11/2 card show report: TTTC #1

Another month, another card show!  Though I hadn't planned on it at the start of the year, I've now I attended five shows this year, with pretty good results.

With Gibraltar Trade Center's imminent demise in Taylor, I went to a different location in the same city to a show promoted by some of the same regulars from Gibraltar (and I'm glad to see they landed on their feet).  The new place is called the Taylor Town Trade Center, a bit north of the old place.  It's more like a smaller indoor flea market in a strip mall, but it's less rednecky and lacks the cigarette stench of Gibraltar, so despite being much smaller, it has its pluses.

I arrived late-ish last Sunday so I didn't have a lot to choose from, and I actually only bought stuff from one seller, a former Gibraltar regular.  I hit his quarter and $0.50 boxes hard then added a couple singles for a grand total of just $20.  The vast majority of that went to low-end stuff for trade packages (I hope y'all like Refractors!) while the next biggest bunch can be seen on TMM tonight.  Meanwhile, here's a quick look at two cards I grabbed for PCs I feature here at last week's show:

I couldn't remember if I already had this 1972 multiplayer RC, and indeed it turns out that Mark Hoyle sent it to me in his second package back in August.  Oh well, it was just a quarter, and I'm happy to have two, or if anyone needs a copy I'll be happy to PWE it their way!

My other Tiger find was this great George Kell from Donruss' 2004 Classics set.  Classics existed from 2001-2005, and really all five designs look fantastic.  I'd say my favorite is the 2002 version, but I don't think you can really go wrong.  Maybe I'll try to grab all of them at some point!  Anyway, despite the sepia tone of the photo and design, the card has a modern feel to it, including serial numbering (#1879/1999) on the back.  It's kind of part of the base set (which has a silver tone to it instead) but is short-printed (obviously, hence the numbering) as part of a group of Legends.  I don't have a ton of Kell stuff since he's not as popular as his former partner Al Kaline, so this was a fun add for a quarter.

Watch for some new trade packages featuring stuff from this show in the future!

2014 trade package #20: Reader Mark H. throws me some more throwbacks

First of all, welcome to this here blog's 600th post which, as always, would be more impressive if it hadn't been in existence as long as it has.  But at least I'm still going!

To celebrate (as if I wasn't gonna post this anyway), here's my second trade package from reader Mark Hoyle, one of the guys that participated in my recent giveaway/contest.  Back in June he shot me over a very cool PWE stuffed with vintage Tigers, and he recently followed that up with even more, quickly cementing him as one of my top sources of Detroit cards of yesteryear.  Here's what I got this time:

Last time Mark sent me one '71, but he doubled that effort today with the well-known Horton along with Cesar Gutierrez, a SS who played in a bit more than 200 games over five seasons with the Giants and Tigers.  As usual, the design looks great.

Next Mark tacked on another pair to the huge number of '72s he sent in June.  One is a multiplayer RC (w00t!) including Jim Foor, Tim Hosley, and Paul Jata.  Foor was a first-rounder in '67 that barely appeared over three MLB seasons.  Hosley played in parts of nine seasons, mostly with Oakland.  Jata appeared in 32 games in '72 and that was it.  I'll have to add those to the rest and see where I'm at in regards to the team set.

And now onto the '74s, which dominated the package this time.  Sharon was a Pirates '68 first-rounder that came over in a deal for the previously-mentioned Foor.  Brinkman, (who appeared in the last post for the '73 set) came to Detroit in a deal that sent former star Denny McLain and Wolverine Elliott Maddox to the Senators.  Speaking of the Sens (and that same deal), Coleman, a pitcher, was their #1 (3rd overall) in '65, and Mark also included him with the '73s last time.  I showed off the Cash in my last card show report, but it's great to land another of the well-known Detroit slugger.  Finally, LaGrow was featured on two cards Mark previously sent.

The top row here includes the last three '74s from the main set, including Mickey Stanley, the OF who famously moved to SS for the '68 World Series, a tactic that aided the Tigers in their ultimate victory.  Next to him is Woodie Fryman, an 18-year veteran who both started and relieved during his long career.  Lastly is another multiplayer RC, this one of the multi-team variety.  John Gamble, owner of 3 PA, 0 H and 1 R over 13 games in his two seasons with Detroit, is the lone Tiger, but Chalk was a two-time All-Star, Mackanin lasted for nine seasons, and Trillo was a four-time All-Star with seven teams over his 17-year tour (and is obviously the best player on the card).

The remaining trio comprises cards from the '74 Traded set.  Sutherland was a Montreal expansion pick in '68 and was with Detroit for about two-and-a-half years out of his 13 seasons.  Ray came over in the same deal, but the 28 games he played with Detroit in '74 proved to be his final ones.  Luke "Sky" Walker (just kidding, obviously, since Star Wars hadn't come out yet) also closed out his career in Detroit with 28 games after the team purchased him from the Pirates, for whom he pitched in his previous eight seasons.

Thanks for another great PWE, Mark!  I'm loving all the help you've given me towards the Tigers team sets from the early 70s, of which I have pretty much nothing.  Readers, if you haven't traded with Mark yet, keep an eye on your comments sections and know that he comes TMV-approved!

2014 trade package #15: Reader Mark makes it as easy as '71-2-3

If one of the goals of my giveaway was to get back some trade packages (it was), especially from bloggers I hadn't traded with it, then I can say I've been successful thanks to people like avid blog reader Mark H..

Mark grabbed a 1999-2000 Topps basketball set and an Oakland A's player lot, and though it wasn't required at all, he was nice enough to send a fat PWE back my way:

What's this?  A couple rows of nine-pocket pages stuffed with vintage Tigers?  SWEET!

To start things off we have this 1971 Topps multiplayer RC (love those!) of Lerrin LaGrow and Gene Lamont.  LaGrow went 16-40 in five seasons with Detroit, but still managed a ten-year career, which is respectable.  Lamont played all of his 87 career games over five seasons in Detroit before managing the White Sox and Pirates for four years each in the 90s.  Formerly the Tigers' third base coach, he's been the team's bench coach since 2013.

The 1972 set was the biggest representative of this package with a whopping 17 cards.  The highlights include a Billy Martin manager card, a Mickey Lolich pitching leaders, slugger Norm Cash, PH specialist Gates Brown (GATOR!), 22-season pitcher Joe Niekro, Mickey Stanley, another Lolich, and a team card.  I should put these together with the few others I have and see how close I am to a team set.  What a nice bunch of Tigers!

Finally, Mark included this six pack of 73's.  Fryman, who was with Detroit for three seasons, is the guy I know best in this group.  LaGrow makes a second appearance as well, and the team card is again a highlight.

Thanks again, Mark, for not only taking some unwanted cards off my hands, but also for sending back a trade package stuffed with Tigers!