Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A post about Parkies and my greatest hobby mistake.

A few posts back I said I was going to do some more personal posts, not necessarily for myself (in this case it partially is) but also for my kids. This post is really at the core of my collecting life and some of the best memories of my life in general and one of the biggest mistakes too.

My step-father is the one who got me into collecting and I got him into collecting. I received a pack of cards about 22 years ago and it changed my life. I collected those Panini stickers and stuff, but this was different. I was hooked on hockey and much like OPC wanted, I did get "High on Hockey". My step-father in turn ended up taking a serious interest in card collecting as well and it was something we would end up doing together.

My step-father (whose name was also Dave) didn't really have much use for me as a kid at first. He was in a tough situation, he liked my Mom, but my Mom came with baggage (me and my sister). They were both 24ish when they started dating in the 80's and I can certainly respect how that would have been tough for him coming into a relationship without having an interest in raising two kids who were pretty messed up after a divorce. Nevertheless, he tried to make things work and his idea of parenting certainly differed from my own father's much like parenting in the 60's was different than the 90's. As the years went by it got easier between him and I as we both grew up. I started to wrestle and that was a common ground between us and I even got very good at the sport and he was becoming proud of me. He would coach me on the sidelines and there was even a point where I found out he was bragging about my city and provincial successes. Hockey (especially card collecting) became a second common ground as I got older and understood the game more we would talk about it and watch it for hours on end. I remember being 12 years old and staying up until midnight watching the west-coast games on satellite and spending loads of my paper route money on packs and packs of cards. We even went splits on a 500 dollar rack case of 82-83 OPC (silly I know). 

A divorce would eventually get between Dave and I (in 1993), but we did our best to try and stay in contact and my half-brother (one of his two children he would have with my Mom) made it easy because we both had Michael in common. Tragedy would strike a little more than two years ago, my step-father (I still called him that) would suffer a heart-attack and die in his sleep at the age of 50. For those that know the song Cat's in the Cradle, it certainly applies here as I didn't do the best at staying in touch because life gets busy etc, but I did see him in person about a year or so before he passed which was nice because I lived 3 provinces away. Despite that, the sting of his loss still remains, and I do have some regret about not making extra calls when I could and sending those extra emails when I had a chance. However, he did know about the birth of my son and I believe that he was proud.

One of the best memories I have ever had of my step-father was buying our first two 1951 Parkies. I was in Kenora, Ontario visiting family and he was going to join us a few days later. I was 12 years old at the time and was wandering downtown when I found a little hobby shop. It was called Newcan Coins and Collectables and I went in to see if they had any hockey cards. The shop was small and very old and they seemed to specialize in coins and other things, but there were a few ancient hockey cards (not sure what ones anymore) on display. I spoke to the owner and asked if they had any other cards, and he said that he just got a big collection of 1951 Parkhurst cards and they were going to be there in the next day or two. I ran to my grandmother's house to call my step-dad. I asked him if there were any from that set we should get and he gave me a short list of players I never heard of and the next day I took that list in to see if the owner had any of those. Sure enough two from that list were ones he had.....Pentti Lund and Edgar Laprade. Both rookies, both Thunder Bay boys and players I would have much more knowledge of as I got older, but at the time I knew little.

When my step-dad arrived in town, we both went to the shop and probably spent like an hour looking at all the cards that were in the shop together and the two cards we wanted were were in and we walked out with  the oldest and neatest looking cards I had ever seen in my life at the time. Neither were in mint condition by any means, but both were pretty decent and both were 25 bucks each. I don't know why that day was any more special than the countless others Dave and I went to the card shop, but that day stands out the most. I would eventually buy most of my step-dad's collecting including those two cards. I would eventually move away with my birth-father and only see my step-father once a year. I would even eventually sell him those two Parkie cards when I needed some spending cash in high school, a move I began to regret almost immediately and currently regret significantly. I really don't know why I sold him those cards, I know he really wanted to get them back from me and I needed some money for some reason or another so that is WHY deal is made, but at the same time I don't know why I would have even considered selling them. I guess it is a life lesson that I still remember to this day. 

