One of the finest pieces of art in my humble opinion...

In case you can't tell, this is a reprint of a Gretzky OPC rookie and even then, it isn't an amazing quality reproduction. I have seen reprints with the printer's mark on the left shoulder which has me scared about ever buying a non-graded OPC version Gretzky. However, I bought this for 3 bucks and I am glad I did because it is as close as I am going to get for a little while but I can still enjoy it for what it is....art.

I am very very tempted to get this scanned at a very high resolution (or find a high res one) and make a poster for my classroom. It is such an amazing looking card that I do consider it art. Would I like the set as much if Gretzky wasn't in it? Probably not. But this is how things turned out so I will enjoy them as they are and in my books, this is one of the top 10 cards ever made in sports and definitely one of the best in hockey.

Here is the back of the card, mistake and all. Took OPC a few years as 67ers pointed out for OPC to change his WHA games to 80 instead of 60.

Just a fun post about hockey art, hope to share the real thing Topps or OPC some day.

Back Checking - Damien Brunner SPx Rookie

SPX is one of those products that Upper Deck has always put out and it has its own specific following. I personally am usually a fan because you get nice rookie auto/event worn cards in boxes and the prices of them are often around the same price as young guns except you get the added bonus of serial number and of course the auto. I bought a box a few years back of 08-09 and gave myself a chance at a Stamkos. Sadly the box didn't have a Stamkos but I felt I broke even with my hits. I also have bought singles from this set over the years like a Hornqvist Rookie, Getzlaf Rookie and Kopitar Rookie just to name a few. I recently was able to land a Damien Brunner SPx rookie for about 2 bucks plus shipping.    

13-14 SPx Damien Brunner #169 Auto Rookie /499

 Here is the front side of the card, nice looking design with a cool foil treatment. I have a few Brunners thanks to fellow collectors but no auto so I fixed that with this card.

Here is the back side of the card and what I found very curious was the message from the grave. Apparently, my card has a legit auto from Damien Brunner, but what the heck are those scraps of fabric on the front? Event used? Player worn? Game used? No idea, no mention of their origins. For all I know, they were worn by Richard P. McWilliam.

Upper Deck, if you are reading this: Please stop putting Richard's guarantee on the back. A guarantee from Richard is like buying an iPod from Steve Jobs and trusting he will back up the craftsmanship.Second, rather than waste all that space with your guarantee, take a page from Panini and just state what it is and you back it up (Autograph and player worn/game used memorabilia is certified by Upper Deck)

I know I will never know if it is worn or game used or even if it is from a Red Wings or Devils jersey. But once upon a time, Upper Deck used to tell you these things, and I wish they would get back to doing just that, even if it means they have to admit to some strange Franken-cards (Like the Lindros card I have with a Rangers pic, Maple Leafs emblem and it contains a piece from a Flyers jersey).
 

Check out Fuji's 1K contest

One might be a small number unless you add a K behind it. Check out a pretty cool contest that lasts longer than a couple fortnights.

http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.ca/2014/04/1000-posts-4-me-free-cards-4-u.html

Parkhurst Project Card 33 - This is a big one

Card 33 is a card that I dreaded having to add and I knew if I was going to land it eventually, it was going to need to be in rough condition given my budget. However, the copy I did end up adding was much better than I thought it was going to end up being. 

Tape is a huge detractor for some but apart from a very light crease and tape its in great shape.

As many vintage collectors know, card number 1 usually has some impressive premium and when you consider this card number 1 is of a HOF'er you know the book value of 500 is due to the fact there aren't many of these cards in good condition any more and Canadien collectors will pay the extra dollar for a good one. I am just thankful card number 1 isn't Maurice Richard because it could have been the most expensive card in the set. If Elmer Lach was card number 2, this would have easily just been a $200 dollar card. What is a pet peeve of mine is sellers listing this card as a rookie (even hockeydb labels it a rc), which is false because Elmer has a card included in the 1940-41 OPC V301-2 set. It is actually card number 125 and books for 200 dollars. This card would represent his second card and it exceeds his rookie which is over 10 years older by 300 dollars. What some people don't know is there are a few cards in this set which aren't rookies and they include Lach, Dumart, Schmidt, Broda, Conacher and Abel.

