A Ron Swanson Parks and Recreation Inscription Autograph: MAPLE. (!)

My collecting has really changed over the last couple of years as I have started to sell off about 90% or so of everything I own. For various reasons I came to the conclusion that condensing my collection into what I really love and want would be the best idea. Frankly, it's long overdue. While I am selling a lot and plucking more every day to list, one thing will always remain a collecting staple: Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson autographs!

The 2013 Press Pass Parks and Recreation set remains an absolute collection centerpiece and love for me, always and forever. Parks is one of my all-time favorite shows and outside of the set not including signatures from Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, and Rashida Jones....it's perfection in cardboard form.

When this Offerman inscription auto popped, I had to make a play for it. Nick only inscribed 29 cards, and with Ron Swanson being so damn popular, they have always commanded a ton of attention. It took me a decade to land one and I will basically snag any going forward within monetary reason. That is, until I get a sugar momma and can buy them all!

I sent it off to SGC as it was cheaper to go with them than keep the consistency of using PSA as I did the first time around. I don't remember a specific reference to maple on the show (I'm old, my brain only works so well) but I assume it's related to Ron's love of woodworking and his belief that maple is a superior type of wood.

Ron Swanson and Crying: Only at Funerals and The Grand Canyon

One of my biggest collecting and television joys of all-time is Parks and Recreation. I came to the show a little late but instantly fell in love and came to the card set right away with the same love. I feverishly put together the Master Set and busted four boxes of the product (oh, I should've bought so much more). My first box remains the best box of anything I have opened as I pulled Nick Offerman and Aubrey Plaza signatures, the two cards I desired more than any other. But I've always been missing something from the set.

At long last, an inscription autograph has found its way to me! For as many signatures as Offerman contributed to the set, only 29 included inscriptions of memorable Ron Swanson quotes. Acquiring one has been a goal since the moment I knew they existed and this card was a definite Holy Grail type of item. They almost never popped up and when they did they were well out of my range.

Patience, as it so often does, pays off. I did not particularly care which inscription I ended up with so long as I ended up with one....but damn if this isn't a fantastic one to have! The line comes from Season 3, Episode 1: "Go Big or Go Home."

Ron coaches a youth basketball team and details his legendary Pyramid of Greatness with life lessons and musings, and as we all know:

Crying - Acceptable at Funerals and The Grand Canyon

Here's the reverse of this beautiful specimen. It's POP 2 for dual grade with only 1 higher but I would venture to say it's the only inscription or maybe one of two PSA has graded. I will never, ever part with this collection centerpiece -- this Cardboard Mount Rushmore staple. Long live Ron Fucking Swanson!

Nick Offerman's Shirt Lands In My PC.

I added yet another hit to my Parks and Recreation Collection, and it's one I've had my eye on since the checklist was released. Ron Swanson is my favorite character on P&R, so nabbing a swatch of his shirt was a must. After losing numerous auctions, I finally succeeded.

This goes oh so well with the Nick Offerman auto I pulled from my box of Parks and Rec. It was had for just $6.75 shipped and the shirt piece has great color and great feel to it. The shirt was worn by Nick in Episode 2 of Season 5. Plus, that 'stache.

Box Break: 2013 Press Pass Parks and Recreation (BEST PULLS EVER!!!)

I absolutely had to bust a box of 2013 Press Pass Parks and Recreation. Parks and Rec is one of my all-time favorite shows. The writing is phenomenal, the cast is one of the best ever assembled, and Ron MotherF'in Swanson. Boxes are very affordable and guarantee a full base set, two autos, and a relic. I got the base set and 24 foil parallels, but the hits are the biggest and real draw. My goal was simple: pull autographs of Nick Offerman and Aubrey Plaza.

YES YES YES YES YES!!! This beautiful and on-card Nick Offerman auto was the second hit I pulled but is by far my favorite. It was the card I wanted most and serves as my second signature of the man who portrays Ron Swanson, one of the greatest characters ever created in any medium. Nick signed about 30 of his cards with 1/1 inscriptions ranging from "Bacon" to "AMERICA" to "Salty Jazz" to "Duke Silver." I hope to one day acquire one.

Wooooo! My box break dreams have come true! This gorgeous Gold Parallel autograph, numbered 33/99, was the first hit to come out of my P&R box, and when paired with my Swanson Sig fulfilled my greatest hopes for this box. I'm a huge fan of Plaza and her brand of comedy. Her portrayal of April Ludgate is fantastic, she's mentioned in one of my favorite Childish Gambino songs, and she's a stone-cold fox. What more could a guy ask for?

How about an Aubrey Plaza hotbox? My relic was this awesomely awesome dual relic featuring a piece of Plaza's hoodie and a swatch of her shirt to boot. It's the Blue Holo Parallel and is numbered out of a scant 25 (23/25). The texture of the memorabilia pieces is really cool as well. I'm stoked that the shirt piece I got has an entire owl on it. And again, she's a babe.

I am so, so, so tempted to bust another box, but I'm holding off for now. There are a few hits I still aim to add to my collection, and I'd eventually like to put the foil base parallel set together. A Foil Want List will soon be up for your viewing pleasure.

The Greatest Mailday EVER: A Nick Offerman, a.k.a. Ron Swanson, Auto.

Late last year I saw a post over at It's like having my own Card Shop about the most amazing and manly TTM success ever. Though I had never sent out a through-the-mail request up until that point, I immediately knew that would soon change and I would be undertaking a vital and crucial mission. GET NICK OFFERMAN'S AUTOGRAPH AT ALL COSTS.

For those of you unfamiliar with the man's phenomenal work, he portrays the venerable Ron Swanson on one of the greatest pieces of art ever produced, Parks and Recreation. I'm a huge fan of Swanson and of Offerman's work and general being; you could even say he's a hero of sorts. Vegetarians and mustache haters, send your complaints my way.

I relayed to Mr. Offerman that I am a huge fan of his work on Parks and Rec, really enjoy his viral videos, and aspire to one day have half the stache he does. He personalized the 8x10 he sent my way accordingly with "Greg, Admire my girth." Totally bitchin'. I need to get this framed ASAP. He was also kind enough to include a second signed picture I requested for a friend of mine, which I hope she'll enjoy.

A tremendous thank you to Mr. Offerman for the fantastic picture, his generosity in sending it my way, and his great work. I highly recommend everybody send a request to Nick at: lee.offermanwoodshop@gmail.com