2017 trade package #13: I Feel Like a Collector Again

As my favorite college football team gets ready for its bowl game on Monday I'm happy to have a new football card to show off thanks to someone who definitely embodied the generosity of the season (which I've found is typical of the folks in the blogging community).

Kin of I Feel Like a Collector Again hit up my mailbox with a surprise PWE a couple weeks ago, and it included this note:

I had to look up GoGTSLive and it looks like a cool place for people that can't get enough of the hobby, so it's definitely something I'll check out.

In any case, I love that Kin thought of me here after winning a free card he couldn't use.  If "I know you'll give it a great home" isn't the motto of every trade package I send and receive, I don't know what is.

Ok, on to the card:

Well there's something I didn't see coming!  Thanks to Kin I now have my first hit of former Michigan WR Jehu Chesson:  a 2017 Playoff Rookie Signatures Hail Mary autograph.  This is yet another nice design out of Panini's Playoff product with a color scheme that highlights KC's red unis.

I'm excited that I now have signatures of both Chesson and his former position-mate Amara Darboh since I tend to associate them with each other as two of last year's top three receivers (TE Jake Butt was second in most stats) before getting picked in Michigan's stacked 2017 draft class.  Darboh led the Wolverines in catches (57), yards (862), and receiving TDs (7) while Chesson was third with 35 catches for 500 yards and added a rushing TD on 12 attempts.

It's going to be fun seeing if they can parlay pretty good college careers into long pro tenures as the next generation of Michigan WRs in the pros.

Kin, thanks again for thinking of me this Christmas and sending me a card that most definitely now has a good home!

2017 trade package #5: the Daily Dimwit

I'm guessing most of you reading this are heading over from this evening's TMV post which saw the glorious return of a Daily Dimwit trade package to my mailbox.  In that post you got to see a great new Jim Abbott for my collection, and I'm also happy to have something to show off over here tonight:

This isn't the card in question, but the fact that it's a 2015 Prizm card of former #1 WR Devin Funchess makes it a nice teaser for what I'll be showing in a second.  More than just a nice unexpected throw-in, this is one of Funchess' 24 RCs from that year.

Now here's the main event.  The official title for this guy is 2015 Panini Prizm Rookie Autographs Prizms Red Power Prizms Red Power (I don't know why "Red Power" gets repeated but whatever).  All I care is that it's a very cool looking autograph of Funchess, making that the first such card of him in my football PC.  Sam pulled this very card, #d 04/75, from a box purchased around Black Friday of 2015, and I was able to land it along with the previously-mentioned Abbott for a nice haul of Astros stuff.  It sure is nice to have a Houston collector to trade with once again!

Thanks again, Sam!  Let's not wait so long to trade again next time!

2017 trade package #4: the (Pedestrian) Collector

I recently received my second trade package courtesy of Chris who runs the (Pedestrian) Collector, and this time I was happy to find some Wolverines to go with the rest of the contents.  If you read my TMV post from this evening you saw that I showed off a pair of cards relevant to that blog, but those make up a tiny fraction of the contents.  In fact, I like to think Chris was doing his best impression of Doug with this package based on the attention to detail he put into finding some Michigan stuff for me (and that's high praise!).

Here's a look at what Chris sent:

The five-card football portion starts with a QB club of three cards.  First is a '98 Topps Chrome of Elvis Grbac, a former Niner/Chief/Raven who had a nice Michigan career from '89-'92.  Next is a nice pair of cards featuring current Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.  These hail from '95 Playoff Contenders and '97 Finest.  Shiny and higher-end seems to be the theme of the day!

The fourth card represents two of my football collections:  rookies and vintage.  It's an '81 Topps first-year of 17-year Atlanta Falcon T Mike Kenn, one of the school's most successful NFL products.  This one doesn't fit in with the shiny theme but is high quality for sure!

The fifth and final card gets us back on track with the others, and it's also from about the same time period:  a 2001 Topps Chrome base of Tai Streets, a WR who played for the '97 national champs and went on to a brief NFL career with San Fran and Detroit.

