7/28/18 show report: maize & blue part 2

The timing's totally right for another show report, though the one I went to most recently was actually a couple weekends ago as to avoid conflicting with the National.  That's right, July was a two-fer!

While I don't have nearly the quantity to show off here compared to what you saw on TMV, here's a few new Wolverines for my fellow enthusiasts:

Of the 12 cards I chose that were a buck apiece this is the only one I got for myself, a "warm-up" relic of Jamal Crawford, a basketball alum who's played a crazy 18 seasons in the NBA.  My sixth hit (all relics) of the PG/SG comes from the 2004-05 Upper Deck Hardcourt Materials set and is the "Combo" version as opposed to the one I already owned which looks like this:

Not terribly exciting but not bad for a buck either.

Football saw the best representation with this sextet.  Leading off the group is a new entry for my Tom Brady PC, a very nice Michigan uni-fied base from this year's Elite Draft Picks product, one I'll get back to in just a second.  Cards with college photos make up less than 5% of his collection so I grab stuff like this whenever I can.

Sticking with the offensive side of the ball (and maybe an offensive design!) is a Devin Funchess 2016 Panini Prizm Prizms Red White and Blue parallel.  The patriotic theme is cool though the sequins(?) in the background are a bit strange.  Whatever--if it's a Michigan card I don't have I'm probably gonna pick it up anyway!

Returning to 2018 Elite Draft is a pair of base cards of underdrafted 2018 DL Mo Hurst, giving me a couple more college uni issues to enjoy.  For some reason neither the "regular" card on the left or the variation on the right is listed as a rookie card on Beckett's OPG (for Hurst or any other player for that matter), but that wasn't going to stop me from picking them up!

Last up from the gridiron is a pair of Panini-branded inserts of Michigan/Central Michigan RB Thomas Rawls.  The first is from 2016 Playoff and is called Boss Hoggs, a callback to some of the Playoff brands of the early-to-mid aughts.  That's joined by another themed insert that's even cooler:  2017 Absolute's Hurdles.  That's a move that while dangerous can result in highlight reel plays like the one pictured of Rawls flying over a Panthers defender.

Last up is a lone hockey addition of young Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski from 2016-17 Upper Deck National Hockey Card Day USA.  The 16-card set includes fellow Wolverines Tyler Motte and Dylan Larkin plus current and retired stars like Jack Eichel and Mike Modano.  I'm pretty sure this set me back just a dime and I'd pay that price for any up-and-coming Michigan Hockey alum.

With these out of the way it's looking like I'll be getting back to my Sportlots haul (or starting it, in the case of this blog) so stay tuned for lots more football and hockey pickups.

2015 trade package #14: going BuckStore wild on a Saturday night

If you're reading this post there's a good chance you've read the companion post I put up on TMV this evening that includes the other cards in this package (plus an explanation of why I'm posting later on a Saturday Night).  And if you didn't, welcome anyway!

I'm back once again with a new trade package from ::flips a coin:: Bob Walk the Plank  Sports Cards From the Dollar Store!  Everyone's favorite Canuck that spends a buck put together another work of art, so let's get down to business:

The basketball portion included THJ and a trio of Jamal Crawford issues, all of which look quite nice.  The top two are both from 2014-15 Prestige, the X-Fractor like card from 2014-15 Select, and the last is a Refractor (#d 12/99) from 2007-08 Topps Letterman.  It's still unreal to me how long Crawford has been in the league!

One of the two football cards I scored this time was Tom Brady's base from 2014 Topps Mini.  The card's size is as diminutive as the effect over- or underinflation of footballs has on the game, and if you're one of those that thinks his legacy has been "tarnished," well, I'll just sit here and laugh at your ignorance, my friend.  As an odd coincidence, the card pictures Tom Terrific facing the Colts!

Braylon Edwards 2007 Donruss Threads Silver Holofoil (#066/100)

Meanwhile, the other is this shiny new addition to my football inserts collection, and is a reminder of happier days when Bray-Bray was still in the league and too busy to make stupid comments about the state of Michigan's football team!

