2018 trade package #18: Sport Card Collectors

Hot on the heels of a fun trade package in PWE form I'm back with another, this time from fellow 90s insert enthusiast Matt of Sport Card Collectors.  Matt knows how to maximize what he can fit into an envelope and sends them out quite often as well--this is the fourth I've received from him this year already.

This one began with a card I requested from one of his posts, which he quickly granted because he's awesome.  That was joined by a nice little group of Tigers and more.  Check it out:

With Justin Verlander out the door, injured future HOFer Miguel Cabrera is the most recognizable face on this team and an obvious choice for Topps to pepper throughout its products.  Hence the insert trio above:  2017 Stadium Club Contact Sheet, 2018 Finest Cornerstones, and 2018 Topps Big League Star Caricature Reproductions.  The Finest card is my favorite, though I wonder if the Caricature appeals to the ostensible audience for Big League:  kids.

Those are joined by former and current Tiger pitchers.  The one on the left is former prospect Melvin Mercedes in Gold Refractor form from 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects (#20/50).  The Dominican righty got a two-inning cup of coffee the year that card was produced but that's the extent of his MLB career, and it appears that he's toiling in indy ball at the moment.  He's joined by the slightly more successfully Jordan Zimmermann, a guy that's given Detroit 1.2 bWAR over two-plus seasons at a cost of $60 million.  The expensive starter joins us from this year's Gypsy Queen as a rare example of a baseball player that appears in the product!

And now we get to the card I was really hoping to land, plus a friend to join it.  Matt broke a complete hobby set of 2018 flagship a couple weeks ago, and one of his five set-exclusive parallels happened to be PC guy Clayton Richard; he also scored a Manny Machado, which would be more exciting to pretty much everyone but me!  This shiny parallel isn't listed on Beckett yet but I believe it corresponds to last year's Factory Set Sparkle Foil parallel, so that's what I'm going to name it unless I hear otherwise.  While that version was limited to 175 copies this one goes to 190 (with this one being #108).  I can happily add that to my 2018 Richard rainbow which includes...:checks::...uh, nothing else just yet.  But no worries, I'll get a few of them soon enough!

Matt was nice enough to throw in another 2018 Richard I needed:  his Gypsy Queen base.  Serious question:  do I now own both of the cards of baseball players in 2018 GQ?  Sure feels like it.  Anyway, it's fun having both of these side-by-side so I can see that the GQ card is a slightly more artistic version of the same photo.  They comprise the entirety of my collection of Clayton Richard cards from 2018 so I really appreciate that Matt was able to send both my way.

Thanks again for the Richards and Tiger treats, Matt!  I have just a few things set aside to send you from the last show but will try to build up another package to send your way, one I hope you can enjoy after your health improves.  Until then may your 90s insert acquisitions be plentiful!

2018 trade package #12: Sport Card Collectors

Today's post marks the third time already this year that I've received a surprise PWE filled with Tigers from Matt of Sport Card Collectors.  The Rodney Hampton enthusiast is super easy to trade with because we have a number of collections in common (Griffey, 90s stuff) and because he did a great job of going into detail about what he collects.  And the fact that I'm posting cards for him for the third time in five months means he's no slouch about keeping up his end of deals.

Here's what he sent my way this time:

Miggy has been the constant in all three PWEs this year (January, March), and he appears this time courtesy of three recent Panini and Topps cards.  Up top is a cool horizontal insert from the former's 2015 Prizm product called Passion, and its design reminds me a lot of Topps Chrome even more than others from that offering.

#2 is a 2018 Topps flagship insert called Legends in the Making that notes that Cabrera is one of just seven players to amass 500 RBI for one team and 1000 for a second club.  Barry Bonds, Jimmie Fox, Ken Griffey Jr., Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Robinson, and A-Rod are the others.  That list makes lots of sense when you think about it!

Last up, Miggy represents the Tigers in a retail-only insert also found in this year's flagship product, one called Opening Day Insert (to differentiate from their Opening Day brand).  This one notes Cabrera's proximity to 500 HR as he opened the season with 462; he's since added three but will need to get back to health and the pace he reached on 2016 to get it done this year.

