on a set of 500+ cards seems daunting.  I have too much going on in my real life and my collecting life to be able to take on such a challenge.  Building an autographed 1963 Fleer set, with only 66 cards, has been enough challenge for me.

I went back and looked. I started this quest when I sent some cards out to a public signing in June of 2012. So, I've been working on this for over 4 years.  While I have been moving inexorably closer to completion, it has been something of an asymptotic approach.  For those of you versed in math, you know what I mean.  For those of you who aren't, no worries. Here is an asymptotic curve:

Point being, that the closer you get to the top, the longer the time it takes to make that move.  In some asymptotic curves, you never make it there. While I believe this generally holds true for this project, I did make a fairly significant leap towards completion. I found a seller on EBay who had several autographed '63 Fleers for sale, two of which I needed. I checked around and the seller, Jim Stinson, actually has a great reputation in the hobby world, not just on EBay.  So, even though these cards weren't authenticated, I went after them.

I managed to win both (obviously.)  The Kanehl was a bit steep at $43, but there has been a signed Kanehl card on EBay periodically over the last year where the seller wanted around $125.  I tried a couple of times to talk sense into that seller, since no Kanehl autographed card has sold on Ebay for more than $55, but he stuck to his price.  So, I consider this card a bargain.  It isn't the prettiest signature, what with being ball point, but that is fine with me.

The Siebern, the first such example I have ever seen, came to me at the bargain price of $15.  So, now I have 56 signed 1963 Fleer cards from the 66 card set.  Who do I still need?

Willie Mays
Vic Power
Tom Cheney
Vada Pinson
Bob Purkey
Dick Farrell
Joe Adcock
Roberto Clemente
Ken Boyer
Gene Oliver

You can probably see what I mean about this being an  asymptotic quest. With Mays, Clemente, and Adcock (the card itself was short printed) on the list, I have no reasonable expectation that I will ever make it.  But, that is okay. I am pretty psyched how far I have made it.