One Reservist's love is revealed in the cards

  • Published
  • By Capt. Carla Gleason
  • 433rd Airlift Wing
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Alamo Wing members are all business in their boots and BDUs. But catch a glimpse of them outside the military world, and sometimes it's a different ball game.
At least one member of the 433rd Airlift Wing, has a passion for the New York Yankees baseball team that has him seeing stars, and may prove profitable if he plays his collected cards right.
Staff Sgt. Mike Wagner, from the 433rd Civil Engineer Squadron, collects autographs, mostly of famous baseball players, and it's a personal dream that has developed into a real-world business of sorts.
"I grew up in West Hempstead, New York, and so of course I was a big Yankees fan," said Sergeant Wagner, who became interested in autographs when he saw a friend's collection in 1967. "So I wrote to Joe DiMaggio--or rather the stadium because I didn't have his address--and low and behold it worked. He sent me my first autograph."
From that point on, Sergeant Wagner was hooked. While he traveled around the world with various active-duty Air Force assignments, he began gathering autographs through the mail, at card shows, at training camps, outside of movie premiers and other places where stars frequented.
"It was nice to have more than one of the same autograph--you know--in case something happened to the first," said Sergeant Wagner, and by the early 1980s he amassed 10 to 12 thousand autographs.
"It was a hobby, and still is," Sergeant Wagner said with an enthusiastic grin, "but it's a pastime I realized oth¬ers enjoy as well."
Sergeant Wagner settled into the 433rd Airlift Wing as a reservist in 1992. While he spends his Reserve days working in utilities and as the unit historian, Sergeant Wagner devotes his off time to collecting and selling autographs.
But not all of them have a price.
"Abraham Lincoln's autograph is my favorite piece in the collection," he said, and his eyes light up. He purchased the Lincoln autograph for $1,400 twenty years ago. Now its worth twice that. "It was a Christmas present to myself back in 82'. Some heroes you never sell."
Other notables in the collection include Mickey Mantle, Lauren Bacall, Fred Astaire and, of course, a huge line up of Yankee baseball stars, past and present.
In fact, Sergeant Wagner got to take his pastime one step further in November when he attended the New York Yankees Baseball Fantasy Camp in Tampa, Fla.
"I always wanted to be a baseball player," he said, delving in to his camp experience. "You know they treated you like a real Yankee player for a week, with trainers and everything." And, of course, he scored lots of autographs. "It was like a dream come true. In my neighborhood, all the kids grew up wishing we were these guys, so it was like meeting old friends; even though we'd never met."
Although the participants played baseball everyday, even including a couple of innings with current Yankees players, Sergeant Wagner wasn't there just for fun and games.
"I'm writing a book about the 1973-1975 Yankee stadium renovations," he explains. "I was there during that time and I have a bunch of pictures of the project, and now I am compiling research to finish the project."
The research, which could fill a small filing cabinet, resides in a cardboard box and includes photos, articles, letters, not to mention video taped interviews he conducted with players, architects and others. "I've been gathering information for about three years now," said Sergeant Wagner. "Life gets in the way, but it's a fascinating project."
He has some advice for newbies.
"Collect what you love, not what you think will sell," said Sergeant Wagner. "That way it will always bring you enjoyment."