Rising star on the mound Michael Fulmer makes his second PWE appearance in a row thanks to this Topps pair.  On the left is an Orange parallel from 2017 Fire (#187/299) which is shinier than it scans, and to the right is a flagship insert from the same year called MLB Awards that highlights Fulmer winning the AL ROY award in 2016.  That kind of success has eluded him this year partially due to poor run support but I still see him leading the rotation in WAR at the end of the year.

Last up is another pitcher, Daniel Norris, who returns after a one-PWE hiatus.  This 2017 Topps Gallery Canvas parallel is a nice example of what the brand can offer, featuring great artwork that includes the "Mr. 'I'" patch honoring late owner Mike Ilitch.  Unfortunately Norris is back on the shelf dealing with injury once again, but maybe in the future the stars will align and he'll get to display his talents over a full season.

Matt, thanks again for a fun PWE surprise!  I may have a return package heading your way sooner rather than later, and I'll be working on helping you tackle some of those sets from your (and my) childhood!

2017 trade package #11: Sports Cards From the Dollar Store

Well, it's been a little over two weeks since I last posted--in fact, this is the first time I'm blogging in May!  But there's been plenty to keep me busy, including fun family stuff, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (saw it twice!), and perhaps most important, improved weather.

But as usual, my lack of posting should in no way indicate a lack of cards to show off, especially since you generous traders keep hitting my mailbox with cool new stuff.  On that topic, I want to give a quick mention that I'm working on return packages for a number of you with cards sourced from eBay, COMC, and likely soon, JustCommons.

One such future recipient is none other than my most prolific trade partner, Doug of Sports Cards From the Dollar Store.  The very polite Canadian collector (who just showed off his loot from the recent Spring Expo, check out those posts!) sent me an envelope that included--wait for it--hockey!  But it wasn't all stereotypical stuff as the other three sports were represented as well.  Wolverines of the hockey--and yes, basketball and football--variety can be seen over on TMM this evening while our baseball example is available right here:

This here is a nice oversized box topper of Miguel Cabrera, a Purple version, from this year's Gypsy Queen.  That product has never remotely interested me, but that doesn't mean a card or two from the set doesn't pique my interest.  In this case I'm a fan of two features:  the oversized-ness and the Refractor finish.  The former gives you a great big photo and makes it something worth displaying while the latter just plain makes it look nice.  Bonus points go to Doug for shipping it in its original pack which sort of gave me the experience of opening it myself.

Hopefully Miggy can overcome his slow start and put up the numbers we're all used to seeing; he fared poorly in the games I've attended this year, and I think a lot of that was due to injury.  Maybe with J.D. Martinez back and Justin Upton looking better than last season he'll start to heat up.

Doug, thanks a bunch for this cool Tigers 'topper!  Pending some eBay and COMC shipments I'll have a return package headed to Canadia as soon as I can.  And yes, it includes lots of hockey content!

2017 trade package #10: All Trade Bait, All the Time

"Baseball card collectin', die hard Dodgers fan" Oscar, a.k.a. Stealing Home, of All Trade Bait, All the Time fame (and writer for LA Dodger Report, check it out!) was nice enough to hit me up with another fun PWE to celebrate the start of the 2017 MLB season.

It's been an up-and-down April for the Motown Kitties, and I've attended five games this season, two of which were wins.  Injuries to Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez, among others, haven't helped things lately, but this is shaping up to be a rough season for many reasons, especially yet another terrible bullpen and an overmatched manager.

But that doesn't mean I don't still like receiving cards representing my home team!  Oscar has sent me PWEs filled with Tigers before, like he did this past December, so I knew I was in for some Tigers treats:

Here's Miggy's card from last year's Topps Marketside promotion.  I'd already been sent Verlander's card from this set so now I have both Tigers available in the Wal-Mart product.  Cabrera's put up a slow start to this season, likely due to back tightness lingering from the WBC, but I'm still betting on big numbers when he returns.

