2018 trade package #15: the Collector

I got a very nice surprise in my mailbox last week when I went through my mail and came up with an unexpected PWE from Chris, a.k.a. "The Collector" (though I'll probably always associate him with his original name, "The Pedestrian Collector").  I've swapped cards with him a number of times and always enjoy doing so, plus it doesn't hurt that I love that something I sent his way made it into his blog banner! (that Mo Vaughn Starting Lineup up front.)

Chris even bucked tradition by sending me an all-Michigan trade package for the first time.  I previously received a nice group of Wolverines football and hockey stuff from him as part of a larger bunch of cards way back in February of 2017, but this time it's 100% alma mater matters, baby!

Here's what he sent along this time:

1988 Big Ten Player of the Year Gary Grant kicks things off with a '93-'94 Topps Gold parallel.  His four years in Ann Arbor led to a nice 13-year pro career.

Next up is a great pair from the basketball version of probably my favorite Fleer product, the '97-'98 flagship set.  Fab-Fiver Juwan Howard is surely well known by anyone reading this, and Terry "Sugar" Mills was a fun guy to watch during his six seasons with the Pistons (way back when I paid attention to basketball).

Last up is Howard's old teammate Jalen Rose on a college photo card from Classic's 1994 Four Sport product.  His Michigan uniform presages good things ahead.

Namely the five such cards in this football bunch, meaning 6/11 cards in this envelope fell into that category.  Extra credit to Chris!

Up top we have a trio of football alumni from last year's typically solid Score product, including RCs of draftees DL Taco Charlton and WR Jehu Chesson, plus a base of WR Devin Funchess, who I bet would be fun to watch if he had a consistently good QB throwing to him.

Joining those is a trio of cards from college-focused sets.  Chris sent over the base and Gold parallels of DL Mo Hurst from this year's Leaf Draft, and that's fantastic since Hurst is the only Wolverine in the product and I didn't feel like chasing the set this year.  They look great alongside a '95 Classic Five Sport of all-time great CB Ty Law.  These look so good to a college collector like me that I chased a number of similar products in my latest Sportlots haul.

Closing things out today is one more recent guy in PC guy Denard Robinson.  Card #91 in his collection is an interesting insert from 2013 Prestige called NFL Passport.  I'm actually familiar with the set because I have the autographed version of this card, though oddly enough that one is oriented in vertical fashion:

Thanks again for the surprise PWE, Chris!  I'm happy to be able to send something back your way soon, possibly in time for Christmas.  For now I suppose you can continue to bask in the glow of yet another World Series victory!

2-6-16 card show report: warming up to Wolverines

After a bit of a lull in January I had a nice day at the monthly show this past Saturday, though notably I didn't pick anything up to be shown off on TMV.  Regardless, I was happy with the results after throwing down about $58, most of which went towards some excellent trade bait for a few of my favorite traders.

For myself I ended up with five cards, all of which are Wolverines hits, so, not too shabby!:

Juwan Howard 2004-05 SP Game Used jersey

You all know I'm not a big basketball guy, but Juwan was a pretty good player (as opposed to the jackass Chris Webber turned out to be) so I didn't mind plunking down a buck for this very nice Orlando blue jersey swatch.  It's now my fourth hit of Howard in my basketball PC.

Mitch McGary 2014-15 Select Rookie Jersey Autographs jersey auto (#122/199)

Yeah, two basketball hits is even weirder, especially considering this one set me back something like $5, but McGary is a recent guy which means he's much more relevant to me (with all due respect to Howard's amazing Fab Fab exploits).  He was also a mega recruit that had a hand in bringing Michigan Basketball back to respectability.  While I'd still like to get a Michigan uni hit or two of him, I thought this auto/jersey would be a fun addition as my second of Mitch after this jersey.

Steve Breaston 2011 Topps Triple Threads Autographed Unity Relics Emerald jersey auto (#TTUAR3) (#08/50)

While flipping through a $2 box I was a bit surprised to find this Breaston auto/jersey as I think I've only really seen them online, mainly on COMC.  I actually have four total versions of Steve's three cards in the Unity set, and this Emerald version of #3 goes along with the "base" version of that card I already owned; I have a version each of numbers 1 and 2 as well.  While I'm not going out of my way to put all of them together I do try to pick them up when I see them, especially at this price!

This is the 23rd Breaston hit in my football PC and of those I now own six that are autographed relics.

Devin Gardner 2015 Panini Michigan Autographs auto

Devin may not be in the NFL right now but he did do a great job getting the crowd on its feet singing the fight song at Jim Harbaugh's surreal Signing of the Stars event a week ago.  $4 sounded right to me for this excellent Michigan uni auto out of Panini's excellent Michigan set, which shows Gardner wearing the Tom Harmon legend's patch with his #98 jersey.  I now own four hits of Gardner, and in each of them he appears in a Michigan uniform, a streak I hope to keep alive!