Time is one of those things that is emotionless and even though they say it heals all wounds, it flies by and forgets both the good and bad equally. Since that day in the shop, my mother and step-dad would split within a year, and I really don't know where the time went. My step-father would settle down with a new partner, raise my little brother. I would move 8 hours away with my father and complete HS, and two university degrees before moving out east and completing two master's degrees, got married and started a family of my own. We would chat occasionally over email or over the phone, but as time would go by that would happen less and less. It almost seemed like I took for granted that he would always be there and maybe someday I would try and get those Parkies back, but alas that isn't and wasn't true. With his passing I lost a chance at him ever meeting my Son and future child, I lost any chance at teasing him about the Canadiens, any chance of  any chance of those cards went too. In some respects they don't matter because they are only cardboard but in other respects they mean so much because of what they meant in terms of sentimentality. I spoke to his widow, I spoke to his mother and I even spoke to my brother, I told them of the importance of the cards and offered to pay anything they wanted. For whatever reason (I am not judging), she didn't want to part with them or maybe she just gave them to her own sons, I really don't know. She has since moved on to a new partner, my brother is living on his own with a partner of his own and the cards are out there somewhere including the two that helped bond my step-father and I. I have given up on trying to buy them back and honestly, I don't think it matters that much. However, I did want to try and get a suitable replacement for those cards and after over a year of searching, I found two cards that are dead-ringers (as far as my memory goes) for those two Parkies I once owned with my step-dad.

Here they are:




Both cards were crease free like these and both were very sharp in terms of colour etc. If memory serves me right, I am pretty sure my Laprade was diamond cut ever so slightly much like this one was. 

As far as the future goes, I don't know if I will include these as part of my Parkhurst project or if I will leave them separate from the set. As of now, I do have another Lund rookie, but I currently just have this Laprade. I have plenty of other cards in my collection that I obtained from him through trades, gifts, but those two Parkies are ones that I do regret letting go and who knows what the future will hold, maybe they will find their way back to me someday, but I think my willingness to let some cards go has diminished because I do sometimes wonder what else I will regret letting go.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Alex Delvecchio Rookie - 01/02 ITG Parkhurst Reprint and others

To complete my other homemade lot purchase, I landed a few cards from the 01-02 Parkhurst release which featured a number of reprints from over the years. All cards are standard size so small ones are blown up and large ones are shrunk. Here are the three I landed all for under 2 dollars a piece shipped:

Alex Delvecchio 51 Parkhurst reprint
An Alex rookie! I will own one some day, but in the meanwhile, this is a fun card and one that counts towards my PC a little bit. Even though I am focusing on playing era cards, this is a fun curiosity that I really wanted. My lone complaint is that they clearly scanned a card which was creased.....with all the money that card companies have, you think they could have rented a good one for a day or two while they were scanning the cards.

Milt Schmidt 52 Parkhurst 2nd year card reprint
I got this card for two reasons, one it is a pretty cool looking card with the clock and flags in the background and secondly, I think it would make a great TTM card.

Terry Sawchuk 51 Parkhurst Rookie reprint
Just a really cool card and the price was right too. If I am ever going to finish the 51 Parkies set I am going to need the original of this card too and the cost will certainly make my wife cringe, but of course it will be a deal compared to the Howe!

It was fun landing some of these cards especially because until recently I didn't even know about the 01-02 ITG Parkhurst Reprints. The set is 150 cards and all of them book for 5 bucks a piece. I would be curious to see if I could buy the whole set some day, but then again, going after the real things instead of reprints might be more fun.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Karl Alzner OPC Signatures

My next two posts are about another lot deal I made, this time with a dealer in my back yard. It is tough to drive out his way sometime and I noticed he had a bunch of cards listed on eBay. I put my min bids in on a few items and I walked away with 4 swell cards. One was an auto and the other three are insert cards.

Here is the auto.


This card is from the 12/13 OPC set and is a Karl Alzner auto card. As I mentioned in a post before, I am a pretty big fan of this guy and I really wanted an auto of his in my collection. However, so did someone else and it cost me that Artifacts auto to help land this card. So, my collection was Alzner-less and I fixed that for  a price I felt was really fair. Even though I think the auto on the Artifacts card was nicer, I actually like this card a little more than the Artifacts card because it feature an action shot and the layout of the card is one I find pretty attractive. I might be keeping an eye out for more of these signature cards if the prices are right.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Don Beaupre Parkhurst Champions Auto

Auto number 3 was a pickup for two reasons. First I wanted to get a Don Beaupre auto much like I wanted a Tony Tanti. Don was one of those players I just seem to remember from my childhood. He was a pretty decent goalie who not too flashy, but did offer you a dependable keeper who could steal the occasional game. Don was a two-time NHL all-star and he lead the league during the 90-91 season with 5 shutouts.