Alan Trammell is nicely represented here with a pair of mid-90s cards:  1994 Flair and 1995 Pinnacle.  Looking at these, along with the many cards I've been getting ready to post for my Griffey/Gwynn/Maddux/Ripken collections, really makes me pine for the variety of the 90s, a time when we didn't have to suffer through the creative stagnation of the Toppsopoly.  The Flair card looks fantastic, and as I'll tell anyone til I'm blue in the face, Pinnacle's '95 set was definitely the pinnacle of that product.

You can't have Tram and now Sweet Lou, right?  As Oscar correctly did last time, he paired up the legendary double play combo with a couple more 90s issues of Whitaker:  1991 Donruss and '92 Fleer.  These hail from closer to the junk wax era but I still like them, both for what they are and as a reminder of the variety we collectors enjoyed back then.

Oscar, thanks again for a fun PWE--an envelope with three of my favorite Tigers was the perfect way to kick off 2017.  I probably said this back in December but I seriously do plan on returning the favor soon, especially if I can get to the monthly show next weekend!

2017 trade package #9: Bob Walk the Plank

He started it!  I mean, at least, I think so.  I've been trading with Matt of Bob Walk the Plank for more than three years now, and at some point during that partnership one of us raised the stakes to the point that each time we send out a package we do our best to wow each other, often with high-end stuff.  Since this is my blog I'm going to say that Matt fired the first shot.  I may not be able to pinpoint the exact moment he ramped things up, but I have lots of examples:

• August, 2014:  he sends me autographs of Miguel Cabrera and Bill Freehan
• January, 2015:  another Miggy auto plus a sweet Nick Castellanos
• June, 2015:  two even higher-end Castellanos autos, a Sweet Spot signature of Alan Trammell, and a low-numbered Max Scherzer signature, among others
• September, 2015:  sick patches of Prince Fielder and Scherzer, and two Al Kaline autographs
• December, 2015:  another high-end Castellanos autograph and a third Kaline autograph, this one numbered to just 49
• March, 2016:  another Kaline autograph, plus a Ty freakin' Cobb bat relic
• December, 2016:  a Justin Verlander quad jersey plus an autograph of the Tigers ace

With amazing content like that, what could I do but respond in kind?  It has been and continues to be a blast trading with Matt, especially thanks to this high-end back-and-forth that fortunately hasn't resulted in bombings on either side.

So let's look at the latest heavy hitters the Mountaineer Man sent my way last month!:

Austin Jackson 2016 Panini National Treasures Game Dated Material Signatures jersey auto (#98/99)

This beauty represents the Tigers portion of the envelope, and it may just be my best Austin Jackson in that bunch yet!  I do have a Triple Threads jersey/auto as well, but I think the game-datedness noses this one ahead.  I looked up the box score of that June 30, 2012 game against Tampa and confirmed the back's mention of AJax's 8th inning, two-out, three-run shot that ended up being the difference in the Tigers' 6-2 victory that day.  Also of note in the box score, the only Detroit participants still left on the 2017 roster are Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila.

As for the card itself, it's another fun example of a simple Panini design I like that isn't hurt by the lack of logos.

Barry Larkin 2015 Topps Five Star Golden Graphs auto (#19/50)

I'm happy to say that this amazing Barry Larkin autograph isn't the default winner of the package, if you can believe it; reserve your judgment until you see the other two cards!  Five Star was pretty much a forgettable product as far as I'm concerned, but the exception would be this beautiful signature set featuring a bold gold auto on a striking black background, plus a nice photo.  Larkin seals the deal with his very cool John Hancock on a huge addition to my collection.  It represents my fifth Larkin autograph and 20th hit overall, giving me a nice pair of milestones to celebrate!  Seriously, Larkin stuff often goes for big bucks so it doesn't get much more high-end for me than a fantastic inclusion like this.

George Sisler 2003 Topps Gallery HOF ARTifact Relics bat

George Sisler 2016 Panini Flawless Teammates Triple Relics Sapphire bat-jersey-bat (with Goslin and Rice) (#03/15)

And this pair out of f$@kin' nowhere is why the Larkin wasn't an automatic win.  The Wolverines have placed three players in the Hall and Matt sent me cards of two of them in Larkin and this pair of relics of "Gorgeous" George Sisler.  One is from the 2003 HOF version of one of my favorite Topps products, Gallery, and I really like how they added a bat chip and color gradient along the left border to what was already a very nice looking base card.  

