Down with IPP: day 8: a Michigan Man and a Heis-Man

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7

Well, it's the last day of the IPP showoff victory tour, and as promised multiple times, we're absolutely ending with a bang today!  No buildup needed, so let's just get to the two biggest (and definitely most expensive) pickups of this purchase:

Desmond Howard 2006 Press Pass Legends Gold red auto (#027/320)

Well here's a reason to be excited!  While I already had a few relics of Des, it had been a dream of mine to grab at least one of his autos.  My #1 wanted card in that regard is his Topps All-American version, but that's either been difficult to find or way too expensive.  Enter the IPP guy, though, with this beauty.  Really I couldn't ask for anything better, what with its sweet photo of Howard in his signature Heisman pose and its gorgeous red auto.  I had to make the guy an offer he couldn't refuse, but I think we both left the deal satisfied with how it turned out.

Bo Schembechler 2002 TK Legacy auto

Remember how on Day 6 I said you probably wouldn't see any more TK Legacy for a while?  I LIED.  This was easily the most significant pickup of the whole group, and it's now one of the signature (pun intended) cards of my collection.  Bo embodied everything, good and bad, about the program (not to mention "The team, the team, the team!") from the moment he set foot in Ann Arbor.  This Michigan Man--the ORIGINAL Michigan Man--ran a tight-knit, clean program that won and lost with dignity and class, played with heart, and made everyone proud to say how great it was to be a Michigan Wolverine.  Volumes have been written about the man simply known around here as "Bo," and many more will, despite the fact that he never won a national championship with the Maize and Blue.  For a guy named Glen from Ohio, he sure did right by himself and the greatest football program in college history.

If the Des auto demanded a small ransom, Bo's auto required a little more, though no pounds of flesh were exchanged.  The seller was actually fairly hesitant to part with either this card or another version he had, but sometimes everything has a price

Yeah, you just got old-school WWFed

and again, I like to think everyone walked away happy, because he got more cash in the deal AND got to keep a Schembechler auto, and I got one of the best Michigan cards I've ever seen.  Words can't express how excited I am to have this card, especially given the events since his heartbreaking death in 2006.  That said, a return to some of his values (the best, of course) in the form of Brady Hoke has many fans once again looking through Rose Bowl-colored glasses these days; a return to the top of the college football world and a championship would truly honor the original, and greatest, Michigan Man.  Welcome to the collection, coach:  my 86th different football subject and second coach/non-player (Bo's successor and Lloyd Carr's predecessor Gary Moeller).

I hope you enjoyed this multi-episode trip through one of my largest (in terms of money spent) purchases ever.  Stay tuned for a couple more small eBay pickups, then another massive COMC haul that mainly resulted from my success in selling through them.  For now, if you're a Michigan fan, go out and do something in honor of Michigan Man Bo Schembechler.  GO BLUE!

Down with IPP: day 7: penultimate potpourri

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6

Today's post features what I'd barely consider a theme, if at all:  the last group of cards I had left before my final post featuring the biggest doozies of this large purchase.  That, plus I supposed they're all autographs, so at least I've got that going for me.  Anyway, enjoy this pretty much themeless post, which still features some excellent cards all the same!

Brian Griese 1998 Bowman auto 

 Brian Griese 1998 SP Authentic auto

Griese sure does have a nice signature, doesn't he?  I suppose I forgot since I only had one other auto of him at the time.  Note to self:  buy more autos of our most recent championship QB!  Anyway, you can't really go wrong with either of these superb rookie-year 'graphs.  Make it eight Griese hits, three now being of the autographed variety.

Leon Hall 2007 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor auto (#03/50)

Well, why not?  I do have the base version, after all.  Obviously that's nothing compared to the beauty of this goldified Refractory treat.  Sorry it didn't scan well, as Refractors are sometimes wont to do, but trust me, it's a beauty in-person.  How about 22 hits of the recuperating DB, all autographed?

Steve Hutchinson 2001 SAGE Gold auto (#114/200)

Hutch is a guy without a whole ton of cards, so I gladly picked a nice one of him to add to the PC.  I am up to four of the former star OG, though, with half of them now being autographs.  And here comes Jeff with the old thumbs up for this card and the next one.