Don's career numbers are anything to be ashamed of either. He finished with 268 career wins, 17 shutouts and a career 3.45 GAA which was is pretty good for a player who played primarily during the Firewagon days. 

The second reason I went after this card was the photo. A kick ass green jofa helmet and goalie pads that are screaming rawhide leather. The koho stick is the key accent piece to an awesome retro look. This card is every bit as good as the Delvecchio in my opinion and the icing on a 3 card lot that I am very proud of.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Tony Tanti Parkhurst Champions Auto

When I went after the Alex auto, I thought that I could try and see if I could "bundle" myself a couple more autos since the prices were very decent and the seller did combined shipping. After looking at what they had for sale, I found two other autos and came to a very good and agreeable price. Here is auto two.

Tony Tanti. I remember him from my childhood days, he was the man before Linden became the man. Tony was a junior superstar who scored 150 points in junior at the age of 17. Then the NHL came calling in 1981 and Tony was a first round draft pick who turned a nice 45 goal season during his FULL season. In Tony's first 6 seasons he had 5 seasons with 39+ goals and a career high 86 points during the 83-84 season. However, as fast as his career started, he faded from the NHL. By 1992 he was out of the NHL and playing in Germany. However, that doesn't detract from the fact that he put a really solid 9 seasons in the NHL and I will always remember him as a pretty darn good goal scorer.

A very interesting auto, I am not sure what it says or looks like, but I do see one or two t's and the number 9. Tony was one of those guys I wanted to write and try and see if he would sign, but now that I have this I will likely move him to the bottom of my to-do list.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Alex Delvecchio Parkhurst Champions Auto

As I alluded to in my previous post, I did chase a couple Alex Delvecchio autos and landed two of them. Here is the first of the two. The seller had a great buy it now price that I haggled a little with and made a nice lot purchase of it. So I got three autos for what I would have paid for just this card alone. I think I may like the art of negotiating as much as I enjoy the cards themselves.

This card is from the 11/12 Parkhurst Champions set. I never actually bought a pack of this stuff, but I lucked into one auto in a trade with Michael from Collecting for Kicks and then I bought the whole base set for about 15 bucks. I really do like the design of the cards and this auto looks pretty sharp. The photo looks great in colour and features Alex toward the end of his career and the C patch is on the right shoulder the way that Detroit likes it. I would like to track down a patch card featuring Alex someday, but I guess that will wait until I get a few other things off my want list!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

11/12 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 11th Edition - Alex Delvecchio

Now the PC is in full swing, I have landed my second game used Alex card. My first was something of a gem if you don't remember, check it out here. The swatch was red with the first one, so I went after a pretty decent sized beige white swatch. The card is from the high-end ITG Ultimate release and represents a hit I would love to pull if I could afford the product.

Luckily for me ITG cards are usually a really good value when it comes to the secondary market and after a little negotiating with the seller, we were able to come up with a price that we were both happy with.  This card would be much cooler if it was signed, but alas ITG doesn't do that as much as I would like and that only meant that I would have to track down a few certified autos to go with my game-used and TTMs.

Here is my Alex Delvecchio Game-Used "Sweater"


Monday, October 22, 2012

eBay Homemade Hot Packs

When it comes to eBay homemade hot packs, I gave a couple a try and both sucked so bad I said I would NEVER do them again. Well funny thing about never is if you ever do it again you didn't really keep that promise. 

Well this past summer I bought a lot deal off a dealer which had 67 BAP autos for 24.99 SHIPPED! That wasn't the winning bid, that was the BUY IT NOW price. So needless to say, I always follow this guy's listings.

Anyway, he posted that he had homemade hot packs which guaranteed 5 hits and a BV of 75-150 dollars with some insert and rookie action as well. I know I didn't want to do it again, but considering how fair the guy was on the other deal I thought maybe it would be worth it. In the end, it cost about 11 bucks with shipping. Here is what I got for hits:

 Jarkko is a KHL superstar and an NHL bust. Hard to believe with only 20 NHL games I have a piece of one of his jerseys.


 Maid Marian.....I never liked him as a player despite all his talent.


Another Euro-Superstar with less than 80 NHL games.


