2020 trade package #9: Sport Card Collectors

In the midst of working on a post covering the first of my two recent Facebook purchases I was happy to find a brand new PWE on Monday from Matt over at Sport Card Collectors. Let me tell you, when you're slacking on posting stuff these are a sight for sore eyes, plus the cards are always great!

This was another six-card version with each pair fitting in nicely in a third of a nine-pocket page, as is Matt's very effective style. And he made things nice and easy on me by focusing on one player, and even a single year of his cards: Justin Verlander. Here's some JVs from two years ago:

Card #1 is the only one that didn't come from a Topps brand this time as it's a Pink parallel from 2019 Donruss Optic, Panini's answer to Chrome. It's difficult to scan these and get the color right, but please believe me that it's pink and not purple, which is another parallel option.

Next is Justin's appearance in Topps Chrome Update's Refractory version of 2019 flagship's 150 Years of Professional Baseball insert. The back lists his "greatest players" credentials including more than 200 wins and 2500 strikeouts, two no-nos, an MVP and Cy Young (both in 2011) and 11-6 postseason record. Of course he can also add to that a ring in 2017 and another no-hitter in 2019, plus his 300 K's during the latter season got him over the 3000 mark. He's, uh, pretty good.

Then we have a pair of inserts from a Topps brand I loved in its early days: Gallery. (Which I appear to have scanned backwards. Oh well.) Up top is a Heritage insert, which is kind of a funny idea to me since that brand stands on its own and has had more iterations than Gallery. At least it looks cool. The other is an Artist Proof parallel, which perks up my ears since that was such a big insert in the 90s--beginning with '94 Pinnacle, I believe. This one isn't numbered but still looks nice.

Speaking of Heritage and well-known insert names, next up is Justin's 2019 New Age Performers chase card. The back on this one notes that 2018 saw him join the 200 win/2700 strikeout club (kind of a strange pairing), doing so while being three years younger than former Tiger Jim Bunning when he accomplished the dual feat.

And lastly for today we go back to Chrome and its Refractoriness for a Greatness Returns insert that pairs JV with former Astro (among others!) Nolan Ryan. This is a natural comparison that's been made before thanks to each being a fireballing righty that's thrown a bunch of no-hitters.

Matt, thanks for another fun surprise PWE! It's always nice to have a source for easy to show-off mail days that sends me stuff I can always use for my collection. It might take a while but once I can get back to a monthly show or two I should have plenty of fodder to return the favor.