Todd Collins 1995 Signature Rookies auto (#686/3000)

Collins is my latest new player in the PC, which is always an exciting occasion, and he's member #85.  Wonder if I can get to 100 different guys before the end of the year?

Todd was a very effective QB for the Maize and Blue, redshirting in 1990 then seeing increasing playing time the next four seasons.  He was drafted in the second round by Buffalo and earned some snaps with the Chiefs, Skins and Bears before retiring after the 2010 season.  Collins hails from an era when Michigan was still churning out pro-ready quarterbacks, though I wouldn't be shocked if that tradition returned to Ann Arbor very soon.  For now, a hearty welcome goes out to Mr. Collins and his sweet auto on this excellent Michigan uni card!

After hitting the 700-hit mark yesterday thanks to BA Benny, I hurdled the 550-hit football barrier today with these five, putting me at 552 with two IPP cards left.  What isn't reflected in that count, though, is another monster of a COMC package that awaits shipment once I have everything all settled over there.  Expect another blowout of that variety before long!

Down with IPP: day 6: four winners and a fumbler

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5

First of all, I promise that these are (probably) the last TK Legacy cards you'll see for a while.  I couldn't pass them up, though, because a few of them were new player additions to the PC.

Drew Henson 2003 TK Legacy Quarterback Collection auto (#96/150)

The first of the five is the titular "fumbler," QB Drew Henson, who fumbled away his chance at a great Wolverine legacy by turning to the Dark Side.  Still a very good college QB, though.

Bob Chappuis 2002 TK Legacy 1947 National Champions auto

Bump Elliott 2002 TK Legacy 1947 National Champions auto

Glen Steele 2002 TK Legacy 1997 National Champions auto

Tai Streets 2002 TK Legacy 1997 National Champions auto

And now for some winners!  Chappuis sadly passed away a couple weeks ago but was an outstanding HB/QB who won the '47 and '48 titles with the Maize and Blue, finished second in the '47 Heisman voting and, as his card notes, made the College Football HOF in 1988.

Chalmers "Bump" Elliott, a.k.a. "Super Nintendo Chalmers," was a HB as part of the same 1947 "Mad Magicians" title team alongside his brother Pete.  10 years after graduating for Michigan he would be the Wolverines' head coach until some new guy from that state underneath us that smells funny took over and did some stuff.  Elliott eventually retired to a life of admiring the Aurora Borealis localized entirely within Skinner's kitchen and gorging himself on steamed clams hams.

Though he doesn't look it, Steele was happily a member of Michigan's most recent national championship team as an All-America DE, and he had a kick-ass name for a fearsome defensive standout.

Streets is a sort of familiar sight on this blog now that I have a few of his cards.  He was a clutch WR at Michigan who caught two 50+-yard bombs in the '98 Rose Bowl.  His pro career wasn't as celebrated, but as this set attests, he'll always be remembered as a huge part of that 1997 national championship.

And now, on to the numbers!:

• Chappuis, Elliott and Steele bring me up to 84 unique subjects in the football PC
• Henson now sits at four cards, all autographed
• Streets splits his new total of four cards with two autos and two relics
• Football moves tantalizingly close to a new milestone with 541 cards
• All four sports inch closer to 700 with a new total of 694

A few more IPP cards, plus my haul from my recent trade with BA Benny, should bring some more interesting content to your blog reader very soon!

Down with IPP: day 5: a premier group of the finest elite players I know

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4

Continuing part of a theme established in the last post, and mainly since I knew Jeff would appreciate at least a few of these, here's four more great cards featuring three of my favorite players from the 2008 class:

Adrian Arrington 2008 Finest Blue XFractor auto (#12/30)

Because I've so often seen this photo on other 2008 Arringtons I own, I could have sworn I had more of the Finest samples, but this is actually only my second!  Including four plates, there's actually nine, which could make for a fun, if nearly impossible project.