Now that's some good football content!  On to hockey:

It's a Mike Comrie hot page!  The first five cards represent the former Michigan C who's pictured with his original team, Edmonton, for whom he skated from 2001-2003.  The former Mr. Hilary Duff appears on cards from

• 2002-03 Pacific Heads Up
• 2002-03 Private Stock Titanium
• 2003-04 Upper Deck High Gloss Parallel (#24/25)
• 2001-02 and 2002-03 Atomic

This is a really nice bunch, especially thanks to the pair of die-cut atomic cards, not to mention the low-numbered UD parallel, which may be my best Comrie that isn't a hit to-date!

Two other players came long for the ride, and one is this '94-'95 Electric Ice parallel of LW (and Kitchener, Ontario native) Cam Stewart's Upper Deck second-year card.  It goes to show that Upper Deck's penchant for quality design goes way back.

Finally, Chris included a pair of cards of blog favorite goalie Marty Turco, both showing him with the Stars, the team that originally drafted him.  These come from 2002-03 Private Stock Titanium and 2007-08 O-Pee-Chee (which was being handled by Upper Deck at the time).  They give me a nice pair of action shots with Turco in both away and home unis.

Once again, thanks a lot for a great package of Wolverines, Chris!  I'll work on sending you a nice response as soon as I can acquire stuff I know you'll like.

2016 trade package #17: Fuji wishes me a Mario Christmas and a happy Blue year

If you caught my post on TMV this evening, you know that Mark from the Chronicles of Fuji went all Hitsville, USA on me with another amazingly generous package to end 2016.  That theme wasn't limited to just the Tigers, though, as he put a nice "super" star atop the tree that was this latest envelope, including a card for one of my favorite player collections--the guy whose name happens to grace this here blog:

Super Mario!  Mark sent me what will become my 113th card of Manningham in the form of this color-appropriate Throwback Threads jersey relic from 2014 Elite.  The bold blue Giants jersey swatch pairs beautifully with the other instances of that color on the design and in the photo.  I also like the added bonus of serial numbering, and this card is stamped 119/199 up front.  Definitely an elite addition for one of my favorite Michigan WRs of all time.  This bumps him up to a ridiculous 62 hits, by the way, keeping him at fifth place in my football collection.

Don't think that I'm shocked that Fuji was thoughtful enough to send this my way, though--he previously gifted me cards of Manningham in several past trades:  November, 2015; April of last year; then another in September.

Thanks again for being a super trader in 2016, Mark, and here's to doing it all over again in 2017!

2016 trade package #16: Canadian Thanksgiving Wolverines from SCFtDS

In this case, the Thanksgiving actually refers to the act of giving thanks to a Canadian, Doug from Sports Cards From the Dollar Store.  We here south of America's Hat may have celebrated turkey and football day a couple weeks ago, but our Canuckian neighbors enjoyed--what, poutine and hockey?  That can't be right, unless every day is Thanksgiving in Canada--back in October.

Anyway, I'm always thankful for the effort folks like Doug put into their trade packages.  This one was completely lacking in turkeys, but if it helps, I do feel like taking a nap after scanning and posting everything.  And there's football.

And now, here's the goods:

Cazzie Russell 2013-14 Totally Certified Materials Blue jersey (#23/25)

Well hey there, brand new Cazzie hit!  This low-numbered jersey swatch hails from his days as a Laker, which would have been 1974-77, the latter being his penultimate NBA season.  It's actually my first relic of the legendary Wolverine cager (to go with an autograph, plate, and eight-card manu-letter auto nameplate), plus it gives Russell sole possession of first place in my basketball collection, breaking a tie with Darius Morris.

Here's the football content, which goes heavy on the QBs (five cards if you count Denard, which I do) and 2016 Donruss, which I think is a fantastic looking set.  Brady, who's about to overtake Peyton Manning in career wins, is represented twice, including that Donruss set.  Criminally-ignored (by Cam Newton) WR Devin Funchess is another example from that product.  We go back a few years--1998--for a thick Elvis Grbac insert from Collector's Edge.  Tackling machine David Harris joins the 2016 Donruss club.  And then the last three cards are Michigan Football rookies:  new PC album guy and blog namesake Manningham from 2008 UD Masterpieces, Denard from 2013 Topps Prime, and a totally brand new guy:  "Jim Harbaugh: QB whisperer" product Jake Rudock, who went from being stuck in Iowa--Iowa--to an NFL draft pick.  That's my first of his seven current RCs for that collection.