What are your thoughts on tape? Does a card having tape on it immediately render it in poor condition? I honestly don't know what condition I would put this card in, without the tape it is very much a VG condition card but the tape certainly hurts its condition. However, if this card was severely creased and had no tape on it,  would it be better than this one with little creasing and tape? I am tempted to try and remove the tape but that opens a whole new world and some feel there are ethical issues with doing something like that to this card.  

The colours on the card are very vibrant and clear which wasn't always the case with cards from this set so the fact that Elmer shines and has original gloss only adds to my appreciation in spite of the tape.

Here is the back side of the card, pretty clean looking but certainly not perfect. I am not too picky with how the backs of these cards look given they are blank backs but still a nice looking back is always a bonus.

So this knocks off another one of the dreaded 11 and since I know have Harvey, Delvecchio and Lach that leaves just 8 whales left to capture. I feel great about adding this card but if I could land Sawchuk, Howe or Richard someday soon I think that will feel even better.

Progress:


Card # 1 and # 33 of my set


Percentage Complete:

31.4%

Cost of the Card:

$39.00 including shipping


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$336.90

Seeing Double - 1953-54 Parkhurst Edition

I am sure when these cards came out 60 years ago, someone noticed this right away. But as I was thumbing through my partially finished 53-54 Parkhurst set I noticed something. Check it out:

53-54 Parkhurst Cal Gardner #99

 Front Side
Its a rough looking card, but I do like it a great deal regardless and probably won't look to upgrade for my set.

 Back side
Some staining, sadly I don't think they are wax stains but rather glue from being pasted into some book after spending time push-pinned to a wall.

53-54 Parkhurst Milt Schmidt #92

 Front side
This card is without a doubt the finest conditioned card I own from the set. Its spectacular and I am still amazed I bought it for under 30 dollars.

Back side
Here is the back side of the card. Stats are very similar between Milt and Cal. Both had 11 goals but Cal had an extra assist in the two extra games he played. Cal also had twice as many PIMs.

Did you notice what I noticed?

Cal and Milt are sharing the exact same body in the exact same picture. The only difference between the two card besides autographs is Cal's head is on Milt's body. Everything is pretty much the exact same. So wondering why Parkhurst would do such a thing, I did some research and during the 52-53 season, Cal scored 11 goals and 24 assists for the Chicago Black Hawks and NOT the Boston Bruins. So, Parkhurst may not have had an action photo of Cal to work with at the time of production so they placed his head on the body of Milt Schmidt. Neat approach to fixing a problem and while I am not sure if it is better than air-brushing, I do know Upper Deck tried the same thing nearly 40 years later with Eric Lindros.

- Image borrowed from shoeboxlegends

So as far as my own 53-54 Parkhurst set goes, I am still stalled at 24/105 but it isn't because I have lost steam, but rather I have been trying to focus on some other sets first and finish them off before I spread myself and funds too thin. 

Benny Woit's Career Through Cards - A PC Completed

My Benny Woit PC began when I found his 53-54 Parkhurst card at a swap meet for 5 bucks. It ended when I finally landed his autograph. Here is the complete PC and his complete career in cards. Benny was very much an unsung workhorse who didn't light the lamp often (7 career goals) but he was an important cog in a Red Wings machine that won 3 Cups with. Enjoy, I sure did. 

51-52 Parkhurst Card 58 - The Rookie

Here is his rookie. Simple card, posed picture and no stats. The year he spend 2 game with the club in the regular season and 4 games in the post-season. He had 2 PIM in the regular and 2 more PIM in the post-season.

Back side. Those slash marks are on the penny sleeve and not the card. The creases sadly are on-card crease.

52-53 Parkhurst Card 62 - Second Year card

Same picture as before but you can see a backdrop now. Images of a net and some fans in the stands. Benny played nearly a full season and 8 post-season games. He did win his first of three Cups that year.

Here is the back, again card is in rough shape but is complete.