And here's where it gets real exciting:  the hockey stuff:

I scanned these alphabetically but I would have put Berenzweig's card first regardless; as far as I can tell this is my first issue of defenseman Andrew "Bubba" Berenzweig, who put up 81 points for the Maize and Blue between 1995 and 1999 and was part of two title-winning teams.  He was a fifth-round pick of the Isles and never got much more than a cup of coffee in the league, but his name and legend live on!  On this Score Select card from '94-'95 he's depicted as part of Team USA for that year's Mexico Cup, and better yet, the back notes his decision to attend Michigan.

Bubba's joined by numbered inserts of fellow D-men Jeff Jillson (#28/50) and Mike Komisarek (#085/100) and base cards of Brendan Morrison, A-A-Ron Palushaj, and Jeff Tambellini.

And then there's the big hits:

Chris Brown 2013-14 Dominion jersey auto RC (#136/299) and 2013-14 Panini Titanium Titanium Reserve Autographs auto

Chris "Deep in the Heart of Texas" Brown gets double-billing with a couple Panini issues from a year or two ago.  The first is autographed relic #1 for me and it also happens to be a very nice (and very thick) RC while the other is my third autograph.  All told I have six hits of Brown, and I believe I owe Doug some thanks for just about all of them!

Aaron Palushaj 2011-12 Panini Rookie Anthology dual jersey auto RC (#228/499)

Speaking of guys whose collections have been bolstered by Mr. Corti, I landed this gorgeous Panini RC of current KHLer A-A-Ron Palushaj, which is enhanced by a couple jersey swatches--including Montreal red (maroon?) plus a very loopy signature.  I can also claim six hits of Palushaj, with several of them coming to me from Canada.

Marty Turco 2003-04 Black Diamond Threads jersey and 2003-04 Private Stock Reserve jersey (#186/700)

I think everyone knows Doug's a big goalie (mask) collector so I really I appreciate when he sends me cards of Michigan's guys, especially my favorite, Marty Turco.  He picked a great pair here with the Pacific card being the clear winner thanks to its multicolored-ness.  Old Marty leads all comers in the hockey collection with 29 hits, 19 of which are relics like these.

Doug, as is always, and I mean always the case, I thank you for all the great stuff you've brought to my collection, and I look forward to sending a thank you package your way soon!

4-3-15 card show report: spring game Wolverines

A day after attending Michigan's spring football game (emphasis on the "game" for the first time in forever!) with Jeff, I'm finally getting around to posting my pickups from the monthly show I made it to on Friday.  Exactly half my scores can be seen on TMV this evening while the other 10 cards are right here where they belong:

Jamal Crawford 2008-09 Topps Retail Relics jersey

I didn't find much in the way of hits this time but I did end up buying this cool, if simple, Jamal Crawford jersey relic for a buck.  It may not be much to look at design-wise but the photo makes it for me.  Jamal now has five cards (all relics) in my basketball collection.

How about some inserts?  I had a very Charles Woodson kind of day starting with this Blue parallel of his 1998 Fleer Brilliants rookie.  It didn't scan very well but looks nice, and is a much better version than the base card.  On the opposite end of the "OMG MY EYES" scale is a 2002 Crown Royale Majestic Motion insert of the A-Train.  It was so bad in that way only Pacific could make it that I had to have it.  Finally, the best of the three is the 2008 Donruss Classics Saturday Stars of blog favorite Chad Henne in his Michigan uniform.  It's numbered to 1000 and appropriately includes Henne in its group of college football stars.

Next is a trio of rookies along with a Denard 2013 Topps Kickoff LCS giveaway card I erroneously included with them.  Buckeye-slayer Tim Biakabutuka starts us off with his '95 SP card, and that set's design has been recalled in a few recent UD products.  Joining him is blog favorite Charles Woodson on two 1998 rookies from Score and UD.  The seller probably had about 20+ of the Score rookie but one was enough for me!  I now count 13 unique rookies of Woodson in this collection.

Chris Perry 2004 Fleer Tradition Rookie Throwback Threads Jerseys jersey

Lastly, I did find a couple cheap football hits I was happy to add to the collection.  Number one is this fun jersey relic of RB Chris Perry.  Fleer also made "helmet" and football versions along with a couple combinations.  The pair of photos of Perry in the old-school leather helmet are great, so I'm gladly adding this as my 44th hit of the former Bengal.

