Rescued from the "pound"

Here are a couple more random couple dollar cards from my LCS. 

54-55 Parkhurst Eric Nesterenko

Here is a pretty cool looking card in pretty rough shape. There appears to be a bit of a scrum with a few fallen players and Nesterenko is all poised to make them pay with a goal! This is a second year card of Eric Nesterenko which features him in a Leafs uniform. It would be a couple years before Eric would land in the Windy City and post his finest numbers and win a Stanley Cup with the 'Hawks.And as Sal would tell you, many many more years until he would hit the silver screen only to be shunned by the academy for his role in Youngblood.

01-02 UD Series 2 Sergei Fedorov FJSF Game Used

Once upon a time, getting a game used card was an EVENT! Case hit! Back when I wasn't collecting these gimmicks came along and were highly sought after and over time they became rather common and less magical. I saw this former 1:144 pack hit sitting in my LCS for 3 dollars and I thought that I could use a card like that. I do have one Fedorov game used already (with the Blue Jackets) and I knew I needed a nice Red Wings one because in my own heart of hearts, he will always be a Red Wing to me. 

Well there you have it, two odd ball cards sitting in the cheap box that I rescued and I assure you these cards are now being loved properly in a good home.

71-72 OPC Alex Delvecchio Insert - The Alex Delvecchio Story

When they say that "they don't make them like they used to", it can often come across like a cliché. However, I don't think I am far off by saying that is very true when it comes to the 71-72 OPC/Topps inserts. Packs from this year came with an insert featuring a story of an NHL superstar and/or a poster of an NHL player, I am not sure if packs had one or the other, or it they came with both.

There were 24 booklets in all and I bought one this summer of Alex Delvecchio for my PC. When I bought it, I really didn't know what to expect because I had never seen one opened up. I actually thought they looked a little stupid, but boy was I wrong!

Here is the cover featuring a sketch of the player and the title. Don't judge this book by its cover is what I learned.  

It turns out the book is designed like a comic and there are some pretty cool facts and lots of effort that went into designing these little booklets!

Poor Alex only played one game during the 50-51 season and I guess he didn't even remember it...

 Our comic ends with his accomplishments from the previous season where he hit 400 career goals.

Here is a checklist of all the different booklets you can get. Both Topps and OPC released them and I believe the only difference is they say Topps or OPC on the back. Both are valued about the same according to the bible Beckett I have. There was also apparently French versions as well which are supposedly more rare but also aren't priced any differently according to my guide.

Without a doubt, this PC pickup was a really fun surprise and more than worth the 3 dollars with shipping I paid. I currently have it in a toploader and now that I have it all scanned on my blog, I suspect that is where it will stay to help it stay in great condition. I am not sure if I will chase all 24 in the set, but if I do find some for the right price I will certainly consider buying them now! Ken Dryden's I suspect would be a very interesting read.

eBay Freebies, thanks to eBucks

With a few purchases on eBay I was able to earn a couple eBucks so here is what I did with mine:

11-12 Canada VS The World Tony Granato Auto

Yep, another C VS TW. I have always had crazy respect for both Tony and Cammy as they are very classy and talented hockey players. Tony had four 30+ goal seasons in his first 5 years before cooling off and retiring from hockey. He has since been a very successful coach in the NHL and is currently an assistant coach with the Penguins where he has been for the last 4 seasons.

11-12 Titanium Game Worn Gear Malone/Connolly

I wish it was Stamkos paired with Connolly, but then again I doubt I would have been able to land it for "free' if it was. I have a couple Connolly autos not, but nothing that is "player worn" so this goes into the PC as an example of such thing.

There you have it two fun cards that set me back nothing! I do like eBucks and their program which certainly provides a little fun for your purchases.

Cheap Chiros Part 4

Okie dokie, lets put an end to this series and move on to other things right? In all honesty, I actually had fun spreading this one out and this last batch are some of my favourites....

11-12 Panini Limited Calvin de Haan Rookie Auto /299

Calvin is another defenseman and another former Team Canada junior, seems to be the theme huh? Came out a little blurry, likely because of the top loader and the face the auto wasn't touching the surface of the scanner because it is a recessed swatch. Really happy to get this one that is for sure!