And now, let's honor our Canadian friends, as is tradition

It's a great day for the NHL, and therefore the world

with hockey content:

Pretty standard fare here with hockey Mikes Cammalleri and Knuble to go with stalwarts Andrew Cogliano and Jack Johnson.  But do you see that trio card at the bottom?  Hurricane Phil Di Giuseppe (hey, a paisan'!) is my focus here.  The three-year Wolverine was a solid forward in Ann Arbor and managed to pot seven goals last year for Carolina (though he's yet to score in 14 games this season).  Another good catch by Doug.

These guys are fairly familiar as well:  former Devil John Madden, who won't try to sell you Tinactin or anything from Ace Hardware;  goalie Alvarooooooo Montoya;  older-school D-man Myles O'Connor ("O'Connor RULES!"); Max "Patch" Pacioretty out of the shiny funtime of OPC Platinum, and Jacob Trooooooouba, who we'll see again in just a moment.  This is a standard excellent assortment of icers from Mr. Corti.

And now, some hits:

Andrew Ebbett 2009-10 Artifacts Autofacts auto

Matt Hunwick 2010-11 Zenith Yours Truly Autographs auto

Aaron Palushaj 2011-12 Crown Royale Heirs To The Throne Materials jersey

Jacob Trouba 2013-14 Select Prizms jersey auto (#99/99)

Ebbett's autograph--my sixth hit of the center currently playing in a Swiss league--hails from an Upper Deck product from a few years ago, and I think UD did a nice job of making it not so obvious that the signature's on a sticker.  Maple Leaf Hunwick--Matt this time, not Shawn--appears on a Zenith issue that brings to mind a letter or greeting card for his second hit and first autograph.  AHLer (and fellow Livonia, Michigan native) A-A-Ron Palushaj (you didn't mess up, Doug!) gets in the game with a very cool die-cut Crown Royale jersey relic (my first, and ninth hit overall) from his first NHL squad.  And then there's probably my favorite card in the whole package, a gorgeous Prizm (call it a Refractor if you want, doesn't matter to me) version of a jersey/auto of young star D-man Jacob Trouba--I'm sorry, Trooooooouba!  That's my sixth hit of a guy who's probably hoping it's not true that when you're a Jet, you're a Jet for life.

This is another outstanding bunch of Wolverines to add to my PCs, so once again I offer thanks to one of my top trade partners in Doug.  Rest assured I'll be stuffing an envelope full of stuff I know he'll gobble right up.

2016 trade package #15: World Series Wolverines from My Sports Obsession

As mentioned on TMV tonight, I met up with Jeff this past Saturday as he was in Ann Arbor attending the Michigan-Illinois game.  I'm guessing he headed home happy after another resounding Wolverine win.

I loves me some in-person trading and this was no different.  This time the bulk of the goods was Tigers and non-Michigan baseball PC players, but Jeff and I are both Michigan collectors so naturally there was some Wolverines content as well.  And as it turns out, everything in this post is also baseball, fitting in nicely with the World Series theme from the TMV post.

Here's a gander at what I got:

• Jim Abbott 1993 Pinnacle:  Abbott never got to experience any round of the playoffs, but then again he played in the 90s for the Angels, Yankees (pre-dynasty), White Sox, and Brewers, so that's no surprise.  That's too bad--he would have been fun to watch in the playoffs.
• Chris Getz 2009 O-Pee-Chee and 2014 Topps Red Hot Foil:  Chris played for a relatively short seven years, mostly with White Sox and Royals teams that weren't all that great except for his 2008 rookie season, when Chicago left him off the roster.  He's at least relevant to the South-Siders once again having been hired as director of player development.  Hopefully that position leads to a fantastic front office career! 
• Steve Ontiveros 1986 Donruss:  Hmmm, nothing here either, though Steve at least spent time with the '88 Oakland team that won the NL pennant.  This theme isn't looking to good for the Wolverines today!
• Clayton Richard 2014 Topps:  HERE we go--Clayton was part of that '08 White Sox squad that Getz missed out on, and he appeared in 6 1/3 innings over two games as his team lost to the eventual AL pennant-winning Rays.  Seven years later he pitched in six games as the Cubs beat the Cards in the 2015 ALDS, then lost to the Mets.  It's conceivable Richard could have been part of the Cubbies' pen this year, but he was let go in August, and actually went on a decent run in a return to the Padres.
• Chris Sabo 1992 Topps Stadium Club:  Ah, here's our winner.  Spuds participated in only one season's worth of playoffs but made it count as his 1990 Reds team beat the Pirates and Athletics to win it all.  His NLCS was solid, including a game 4 homer that plated the eventual winning run, but he took things to the next level against Oakland, going off for a .563 average, two more taters (both in game 3), and five RBI.  If not for Jose Rijo's excellent pair of starts--both wins--Chris may have won MVP honors.

