An Improved 11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Adam Henrique Auto Patch Rookie /249

Couple years ago I picked up an Adam Henrique The Cup Rookie which was pretty great. Great in the sense that it was a must have for a PC and I believe most collectors who have a big interest in a specific play will try and land one. A little while after I posted the card I noticed something sad.... finger nail indentations into the top of the card. They were small, but just enough to make me feel disappointed. It's not the first time and in fact I have noticed it several times over the years. I don't know if it is the player who damages it or if its the pack opener but either way the card is now far from mint. Fast forward a couple years and I was able to find a new copy which has no indentations and a slightly better swatch too! Win win!

My old copy is still in my collection and actually I have it displayed in my classroom where it looks fantastic and my new copy is at home in my collection where I enjoy it regularly.

11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Adam Henrique Auto Patch Rookie /249

 Front side is standard issue. Nice on card auto and a two colour patch this time instead of just one white piece.

This time around here is the back side.

This season has been a forgettable one for the Devils. After a great start we have been inconsistent since December and as a club we clearly have a ways to go before we will taste the post season again. I'm hopeful for a good draft pick in a believed to be weak draft class and perhaps we can see some continued growth from the prospects we do have so veterans like Adam Henrique can be rewarded for these lean years.

How about your own collection? Do you have any cards the require an upgrade or have you upgraded some in the past? Thanks for stopping by.

11-12 The Cup Keith Kinkaid Auto Patch Rookie /249

Countless pundits in the hockey world begin this season by saying the Devils will finish dead last. When I would read these articles I would just shake my head and think that their predictions were a little harsh and off the mark. For those of you that follow the game closely might even remember that on Jan 1st the Devils were actually in a playoff spot nearly 1/2 way through the season. Then our depth was exposed when Mike Cammalleri was injured and missed the rest of the season and Cory Schneider also went down with injury in March and missed 11 games. This isn't a team that I think would be projected to be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference the following season after trading for Taylor Hall.

Fast forward to 13 games into this season and the Devils are a respectable 7-3-3. True there are many more games to be played but we have managed to get that record thus far and really haven't shown signs of slowing down. The Devils have relied on a combination of timely scoring and great goaltending in particular from BOTH goalies. To do well this season we will need our young players to continue to develop and guys like Hall, Henrique, Severson, Zajac and Palmieri to continue to produce offensively. Last night was a great character win over the Buffalo Sabres which had the Devils winning 2-1 in OT after being down 1-0 early. Keith Kinkaid played very well stopping 25/26 shots on the road where the Devils have struggled a bit this season. On the year Kinkaid is a very respectable 2-0-1 with a 1.65 g.a.a and a .944 save percentage. He will be expected this year more than ever to get us wins if we are hoping to make the post season. In honour of his great start to the season, here is a little Kinkaid gem I picked up. 

11-12 The Cup Keith Kinkaid Auto Patch Rookie /249

As with all The Cup rookies, you get a nice on card autograph and in most cases you also get a patch from a player worn jersey and this one has the Devils three colours. As you can see, the photo has Keith sporting his Union College helmet and the number 30 which of course was his College number and in honour of his idol Martin Brodeur. Keith wears #1 for the Devils which was one worn by another great former Devils goalie....J-F Damphousse....just kidding (ok he actually did) but I am referring to Sean Burke!

Thanks for stopping by and putting up with a little Devils rant!

11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique /50

Unlike the previous Henrique pick up, this one is from his rookie year but this time just features his autograph. However, I do like the simplicity of this card and the use of black and white foil board with the red accent.


11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique /50

Cool design and looks very nice in person but scans like hell. Good sized autograph right over the Devils crest and a pretty solid photo to go with it. Looks like Adam is deep in thought on where to send the puck. This card was another shoestring budget addition from this past spring.

I always thought the Enshrinements insert was meant to be for people who are in the Hall of Fame or have won a Cup but clearly they also chucked rookies in there and possibly other non-winning veterans.

11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique Auto /50

Think about your favourite team. Do they have a face of the franchise? When I try and think about the other 29 teams in the league and their current roster, quite often an image of a player pops in my head and for that player I have a hard time picturing them anywhere else because they embody that team to me. Right now Anze Kopitar is working on a new contract, but there is a chance that he may sign somewhere else and for me personally I can't see that at all. True, it is very likely something that could happen but given how long he's been there and what he as done, I have trouble seeing it. Same with the Sedins, they are Vancouver to me. Look at the Ducks, could you see Getzlaf playing for any other NHL club? I don't think I can come up with one for EVERY team because there are a few like Toronto who are in a state of flux but even then, JVR is likely a player they will hang on to regardless and he is who comes to mind for me with the Leafs.

For the Devils, we have been pretty fortunate. We have had Mr. Devil (Ken Danyeko), perhaps not the best player but certainly was consistent and has three Cups. Martin Brodeur until the unthinkable happened and he left for a few games. Right now, I would say that person is Adam Henrique. The goal's he's already scored for us, and how everything the he does seems to align with our franchise and it's past and future directions. Not a bad guy to have if you ask me. Is he our best player and will he be? No, but he has all the other intangibles that you do want and they are the reason why I consider him the face of our franchise.


11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique Auto /50

Here is that face in foil form! Please excuse the debris that always seems to follow foil scans around. This card is a nice one in person and was designed rather well if you ask me. Nice black and white foil with a trim of red on the bottom.

11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie Gear Booklet /25

There are some cards you just don't appreciate until they are in your hands and I believe this one falls in that category. I really haven't been looking for this card at all but when searching for Brett Connolly patches I noticed a dealer selling several BC The Cup Rookies and inserts and there were two of these booklets for sale. Sadly they ALL ended within a second of one another so I had to make my choice and go hard for it. In the end, I am pleased with the outcome and landed a whale!