11-12 Panini Limited John Moore Auto /299

Like Dalpe, I seem to be the leader in the unofficial John Moore fan club. This is a another nice example of Panini Limited and a pretty nice looking auto. If he ever hits it big so do I....John may not have the offensive potential of de Haan, but I think he could be a soild rear guard in the future.

10-11 Luxury Suite Brad Mills Rookie Auto /499

Brad came up briefly for a cup with the Devils and has moved on to the Rockford Ice Hogs where he will try and crack a tough Blackhawks lineup.

10-11 Luxury Suite Nick Palmieri Rookie Auto /499

I loved Nicky! He went from being first-line winger to trade bait over night and is now with the Whale in the AHL (Rangers) and may  be as far from the NHL as he was in high school. I hope he does get back and play in the big league, but I think he will need some luck there.

11-12 Upper Deck World of Sports Billy Smith Auto

Here is the grand finale and HOF'er I promised. I actually found this lot deal doing a season on a Billy Smith auto. I am a little sad there is no photo of him on this product, and I really don't know why. However, the auto is a pretty solid one which is easy to read and features his number 31 tucked away in the S curl.

There you have it, you survived the long series of posts and I am proud to say the whole lot ran me about 2 bucks a card believe it or not. Some you might say aren't worth the cost while others are. I believe they are all awesome and worth every penny and more. One day I will get around to sharing the 67 autos I bought in the summer for a paltry 25 bucks with shipping, but that is indeed for another day.

Cheap Chiros Part 3

Here is part three....some pretty solid autos which really helped me decide to go after the lot purchase. Almost all of these autos are new to my collection which is a nice bonus.

09-10 BAP Chris Campoli Auto

I best remember Chris as a Senator. He currently is over seas I believe playing for Biel in the Swiss league.


09-10 BAP Cody Franson Auto

Cody was a fairly hyped prospect and former World Junior for Team Canada. Took some time to adapt to the NHL level, but seems to be doing very fine with the Leafs right now and has 11 points in 15 games.

09-10 BAP Ron Hainsey Auto

Until I saw this card, I had NO IDEA he was an alternate captain in the NHL. Crazy huh?

11-12 Black Diamond Gemography Matt Halischuk Auto

Black Diamond is notoriously skimpy on the autos so seeing this one had me interested. Seeing Matt Halischuk made it a slam dunk. I still love this kid even if he isn't a Devil anymore, but his NHL potential appears to be more suited for the third or fourth line which does sadden me a little.

07-08 BAP Signatures Double Jokinen/Bouwmeester

JayBo and Joker....Both came to Calgary, both disappointed. Truth is they both really hit their stride with the Panthers and are still good players in their own right, but clearly were optimized by the sunshine!

09-10 BAP Mason Raymond Auto

I like this kid a fair bit, could even be my favourite current Canuck not named Booth. However, after a break out year in 09-10 which saw him pot 25 goals, I suspect many Canuck fans are hoping those days will come back soon.

Well there you go 7 more autos on 6 cards. I hope to put this series of posts out of their misery with my next post. I promise a HOF'er and some more reasons why I chased this lot!

Cheap Chiros Part 2

So the first two autos weren't that great, but I do promise there are some good autos in that lot. Here are the next couple from the lot. 

10-11 Certified Philip Larsen Rookie Auto /1299

Philip has a beautiful signature...behold! His offensive game is offensive, but he does chew up NHL minutes and was a +11 last season in 55 games.


10-11 SP Authentic Colby Cohen Future Watch Rookie /999

Here is a nice on-card auto of a player I had never heard of before. Sounds like a good excuse to do research right? Well what did I find, that he was in the NHL for a brief 3 game stint. However, he has been toiling between ECHL and AHL with very limited production so I would safely say that his NHL career is likely over as far as cardboard is concerned.

10-11 Luxury Suite Zac Dalpe Rookie /499

I have a few rookies and autos of this guy and if he EVER makes it big, I am going to strike it rich!! Slowly I am losing faith with each passing year, but anything is possible as injuries and trades happen and much like Zach Boychuk, Zac Dalpe may find his chance with another organization.