Great start to his career in Chicago, and he should have never left. Instead he did leave and with it went his NHL career. Was in the ECHL last year and I am not sure if he is even at that level this year.


The best player in the lot, gotta respect Recchi.


I did get a lone auto, Peter Popovic. Peter Popovic is the Swedish translation of Brad Marsh.

In addition to these cards, I did get a few other rookies with corner dings and inserts from the mid-late 90's. In all, I think I got my money's worth, but certainly isn't anywhere near as good of a deal that I got for my 67 BAP autos. I think I am finally finished with these hot packs, but I guess I will never say never.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Scott Niedermayer Auto

Once upon a time when there was NHL hockey, there used to be a rule that the worst team got the first overall pick. It was almost a reward for the fans, where if they endured enough crappy hockey during the season they would have something to look forward to the next year. 

The New Jersey Devils were bad for a long time, basically from their time of inception in 1974 (as the Scouts) until 1987 they made the payoffs ONCE and lost the best of three 2-0 to the Flyers. So during that time did they ever get the first overall pick? Yes, once and it was when the organization was in Colorado in 1979. Who did they pick with the ONLY first overall choice in the entire franchise....Rob Ramage, not a bad pick but with Gartner, Bourque, Messier, Goulet and Anderson all available, I can't help but feel that chance was blown.

We did almost have a chance at first overall in 1984. The Devils were in last with about 2 weeks to go and the Penguins did the unthinkable....tanked on purpose. I know people will say this and that about the 83-84 Season, but truth is, they tanked it on purpose and why would they do that you ask.....Mario Lemieux.

So after a couple more second overall picks the Devils had another shot for first overall thanks to Tom Kurvers. Tom was a decent defenseman who was wanted by the Toronto Maple Leafs so bad that they were willing to give up their 1st pick in the 1991 draft. Well luck would finally have it for NJ that 90-91 was not very kind to the Maple Leafs. At one point it was a neck and neck race between Quebec and Toronto for the race to the bottom. Knowing what was at stake, I was the biggest fan of 20 NHL teams that season and I hope for a shot at the biggest prospect since Lemieux....Eric Lindros. Who ever came second in that cellar race would have the settle for the Third overall pick because of an expansion to San Jose.

In the end, luck once again turned its back on NJ and we were faced with the third overall pick. In some ways it was a blessing because if we landed up with Falloon, we might not have had a couple Stanley Cups by now, but then again the 93 Series with Lindros against the Rangers could have ended much differently too.

This card would not have been possible if not for the help of Tom Kurvers and the Toronto Maple Leafs...so thank you!


96-97 BAP Pinnacle Scott Niedermayer Auto
This is my second Niedermayer auto, my first one was an autographed postcard I bought at the Kitchener Mall when I was in University.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Bless you boys 2012

For the second time since I have been watching baseball, my Detroit Tigers have won the AL pennant and are on their way to the World Series. It certainly hasn't been easy being a Tigers fan since 87, true it was good in the beginning, but there were many lean years...pretty much from 94-05. However, this year has just been one amazing ride for my sports teams, first the Devils now the Tigers. Here is hoping Detroit can do what the Devils couldn't and that is win the big one. Until then, here is a little shot of 1984.

I have read lots about 1984, I was only 5 when it happened, but from everything I read about that year it was certainly magic!


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Matt Murray Auto

The thing about collecting prospect autos is you just never know. When I made a trade for this card back in the spring, I knew one thing: This kid and I were born in the same town.

I have long moved away, but I knew he was good because he was ranked as the number 2 NA goalie behind Subban. The Devils need goaltending prospects, he is a good goalie so there was a chance we might get him. So as far as the set up goes, making a trade for this card seemed to make a lot of sense.

Fast forward to the fall, the Devils didn't draft him, but he was picked up by the Penguins in the 3rd round. Given the Pens situation, it looks like it might be a few years before he gets a serious look at the NHL, but considering Matt is 6 foot 4 and 169 lbs, it might be a good thing that he is going to be brought along slowly. There is an upcoming WJHC and Matt is considered to be one of the possible goaltenders. So when I made the trade there were some good perks about getting the card, since the trade some perks remain while others have changed. 

Time will tell if he can become a good goalie like Chris Osgood, a great goalie like Ed Belfour or a nobody like Brian Finley. I think that is what I like most about Future Star cards is having a piece of them from the beginning of their journey and then taking an interest in their careers as they progress. I am a fan of Matt Murray, not because I have his card now, but because it is always good to see another Thunder Bay kid succeed.

