Champ's & More

Today I've got the latest trade package to show up from longtime friend of the blog Douglas Corti of Sportscards from the Dollar Store.

This package provided me with my very first look at the brand new Champ's hockey set.  I was a big fan of the Champ's releases a few years ago, and am still diligently pursuing some of those cards (specifically the yellow parallels from the 2009-10 set).  Overall though, I guess I'm a different type of collector now than I was back then.

I rarely chase sets any longer, thanks in large part to the overwhelming number of short prints and gimmick cards.  Because of that, I don't buy much brand new product, and instead tend to target singles and specific cards I want on the secondary market.

With that being said, these are some of the nicer hockey cards I've seen in some time.  If I were going to return to my old ways and attempt to collect a modern-day set, this would be a tempting choice for sure.

My first Matt Beleskey-as-a-Bruin card!

I'm about the hundredth person to say this, but these are basically Allen & Ginter, hockey style (and without the weird non-sport subjects in the set).

I keep hearing David Krejci trade rumors.  I hope they're not true given that he's been my favorite Bruin for close to ten years now...

There's a good mix of retired stars spread among the checklist.  A nice looking Bobby Orr here!

The Champ's cards were just the start to this package though, as is typically the case I received a couple of new cards for my Whalers collection.  Kevin Smyth played just shy of 60 games with Hartford across three seasons.

I have no explanation as to why there are still '90-91 Bowman cards that I "need" at this stage, but Douglas found one of them.  Guessing this came from one of the endless re-packs he's always busting on his blog.

Back to Bruins for a moment, with a Fleer Ultra Marco Sturm...

...and what is close to a complete team set from 2013-14 Panini Rookie Anthology.

I think I'm just a Tuukka Rask short of a complete team set at this point.

Is Hnat Domenichelli the most famous person named Hnat?  I'm honestly not sure.  Love the Whalers player on the boards in the background on this one!

If my thirty seconds of crack research was successful, I believe this to be an "All-Foil" parallel.  In any event, it's new to me!

Couple more Bruins cards here.  This first one is actually a Panini Sticker, my first from this set.

Another new one for me, my first look at 2015-16 Upper Deck Full Force.

Here's one of two "hits" that were in the package, an autograph of Whalers draft pick Kent Fearns.  Kent was taken in the 6th round of the 1993 supplemental draft, and never actually made the NHL.  I'm a lover of the obscure, and as far as Whalers cards go it doesn't get much more obscure than this!

Hands down the most impressive card in the package was this triple relic of Brendan Shanahan, Pat Verbeek and the great Ron Francis.  While Shanahan didn't exactly win a lot of fans over during his brief time in Hartford, he is one of the bigger names ever to suit up for the Whalers.  The other two guys are absolutely perfect selections.

This beauty is numbered to /99 as well, which you can see along the left edge here.

I think this is the first time I've been able to say this in weeks if not months, but at this point I am actually caught up on posting incoming trade packages!  Feels pretty good I have to admit.

Douglas, thanks for the great batch of cards my friend!