There you go, a bunch of good old rookie autos which brings the total to 5 autos down, 12 more to go!

Cheap Chiros Part 1

Making my way through a pile of posts I came to one of my favourite lots in the last year. 16 cards, 17 autos and 1 winning bid so low it had to be seen to be believed. Now, some of the autos are strange, undesireable and downright odd.  So here is round 1:

11-12 Crown Royale Voices of the Game John Forslund Auto

 Wow. I have nothing nice to say here other than the auto IS ON CARD.

11-12 Crown Royale Voices of the Game Pierre McGuire Auto

Here is one that is fun to get because I ACTUALLY see him on TV and he was an NHL coach for a period of time

74-75 Topps Denis Potvin Rookie

Here is another case of a card I think should belong in a person's collection and I was missing. I have a few cards from 74-75, but they are all OPC ones and Mr. Potvin was not one of them. So when I saw this post ages ago, I figured there were deals to be had on this card and I was bound to find one. Like my Ryan Ellis, I lost more bids than I cared to count, but then again I had a budget I was trying to stick to; 5 bucks max. I could have landed some pretty crappy looking ones for less, but I wanted at least EX condition otherwise I couldn't stand to look at the card.

I even went as far as winning an auction, and when it arrived I was amazed to see a huge bulge on the surface of the card. Not on indentation from behind that popped to the front, but a thick bump on the surface of the card. The seller had listed this card as mint when I bid on it and when it arrived it was anything but. I complained and they refunded my money and I was out the cost to ship it back. So I stopped looking for a while.

Then a couple months later I started up again and I found this card here:

74-75 Topps Denis Potvin Rookie

Mint condition? No, but certainly EX or higher. Under 5 bucks? Yep, 4.99 with shipping and I was able to add another card I needed to it and it ended up being an even better deal bundled. I don't think I will chase the Topps version of this set, with many cool rookies being in the higher numbers of the OPC release. But until that day arrives, I have a very respectable Potvin rookie to enjoy until then.

Contest thanks to The Cardboard and Me

Another contest thanks I have been meaning to publicly thank is Jason over at The Cardboard and Me. Jason had a contest where commenters over a period of time were entered into a draw for some autographs. I love reading his blog and seeing  both his customs and TTM successes so it was a contest I knew I would be in automatically. Turns out that he was giving away 5 prizes and I was lucky enough to be a winner!

Here is the custom I won: 

 Loved Craig Janney as a Bruin and a Blue. I don't remember him much after that, but he did some traveling around before hanging up his skates. This card is actually a large one similar to the Oversize cards UD puts out in tins and stuff.

What I wasn't expecting was this gem:

A while ago, Jason was taking creation suggestions for his blog and I asked about a Marty in the 81-82 set. Well sure enough he made it and I thought it was cool, but even better he printed me a copy and included it. How awesome is that? What is best about it all is Marty is decked out in his retro uniform which could at this time be from one of three games. I saw one of those three games live so there is a chance, it was from MY game. If I did some research on the equipment I am sure I can figure it out, but at this time I would rather just pretend it actually is....Thanks JBlargh!

Here is the back of the card. He chose to use the design from the 84-85 OPC set which is another 80's classic. Stats on the back are current up to last year. I must say I loved the loot and I want to thank Jason and all bloggers who put contests up. I certainly appreciate everyone's kindness and generosity. 

Long over due contest thanks to Drop The Gloves!

Here is another post that I have really been meaning to fire off, but alas no time and no life has been in the way.... When the Devils lost in the Cup final, Casey's contest at Drop The Gloves! ensured I wasn't a complete loser as my randomly assigned team was the LA Kings.

Here is my Kings ransom of loot and crown jewels! Thanks Casey.

07-08 SPX Jack Johnson Rookie /999

Remember back to 07-08 when Jack Johnson was the top hold-over rookie? Well his career hasn't quite taken off as some have predicted but he is a pretty good defenseman who missed out on a ring thanks to a trade with the Bluejackets.