Jeff tossed in a nice hit as well:  this auto:

And it's a very timely Indians card as well.  Zach Putnam, here on a 2009 Bowman Prospects auto card, was drafted by Cleveland but pitched for them for just a year before being shipped to Colorado.  He then spent 2013 with the Cubs and then the last three seasons in Chicago for Jeff's favorite team, so he's never been part of a playoff-bound club, much less been left off a postseason roster.  Hopefully he's not bad luck!

Jeff, thanks for another fun in-person trade.  I'm guessing we'll have to wait until sometime next year to do it again, but at least that gives me some time to track down new stuff for you!

2016 trade package #14: Fuji is a Super trader!

I'm sure everyone is already aware that Mark from the Chronicles of Fuji runs one of the best collecting blogs out there.  I'm also 100% positive that those of you who've received cards from him--which is a lot of you--have a good idea of how amazing of a trade partner he is.

This week's evidence:  a one-card trade package.  How good could it be?  I'd call it SUPER:

Mario Manningham 2008 SPx triple jersey auto RC (#456/599)

As in "Super" Mario Manningham, who won a Super Bowl in 2011-12 thanks, in part, to his super catch:

I give credit to folks like Mark who remember to dig up Wolverines for me even when they have to go to the trouble of remembering who's an alum when they're pictured in NFL uniforms.  Though I suppose Mario's last name is part of this here blog's title.

Anyway, this is a great card of one of the best WRs I've been privileged to watch during my Michigan fandom.  The SPx brand was one of UD's best when it came to putting out fun, higher-end RCs featuring relics and autographs like this one, which also triples as a rookie card!  I also have such a card of fellow 2008 draftee Jake Long, and I hope to track down the other guys eventually.

Fuji, thanks again for your generosity and another contribution towards helping me achieve my favorite impossible goal:  too many Manninghams!

2016 trade package #13: SCFtDS is one of a kind!

Hmmm, three of my last trade packages came from Doug at Sports Cards From the Dollar Store.  Who could this latest one be from?  Oh, it's Doug!  And not only are the cards he sent even more high-end than usual, they're also part of the 40th package I've shown off on this here blog, which is just crazy!  If you don't believe me just check out all of my posts tagged with his name.

By the way, based on today's exchange rate I think that puts him at 1.31 of a kind Canadian.  Anyway, let's look at some cards!

Nik Stauskas 2014-15 Immaculate Collection Rookie Jumbo Tags Printing Plate Cyan (1/1)

Nik Stauskas/Glenn Robinson III/Mitch McGary 2014-15 Immaculate Collection Quad Materials Printing Plate Black (with Gary Harris) (1/1)

Here's a pair that easily rank as "Didn't see those coming!" candidates--well, sort of, as I was able to guess the second one based on some hints he passed along to me.  Incredibly, my first two hits of Nik Stauskas, a.k.a. Sauce Castillo, come courtesy of this pair of plates from 2014-15 Immaculate.  I'm pretty sure that's a first in my collecting life.  Anyway, I would have been happy enough just scoring a simple relic of the talented guard who was a Kings first-rounder in 2014, but that's not how Doug rolls.

And one Wolverine wasn't enough as he managed to dig up a plate with three recent Wolverines, throwing in GRIII and Mitch McGary, along with former Spartan Gary Harris because reasons?  That aside this second plate is extremely cool thanks to the college connection, and it gives me three hits of those other two guys.

One other interesting note:  just about anyone who's held a plate knows they're light, thin cards.  Not so with these versions from Immaculate, which are likely as thick as the relic versions, if not the others in the product, likely to prevent pack-searching.  The extra heft makes these already interesting cards even cooler.