11/12 ITG Between the Pipes Matt Murray Auto

Currently Matt Murray is playing in the OHL for S.S Marie. The Greyhounds are sitting in first after 10 games and Matt is tied for third in the league in wins with 6. His numbers might not be as good as some of the others, but he is winning and often that is all you ask of your goalie.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Fixing a small mistake and learning from it too

In my first few TTM requests, I was feeling like a risk taker and I sent away some cards that I thought would come back and I would certainly miss if they didn't come back (I know you warned me Sal). Well, it turns out not many of those came back...Is it because the players are thinking, "Hey these are nice I want them" or do they think someone willing to send me my rookie is likely just trying to turn around and sell it?

The one I missed the most was my Paul Coffey Rookie. Of course many of you are now questioning my intelligence etc. for mailing away a Paul Coffey rookie card, but even though it was a Coffey rookie, it was VG at best and I felt it was maybe a 10 dollar card. However, I still liked it.

Well it has been over a year and a half since I mailed that card out and nothing has come back yet and I have given it up for dead. So, with my collection missing a Coffey rookie in it, I decided to watch countless auctions on eBay to see what ones are selling for. After I determined what I think they are worth in various grades I landed the one below for under 10 bucks with shipping. The condition is every bit as good as the one I mailed away, possibly even better.

So what did I learn? The obvious of course, but I still can't help but think what that Coffey rookie would have looked like with his signature on it, in my house, in my collection, in my hands. 


81/82 OPC Paul Coffey Rookie
This isn't my first as you know, but it currently is my only. The seller listed it as near Ex, but there are some damage on the corners as well as a tiny crease just about his head. I am going to be hanging on to this one for a while, and maybe some day work on upgrading to a near-mt to mint one. In the meantime, there is one less hole in my collection and I am a tiny bit more cautious too.

Monday, October 15, 2012

11-12 Rookie Anthology Box Break 2 and an Oversize Crosby

So box two started with a great deal of hype considering how much luck and success I had with my first box. However, there is something to be said about all good luck must come to an end. Here is my less than stellar second box.

11/12 Jason Spezza Luxury Suite
The bonus pack yielded a Luxury Suite card which is pretty cool if you ask me, however it is Jason Spezza who I have a serious surplus of! This one is up for trade!

11/12 Limited Brendan Smith Phenoms Silver /50
Likely the hit of the box is this card. Brendan Smith is a pretty decent prospect for the Red Wings, he had 7 points in 14 games on the Detroit blue-line and will have some pretty good ice time once this lockout is sorted out. 


11/12 Rookie Anthology Rookie Treasures Blake Geoffrion /499
My Montreal curse continues in this box as well, after landing Diaz and Palushaj, here is another Hab! Another one up for trade!

11/12 Rookie Anthology Rookie Rivalry x 2
 My box yielded two rookie rivalries instead of a Certified or other game used card. I am a little sad at this because of the fact the combos really mean nothing to me at all and I was really hopeful of another Certified rookie. These are both up for trade too!

In all, I still enjoyed opening the box and it gave me a few more base cards closer to the set, but as far as ratings go, this box was a failure compared to my first one which was tailor made for me. BTW, I just used my digital camera to scan these in because I really didn't feel like lugging them to my computer which has a scanner on it. Sorry for the glare :)

Around the time I busted this box, I opened my Toys R Us repack and here is the Crosby Gem I landed!

Nothing too special about it except that it books for more than any of the other cards listed above! I guess I wasn't so much unlucky as my luck was just in a different box than I hoped!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Traveling Box Update


I am very happy at the positive response that has been given in regards to a hockey traveling box. So far we have the following people interested:

1. Dave H 
2. Chemgod - Badwax
3. Sal B - Puck Junk
4. Michael - C4K
5. DFG - TheRealDFG
6. Bamlinden - My Hockey Card Obsession
I wasn't entirely sure if others who commented were committed to joining, so I didn't add their names yet, but if anyone else wants to get in please let me know and then we can get the ball rolling on this fun expedition. As far as rules and structure goes, I really liked what Chemgod did for rules in his Baseball/Football one, so I am thinking of mirroring him again on that. If you can think of additional rules or changes, I am all for them as well. Here is what was done with the baseball/football box. In terms of time line, I think it would be fun to get this going soon so I will make the sign-up cutoff Friday October 19th. Thanks for all those that have signed up so far, and here is hoping we can land a few more!