10-11 Crown Royale Drew Doughty Auto /100

Here is someone who didn't miss out on his ring. Drew is a going to be a huge part of the 2014 Games if NHL'ers are allowed to participate and I do respect this guy's game.



Both of these guys are very welcome additions to my collection especially Doughty since this is my first auto of his and my Johnson is my first legit auto rookie of his. In addition to these two awesome cards, there were a pile of other rookies of current and former Kings including Jeff Carter, Brayden Schenn etc. So thank you very very much for helping me deal with a loss Casey....it did sting a tiny bit less knowing you were going to take care of me.

78-79 Topps Mike Bossy Rookie

So I happened across a deal that was even more of a deal based on my willing to take a chance. I was in the market for a card, I won't say what card because I will save that for another day. Needless to say, I was looking for a card and it just so happened that there was a lot deal for this card and the one below. There was a starting price that was pretty decent just for the OTHER card alone, but when combined with a near-mint Mike Bossy rookie that price was insanely cheap. There was also a buy-it-now price which was very very low but about 5 bucks more than the starting price. I decided to take a chance and bid rather than do the buy-it-now. The thing was I really wanted the other card, but another Bossy rookie would be cool too for trade bait or just to have. 

There was only about 5 hours left in the auction so things were tense. Even in the final minutes I thought for sure someone would swoop in and snip the cards away. Well luck should have it, that never happened and I landed both cards for a fair bit less than the BV of the Bossy. 

As you can see from the front, 4 sharp corners and pretty good centering. On the back, there is a tiny bit of colour wear on the bottom two corners and the centering is off a bit, but that is pretty much it. Certainly a no-brainer and since I was not desperate to win this particular auction, I could afford to take a risk and I was really glad I did!

A few more 53-54 Parkies - 5 to be precise

I have had these cards for an eternity and have just had no time to share them. My 53-54 project has been stalled a little lately as I have been working on a few other things but my love and desire is still strong with this set. These 5 cards bring my total up to 24 out of 105 which isn't too bad especially considering I have the Horton, Schmidt, Delvecchio and a few other higher BV cards.

However, some of the cards in this post aren't big names and may resemble a playing card with the roundness of the corners. Nevertheless, here they are:

#84 Gerry Couture

 Here is Gerry putting some pressure on the net. Love the old-time skates, and Gerry was quite the scorer in the minors, but did have his A-game during the 1950 Stanley Cup playoffs where he lead the Red Wings in scoring with 9 points and won a Stanley Cup.

#3 Gord Hannigan

 Gord would only appear on NHL cardboard three times, this is his second year card. He played 4 part seasons with the Leafs before disappearing from the NHL.

#77 Jim McFadden

This former Buckaroo won the 1947-48 Calder Trophy as NHL top rookie with a decent 48 points in 60 games and beat out players like Red Kelly and Metro Prystai for the award. Jim would never top those totals over the next 6 seasons but did finish with a respectable pro career including 100 regular season goals and 226 points in 412 games. Jim also won a cup with Gerry in Detroit. 

#69 Jim Peters

More Black Hawks! Like Jim and Gerry, this Jim won a cup with Detroit in 1950 and was actually shipped to Detroit in a trade with a few others guys (George Gee, Clare Raglan etc.) for a player to be named later and some cash(apparently 75G's). Jim does have to his credit 3 Stanley Cups (2 with Detroit '50, '54 and 1 with Montreal in '46).

#68 Don Raleigh

Here is another for the set and my PC. Old Bones can be seen striking this same pose here and here. The addition of this card makes 24 for this set and leaves me only two cards short of a set of Don Raleigh cards from his playing days. I am still missing his 54-55 Parkhurst and 54-55 Topps.

Ryan Ellis Rookie Anthology Rookie Treasures

I swear I must have lost 15 auctions involving Ryan Ellis before I landed this one. There must be a few collectors out there who feel he is something special like I do. I really began to appreciate this kid during the '09 World Juniors when he was a member of the last gold medal Team Canada. He isn't the kind of defenseman who will block slapshots with his face and he isn't the kind of defenseman who will crush players with bone-jarring hits. He is the kind of defenseman who will score 4 points and lead his team to victory on the scoresheet. 