Denard Robinson 2013 Topps Prime Relics jersey (#040/170)

And finally, a Denard jersey relic from the Stadium Club wannabe, Topps Prime.  As usual I have no explanation for Topps' odd numbering, but I like the photo and the bold green Jacksonville jersey swatch.  Shoelace continues climbing the ranks with his 17th hit.

All in all a good time as usual, and I'm sure I'll be back next month picking up more stuff for me as well as continuing the never-ending influx of trade bait!

2015 trade package #10 and 11: good things come in small packages from Sports Cards From the Dollar Store

As I was preparing to write this post I thought I was finally going to be caught up on all the fantastic packages I received in the last few weeks.  I was wrong.  Another great envelope hit my mailbox the other day.  But as luck would have it, the sender was the same one who'd sent me the cards I was going to show off in this very post.  Therefore, I present to you a rare double trade post from the same person--Doug from Sports Cards From the Dollar Store!

Not only were these envelopes great, they also both included a very reasonable number of cards, making the scanning and posting process much easier on me.  But I certainly don't want to imply that there was a lack of quantity or quality--as always, Doug hit all the high notes.

Package the first:

Jim Abbott 1992 Topps Dairy Queen Team USA

This one took me a second to figure out until I flipped it over:

Hey, it's a Jim Abbott card!  And an oddball-ish one at that, though it was produced by Topps for Dairy Queen.  Since the '88 Olympics baseball gold is one of Jim's finer accomplishments I like cards that celebrate the occasion.  I also hadn't realized that Tino Martinez was so instrumental in that victory.  This is a fun addition to my Abbott collection for sure.

Jamal Crawford 2013-14 Totally Certified Materials jersey

Next up is a solid Clippers jersey relic of basketballer Jamal Crawford, who's in his 15th(!) NBA season.  Unfortunately it sounds like he's still hurt, so get well soon, Jamal!  This is my fourth hit (all relics) of the guard, and all can be viewed in my Michigan Basketball collection.

Doug wouldn't short shrift football when sending a package to a Michigan fan, an so he included this cool 2013 Prizm base of Chad Henne.  If you can still knock the design of this product when it's licensed well, then, more power to you, but I still think it looks good.

Trezelle Jenkins 1995 Superior Pix Autographs auto (#2274/5000)

Oh yeah, and there was a football autograph too.  A Michigan uniform football autograph.  Of a guy who's new to the collection!  I spoke briefly about Trezelle (awesome name) a couple years ago in this GSNHoF trade post, so I'll just quickly remind y'all that he was a highly-regarded OT that went in the first round to the Chiefs in '95 and then appeared in just nine career games.  Jake Long has since worn the #77 jersey in Ann Arbor and gone onto better things in the pros.  I'd been meaning to pick up a Jenkins signature but somehow never did, so fortunately Doug has my back and sent me one of the 189th member of my football collection!

And now for the hockey, a.k.a. Canadian cocaine.  Or is that poutine...or Tim Horton's?  Anyway, Doug is probably the sole source of my entire Myles O'Connor collection, few cards though it may be.  His card is easily overshadowed by a gorgeous 2008-09 insert of goalie Marty Turco.  Honestly, "Spectacular Saves" is an excellent concept and it's executed extremely well by Upper Deck here on a perfectly-designed horizontal card.

Package #2:

Ted Sizemore 1971 O-Pee-Chee

A Canadian trader sends me a Canadian card!  This is a card I asked Doug to buy for me because the Canadian seller was a bit vague about shipping outside of America's hat.  The king of the dollar store card scene obliged because he's awesome, and how here it is, the final card I needed for Sizemore's PC!  That's 23 cards, and this one took the longest because the higher numbers from that year are harder to find, and therefore infinitely more expensive.  Thankfully I finally found a price I could live with and happily completed another PC, my 9th so far.  Hooray completed projects!