Friday, October 12, 2012

Molson/Panini Stanley Cup Banners

Before I begin this post, I want people to know I don't necessarily endorse the consuming of Molson products. True some of them are tasty and down right yummy, but others are pretty gross. I have not purchased any Molson products from my local liquor establishment, but rather picked up the following from my LCS.

Typically I don't fall for gimmicks like free cards in stuff and I almost never chase these cards, but my guys at the LCS were drooling all over these cards and I felt bad because they loved them so much and I really couldn't care less, so I bought them out of pity. Fact is they are always amazing guys for deals and really spending 5 bucks on three cards I really didn't care much about is no big deal in the grand scheme if it made them happy in the process.

However, I have grown to not mind these cards mainly because of what they represent. My three most favourite NHL seasons! The set as a whole is 92 cards featuring the champions from each season the NHL has produced the Stanley Cup Champion. So if a team has won it since 1918, there is a card for that year. Being a Devils fan, there are three that were of interest to me. Here they are:

1995 Stanley Cup Champions

This ranks as my favourite of the three. I was a teenager at the time and I had been cheering for the Devils for 8 years by this point. I had endured some bad times, and some painful times by this point. I remember the 88-89 season was tough and I even got teased for being a Devils fan. Then 1994 came along and we had a great run and fell oh so close to the Rangers. But after a short lockout, the Devils came on strong at the end of the season and were hot at the right time. We rolled over the Red Wings in the final to win our first Cup. I actually have the final game of that series on VHS where my man Billy Guerin had 3 points and Mike Peluso wept like a child on the bench. I LOVED that year.


2000 Stanley Cup Champions

After the 95 win and missing the playoffs in 96, the Devils put together a few weak playoff appearances before the 2000 season. However, the 2000 season will be best remembered for how strong the Devils were ALL season. We finished the season with a solid 103 points(which was lots prior to the three point games of today) and what some people don't realize is were finished second in the entire NHL in goals scored. In the following season, the Devils would lead the NHL in scoring which is often forgotten because of the huge emphasis the media was putting on their trap style approach to defense. I really enjoyed this Cup win because it was the second time and after the first I wasn't holding out much hope that I would have a chance to see one again so this came as a bit of a surprise.


2003 Stanley Cup Championship

This was the last time we won the Cup and by this point I had just got accepted to do a Bachelor of Education degree at Ottawa U, and I was working back home for the summer and I had every night dedicated to watching playoff hockey. I had just gotten rid of my girlfriend at the time and I must say life was simple. Work, golf, hockey and repeat. I think I will best remember this Cup for those reasons, and the 400 dollars (total) I won in two playoff pools. To celebrate the last I Cup even got cornrows in my hair with red, white and back beads. Do I regret anything, maybe the corn rows, but it was very awesome and definitely another highlight of my life.

So these cards even though I had no interest in them initially, they did bring back some fun season memories and were worth 5 bucks to me. For those curious, here is the back view of the corn rows, I will never show the front view online!


I kept them in my hair for about a week, and then I shaved my head. 1 full year of growing my hair and not cutting it, gone in 60 seconds.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Hockey Traveling Box

Graciously borrowed image from Badwax.net

Chemgod over at Badwax has been running what I think is a very cool idea, a traveling box. The rules were pretty simple for baseball and I would like to propose the same rules (verbatim) what was done for baseball. I would be up for changing them if we can think of ways to improve it, but I think we need to start somewhere so here it is:

  • Donate 2 or 3 star game used, rookie card, short print, or autographed cards. 
  • Each card should be assigned a book value. 
  • For every card you want out of the box you must replace with a card of your own of equal value. 
  • You can take as many as you want, as long as you replace what you take.I would start a facebook group for this so that when you get the box and decide what you want to take you can report it on facebook.

If you have any interest please send me an email to forestrydave at hotmail dot com. Mike and I are already interested and if we can get 8-10 guys it certainly will be lots of fun and more the merrier! 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mr Hockey

Here is another case of a card that just has me in awe despite the condition being rather poor. The card has a tiny surface crease, some rounding on the corners and some tape action on the front. The back is nearly perfect except for the corners. 