What I like most about this kid is he is a winner. Much like Eberle, he just finds ways to help his team win. So far in his young career he has won Gold in the World Juniors, the Ivan Hlinka, U17 and the U18 tournaments. Currently Ryan is playing for the Preds and has 4 points in 12 games so far, but it is only a matter of time before the points start rolling in at the NHL level.

11-12 Rookie Anthology Ryan Ellis Rookie Treasures /499

A simple card with a similar recipe to UD's SPX rookies. Two photo used swatches with a sticker auto and a relatively low print run.

Lets Rip Some Wax - 8 Packs of 10-11 Zenith

I love wax as much as any other collector, but sometimes I find myself having trouble justifying buying a box and ending up with a pile of useless base cards (because I don't want to chase the set) and a few hits which are hit and miss sometimes. So what I do myself is try and balance the packs, boxes and singles to optimize fun and success. Well just before Christmas I bought myself 8 packs of Zenith as a gift to myself and here are the results. You may find my luck unbelievable, so I must say they were supposedly "hot" packs.

Hit 1 Antropov, Boulton, Pavelec Mosaics

Talk about a Motley Crew. I don't know ANYONE on the planet who would want this card or think this card is a good idea. The design is cool, don't get me wrong but these three guys? It would be like getting a trio card with Pelle Eklund, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget.

Hit 2 Jared Boll Winter Warriors

Here is a hit that would hurt if it happened. Mr. Boll has appeared in a break before, and I am just as excited as the last time.

Hit 3 Michael Del Zotto

Mike has loads of offensive talent and it ends there. For a defenseman that can be problematic which is why he spend some of 10-11 in the minors despite an awesome rookie campaign.

Hit 4 Oliver Eckman-Larsson /498

Not sure if my card is an error or not, but my version is numbered out of 498 where the guide suggests it is out of 499. A couple for sale online also say 498 so who really knows. Best  hit of the lot by far and Oliver is off to a pretty good start this season too (7 points in 11 games).

Not a hit, but a pretty good card

In with my next hit was this card. Wish it was Dustin Tokarski, but a rookie is a rookie.

Hit 5 George Parros Epix /100

Very cool looking card or another tough customer. I am sensing a theme here. 

Hit 6 Chris Neil Yours Truly Auto

A very cool auto of a tough guy. These autos are nice, huge space for an on-card auto and his signature is pretty solid.


Hit 7 Tartar/Lidstrom/Zetterberg Mosaics

Ok, this group of three makes a little more sense. Three very good players with one being a prospect and the other two being established stars.

Well there you have it, a small wax fix with 7 out of 8 yielding a hit. It was all fun, but apart from the Ekman-Larson I can certainly live without them. Anyone interested in any of these hits, let's make a deal! Thanks for stopping by.

Taylor or Tyler? I say yes to both, rookie style.

Remember when it was Taylor vs Tyler? Well Taylor ended up being the top choice and both have had great starts to their career, Tyler already has a Cup and Taylor already has cracked 50 career goals and 100 career points. I unfortunately still have yet to crack any hobby boxes of 10-11 UD so pulling these guys rookies hasn't been something I have done yet, so secondary market here I come. 

I have owned both of their "lesser" rookies, but never any of their big rookies so I always felt my collection could benefit from improving rookie quality/caliber of these two marquee players. So here are two fall additions to my collection.

10-11 Donruss National Rated Rookies Taylor Hall /25

Here is the first of the two. These cards were released at the National Card Convention (in Chicago ?) and there were three versions. Black border /250, Red border /25 and Blue border /10. 

 Here is the back, I wish that there were some stats on the back, but alas there isn't and it is numbered xx/25, so maybe I can use my imagination and pretend it is numbered 4/25 and it would be an eBay 1/1!!!



 10-11 Donruss National Rated Rookies Tyler Seguin /25

Check out that flex! Cool photo from what is likely a warm-up.

So I was very happy to land these two "rookies" into my collection. True for some (Beckett included) they may not be "real" rookies, but they are to me and actually I like these more than their Young Gun counterparts primarily because of scarcity, but also because they are actually good looking cards and I am glad to have them. Certainly helps fill a void in my collection!