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Kollector’s Korner Met-o-ra-bil-ia Hall of Fame Inductee #6: John Santo — The Cap-tain of Mets Lore


If you’ve been saving our first five installments in plastic sleeves and alphabetizing them by subject, congratulations — you’re one of us. If you’re just joining us, this is the monthly column where we honor those Mets fans whose love of the orange and blue has led them down the rabbit hole of collecting — and never looking back.


These are the true believers — the ones who don’t just watch the games, they live them, catalog them, and sometimes even dust them weekly. And this month’s inductee brings a new level of detail to the obsession.


Meet John Santo, a man who can not only identify the difference between a 1998 and 1999 Mets alternate jersey at 50 feet — he can tell you which cap belongs with it, and why.


When John isn’t immersed in game-used gear and Mets minutiae, he’s behind a camera, photographing wildlife and airplanes — a passion that speaks to his eye for detail and appreciation for craft. That same precision is what drives his love for collecting Mets memorabilia.

His fandom began like so many others — with a simple trip to Shea as a kid. But that one game changed everything. He’s been hooked ever since, and his collection is as much a reflection of that moment as it is of the team’s storied history.


John isn’t in it for the money. In fact, he’s quick to tell you his collection “isn’t worth a significant amount” — at least not financially. But emotionally? Priceless.


“I like to acquire game-used equipment to see things up close that were part of the game,” he says. Whether it's a scuffed bat, a pine-tarred helmet, or a uniform worn in the heat of battle, each item is a piece of living Mets history. For John, it’s about holding a moment — not just a thing.


One of John’s most remarkable talents is his encyclopedic knowledge of Mets uniforms. While many fans can name lineups, John can pair them — caps with jerseys, fonts with patches, eras with stitching.

“They can’t believe I know which cap goes with which jersey going back many years,” he laughs. “I’ll tell them, ‘That cap goes with the road greys with the drop-shadow numbers from ’99,’ and they just stare at me.”


It’s not showing off — it’s reverence.


Every collector has a story. John’s is the stuff of Mets magic. In 2015, he attended a game against the Nationals with tickets won at a golf outing — three rows from the on-deck circle. In extra innings, a ball was tossed into the crowd, and he caught it. The kicker? Sitting directly in front of him were cousins he hadn’t seen in years. And then — Wilmer happened.


That walk-off home run by Wilmer Flores became legend, and now when the game airs on Mets Classics, John can point and say, “That’s my ball — right there.”

John keeps it simple. He buys directly from the Mets Game-Used store at Citi Field. No bidding wars. No middlemen. Just authenticity.


His white whale? A signed David Wright third base. He has neither a base nor a Wright signature…yet. “One day,” he says, the way only a Mets fan could — with eternal hope.

He did meet Brandon Nimmo back in Spring Training 2015, before Nimmo even wore number 9. “He signed my ball with 77,” John remembers. “I wish I had it with me again when I met him later, it would’ve been cool to have both numbers on it.”

Asked for three words to describe himself, John doesn’t hesitate:

Let’s Go Mets!


It says everything you need to know. His advice for new collectors? Start personal. “I collect what means something to me. It’s not about value. I would never sell anything.”


So while others might chase signatures, graded cards, or authentication stickers, John Santo chases moments — and preserves them with passion, precision, and a healthy dose of Mets obsession.


And that’s why we’re proud to welcome him into the Kollector’s Korner Met-o-ra-bil-ia Hall of Fame.

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