Cazzie Russell 2012-13 Flawless Patches Autographs Printing Plate Magenta (1/1)

Now on to the unexpected cards in this bubble mailer, and this one easily takes the cake--I definitely wasn't planning on getting a Cazzie plate!  Russell is the king of my basketball collection right now and the only player to reach double digits in his sport as I now own 10 of his hits.  This one trumps them all and takes his collection to a whole new level for me.

For anyone confused by the front, this was a patch/auto card so the bottom was purposely set aside for a large patch and signature.  The back, however, is a bit more confusing thanks to what I think is a new practice by Panini:  inserting older plates into newer products.  This plate is for a 2012-13 Flawless card but was inserted into a 2014 National Treasures product; I'll be showing off something similar in an upcoming post.  Anyway, it's an entirely unexpected and completely ridiculous hit, and my 33rd 1/1 card overall.

Yep, the first two cards were the highlights of this envelope, but Doug dutifully hit the other two sports again, giving him a clean sweep of the four major ones in both packages!  For football this time he included a 2008 UD Rookie Exclusives base of Shawn Crable, one of the less heralded Michigan picks from the '08 draft.  As usual, UD's borderless design and college action photo are flawless.

And finally here's a 2014-15 base card of Max Pacioretty to fill the hockey quota.  Patch is having the best season of any former Wolverine, and as of this writing he's tied for fourth in the league in goals with 35, is leading all comers in +/- at +40, and is second in game-winning goals with nine.

Doug, thanks a ton for not just one but two excellent envelopes filled with Wolverine wonders!  As for me, while you're posting the rest of the hauls I sent you, it'll be back to the drawing board and starting a new package to send your way.

Now that I'm (ostensibly) caught up on trade packages for a minute, I should be back to posting the remainder of my new PC guys, a bunch of Larkins, and a small pile of eBay pickups!

2015 trade package #6: a Wolverine deluge(i) from Fuji

A couple weeks ago Mark from the Chronicles of Fuji sent me a ridiculously generous trade package.  I'm talking flat rate box generous.  A huge chunk of that box was filled with great Tigers stuff which I posted on TMV, but Fuji balanced things out nicely with some top notch Michigan stuff as well!  Check it out:

Barry Larkin 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars

My 251st Larkin is this base card from Leaf's inaugural Rookies & Stars set, and that's a product that still exists today under the Panini umbrella.  It has a nice shot of the HOFer at the plate.

<Ron Swanson voice>  End baseball section </Ron Swanson voice>

And now for some basketball:

Kicking off the surprisingly large basketball haul is this Glenn Robinson 2001-02 Fleer Authentix jersey, a fun relic (literally!) of the bygone era that resulted in some fun designs from manufacturers such as Fleer.  I actually kidded around in my recent Sports Cards From the Dollar Store trade post about starting a "Michigan relatives" PC after Doug sent me cards of a couple Wolverines' sons, and now I have a hit of a father to go with those in the form of Purdue and NBA star Glenn (Jr.).

Louis Bullock 1999 Press Pass Authentics Autographs auto

Bullock was one of Michigan's better basketballers of his era, one that proved to be a difficult one for fans because of Bullock and others being involved in the Ed Martin booster scandal.  Though Milwaukee drafted him in 1999 and then flipped him to Orlando, he never appeared in the NBA, but he did carve out a decent European career.  He's one of two new players heading to my basketball collection courtesy of Fuji.

Jamal Crawford 2006-07 Upper Deck UD Game Jersey jersey

Crawford isn't exactly a stranger to this blog as this is his third hit I've shown here (all relics), a nice blue Knicks swatch.  I'm happy that he's been able to last this long in the league, and he's currently with the Clippers, though right now apparently he's hurt.

Juwan Howard 1994 Signature Rookies Tetrad Autographs auto (#2257/7750)

The well-known Howard also reaches three hits thanks to this Signature Rookies card, my first autograph of one of the famous Fab 5 Wolverines.  Jesus, I can't believe these guys had to sign that many cards!

Ray Jackson 1995 Signature Rookies Draft Day Signatures auto (#4949/7750)

Did somebody say "Fab 5"?!  Uh, yeah, I just did.  The other collection newcomer today is Jackson, who was one of just two in that group (Jimmy King) to stay for all four years of his college career, plus he wasn't involved in the Martin scandal.  This is a great shot of him throwing one up, and I like that he added his jersey number to the signature, especially considering he also had to sign an insane 7750 of these.

