2016 trade package #17: Sports Cards From the Dollar Store gives you Wiiiiings

Lots of red but no bull in this post!  Well, just a bit--despite being as useful as the USPS, Canada's mail system decided to work for a bit, so I was fortunate enough to be one of the recipients of another trade package from Doug over at SCFtDS!  Hopefully the American version will be functioning whenever Canada's gets back to some semblance of normalcy.

Anyway, Doug provided plenty of goodies--in fact, enough for a two-part trade post, which means there's even more to see over at TMM this evening.

But that's for after this post.  Here's the TMV content you're here to see:

Cleary was the first Newfie to win a Cup thanks to Detroit's last win in 2008.  Datsyuk was a team stalwart for 14 seasons before understandably heading back home after this year.  Draper was an often underappreciated key cog of four Cup teams.  Ellis played parts of two seasons with the Wings before heading to the Kings, then seven more seasons with Buffalo.  Filppula put up eight solid seasons with the Wings, good enough to earn a free agent contract with Steve Yzerman's Lightning.  Lidstrom needs no introduction as he's one of the greatest players in franchise history.  And Osgood was also underappreciated by many fans, but was part of three Cup-winners, starting most of the games for two of those squads.

And Hank gets his own scan thanks to this five-card bounty.  Zetterberg has put up more than 300 goals in his 13-year career and was also part of the 2008 Cup-winning squad.  The Ultra insert celebrates his feat of scoring 13 goals in the playoffs that year as the Wings defeated the Penguins.  He put up double-digit playoff goals--11--the following year as well as Detroit fell to the Pens in a rematch.

This bunch of Wings brings back some nice memories of some of Detroit's best recent teams and players, so thanks for sending them my way, Doug!  I'll respond in kind whenever you give me the go-ahead.

Please make sure to head over to TMM this evening for the rest of the loot!

2014 trade package #1: finally Fuji

As many of you are already very much aware, this kick-ass custom card can only mean one thing:  a trade with Mark of the Chronicles of Fuji!  This is amazingly our first deal, but we both found creative ways to procrastinate; hell, I still don't have all the cards I plan to send in return, but I'm getting there.  Fuji lived up to his reputation as an easy guy to work with, and his plethora of trade bait led to a deal I think we'll both be happy with (you know, as soon as I send him HIS cards).

I picked out stuff that I'll be showing on both blogs, so head over to TMM for the Michigan content later if that's your thing.  Read on for the rest of the haul right here:

My brother and I had a subscription to Sports Illustrated For Kids for quite a few years, meaning we had a ton of the 9-card uncut sheets they came with.  Eventually, we tried to detach them so we could put them in pages or something.  That...didn't go so well.  I still have a pile of those in a box somewhere, tears and jagged edges marring just about all of 'em.  This Guillen, though, came to me in fantastic shape as a surprise addition to the package.  I don't know if Mark or someone else is responsible for the cutting, but to whoever did it, kudos!

Tony Gwynn 1998 Finest Mystery Finest (#M27)

Fuji is a big-time Gwynn collector, but that doesn't mean he doesn't ever have any to trade.  I thought it would be fun to pick up this Mystery Finest insert, both of whose sides feature Gwynn.  He also appears on versions with Ripken, Maddux, and Bonds.  No worries, Mark, I'm including a Gwynn to replace the one you sent me!

Since he's way out west, I'm not surprised that Fuji isn't a big Wings fan (he roots for--UGH--the Sharks), so I was able to score this awesome numbered Yzerman insert from 1997-98 Totally Certified.  Platinum Red is a good color for a Wings legend, and this one is numbered 0916/6199.  As a bonus, the back has the previous season's stats against his opponents, and I can see that Steve netted two goals and seven assists against San Jose!  Oh yeah, and his team won some important games in June or something....

Kris Draper 1998-99 Be A Player auto

Finally, I picked up this slick auto of legendary Wings grinder Kris Draper.  Drapes was a 1989 draft pick of the old Winnepeg Jets, who foolishly dealt him to the Wings in 1993 for $1.  He went on to become on of the team's most reliable and indispensable players until he retired at the end of the 2010-11 season, having been part of all four of the team's recent Stanley Cup champ squads.  If someone was to make a fan favorite-type set for hockey (which BAP sort of is, considering the number of players involved), Draper would be near the top of the list for sure.  Oh yeah, and he happens to share my birthday!  Welcome to the Wings PC, Kris!

Fuji, thanks very much for an excellent first trade, and rest assured your haul will be westbound very soon, likely by mid-week.  Readers, show this West Coast blogger some love and check out the Chronicles of Fuji today!