Chad Henne 2008 Elite auto RC (#093/199)

Mike Hart 2008 Elite Turn of the Century auto (#053/100)

This is a pair I was definitely happy to grab, especially given the prices I saw for each of them online.  The person I brought them from was thoughtful and fair about his prices while I chose the ones I felt I could afford and most wanted, so out of the total $300 price I somewhat overpaid for some, but also came out with steals like these two.  I love some of the Elite designs that Panini has done over the years (you know, when using actual logos and unis is possible) and I'd argue that they knocked it out of the park here, but of course I'm a sucker for well-done Michigan uni cards.  There's a few other players represented in the various auto sets and I may seek them out at some point as well.

Mike Hart-Chad Henne-Adrian Arrington 2008 UD Premier Premier Trios triple auto (#18/25)

And here we have the heavy hitter from today's group and clearly one of the best of my haul.  When you start getting up to three autographs on multiplayer hits, prices start approaching a level of absurdity few besides Apple could appreciate.  Hell, it's taken me a while to appreciate just how much of a steal I got on the four player card you see on the background of this here blog.  In some ways, this one is even better as it omits the not-as-great Crable, a defensive player who doesn't exactly fit with three other offensive players.  The horizontal orientation with autographs to the right of solid shots of each player is picture perfect, and the low numbering is icing on the cake.  I have a couple other grand slams to show off in upcoming posts, but this is definitely a top-five card from what was obviously a huge boon to my PC.

A few notes as usual:

• Arrington hits 29 cards, all autographs still
• Hart inches closer to Henne and another milestone at 39
• Henne overtakes Braylon Edwards for second place at 42
• 536 total football hits
• 689 hits from all four sports, with more to come from several sources, so stay tuned for #700

Back soon with more IPP fun, stuff from BA Benny and who knows what else?

Down with IPP: day 4: Manupatches in one batch(es)

Previously:  day 1, day 2, day 3

Back to football today, and more importantly, back with some really nice stuff!  To a small degree, I've held back some of the nicer stuff I picked up in an effort to save the best for last, but these four go together perfectly, so here they are:

Chad Henne 2008 Leaf Rookies and Stars College Patch auto (05/30)

Jake Long 2008 Donruss Threads letter patch auto RC (#061/120)

Mario Manningham 2008 Donruss Threads letter patch auto RC (#068/150) 

Mike Hart 2008 Leaf Rookies and Stars College Patch auto (#23/30)

Who doesn't love them some manupatch autos?  My favorites are definitely the Hart and Henne thanks to their Michigan unis and logos, but the design of the letter patches isn't far behind, that's for sure.  So how about a few major/minor milestones for today?

• 684 Michigan sports PC hits
• 532 football hits
• Henne's 40th
• Jake Long's 50th(!) (still #1 in the PC...for now)
• Mario Manningham's 34th
• Mike Hart's 37th

Henne's and Long's milestones are definitely cause for celebration, so here's the two of them during their Michigan glory years:

Back soon with more IPP fun!

Down with IPP: day 3: TK, eh?

Previously:  day 1, day 2

I'm back with more cool TK Legacy Michigan stuff from my in-person purchase, and this time we're talkin' hockey, specifically four cards highlighting three Michigan legends.  The late 90s were kind to Michigan hockey as we picked up national championships in 1996 and 1998.  Coached by the incomparable Red Berenson, a Wolverine alum, Michigan enjoyed the play of one of college hockey's greatest ever goalies, Marty Turco, who backstopped the team to both titles, plus 1997 Hobey Baker-winner Brendan Morrison in '96.  All three have gone on to experience success in one way or another, and all are important components of my Hockey PC.

So, on with the new cards!

Brendan Morrison 2004 TK Legacy Varsity Club auto 

Marty Turco 2004 TK Legacy 1996 National Champions auto 

Marty Turco 2004 TK Legacy Varsity Club auto 

Red Berenson 2004 TK Legacy 1996 National Champions auto

Some (minor) milestones:

• 680 Michigan PC hits
• 35 hockey hits
• Five Morrison hits
• Five Turco autos (out of seven hits)

Until next time, remember that if you're hearing about hockey news, it's pretty likely that one or more Michigan alumni are involved.  GO BLUE!

Down with IPP: day 2: TK-OH!

Previously:  day 1

Today on day two of Down With IPP I have five new TK Legacy autos.  It's a set I obviously enjoy very much considering my collection, what with its sweet on-card autos and excellent shots of Wolverines wearing the Maize and Blue.