The other hails from the very high end Flawless product made by Panini in 2016.  This super low-numbered hit features not one but three HOFers including Goslin and Rice.  These three were Washington teammates for part of 1928, Sisler's only season with the old Senators, while the other two played most of their careers for that club.  Tigers fans may remember Goslin playing for Detroit from 1934-37.

This was an amazing pair of out-of-the-blue high-end hits of one of the best players in my collection, not to mention the game's history, and I'm floored at Matt's generosity, not even taking into account the other two cards you already saw!  I'm proud to say that thanks to Matt I now own three Sisler relics (to go along with three manu-relics), bolstering my collection of vintage stars.

I can also credit the Plankster for sending me the cards to reach another fun little milestone of 350 Michigan Baseball hits!

Matt, at this point I'm speechless, but rest assured I'm going to get to work on putting together a package that makes your jaw hit the floor, just as soon as I can find the ammo to do so.  Remember:  you started it!

2017 trade package #7: the Daily Dimwit

It's been a couple weeks since I last posted so I'm probably one of the last to be able to say, "Hey, Dimwit's back!"  I hadn't realized that Sam was going to return to blogging, so that's an excellent positive development for 2017!  In related good news, I received a couple cards from him that I'd been waiting on since we last agreed to a deal.  It took him a bit to get them in the mail thanks to move-related things (we've all been there), but I was happy to find them in my mailbox this month and remember how excited I was to be getting them.

You'll find one of those pickups over on TMM this evening, and the other right here:

From 2015 Topps Archives Signature Series this is an encased auto of one of my favorite PC guys, Jim Abbott.  Topps had Jim sign this copy of his All-Star subset card (#406) from 1992 Topps, then numbered it to 50 copies (mine is #4, which is a bit hard to make out since encased cards are notoriously difficult to scan).

While I won't call myself a fan of every single buyback-type product, I do like the idea of being able to pick up this type of card of a guy like Abbott as it makes for one of the more interest signatures in my collection of the former USA/Michigan/Angels/others hurler.

This fun autograph marks my 119th card of Abbott, not to mention my ninth hit, all of which feature Jim's interesting signature.

Sam, thanks for not forgetting me and for sending me some great cards!  I look forward to flinging some Astros across the country to you once again in the future.

2017 trade package #6: the (Pedestrian) Collector

A quick note before I get to another great trade package:  Jon from A Penny Sleeve For Your Thoughts is running a very cool contest celebrating reaching the 200 168-post mark.  (Dude, I haven't even made it to 800 posts here and I've been going for six-plus years!  No worries, you'll get there.)  Leave a comment for your chance to win $15 in COMC cards he'll purchase for you, just a fantastic prize in my opinion.  I'm happy to enter and pimp this contest, plus I'm now following his blog, a fun consolation prize if nothing else as I'm always glad to find new ones to check out.  Head on over and enter!

Ok, on to another trade package as I work to show off the hard work of some great traders and finally get to showing off my unposted Griffey/Gwynn/Maddux/Ripken stuff!

Today's envelope marks my second package from Chris, the (Pedestrian) Collector, who was the first to step up and join my tradeapalooza/giveaway late last year, then was nice enough to send some Tigers my way in December.  That package was 100% Motown Kitties, but this one was more well-rounded; besides the two cards you see below, you can also view a bunch more over on TMM this evening!

The spoils:

Card #235 in my Justin Verlander collection is this old-school league leaders piece from 2013 Heritage.  Card #6 in the set, it's the second such base appearance for Verlander, who also shares #2 with former teammate David Price and current jackass Jered Weaver on the AL ERA leaders card.  Coming off winning the 2011 AL Cy Young and MVP awards, Verlander posted a 17-8 record with a league-leading 239 strikeouts and a sparkling 2.64 ERA for the American League champs.  Another former teammate, Scherzer, appears for taking second with 231 K's a year before his dominant 2013 AL Cy Young campaign.

While I don't currently own the previously-mentioned card #2 in that set, I do have JV's third and final appearance, card #500, which is an SP.  Thanks for a new Verlander, Chris!