Chad Henne 2008 Donruss Threads Crown Autographs auto

Oddly enough I think this is a card I passed on last time, but I was in a better mood on Saturday and happily parted with $5 for this very cool die-cut signature card of my favorite QB to collect.  Now that I'm going to be putting up an album with everything of his that I own (soon, I promise!) I'm even more motivated to find new stuff of Henne's I don't have, and hits are always a bonus.  Speaking of those, Chad still dominates the football collection count at 89, with Jake Long's 74 a distant second.

In non-milestone-but-still-kind-of-interesting-numerically news, as of this post I own 1111 football hits.  2222 might take a lot longer to get to, so I'll celebrate something like this while I can!

I'll be back soon with more of the usual--football rookies and COMC pickups--soon.

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!

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!

New and Old Collections

Jeff here, if you follow me at My Sports Obsession, then you know I announced some more player collections for myself.  If you follow, you also know that I only purchase cards for $.50 and cheaper so on the occasions I do post new cards here, they won’t be the really nice cards that Dennis shows you, but much cheaper cards.  Also, I got tired of all the scanning so I post pictures from COMC mostly, some ebay or other sources I can find so they aren’t as nice as well.  Most of them will probably be base cards, but, they are all Michigan Wolverines, and that’s all that matters.  First I’ll show you a card that I grabbed for my Michigan collection.

 

1994 Classic Classic Picks

Juwan Howard

A fab fiver.  I’ve probably mentioned it before but watching the fab five is what started my love for the Michigan Wolverines so I’m always ecstatic to grab one of their cards from their college days.

Picked up for $.44

 

 

Now, for my latest collections.  I followed all of their collegiate careers as I try to watch every Michigan football and basketball game and they all should have pro cards now so why not?  I get them cheap anyways, they won’t cost me much at all.  Here’s all the new collections I’ve added.

1. Tim Hardaway jr collection
2. Trey Burke collection
3. Glen Robinson III collection
4. Mitch McGary collection
5. Nik Stauskas collection
6. Denard Robinson collection
7. Taylor Lewan collection

So which player collection do I get started first?  Well, technically, I do have a couple of cards from a couple of the collections.  I think Dennis sent me a Taylor Lewan card before.  The Lewan is in a Michigan uniform so it’s in the Michigan collection but when Dennis sent it to me, I actually had already purchased one so I can use the other one for that collection.

 

2014 Upper Deck

Taylor Lewan

My kids actually have his autograph, that we picked up at Fan Appreciation day, on posters.  While we were in line, he walked right next to me to hug somebody he recognized and for those that don’t know, I’m 6’3”, 280 lbs and when he walked by me, I felt like a dwarf.  He’s freaking huge.

 

 

2013 Panini Prestige Football Prestigious Picks Black Rookie #d 18/25

Denard Robinson

The photo is a different version as the one I have is numbered to /25.  I think either Dennis or my cousin sent me this card.  I wasn’t collecting him at the time but I think I stuck it in one of the sleeves in my books so I must have thought that I would collect him eventually.  Hopefully he’ll get some more playing time this year, probably not, but I know he’s had some decent stats in preseason.

 

 

So, if those 2 player collections are already started, have you figured out which one I got on ebay that I decided to start all these player collections? 

 

2013-14 Panini Prizm HRX Rookies

Tim Hardaway jr

Tim was up and down at Michigan but he’s had a pretty productive rookie season for the Knicks.  I ran across this card while searching for Michigan cards and thought, why shouldn’t I, I like him, I’ve followed him for awhile, why the hell not?  Then I started thinking about the guys that went pro in the last couple of years and figured I’m going for it.

 

 

So there you go, new player collections and hopefully it will give me a reason to post here more often then just on Sundays.  Although I haven’t really come across too many of their cards cheap enough, but eventually I will.

I chose my game for this year so it looks like I will be heading to A2 on September 27th for the Minnesota game.  Maybe I’ll see you there.

This Week on MSO-Wolverines

It’s Sunday, time to recap the pictures that I post on My Sports Obsession – Wolverines blog.

After clinching at least a tie for the Big Ten Championship yesterday, it worked out that this post is basketball heavy.  Now let’s cheer for 2 more wins to clinch an outright championship instead of a shared one.  Not to mention, who the hell wants to lose.

Michigan takes down little brother again.

Vintage T-shirt

Trey Burke – Skills champ

Tim Hardaway jr.

Gerald Ford (1934)

Highlights from Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin

Meryl Davis and Charlie White

Trey Burke

Olympic Sprinter Ed Tolan (1929)

Trey Burke

Alley-Oop to Glen Robinson III

Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber

Glenn Robinson III portrait designed with the lyrics to Hail to the Victors

If you had trouble loading all these pics, you can also view them at My Sports Obsession – Wolverines, be sure to follow us on Facebook as well so you can share your love for the Wolverines with all your friends.  I’ll be back next Sunday.