2023 trade package #17: Sport Card Collectors (The Blogger National 2023)

It's August and the National has come and gone. No, I didn't go--that kind of thing would be wasted on me since I don't like to travel much and barely have patience to spend two hours at my favorite monthly show. I'm happy for everyone who made it out to Chicago this year and had a blast, though.

Anyway, that doesn't mean I can't have National-related fun. For one thing, I hit up said show this past Friday, and I'll get a recap up soon. Also, multi-blog guy Matt started up a blog bat-around called The Blogger National 2023 late last month, an idea where you "[show] off your coolest cards or your most favorite cards or a recent mail day you hadn't posted yet." Why don't I go ahead and participate by posting the great package I received from the Sport Card Collectors man himself back in late June?

I'm aware that Matt doesn't do a ton of blog trading these days and he mostly sends out PWEs, so trust me when I say I appreciate him sending me this big envelope of goodness that could have easily come from a quality table at the National:

Baez continues to do Baez things for better or for worse, but either way, these cards look great, especially the DK and Chrome Pink Refractor offerings. Miggy was the star of this package in more ways than one as you'll see additional cards of the future first-ballot HOFer below. I don't care if they aren't rare like they used to be, Artist Proofs are still cool, and so is Topps Gallery when Topps deigns to treat us to its most artistic set. Detroit sure could use a bat like Blastellanos right now, though nobody misses his glove. That's indeed a Refractor of his Topps Chrome RC from 2014, a fine card to add to his collection.

Topps still occasionally puts out shiny die-cuts that appeal to me, and I was happy to see the Cobb peeking through the rest of this stack. My Mize collection has grown to 65 cards thanks to envelopes like these, and Matt treated me to some very cool inserts like the Donruss parallels and Chrome/GQ chase cards. The Yankees' Domingo German recently joined Turnbull in the "worst human beings to throw a no-hitter" cub. Blog namesake guy JV's Gallery Private Issue parallel takes me back to one of the tougher inserts back in the 90s, and you know I'm thrilled to add a new numbered card (/250) of Mr. Kate Upton!

I grouped four guys together that I don't tend to collect much of these days, but they're all inserts that I like. Barnhart's a foil, Candyman is a shiny purple, and Brieske and Peralta are both Golds /2022. Then we have three more cards of Miggy, two of which are big highlights. The first is a Heritage base celebrating his 500th HR, the second anniversary of which is coming up in a couple weeks. The other is also courtesy of Heritage, and is a comic card celebrating a few of his biggest moments. He of course collected his 3000th hit last April, adding another amazing accomplishment to his storied career.

Matt not only sent a bunch of Tigers my way but gifted me a couple scans worth of Wolverines too! Brady is the oldest one you'll see in this post (his age, not the card's!) and in this scan he's joined by youngsters Chris Evans, Dax Hill, and Aidan Hutchinson. The pair of Michigan uni Dax cards was a fun surprise, especially the parallel numbered /299, and I'm grateful for the help chasing first-years of him and some of the others you see here. Hutchinson is probably the biggest star outside of Brady, and I'm sure a lot of Lions fans went wild when the local NFL team chose him #2 overall.

Matt sent a huge group of EIGHT cards of the top pick, half of which feature college shots, so I really liked the mix he sent. I currently own three of his RCs so I have a long way to go. Speaking of Michigan uni cards, all of the remainders are just that, including a numbered LeSueur (/1250) from 2004, a couple 2022s of future star David Ojabo, and a 2020 Absolute Retail of Pats LB Josh Uche. Now that's how you close out a trade package!

Matt, once again, thanks for your generosity, both in the quality and number of cards you sent and also packaging them up all at once! I have a few things set aside for you thanks to my recent show day and will try to add a bit more to it before firing back.

And that's my entry for the Blogger National 2023!