Cato June 2003 TK Legacy auto 

Harlan Huckleby 2002 TK Legacy auto

Jamie Morris 2002 TK Legacy auto

Rick Leach 2005 TK Legacy auto 

Stan Edwards 2004 TK Legacy auto

June is a player I've been after forever, so I jumped at a chance to grab this sweet auto.  Huckleby, a former track star and RB, hailed from Detroit, a fact which is as cool as his name.  Morris was an extremely talented, record-setting RB in the 80s.  Leach, whom you might remember from this post, was obviously a multi-talented athlete, and the prototype for future Wolverine Drew Henson.  Edwards is a former Michigan and Detroit Lions RB who's better known as Braylon's dad (you can kind of see the resemblance there).

What do these five cards have in common besides their main set?  All represent new players in my PC!  I'm now up to 81 different subjects in the football section, and 675 cards overall in the four major sports.

Tune in again soon for more exciting IPP action!

Down with IPP: day 1: a trio of Triple Threads

Hi again, everybody, and sorry for taking so long getting a new post up; it's been a busy couple weeks, especially with Memorial Day festivities, plus the usual work business, going on.  As promised, though, I'm finally getting to a new feature that I hope all of you will enjoy.

As I mentioned a few times, I decided to show of my Wolverines collections on #1 Michigan sports blog MGoBlog a few months ago, and besides getting some kudos, a few people contacted me about buying and trading.  One of those posters happened to live very close to me, so I got to meet him in-person (I know, very un-internety of me, but I do venture outside sometimes) and choose from a huge and impressive assortment of hits he was looking to unload.

A couple hours later, we had a deal:  I had a fat stack of mostly high-end hits and he had $300 of my money in his PayPal account.  Yes, that's definitely the most I've ever thrown down for a non-case sports card purchase, but considering what I picked up (and the fact that I had the cards in front of me, which made it harder to resist), I feel I was justified--obviously, it's my money, plus I had just made a huge sale over on Blowout.  That purchase inflated my spending for the month of March, which ended up being more than January and February combined.  I've since been more responsible, though, especially thanks to my effort to get my average monthly spending down to something more reasonable.

Anyway, the result of that purchase will be another series of "Here's a bunch of sweet Michigan stuff I bought!" entitled "Down with IPP" (yeah, you know me!), a reference to this huge In-Person Purchase.  Today you'll get to see three similar cards in the first post of the series:

David Harris 2007 Topps Triple Threads Sapphire triple jersey auto (#07/10)

Jason Avant 2006 Topps Triple Threads Red triple jersey auto (#06/18)

Steve Breaston 2007 Topps Triple Threads triple jersey auto RC (#36/99)

You all know I complain about Topps all the time but still acquire lots of cards they produce.  Well, that's mainly because they're still the biggest producer of cards, but also due to the fact that I actually DO like a good amount of what they make, I'm just not stupid enough to shell out my money on their boxes/packs anymore.  As a Michigan collector, I'd be thrilled to pull any of these three cards, but I have a feeling the average collector who just put down $150+ on a box of '06 or '07 Triple Threads would cringe to pull most of these.

Not me, though!  All are at least variations, if not the exact versions, of cards I previously had on my UM singles wantlist.  Like I said, I consider these to be fantastic looking cards, and all are technically triple jersey/auto/RCs except for the fact that only Breaston's meets the inconsistent Beckett requirements to be called a true "RC."  Honestly, I don't really care since these three are among my preferred players in my PC.  Therefore, let's just leave it at me saying I'm very happy to have these in my collection because they're outstanding hits of three of my favorites.

So how about some milestones?  Well, not a lot today since we're only talking about three new cards, but here's a few to chew on:

• David Harris:  18 cards (still all autos!)
• Jason Avant:  25 cards (the 8th player to reach that mark--oh wait, that was his college number!)
• Steve Breaston:  11 cards, including his 10th auto
• 519 football hits
• 665 overall Michigan Sports hits

Stay tuned for several more posts from this feature, including a couple very exciting cards I'm purposely saving for the last couple posts!