53-54 Parkhurst Card 45 - Third Year card

This is the card that got is all started. I learned he was born in my hometown when I got this card and it began my research into his career. Personally this is my favourite from his career, and I really think its cool that the ref is included in the picture. Despite having the best regular season record, this year the Red Wings lost 4-2 in the semifinals against the Boston Bruins.

Here is the back side. You learn that he has a very hard shot. What you don't learn is the lots of goals he scored were in Junior and the AHL.

1954-55 Parkhurst Card 38 - Fourth Year Regular Version card

This is without a doubt my second favourite Woit card. Here you see an action shot, puck on end, Sawchuk in the background all things awesome. Like the last couple years, a facsimile autograph on the front as well. Card number on the front is a new feature of this year.

Here is the back side of the card. Very similar to the previous year, lots of info and the previous year's stats. There is also a Premium Lucky Version too which I felt I needed to have for a complete PC.

1954-55 Parkhurst Card 38 - Fourth Year Lucky Premium Version card

Same front, just awesome.

Different back. Here is a chance I could have traded my card for a Camera (along with a $1.50 which is about 14 dollars in today's money).

1955-56 Topps Benny Woit Card 9 - Fifth Year Card (last from playing days)

Topps first foray into hockey cards. This is often thought of as one of the best sets of the decade and of all-time. I do like the look of the card and really the best part of the card is on the back.

Here is the back side, loads of cool images, stats and facts. I like that the back does mention he is a bit of a unsung hero and what he brings to the table isn't often found in the box score. .

1956-57 Parkhurst Missing Link Set Card 40 - (My Benny Auto)

This was a set that came out in the early 90's looking at what a 56-57 Parkhurst set may have looked like if that year wasn't skipped. The cards look very nice and retro like but of course they still feel modern because of the thickness of the cards etc. What is different about this over the regular base cards is Benny signed it. I had no intention of tracking this card down because it was modern and after he was done playing but when I found one signed it was almost too perfect. The dealer is very reputable and I got the story behind the signing so I felt good enough to pay the fiver with shipping to land this. I did have a failed attempt at a Benny TTM so this was my best chance apart from paying an extreme premium on a PSA/DNA copy.

Here is the back side of the card, a nice attempt at a retro back. If you look at the previous backs you can see how this one was inspired. Similar but different enough to look like a legit new release. I have two of these now, my other is a Tom Johnson auto but I am interested enough to want to try and get the set now. If anyone has an extra set out there, I will trade handsomely for it....lets say twice BV to help cover shipping etc...

Anyway, there is the career of Benny Woit in cards, check out this write-up for facts and info too. 

Best Annual Contest is open now!

Get your butt over to Casey's House of Oglethorpe asap and sign up for the best hockey based contest on the web each year. It makes the post season way more enjoyable, especially if your club is out and the prizes are always top notch (thanks as always Casey for the contest)

Check it out here:

http://www.houseofoglethorpe.com/stanley-cup-contest-late-i-know/

While you are at it, check out his views on Music, Pop Culture, Sports and of course Library Sciences. Yes, I am a Science major myself and I respect the Library Sciences!

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Artist Proof 1/1?

As I continue to prove I am the super-collector of all things Brett Connolly, I added an interesting card a little while ago. This one was an "artist proof" from 11-12 The Cup. This was originally part of an uncut sheet and the person who won it, had it cut and sold off the individual cards from the sheet. The seller had three different looking dual shield Connollys and I don't think DAS-CC was ever actually created.

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Artist Proof 1/1?

Now this card isn't number and was never released, so is it a 1/1? Does it have any value? I was able to buy it for three bucks and it has value to me but do you other collectors chase any of these down? Let me know your thoughts on artist proofs.

Just for fun I watched an auction on a redemption sheet and the winner nabbed it for about 45 bucks so clearly on the sheet level they aren't too desirable.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this year's Art Ross Trophy Winner

Sidney Crosby was far and away this year's Art Ross trophy winner, winning by 17 points over Ryan Getzlaf. While Tavares and Malkin both got hurt down the stretch, Sid was averaging 1.3 points per game which is 0.1 more than Malkin was who finished second in the league in that category. A little while back I traded in a bunch of doubles and extra cards at my LCS and walked away with two very cool Sidney Crosby rookies. 