Robert Traylor 1998 SP Top Prospects Vital Signs auto

This is my second autograph of big man Robert Traylor, another Martin scandal player who was later drafted in the first round by Dallas in '98 and then flipped to Milwaukee in a deal that included some German dude named Nowitzki.  He sadly passed away about four years ago.

The rest of this post focuses on my favorite Michigan sport, football:

 

Tom Brady 2008 Donruss Gridiron Gear Playbook Gold (#205/500)

A serial-numbered insert of 2014-15 NFL champion Tom Brady for my football inserts collection?  Don't mind if I do!

Mike Hart 2008 Press Pass Autographs Bronze auto

A new Mike Hart auto and it's a Michigan uniform card?  Awesome!  I have a Hart from a different Press Pass set from the same year but I really prefer this one with its horizontal layout, great design (including the photo), and Mike's excellent signature with his jersey number.  This is Hart #57.

The other Hart in the package comes from 2009 Topps' Career Best auto set.  I think the last time I flipped through Fuji's trade bait he had something like three of these, so I wasn't shocked to see it in this package.  The back, by the way, lists his bests during his Michigan days, which is a nice touch.

Sticking with 2008 and going back to the Michigan uni theme is this 2008 Topps Rookie Progression auto of LT stalwart Jake Long (who hopefully won't be forced to retire from the NFL after multiple injuries).  I have a feeling a certain Michigan fan to my southwest will appreciate finding this in his mailbox along with...

...this beautiful 2002 Finest auto/RC of former star WR Marquise Walker.  It also features a Wolverines game photo, Walker's excellent signature (with jersey number), and serial numbering to 1200.

Marquise Walker 2002 Playoff Prime Signatures Autographs auto (#20/95)

However, this Walker auto, which was signed on my favorite type of Panini sticker (what?  The holofoil looks awesome!) is mine all mine.  It's my 21st different card of the former Buc and the sixth card of him that includes an autograph.

Mark, I was absolutely blown away by the quantity and quality of what you sent this time and I promise to get you back before much longer!

Y'all should look out for more trade posts, some of which may also be two-parters, soon!

2014 trade package #17: SCFtDS TPTP: Wolverines

That's a Sports Cards From the Dollar Store two-part trade package for those of you who couldn't read my mine.  Doug, my favorite Canadian blogger/trader sent another great package my way that I'm able to divide among both my blogs (catch the rest over at TMV).

So here's some hate week Wolverines as Michigan prepares for an ugly matchup with MSU:

Just one card from basketball this time, but it was a nice one of '89 champ Glen Rice out of Prizm, which has generally featured designs I can get behind (plus logos everywhere except baseball).

On the football front I landed an Avant (who's doing decently with Carolina), a pair of Bradys, a Breaston (he hasn't played since 2012), and finally Mel Owens, a LB drafted by the Rams #9 overall in '81.  Hooray for new cards of guys who are underrepresented in my PC!

The hockey bunch, as usual, is the largest, and includes many of the usual suspects, which is great because I like collecting them all.  Cammalleri's doing pretty with with the Devils this season.  Meanwhile, his young teammate Merrill has a couple assists while having started all five games.  And the Pacioretty trio, including the sweet Crown card, was definitely a highlight.

Surprisingly this package included zero hockey hits--maybe Doug went into a Walter White-like fugue state--but what he sent from basketball gets an "A" for quality:

Jamal Crawford 2000-01 Upper Deck Encore NBA Warm-Ups jersey

First up is this "warm-ups" relic of Jamal Crawford, a player who's still kicking around the league 14 years after being drafted.  Technically this is my second hit of Jamal after I picked one up at a recent show, but I'm pretty sure Doug beat me to the punch by landing this before I got mine!  Either way it's a cool relic.  I'm labeling it as a "jersey" for simplicity's sake, because really how do you categorize a warm-up?

