A Chance To Land An Escaped Whale

Over the years I have been very fortunate to add cards through purchases and trades thanks to the internet and blogging. Sometimes though, cards I learn about aren't able to be had and it is almost torture. Someone contacts you and says hey I have a card you might like and you write them back only to hear dead silence. I have had that happen a few times and I am left wondering why the heck did you contact ME in the first place. With that being said I have also had times where the owner and I just couldn't reach a deal and that is all good too. For example one guy contacted me about 4 years ago with an insane collection of David Clarkson cards. I wanted a few pieces, he wanted to sell the whole lot and I knew the lot was far beyond what I wanted to pay so we just left it there. This post however is about a success.

A while ago, not sure how long ago someone (not sure who) had contacted me about a rare Score Auto Rookie of my boy Brett Connolly. When they told me it was rare and numbered to 5 I was interested right away. I wrote them back saying hey, I am interested, what are you looking to get for it. Response, nothing. Not nothing as in free, they wouldn't tell me what they wanted. They never acknowledged my existence. I checked my sent message to make sure I sent it properly, everything check out so rather than harass them with more emails, I sadly had given up on it and just keep an eye out on the internet. 

Fast forward to the spring and I see a seller with the exact card I was looking for and missed out on trading for, for sale. His price, $50. Now, if we were talking trades, I would have easily traded twice that value for the card. However, cash is different and I am very partial to my money especially since budgets are budgets. I gave him an offer of $15 knowing there was no way he would take it. He responded with a counter of $35. I couldn't do it.

Fast forward a few more months and finally he posts it as an auction, opening bid, 99 cents. I was all over that. A couple bidders also jumped in but in the end it was mine with shipping for less than $10!!! That is more than 10 times less than I would have given and more than 5 times less than the original price which I MIGHT have paid if I had the funds. While I went a long time without having it, luckily it will stay with me going forward and for a price everyone can live with! 


11/12 Score Brett Connolly All-Star Rookie Auto 3/5

Here is the front. Sticker auto with his number 14 on the card. Also All-Star 2011/12 is embossed on the front as well. Other than those features, it looks just like his Score Rookie.

Here is the back, all the same again with the exception of the numbering 3/5. Strange not to see a guarantee on the back about the autograph but I suspect these convention cards sometimes are just thrown together pretty quickly and no need for a few extra printing plates.

While many wouldn't care too much about this card, it is my main PC and relatively rare too. I hope that I can land a few more rarities as he is now back in the NHL hopefully full-time with the Lightning and a few more cards will be produced! Patience is key, I am not the first or last to benefit either. I just need to remember this experience when future trades and purchases don't work out when I hope them to!