Even though it is in rough shape, I just LOVE this card. Simple design with a back that basically says every time he steps on the ice there is a new record! I really can't explain or quantify why I like this card so much I just do. For those wondering, this is from the 69-70 OPC set and it is the error version where there is no number on the back. I would love to track down one with the number too, but that will need to wait for another day. 

69-70 OPC #193A Gordie Howe NNO Error


Anyway, enough talk, just enjoy!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Eakin and Gudbranson

While I have made it no secret that I have been a big fan of the Rookie Anthology product, I see no reason why I can't mention it again! This product speaks to me and I have enjoyed buying two boxes of the stuff and getting a few singles online as well. Here is another one of those singles.

11/12 Rookie Anthology Rookie Rivalry Eakin/Gudbranson
Even though this card isn't numbered and doesn't book for very much, that certainly doesn't deter me from dropping nearly 3 dollars on it (including shipping). These are two former Team Canada World Junior players who I really enjoyed seeing wear Red and White for Canada and both are looking like they will have some pretty solid NHL careers. Just another cool card from my favourite set from 11/12.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Kevin Shattenkirk Auto

Kevin Shattenkirk is another example of a non-Canadian prospect playing for a small market American team. Add all those components together and you get a player who can put up some serious numbers in the NHL and can be found for dirt cheap when it comes to memorabilia cards and autos.

Back to back 43 points seasons for this 23 year old have meant some pretty high expectations, but playing in St. Louis means that he isn't answering 2 million questions for each puck he might turnover. As much as I would love to see him get the attention he deserves playing for a bigger market or Canadian team, it is nice to see him fly under the radar and put together an NHL career that might rival Mark Howe's offensive numbers.


10-11 Panini Limited Phenoms Kevin Shattenkirk /299

I picked this one up as a buy it now or best offer and the seller was super awesome and seemed to like negotiating! In the end I landed it for a great deal and I think he threw a couple random cards in with it!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Dany Heatley Auto

Heatley is a two-time 50 goal scorer and 6 times out of 10 NHL seasons he has had at least 39 goals. However, in the last two seasons it seems Dany has lost his groove. Dany is only 31 years old and if this NHL season can get back on track, there is no reason why Dany can't have a few more solid years. The Wild landed a top notch winger in Parise and defenseman in Suter and that should take some of the pressure off this sniper and hopefully he will indeed bounce back.

He has had his bumps and problems throughout his career, but there is no denying his talent and with 349 career goals so far, he is a shoo-in for 500 and if he can get back to the 40 goal plateau once again I think he could reach 600.

02-03 BAP Signature Series Gold Dany Heatley
This card books for 25 dollars and I stole it from the LCS for 20 cents on the dollar! I haven't had a chance to come across his auto yet so getting this one was a must for me. I have also had the chance to see him play for Team Canada during the World Championships and he was amazing on a line with Getzlaf and Nash. That year he had 12 goals and 20 points in just 9 games....amazing.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Phil Housley Auto - A Forgotten Devil

For as big of a Devils fan as I am, sometimes it is tough to remember all the players who have been with the organization for the last 25 years. If you asked me to name all the defenseman over the years I think I could easily name 85-90% of them, certainly nail most of the ones that played more than half a season. However, it is easy to forget the superstars who were trade deadline pick-ups like Phil Housley.

See 1996 was a strange year for Devils fans because we were just coming off a Cup win and down the stretch were barely battling for the final playoff spot. We made a few bold moves as a team which brought in players like Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk and Esa Tikkanen. However, we lost our final game of the season 5-2 to the Senators thus leaving us two points out of a playoff spot. However, if we had won that game, we would have been tied with the Lightning and would have beaten them on the tie-breaker at the time (goals for and against). However, it didn't happen and our late season additions went other places the next season (Phil went to Washington).

However, his impact was significant scoring 16 points in 22 games down the stretch and I was happy to have had him as a pick-up on my team!

98-99 BAP Phil Housley Auto
Love the auto including the little 6 stuck in his capital P.

Phil will always be a Jet and Sabre to me, but having this all-star defenseman on my time team was pretty cool, even if it was only for a little time!


BTW Here is an actual picture of Esa as a Devil for those who don't remember that!