The other card I have for you here is a '96-'97 Fleer base of former Russian Red Wing great Vladimir Konstantinov.  Vladdie was a very good D-man after being chosen by Detroit in their outstanding 1989 draft that also landed them future legends Nick Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov, not to mention future NHLers Mike Sillinger, Bob Boughner, and Dallas Drake.  What a haul!

Wings fans remember him as part of the '96-'97 squad that finally brought the cup back to Motown at the start of a very good decade for the club, then was unfortunately severely injured in a limo accident that ended his career.  The team dedicated their repeat Cup win the next year to "Vladdie", and I'll always remember this photo, which is on one of many posters that adorn my walls:

Thanks again for the new cards, Chris!  I know you said I shouldn't feel like I have to send anything in return, but I will anyway because that's how I roll.  But I'll at least try to make sure what I do send fits your collection since I think you mentioned you were trying to clear out unwanted stuff.

2017 trade package #2: Sport Card Collectors

Last month I received my first trade package (of what I'm sure will be many more) from the blog Sport Card Collectors (sorry, I don't have a name!).  The collector of Griffey, NY football Giants, and more had claimed a few of my giveaway lots last year, and you all know I love adding new trade partners whenever I can.

I've said before that I love one-card packages as much as those that are stuffed because I'm lazy and therefore happy to do less work when it comes to posting.  So you won't see me using the word "only" when I refer to what I received; anyway, it's a fantastic card worth a whole envelope of stuff anyway:

It's not so easy to hit the range of Topps cards I tolerate/like/love these days, but this one fits in toward the latter part of that scale since I'll take an A&G framed relic of a player I collect any day of the week (and twice today!).  It just happens to be gravy that this is Miggy's card in the 2016 set, one with another nice design along with a pretty good jersey swatch.  I'll happily add it to the other 10 hits of Cabrera in my Tigers PC as the most recent card and second A&G relic.

With the season starting soon I'm looking forward to another Hall of Fame-worthy campaign for the best player to appear for the Tigers in my lifetime!

Thanks, Sport Card Collectors, and I look forward to trading again whenever I can pile up some Griffeys and Giants for you!

2016 trade package #25: Fuji wishes me a Magglio Christmas and a happy Zoom-Zoom year

My final trade package of 2016 arrived courtesy of Mark/Fuji of the Chronicles of Fuji, and what a package it was!  I'm talking 100% hits from the legendary blogger/trader/teacher/flea-marketer (you've got quite the diverse résumé, there, Fuji!).  Check out one of them over on TMM this evening, especially if you like a certain "super" player.

Most of the loot was of the Motown baseball club persuasion, so here's some Tigers to help me ring in the new year:

I may be getting to the point that I need to consider another name change for this blog:  Too Many Magglios!  Besides a ton of base and inserts, I now own 14 different hits of Ordóñez thanks to this excellent pair.  As usual, the "too many" would be tongue-in-cheek because I love collecting the offensive outfielder who put together seven very nice seasons for my Tigers.  Keep sending him my way, folks, and I'll take them off your hands.

Here Fuji sent me a nice pair of jersey relics.  The first is an attractive gray swatch from 2005 Sweet Spot, a Gold parallel of the Majestic Materials set.  I really like the design and colors here, and it doesn't hurt that it's numbered to 75.  The other also hails from a UD product from about the same time, 2007 Masterpieces.  The Captured on Canvas relic set retains Masterpieces' beautiful artistic look with the canvas theme and border.  Well done on both, Upper Deck.

Joining Magglio is my seventh hit of a young pitcher who was fun to watch in Detroit, Rick Porcello.  You may recall that he was sent to Boston in the deal that temporarily brought Yoenis Cespedes to Motown, and though he no longer calls Detroit home, I'm very happy to see him succeed, especially this year when he posted career numbers and won the AL Cy Young in a close race with former teammate Justin Verlander.  This 2010 Topps Peak Performance jersey hinted at his potential (his 2009 season was quite good) but I don't think anybody saw this year's 22-4 record coming!

