I've been starting on a project to get every card autographed from the late 80s and early 90s card sets that Pacific produced. The vast majority I'll be mailing. For the most part, I've been able to find where a lot of former players are coaching or working now. There are a few I have absolutely no info on though, and I was wondering if anyone might be able to help point me in the right direction as to where they are now. Claudio De Oliveira Frank Rasmussen Eloy Salgado Stan Terlecki David Byrne Nenad Nikolic I'm guessing De Oliveira may be in Brazil, Rasmussen may be in Denmark, Salgado is in Texas (and appears to have a lengthy criminal record), Terlecki may be in Poland, Byrne may be in South Africa, and anyone's guess is as good as mine on Nikolic. If anyone can give me any clues on these guys I'd greatly appreciate it!
Thanks! I found a construction company that appears to be owned by his father (Eloy Sr.), so I may try there. Seems like even his son (Eloy III) wants little to do with him-- on his previous college team's website bio, he listed his mother and stepfather as his parents, and even has gone with a last name of Salgado-Adams (his stepfather's last name being Adams). I found Byrne recently, so I'm down to just 4 or 5. I also found a Claudio De Oliveira playing for an over-50 club in Brazil, but I'm not sure if it's the same guy or not. There's a different birthdate for him from what's on the cards, but Pacific wasn't exactly known for their accuracy and fact-checking, so who really knows?
very cool. I have been sending out emails and sending pictures which are vhs screen grabs for autographs and it has been a lot of fun. I have had very positive response and I have had a few players that said send it and I will sign it and it has never come back. Which for a collector and somebody who spends a ton of time working on the collection it sucks. I sent a bunch of games to Nathan Sacks which he played in and it cost about 25.00 to make the games and was 30.00 to ship to South Africa included sharpies and return packaging with pictures and he never sent it back. But for the most it has been a great experience.
I've been doing this for a few years now with other sports and a little with soccer (I got back 4 of the 5 I sent back in 2012; since 2007, I've gotten back about 500 of about 800 that I've sent out in other sports). I stick just to cards since they're cheap-- I've had enough in other sports that haven't come back that I figure I should just stick to things I can replace fairly easily.
I wish I knew where Frank Rasmussen is. Like you said, he's probably back in Denmark. Do you have any contact info for Erik Rasmussen, though?
Erik is with Football For A New Tomorrow (FANT) in Denmark. I just mailed to him there about a week and a half ago. I'll keep you posted on what happens.
Thanks very much! That's a great project you're doing. I am doing a book about the history of the Wichita Wings and Erik is one of the major guys we've wanted to interview. I knew he had been coaching in Denmark but had lost track since he left his last club. We've been able to find most of the former Wings players and coaches. (Roy Turner and Kevin Kewley are still here in Wichita. Kim Roentved comes down here periodically. I could probably get you signed cards of all of them for you at some point.) Could I get contact info for Per Roentved and Jorgen Kristensen if it's not too much trouble? You can private message me.
Big time. Insanely enough, I'm not even putting as much time and effort as some collectors I know in other sports. There are the crazy completists out there who need to get everything done on their pet projects, no matter how crazy it is. There's at least one baseball player I know of who was largely a nobody (the only thing he's famous for on the field is having the most pitching appearances in a season) and charges $225 per autograph... and I know people who have paid it just because they "need" it for their set. He's in a baseball set I'm doing, but I'd rather put that money elsewhere. I'll search everywhere to track down players, but if it would cost me more than $20 to add a certain signed card to this project, I'd rather just have that hole in it.
trust me, I am right with you. Go see my youtube page and my "Art-ifacts" page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl4wH0hgCLi7YORzn-3yLAw http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/misl-art-ifacts.1975687/
Very nice! Saw King and McLeod in there-- they're the first two I've gotten back on this project so far.
Looks like I need to add Chico Moreira to my list of those I can't find. He was near Cleveland last I heard but the last known address I had for him got hit with the ol' Return To Sender/Unable To Forward sticker.