1995-96 Ultra #264 Esa Tikkanen Front

Friday, October 5, 2012

11/12 UD Ultimate Pick-ups

I have some really cool post ideas that are both very personal and very meaningful to me, but it just seems that I have no time to do these posts justice so they keep getting put on the back burner. Fact is, they likely won't interest many of my casual readers or any of my readers for that matter, but as time has done by on this blog I am beginning to realize one thing. What I have realized is that not only am I doing this for personal fun, not only am I doing this to be a member of a really cool community, but I am also doing this for my children. 

I have a son who can't read or write (because he is two) and another one to join him in February and anything can happen to me at any time. If I died tomorrow, you might see another post or two on here but that would be it, and further more my story about life, collecting etc., would be over. My passion for collecting and love of hockey would be extinguished too and my children may never know how much I really enjoyed it or why certain cards were important. 

My blog, does give me that opportunity because "the internet is forever" and what I say or do can be  read in the future by them whether I am around or not. I think this new focus will allow me to share more meaningful posts to an audience I never knew I might have...my family. I guess you can consider this a warning that my posts may get less interesting to you on occasion, or on occasion I will be more interesting....I guess it depends on what brought you to my site in the first place.

In the meantime, here is some 11/12 UD Ultimate cardboard!


11/12 Ultimate Signatures Brett Connolly
I am becoming a bigger collector of his by the day, here is a nice simple on-card auto of a future star in my opinion!

11/12 UD Ultimate Rookie Patches
Two rookie patches, three colours and numbered to an arbitrary 65. I love the card and it gives me some NJ swatches of one of our best prospects on the blue-line! The best part is both of these combined cost me less than a pack of Artifacts with shipping!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Ryan Getzlaf Spx Rookie - This post is dedicated to Greg Z

Some days when I go to my LCS, I almost feel like I am going to the local pound. All these little orphans that need rescuing. I would love to take them all home with me, but sometimes they don't fit, sometimes I just can't afford to have them. However, when I can rescue the odd little cardboard fella, I feel like I am doing the world a justice. I am giving them a home where they can be loved and appreciated, or at the very least help find them a home where they can be loved and appreciated.

Well on one of my trips in this summer, I found this card sitting in the display case. It was priced to move and even though I already have a couple Getzlaf rookies, I didn't have this one and I didn't have his auto....

05-06 SPX Ryan Getzlaf Rookie /1499

I don't know if the collecting world will ever see another season like the 05-06 rookie crop, but if you look back now, there are some seriously great rookies to be had and with Sid and Ovi getting most of the attention, deals are to be had on the other rookies! If Getzlaf debuted a year earlier, he would have seen much more attention that he currently does and as a result, I think he rookies would be worth nearly double what they are! Anyway, I am not sure what I will do with this card in the long term (trade bait or keep), but I knew it couldn't stay in the display case priced the way it was. I am more than happy to have it and it is more than welcome at my home.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Just Wayne, and about time!

Ever since I got back into collecting  and heard about these "relic" cards, I have always wanted a Gretzky. Each year they pump more of these out and thus it lowers the price of the insignificant ones. I landed my first Gretzky relic for a price I felt was very fair and I am very happy to have it!

11/12 UD Ultimate Ultimate Jerseys UJ-WG Wayne Gretzky /100

This was from the 96 All-Star game and where he did nothing offensively. It is a shame he didn't score while wearing this jersey, but at the same time it is nice to have a swatch from the game's greatest player and KNOW what game it came from. To me, that is much cooler than a random swatch which appeared who knows where and featured him doing who know what.

Monday, October 1, 2012

76-77 OPC Update...Then there were 7

After all my mystery box fun with the 76-77 OPC stuff, I was down to just 10 cards that I didn't have and a few I wanted to upgrade at some point. However, my focus is to get the 10 I need, and then upgrade later in life...or save that for my son to do someday.

Anyway, my LCS have many of the ones I need for this set and I have just been picking away at the slowly and working out deals when I can. I did manage over the last few weeks to nail 3 more off the list. Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson and Bobby Clarke. None of those three book for more than 6 bucks so getting those three for 10 bucks was a pretty good deal. They are all near-mint condition which means they won't need to be upgraded and that leaves just 7 more to go.

I was as happy as Denis buying those three!


However, of the remaining 7, there is an Orr and Dryden in that mix which will drive up my final set price, but I still imagine I will be ahead of the game when it is all done. My LCS does have an Orr as well as the Lafleur I need, but I will let them collect some more dust before I go in and beat them up on a price.... :)