The 2005 Topps Cracker Jack card housing this Pudge relic (my sixth) may be mini, but the bat chip is anything but, just like Rodriguez's larger-than-life career.  The legendary catcher is known more for his decade-plus with the Rangers, but he did put in four-plus years with the Tigers, helping to bring them back to relevance in the mid-aughts.  I'll be happy to see him elected to the Hall, which should happen this year, and that would make him the first former Tiger to earn that honor since Al Kaline in 1980!  Pudge goes with the Hall like baseball goes with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and Cracker Jack.

Joel Zumaya.

It's a shame the former fireballer's career was derailed by injuries as he was fun to watch out of the bullpen, a place where the Tigers could certainly use his electric arm right about now.  Here he is on what's surprisingly my seventh hit, a jersey from 2009 Upper Deck Icons.  The action photo is classic Zoom-Zoom about to blow yet another pitch by a hitter.

Fuji, thanks again for ending my 2016 trading year in style with some fun stuff--I look forward to sending more cards flying back and forth across the country in 2017!

2016 trade package #24: Baseball Card Breakdown wishes me a merry ripmas

It may be a new year but I still have plenty of cards I received in 2016 to show off!  Better yet, a good number of those come from trade packages, my number one favorite type of post.

Today's package came from custom king Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown.  I was one out of a large number of folks to receive a PWE of Christmas cards from the blogger born on Christmas Eve, and the contents made me very merry indeed:

Thank you to Gavin and everyone else who's included Michigan Wolverines in trade packages to me.  This one included this Upper Deck RC of Tennessee Titans DT Mike Martin, and I didn't feel like giving it its own TMM post, but I did want to give him credit of thinking of my favorite team!

Two many Verlanders!  Gavin bolstered one of my favorite PCs with this pair of shiny Topps issues.  On the left is a 1972 Chrome insert from 2013 Topps Chrome, and while it's not listed that way, it has the trademark Refractor shine to it.  The other is JV's Blue parallel from 2014 Tribute, numbered 41/99, and is a very nice (best color!) addition to the base card I already owned from that product.

And a surprise hit:  this Refractor(!) auto of OF prospect Tyler Collins, my first hit of him for my Tigers collection.  Collins was Detroit's sixth round pick in 2011 and was a top-10 prospect for the team for a bit.  He's appeared in parts of the last three seasons and has a shot to continue to earn playing time in Detroit's outfield this season.

Those were some fun pickups, but now it's time for the customs!  Just like the last time I showed off cards from Gavin here--last December--this package included some of his hard work.  I'm sure many of you have seen these by now but they bear posting by anyone who got one thanks to the level of detail he obviously put into them:

Here's the Tony Gwynn San Diego State baseball/basketball card he produced.  The black and white photo looks amazing and I really like the facsimile signature in red.  Throwing in the basketball photo on the back was a nice touch.

And of course there's the rip card, which I was way too excited to get after seeing others tear theirs open.  My version of the '89 Donruss/Fleer card was numbered 22/25.

Here's how it looked after I cut into it to pull out the magnet, limiting the damage enough to be able to keep this with the other fun custom stuff I've received from bloggers over the years.  What a great idea!

Here's the back of my magnet, noting that it's a 1/1, with Gavin's initials.  This ain't no fake!

And what I automatically consider the coolest of all the magnets I've seen folks receive.  Sorry, guys, I know you got very well done versions with some outstanding players, but I just don't see how this Lou/Tram combo and the amazing art style can be beat.  Gavin easily exceeded my already high expectations!

Thanks again for a fun post-Christmas treat, Gavin, and I look forward to trading more in 2017!

2016 trade package #23: these cards are anything but Pedestrian

Now that I'm back from celebrating Christmas with my family (I hope everyone else also had a great holiday!), I can get back to trade packages.  This one comes from another new-to-me trader:  Chris of the (Pedestrian) Collector.  Chris was actually the very first person to claim items from my giveaway, and I was happy to see that lead to another new trade partner, as was one of my goals with the project.