Tim Hardaway Jr. 2013-14 Panini Preferred Rookie Rotation Memorabilia dual jersey booklet (#142/249)

Booklet!  Doug sent me a scan of this but as usual that didn't do the card justice.  My first basketball booklet is a dual jersey of former UM hoops star Tim Hardaway Jr., a newcomer to the basketball PC.  It looks fantastic and now it's got me wanting to get more, not to mention some of THJ's recent teammates like Trey Burke.

Thanks for another fun two-parter, Doug!  I may very well have a return package on your way this week that's bursting at the seams with hits.  Readers, here's my usual reminder to head over to Sports Cards From the Dollar Store regularly.

9-19-14 card show report: gorging on the dollar menu

Yes last weekend's game against Utah was a fiasco, but I still enjoyed my four-day weekend very much, including meeting my brand new niece, as I'd mentioned.

Before heading to Milwaukee Saturday for that celebration, I made a rare Friday trip to the soon-to-be-closed Gibraltar Trade Center in Taylor for the monthly card show since I haven't spent much this month.  By the way, for my fellow collectors in the area, if you haven't heard, many of those same sellers will be putting on monthly shows at another nearby location.

Anyway, I threw down a reasonable $44 for a few things for me plus a BUNCH of trade bait for a few of you.  My first purchase was $30 for 22 $1 cards (all hits!) plus a nice autograph you can see over at TMV this evening.  The second was just $14 and included more trade bait, another cool signature featured at TMV, and the first card below.  All in all, another successful visit!

Here's what I grabbed:

Steve Boros 1963 Topps

The second seller had some vintage Topps grouped by year, and to my good fortune this Boros was available in the '63 bunch.  While it's just my third of his 16 so far, I've actually got more of his stuff from COMC to post soon so this actually filled a need, plus it was cheaper than anything I found online at $4.  Also, it's my oldest by far since the others I have hail from the 80s!

Everything else below came from the first seller and was just a buck apiece--yes, really!

Jamal Crawford 2004-05 Upper Deck Hardcourt Hardcourt Materials Player's Materials jersey

This cool jersey relic--featuring a nice big "M" even if it isn't for "Michigan"--is my first of Crawford, a Cleveland 2000 first-rounder who was quickly flipped to the Bulls, and that makes him the 12th player in my basketball collection.

Juwan Howard 2005-06 Topps 1952 Style Hardwood Classics jersey

I already had a jersey relic of Juwan, but this card was cool enough for me to grab for $1.  The shocking red swatch doesn't hurt, plus Howard was one of Michigan's most successful alumni in the league.

Tom Brady 2003 Fleer Authentix Ticket Studs jersey

The "Yes, really" from before is 100% the result of this card which really--SERIOUSLY, YOU GUYS--cost me just a buck!  It's a fold-out kind of card so I scanned it as it was meant to be shown, then added the "front/back" as well.  It's a very nice Brady swatch that actually says "game-worn" instead of the dreaded "event" version, too, and is my fourth relic of the future HOFer overall.

Braylon Edwards 2005 Topps Pristine Personal Pieces Relics Rare dual jersey (#45/75)

I don't usually pony up for relics anymore, especially guys from whom I already have a ton of cards like Bray-Bray here.  Still, I liked the look of this one plus the decently low numbering enough to make it my 56th hit of the...uh...outspoken former WR.

Ty Law 2004 SP Game-Used Authentic Fabrics jersey

It's hard enough to find hits of Law sometimes, never mind searching for cheap ones, so when I dug this one up I quickly added it to my pile.  The Super Bowl-winner can now claim three relics in my football PC.

Mike Cammalleri 2009-10 SP Game Used Edition Authentic Fabrics Gold jersey (#022/100)

Lastly (and STILL for just $1) I found this lovely numbered two-color swatch of one of the Michigan Hockey Mikes, in this case Cammalleri.  UD did a great job making the card's colors work with the Habs' signature jersey colors, and really for as cheap as it was I would have been fine with just a blue swatch, but instead I got upgraded to some white and numbering to 100!  This is my seventh hit of Cam.

It was a nice feeling to leave the place with a solid stack of trade bait and PC cards AND money in my pocket.  Don't forget to check out TMV for the rest of my haul, then watch your mailboxes soon for some new trade packages!