05-06 UD MVP Sidney Crosby Rookie

 Like this card because of the Silver Facsimile auto on the front. The picture could have been bigger but all in all still a nice card. This card is also in fantastic Nrmt-Mt condition with no visible flaws.

Here is the back, I like that they list his birth place as Cole Harbour which not all of his cards do.

05-06 Fleer Ultra Sidney Crosby Rookie

The better card I picked up though was this one. With the MVP rookie I have two low end Crosby rookies (Parkhurst is the other) but finally I have a mid-range rookie. While this one books for far less than the Young Gun (80 dollars for Ultra Rookie and 300 for his Young Gun), I still feel that it is nearly on equal footing. I took this scan from the internet because my Crosby Rookie is in a screwdown which doesn't always scan that well. Like the MVP, mine is in AMAZING shape...definitely 9+ worthy (amateur opinion of course).

There you go, award season has already begun and here is my tribute to the Art Ross Winner. Congrats Sid! May you win 8 or 7 more in your career.

13-14 Select Alex Chiasson Prizm Auto Rookie /99

Each season I do my best to try and land one rookie/auto from key rookies. A little while back Matt ripped a pretty great box of Crown Royale and I noticed he had a very nice Alex Chiasson rookie. I made an attempt to woo it from him but nothing having anything cool enough to match that card I decided to look elsewhere. Using some cash I got from selling some cards I had doubles of I was able to buy this baby (not as cool but at least fits the hole). 

13-14 Select Alex Chiasson Prizm Auto Rookie /99

 White swatch is no problem here, the shine and bling off this card actually makes it look cool. Sticker auto also no problem, these rookies are the best of the year still...

Here is the back, numbered to 99. Check out that NHL start! 6 goals in his first 7 games. I think this kid will be a gamer and Dallas will be pretty strong in another year or so.

Parkhurst Project Card 32

Card number 32 is another big one off the list. When you look at the 51-52 Parkhurst set, there are 105 cards and many of those are HOF'ers. 37 of the cards in the set book for over 100 dollars so when you can get one of those 37 you really feel like you made some progress. Well card 32 for me is a HOF'er and he does book for $150 so this is a nice one to cross off the list.

1951-52 Parkhurst Allan Stanley Rookie

One of my favourite sellers posted a few Parkies and I snatched this one up immediately. The condition of this card is very nice and apart from being diamond cut and a little colour bleeding on the upper left, this really is a superb card. Good sharp corners and crease free are characteristics that get me excited about buying a Parkie.

Allan Stanley is a HOF defenseman who had the nicknames "Snowshoes" and "Silent Sam" because he apparently was a pretty slow skater. When you consider that fact and look at the picture on his rookie card, I can't help but laugh. It appears he is skating on his ankles or doing some sort of reverse snow plow in the picture. Don't let that fool you though, Allan was an excellent stay at home defenseman who won 4 Stanley Cups and was a 7-time NHL All-Star. He also made the NHL 2nd All-Star team three times. If not for Doug Harvey, Allan would have also won the Norris Trophy in 59-60 but I am sure a few defensemen could have said that too.  


Progress:


Card # 94 and # 32 of my set


Percentage Complete:

30.5%

Cost of the Card:

$31.91 including shipping and exchange rate


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$297.90

13/14 UD Trilogy - Stefan Matteau Auto Rookie /399

Many fans felt that we should have not kept the pick that landed Stefan Matteau.  Time will tell if that was the right move or not but in the end Lou at least ended up not losing a pick at all in the Kovy fiasco and instead we are forced to live with the 30th pick in this upcoming draft instead of losing the Matteau pick and ending up with a middle of the first round pick this season.

13/14 UD Trilogy - Stefan Matteau Auto Rookie /399

Stefan has had a chance to adjust to the life of a Pro this year sending time at Lou-U. Currently Stefan has 13 goals and 24 points in 63 games. I think in the long run he will be a fine penalty killing forward and possibly a second line winger in his prime.

Back side.

I do like the look of these UD Trilogy rookies. Stats and authentication, UD you must have read my complaints. Still a guarantee from the grave is like believing Colonel Saunders still worries about quality.