He sent me this nice little bundle of Tigers:

Binge!  Former SS-turned-C and 3B Brandon Inge was a fun guy to watch with the Tigers despite his often maddening inconsistency.  Here's the 2009 All-Star on his 2000 Topps Chrome Traded RC (which would have come from a box set).  Following him is former teammate and fellow left-of-the-infield (SS) guy Jhonny Peralta on a 2013 Topps Gold insert, #d 1879/2013.  He made it to the World Series with Detroit in 2012, bookended by All-Star campaigns.  And finally, from 2015 Topps Heritage we have a multiplayer rookie card of a couple 2016 Tigers:  starting C James McCann and RP Kyle Ryan, who's pitched in parts of three seasons in Motown.

Hey, cool, a new entry for my Alan Trammell PC!  Chris went back to 1988, when I would have been five, for this oddballish Topps Big card from the first of the product's three-year run.  The front features two photos of Tram, one being a portrait of a still-young Tiger and the other of the should-be HOFer in action at home at familiar Tiger Stadium with a pretty intense look while making a play.  I'm not that far over the 100-card mark in his collection so I love getting "new" stuff like this!

And then there's my favorite of the bunch:  this 1960 Topps of pitcher Frank Lary, who's mostly known for his 11 years with the Tigers.  The year this card came out, Frank embarked on his first of two straight All-Star appearances, including a career season of 1961 in which he went 23-9 with 22 complete games, won a Gold Glove, and finished third in the AL Cy Young voting.

This card is just my fourth Tiger issue from that 56-year-old set to go along with Al Kaline, Paul Foytack, and a team card; I also have one non-Tiger from the set:  a low-grade Carl Yastrzemski RC.  This is a great looking design with multiple photos and one of my all-time favorite versions of the tiger logo on a card.  I'm happy to add it to my criminally-neglected (by me) vintage collection.

Chris, thanks again for participating in the giveaway and for becoming a new trade partner!  I look forward to more trades like this one in the future, especially as I pile up more Red Sox stuff for you.

2016 trade package #22: not Chuck-ing out these Tigers

Well, I think I'm ready to call my recent giveaway/tradeapalooza a success.  Between the giveaway and some already scheduled trade packages, I believe I sent out a total of 28 bubble mailers/flat-rate envelopes/boxes to 27 folks (one person got two because I forgot to send something the first time!) and two PWEs.  From a combination of USPS tracking, with its Nuke LaLoosh-esque accuracy, and actually talking to people, I think about half of those shipments have arrived, and I've already seen some posts from a few that received them, which I totally enjoy.  Thanks for showing off your loot, guys!

I didn't get rid of all of the lots--more like a quarter of them--but I did free up some space, get some stuff in the hands of willing collectors, and I even got in touch with a few new trading partners.  These days I don't do the latter often enough considering the fact that working with new folks has led directly to establishing some of my favorite traders time and again.

One of those new-to-me traders was reader Chuck (if you have a blog that I'm missing, just let me know and I'll update this to link to you!), a Wisconsin-ite.  He wanted a Mike Piazza Starting Lineup I posted and we quickly and easily came to a trade I know I'm happy with.  Here's what headed back my way:

Former Tigers OF Torii Hunter knows that Topps Chipz are totally wake and on the flick, right, kidz?  RADICAL! (Do kids say "radical" anymore?)  While Topps had as much chance of making "fetch" happen as they did this goofy experiment, I'll happily add this to my little pile of Hunter's Tigers cards.  I should also point out that this was a fun throw-in from Chuck, by the way.

Mr. Manu-Tiger!  I just made fun of Topps (in a post where all three items were made by those guys) but for whatever reason I enjoy a number of their manurelics like this rookie reprint "patch" from 2013.  Reprint burnout aside, I can see this as a fun way to get kids interested in some older players and cards, and if they don't, well, I still have fun with them.  Now I just need to get me the real deal....

Joining Kaline is an actual relic:  an Ivan Rodriguez bat piece from 2008 A&G.  That's another product I don't care for in general yet I don't think I've seen a design for these framed mini relics I didn't like.  It's nice enough getting a new hit of the soon-to-be-HOFer, but it's even better that it's a card of him with the Tigers, a team he helped bring back to respectability in the mid 2000s.  This represents my fifth hit of the outstanding backstop in my Tigers PC.

Chuck, thanks again for participating in my giveaway and for such a productive trade.  I'm down to deal again anytime you're interested, and I highly recommend that others do the same!