2026 trade package #12: Sport Card Collectors

I've got a second June show to get to tomorrow, which will be another fun blogger/TCDb meetup, so before then why don't I catch up on my mail from May?

The other blogger trade package I received last month was another gem from PWE specialist Matt of Sport Card Collectors. He sent me an envelope filled with quality Tigers during a month where the team was anything but. They went 6-22 including losing streaks of five and eight games with a single winning streak of two. Fortunately things have been a bit better in June with some returns from injuries and better play overall, and they've gone 8-6 plus they have a small lead as I write this.

Anyway, as always, I appreciate receiving cards of my Tigers PC guys no matter how the team is playing. So let's have a look at what Matt sent this time:

Miggy's a great way to start and most certainly always welcome in any envelopes that find their way to my mailbox from generous traders. The '25 Panini Select Orange Flash Prizm is an excellent looking color match of the future HOFer, and the '26 Heritage TBtC subset issue is a fun reminder of Cabrera hitting his 500th homer five years ago. Carp's Silver Portrait from last year's Ginter is a good reminder of how much the team's missed his presence in the lineup and usual production this season. Prince's Select parallel is a great looking insert of the younger Fielder during his time in Detroit. Riley indeed made history last season against the Angels on May 2 when he hit a leadoff solo shot and then three-run bomb in the 9th to become the first player to homer twice in the 9th inning.

Switching over to the mound, Melton, seen on a Rainbow Foil parallel from this year's Topps, has been a stabilizing force for the rotation in four starts: three wins and what should have been a fourth blown by the 'pen. Olson (Heritage Red Border parallel) is still on the shelf for this season but will hopefully come back healthy next year. And of course Skubal's the name on everyone's radar with the Tigers floundering and the trade deadline a few weeks away. Those two Topps inserts will remain with his collection that I'll be keeping whether or not he gets traded. It's funny to me that the '91 Topps design the first card honors came out five years before the ace was born.

Speaking of Tigers aces and injured guys, JV's return to Detroit's rotation continues to get pushed back, and given his age it's hard to say how much he'll be able to offer if and when he's healthy enough to pitch. That said, it's still very cool to have him back in a Tigers uniform. It just looks weird seeing him as a Giant on cards like the '25 Chrome Prizm Refractor and Ginter Mini A&G Back above, so I'll be glad when Topps makes a couple of him wearing the Olde English "D."

Then we have promising prospect Jackson Jobe, and really, how many guys in this post aren't injured right now? The '25 Stadium Club Concentration insert you see above is actually my 24th card of the former #3 overall pick, and it's funny how your collection of a top prospect can grow quickly without you realizing it!

Last up is another '26 Heritage parallel, a Dark Green, with quite the pairing. Skubal and fellow star Skenes led their leagues in ERA in 2025, with Paul's minuscule 1.97 topping Tarik's still excellent 2.21. Both won their league's Cy Young Award (Skubal's second) despite the Tigers' ace winning just 13 games and the young Pirates ace going 10-10, proving that that's not the only category voters consider. It's great that the game has a couple young arms like theirs to match up with some explosive bats in this era.

And as I finish writing this, the Tigers held on to beat the White Sox 4-3. Sorry, Jeff, but don't worry, I won't gloat about it when I see you tomorrow since your team's record is still much better.

I'll give Matt credit for bringing the team luck tonight while I was writing up his trade recap. Thanks again as always, my northeastern friend, and I'll keep piling up some stuff to send back your way whenever it makes sense!

I'll be back soon, though surely not tomorrow with a long drive to and from the show. My next post will likely cover the May show, and then I have a single June trade package to get to before what will be two more show recaps, along with one eBay pickup and a whole bunch of TCDb deals whenever I feel like getting to those.

2015 trade package #25: more like Bob "WOW" the Plank!

Both of our teams won today, including his West Virginia Mountaineers, so why not show off another trade package from Matt of Bob Walk the Plank?  This was one of the smaller envelopes Matt sometimes sends my way, and surprisingly it didn't include any Michigan stuff, but it's pennant race time (from which my Tigers will be conspicuously absent this year) so it fits right in.  And don't think there was any kind of shortage of goodies either--as the man himself said, "Not much in the way of quantity, but I don't think you will mind!"  Read on to see if you and I agree!

Prince Fielder 2014 Donruss Jersey Kings Studio Series patch (#05/15)

Fielder is an excellent subject for relic cards since his muumuu-like jerseys must be extremely cost-effective for manufacturers.  He's pictured here as a member of the Rangers (still love that trade!) but that patch--and I do mean patch, and a nice one!--is definitely from a Tigers jersey.  Add in the very low numbering and the fun Donruss design and you've got a great card.

Max Scherzer 2014 Immaculate Collection Immaculate Swatches Prime patch (#02/49)

Here's another former Tiger, albeit one that didn't leave the organization after acting like a jackass, on another 2014 Panini-branded patch card.  I'm not sure how visible it is for everyone, but there's some nice stitching going on in that lower-left corner near the orange portion.  That's a great pitching action photo of one of the better guys at the position right now, so this is another great addition to my collection.

Pretty good so far, right?  Actually, already better than good, but wait until you see what else I got:

Al Kaline 2001 Donruss Classics Significant Signatures auto

Al Kaline 2001 Donruss Signature Award Winning Signatures Masters Series auto

Wow, nothing against the first pair of cards, but there's your quality!  Not one, but two autographs of Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline, from a pair of 2001 Donruss Products.  It's fun to see Al looking so young again on these signature cards.  The first is from Classics and is kind of a signature parallel of his base card in the set, plus the autograph is on-card, a nice bonus.  The other comes from Donruss Signature and it honors Kaline's 10th and final Gold Glove.  I'm sure plenty of Tigers fans remember Kaline tutoring future star Kirk Gibson at his RF position, and this was why.  As usual I love the look of the stickers Donruss used to use.

These are the first Kaline autographs in my Tigers collection and I couldn't be happier with them!

Thanks for an amazing, quality package, Matt!  I don't know if I can match up to these on my next package that heads your way, but I'll sure try.  Wow!

A Sports-Obsessive trade post

As both of us have now mentioned a few times, Jeff (My Sports Obsession) and I hung out before attending the Michigan-Air Force game last Saturday, and that worked out in my favor since he brought some sweet trade stuff.  Besides some awesome Wolverines, which you'll find over at TMM, he included these three Tigers from 2012 Finest after he nabbed them in a group break:

Miguel Cabrera Refractor

These look pretty nice this year as usual.  Really, I think it's rare for Topps to come out with a bad Refractor, although it can happen.  This is an excellent card for my Miggy PC.

Prince Fielder base

I can't remember for sure if this is my first card of Fielder with the Tigers, but either way, it's pretty cool.  That means I got the corners of Detroit's current infield!

Justin Verlander Game Changers:
What, no Curtis Granderson?  Oh yeah, he's with the Yankees and this is Too Many VERLANDERS.  This is a pretty cool insert of the AL's best pitcher, and I like the fact that it has the Refractor look to it in this version instead of a regular, non-Refractor issue.

That may not be a lot, but wait'll you get a load of the Wolverines haul!  Thanks for some outstanding Tigers, Jeff, and I hope you didn't get any cooties from touching Tigers cards.

Dude, whoa. Whoa, dude.

Dude.  DUUUUUUUDE:

Whoa.

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This is simply insane and I don't have any idea where Detroit came up with the money.  It was very clear we needed a replacement for the year due to V-Mart's unfortunate injury, but...DUDE!  It'll certainly be interesting having Prince back in Detroit mashing balls into the upper deck again, this time for reals.  Whoa.