We're not nearly done here, though--I mean, we haven't even talked hockey yet!

Shawn Hunwick 2013-2014 National Treasures 2012-13 Panini Prime Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)

The four-player plate was what I considered the most interesting card of the package, but this is the one I was most excited about since I supercollect Hunwick.  While I don't have as much luck tracking his stuff down as I'd like, I've built up a decent collection, and Doug was nice enough to send me what's now my hockey collection-leading third 1/1 of the former netminder.

This one proved to be a bit tougher than usual to identify because it's not listed in Beckett's catalog, plus it was actually inserted into a 2013-14 product, National Treasures, despite being a plate for a 2012-13 Panini Prime card.  Glad I've got that all sorted out!

John Madden 2001-02 Parkhurst 2002 Chicago Sportsfest 1-of-1 (1/1)

Brendan Morrison 2002-03 Parkhurst 2003 Chicago Sportsfest 1-of-1 (1/1)

And to finish up our five-of-a-kind/one-of-a-kind post, here's a couple more 1/1s, stamped convention card-style.  Also it doesn't hurt that a couple of my favorite former icers, John Madden and Brendan Morrison, are the subjects.  If you've been collecting for a bit, especially recently, you've likely seen this type of oddball pop up from time to time.  While I don't know much about SportsFest and can't easily back up the authenticity of their "one-of-oneness" these cards are a fun, cheap way to add that type of hit to your collection.  And you definitely can't go wrong with an iconic hockey name like Parkhurst.

My third hit of Madden ends up being my second 1/1 of him, and the other also came from Doug!  Morrison joins in the milestone fun with his 25th hit, which is still eight behind leader Marty Turco, but I'm happy to land my first 1/1 of him.

And that, folks, is how you send someone not one or two but five 1/1s of someone's favorite team.  Incredible, generous, amazing stuff, Doug--thank you!  I'm reloaded and ready to fire back as soon as you give me the green light that your post office is no longer trying to out-lazy their American counterparts--a war they could never hope to win, eh?

2016 trade package #11: GSNHoF helps me tie up my shoes

...with a pair of nice new Shoelaces!  Check 'em out:

Denard Robinson 2013 Panini National Treasures NFL Gear Combos dual jersey (#28/99)

Denard Robinson 2013 Topps Supreme Rookie Relic Die Cuts Purple Patch patch (#24/25)

The COMC champion (though I don't know for sure that's where these came from) was at it again with this outstanding Denard duo of 2013 relics.  First up is the typically classy National Treasures featuring two Jacksonville teal jersey swatches of the home state Jags RB, seen wearing his favorite college number.  Below that in terms of order but not quality is a huge three-color patch (with lots of stitching!) from Topps Supreme.  I flipped through all of the Denards in my football PC and nothing approaches the size and impressiveness of this Jags patch which, appropriately enough, is numbered to a reasonably low 25.

Speaking of that number, this pair allowed me to cross a mini milestone for Shoelace hits as I now stand at 26.  Check out all of those and more in my football collection whenever you'd like.

Tim, thanks a ton for the fantastic fodder of the fast Floridian!  I have a few things set aside for you and hopefully I'll have enough stuff for a worthy trade package soon.

2016 trade package #10: Sports Cards From the MacGyver Store

It's that time again:  time for another Sports Cards From the Dollar Store trade package!  Doug's actually responsible for the most recent package I showed off here back in April.  This time he "MacGyvered up something" that would allow a couple cards he'd promised me (and more) to arrive safely, and in that (and the content) he did NOT disappoint!

Today's appetizer is this pair of 2015-16 Panini-branded cards of former Michigan star Trey Burke, and they couldn't be more different if they tried.  On the left is Complete, a throwback-type set with a more vintagey (as in non-glossy) card stock.  Just a white border, nice photo, the player's name, and some logos.  Meanwhile, Trey's Select Prizm (I believe this is the Tri-Color version) is shiny, in-your-face colorful, and has something more like a Chrome feel to it.  People can rag on Panini all they like but I'm still in their corner.

