2017 trade package #3: Sports Cards From the Dollar Store

First, a quick thanks to Jeff who put up a post last Monday since I've been pretty lazy with posting lately!  I should try to follow his example and pick up some nice stuff of Trey Burke.

Anyway, in trade package news I already received my second envelope from Doug, my prolific trade partner who runs Sports Cards From the Dollar Store.  It actually arrived early in February (I think!), way before I'd even responded to the first great package he sent me.  Unlike that stack of cards, this one was all hockey, all the time!

Here's a page of base and inserts of enough guys to field a starting five skaters.  The "hockey Mikes" tag makes its return thanks to LW Cammalleri (2009-10 UD) and RW Knuble (2003-04 Private Stock).

Recent newcomer to the league Andrew Copp is our first of two centers, and he's represented by a 2015-16 Upper Deck Contours Rookie Resume insert (#239/399); I'll need to add him to my hits collection at some point!

Matt Herr is a guy I don't remember too well, but the Hackensack, NJ native spent four very productive years--72 goals and 133 points--in Ann Arbor before suiting up at center for the Caps, Panthers, and Bruins.  I'm always glad to learn about players I've missed, so thanks to Doug for including this 1999-2000 Upper Deck Victory base!

Blog favorite Brendan Morrison, like former teammate Herr, was also a C who appeared on a UD Victory base card, in this case from 2009-10.  One of these days I'll work on my Morrison collection so I have enough to scan in an album to show off.

Max Pacioretty is another left-winger, and like his former Canadiens teammate Cammalleri, he appears here in the form of a 2009-10 Upper Deck base card, with its excellent design including team-appropriate colors.

Lastly, our blue line tandem comprises Greg Pateryn, another former Canadien (2013-14 Prizm), and still-a-Jet-somehow Jacob Trouba (2013-14 Score).  Both of these are Panini-branded RCs.

The fun clearly didn't stop there, though, thanks to this fantastic addition:

Phil Di Giuseppe 2015-16 The Cup patch auto RC (#211/249)

Not only is this a beautifully done RPA, it also represents my first hit of former Michigan LW (2011-2014) Phil Di Giuseppe.  Phil was a 2012 second-round pick for Carolina, and after two-plus seasons in the Hurricanes system he made his debut last season, potting seven goals and 10 assists in half a season's worth of action.  While he's added just one goal to that total in 26 games this season, he still has a ton of potential.

Anyway, check out that patch!  This is clearly one of those instances where the patch outshines the signature--I guess he didn't feel like writing out his full name 249 times!  I'm happy to add PDG as the 48th member of my hockey PC.

If you thought that was a pretty sweet addition, well, I have news for you:  I saved the best for last.  And yes, it can get better!:

This here is a black-and-white postcard of former WolverWing (and current Michigan Hockey coach) Red Berenson produced by photographer J.D. McCarthy, who made such postcard photos for players to use to respond to fan mail.  Red indeed signed this one in nice blue ink and sent it to a fan in Chicago.  I can even clearly read the postmark from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, from 1972, when he was in his second or third season in Motown.

Honestly, a signed postcard from back then is beyond cool, but Doug really knocked it out of the park (what's a good hockey analogy?  "Really sniped one from the blue line"?) by sending me one of the former Wolverine as a member of the Red Wings.  This is an extremely cool piece that I'll add to the college game-used puck I had Red sign a few years back as part of my Michigan autographed sports memorabilia collection!

Thanks for yet another killer package, Doug!  I hope to return the favor again before long, but in the meantime I'm glad to see you're enjoying the stuff I sent to you a couple weeks ago.