For the main course here are five hockey Wolverines cards.  Cogliano starts off with a base card from this year's UD release and a numbered parallel from 2013-14 (hard to see, but it's 048/100).  Wolverwing Dylan Larkin makes a much-appreciated appearance with this Red parallel from this year's O-Pee-Chee Update set, and I don't think they could have picked a better color for his team.  John Madden doesn't get a ton of airtime around here so I make sure to show off stuff when folks like Doug include him.  And finally, Max Pacioretty makes the first of two appearances today with a Blue parallel (#d 086/499) from this year's UD Countours product.  Again, a very nice choice of color that goes well with Montreal's unis (not to mention Michigan's!).

Max Pacioretty 2015-16 Upper Deck Game Jerseys jersey

For dessert, also from this year's UD flagship product (seeing a theme?) is a nicely-done jersey relic of Patch.  It's my third hit of the sniper in my hockey PC and a nice way to highlight his third straight and fourth overall 30-goal season.

And for an after-dinner snack, here's the card that required MacGyvering:  

1997-98 Beehive was a Pinnacle product that honored a series of photos produced between 1934 and 1967 (click here to learn more about them).  The whole set measures in at 5x7 making these pieces larger than average and that much cooler because of it.

Naturally I'm thrilled to get Morrison's card, not only because it's obviously an amazing piece, but also because it counts as a rookie.  Oh yeah, and the back mentions his career at Michigan, including one of my favorite moments:

As you can see, the front takes advantage of the extra space with a great photo while the back goes with a second, black-and-white image, typical bio info, a short write-up, and a trivia question, with most of the text available in English and French.  Nice!

Doug, thanks once again for some fun additions--and careful packaging!  Whenever my latest COMC package arrives I'll have some interesting things to send over to your side of the border.

2016 trade package #7: The Chronicles of Blue-ji

Not only did Mark from the Chronicles of Fuji send me a great package full of Tigers that I showed off on TMV this evening--he also included a trio of Michigan cards, giving me another opportunity for another exciting two-part trade post.  I can often count on traders that also collect one or more college teams to include Wolverines in trade packages, but that doesn't lessen my appreciation when they do.

Here's what Fuji threw in:

Devin Funchess 2015 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Game Day Tickets

This is a nice inclusion as I work to acquire bunches of Funchess, Michigan's most recent owner of the #1 jersey.  I love the shot of an intense-looking Devin as he secures the ball and ranges towards paydirt.  Contenders has long been an excellent Panini brand and this insert does plenty to keep me renewing my fandom of the ticket-themed product.

Mario Manningham 2008 Bowman Fabric of the Future jersey

Mario Manningham 2008 Upper Deck Game Day Gear jersey

In the TMV post you got to see two (of many) Verlanders, and Fuji kept up the theme here with a pair of relics of this here blog's namesake.  Better yet, I got jersey swatches from two different brands and in two different colors.  Too many twos!  These Super Marios give me a crazy 59 hits in my football PC.

Thanks once again for remembering the Maize & Blue in another great envelope stuffed with hobby goodness, Mark!

2016 trade package #6: spring game swap with Jeff

As I said in tonight's TMV post, Jeff (and some of his family) and I met up at Michigan's football spring game back on the first of this month, and that allowed us to swap some cards in-person, which is always more fun than mailing them, not to mention cheaper.

Since he's a fellow Michigan fan, Jeff didn't forget to bring along a few Wolverines with him:

Ryan LaMarre 2016 Topps RC

LaMarre was a second-rounder for the Reds in 2010 and finally made his Major League debut in 2015, so he was included in 2016 flagship with this great photo.  That gives me a bunch of parallels to chase, not to mention Ryan's first cards since 2012, and I now have 21 of his 37 by my count.  Although his debut didn't go very well, Boston picked him up and now I can hope he'll get a shot with them in 2016 and beyond.

Taylor Lewan 2014 Finest RC, Finest Refractor, and Topps Strata RC

And a trio of 2014 Taylor Lewans, including a pair of RCs and a Refractor for my inserts collection.  Jeff noted that he wasn't sure which, if any, of these I had since almost all of Lewan's cards, especially Topps' versions, have the same photo.  I'm actually short just his 2014 Select card now, so soon there will be less reason for confusion around here!

Thanks again for these great cards, Jeff, and I hope to see you again soon, maybe even before 2017's spring game!