11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie Gear Booklet /25

Here is the outside of the booklet. 25/25 and all the promises of swatches inside....

Here is the inside!!

I want to go on the record by saying I am not a huge fan of booklet cards and am almost angry each time I have to shell out 10 bucks for a one touch to hold the card but this is one massive exception. The left side is neat with a huge signature which is a good thing for Brett because his auto is pretty simplistic (even more so since he started in the NHL) and it's size brings out more details. The right side is pure gold. Patches, jerseys and straps are already in my collection but, seeing all three together is pretty cool and the patch features a few breaks and even some silver. But the best part and the reason why I went for this one instead of the other booklet is the laundry tag. I believe it speaks for itself and it is telling me Mr. Connolly is either a size 50 or 52. Like himself, this jersey was made in Canada. Just awesome.

So the big question is do I chase all his rookies now that I have come this far....perhaps I should. But I will just need to figure out what is exactly out there before I tackle that type of mission but in the meantime, my collection grows still!

My other awesome Twitter trade over the summer

While my last trade post mentioned someone who wrote me up about trading, this post is about a trade I initiated myself. During the dog days of summer I had a chance to really be active on twitter which has pretty much ground to a halt now that school is back in session. However, during that time I saw a retweet by Upper Deck which involved a collector named Jeff who likes to break ultra high-end cards. He is chasing the Rookie Bookmark set from the 11/12 The Cup set so he bought some boxes and shared the results. In his break he hit a Devils rookie I had been trying to find on the cheap and I decided to contact him if he would be willing to trade it. 

He was more than willing and we were able to come up with a pretty good deal for both sides. Not long after he has hit more Devils cards and I was able to make a second trade with him as a result. Here are the cards I got from my two trades with Jeff.

 11/12 The Cup Adam Larsson Auto Patch Rookie /249

Sure it is a plain white patch but what do you expect from a Devils emblem! It features lots of white.


07/08 Upper Deck Sweet Shot Martin Brodeur Sweet Stiches /299

This was a throw in by Jeff to balance out our first trade. The card became much more significant when I traded a few of my Brodeur game-used away to Tom a few weeks after getting this card. I am now on the hunt for a Brodeur Auto Patch that I hope to land someday in the next year or so.

13/14 Panini Prime Prime Jon Merrill Prime Time Rookies /25

A little chipping on the card is a downer, but numbered to 25 and an on card auto are all awesome pluses! This isn't my first Merrill card and I doubt it will be my last either!


So a couple trades down already and maybe even more in the future with Jeff. Thanks for two great trades Jeff and I wish you the best of luck with your Rookie Bookmarks. 

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.

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Gold /25

Ok, I think its official! I must have more Brett Connolly cards than his own mother. I was never much of an obsessive PC collector but in the last two years I have done a pretty good job of circling the market on BC cards and Henrique (since Clarkson departed for Toronto and forgot his game in NJ). 

This recent addition is one that doesn't have any auto or game used involved with it. Instead it is a lowly gold parallel of the monster set The Cup. Despite its short comings, it is actually a really nice looking card with a shiny rainbow-gold foil that really catches your eye. The low print run does add to my personal appeal but in all I really like the design and photo on the front. 

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Gold /25

Brett might be wearing Silver in this photo, but I assure you its ALL Gold!

Here is the back side. I really like the back, lots of the things I do look for in a hockey card are all here. Strangely I was expecting the UD hologram on the back to be gold as well (which they use in high end stuff) but for some reason it is silver. Were they worried about clashing? Even the "core" of the card is gold/yellow instead of the usual white which seems really neat and weird all at once. But I somehow can't shake the fact I think I have seen this back before...oh wait:

I had seen something similar. 

Well there you have it, an I finished yet? Buying yes. Trading? Well if something fun comes along I will probably trade more than book value for it because I dig this guy. But in the meantime, I guess my super collection just got more super. 

So here is what I bought with my Brendan Gallagher Loot - Part 7 - Its an Evolution

So the final card I bought with my Gallagher loot was actually a bit of a gamble in my books. Upper Deck released a new concept to their lineup with the 11-12 Upper Deck The Cup release and that was video cards. Each is apparently limited to 99 copies and when you land your redemption, you have a code and you don't find out which card you have until it arrives (or so I read).  

However, the one I bought was already redeemed so I knew exactly what player I was getting but no idea what the card entailed. The card came with two cards, the first is a simple plain looking card:

Here is the front of the simple card.

Here is the back explaining how to charge the card etc. 

11-12 The Cup Rookie Evolution Ryan Ellis /99

Here is the front side of the card, and as you can see Ryan Ellis is the subject matter (a minor PC of mine). Book value on these cards are reasonably strong with this one booking for about $100 on the high side. I don't know what these cards cost to make but I am sure I bought mine for less than the manufacturing price.

Here is the back side, the holes are for the speaker, a few stats on the back and a hologram for authenticity. On one side there is a mini usb port for charging, but you can't change the video or upload anything to the device. I am actually a little disappointed with this because the video which is about a min or so clip, features Ryan talking about his accomplishments and role models but not much in the way of actual game play or cool tricks. Also missing is any autograph or additional memorabilia which is also a little sad. I wish they slapped an auto sticker or something on the card but I guess that is why these cards have been a little luke warm on the secondary market. Still, a neat card and a neat idea and I am glad to add it to my collection. 

Not a bad batch for a card that I pulled from a box with a bunch of trade-in cards. Stay posted for a few breaks and some more cool additions.

So here is what I bought with my Brendan Gallagher Loot - Part 1

So I did very well on the sale of my 12-13 Artifacts Brendan Gallagher Auto Rookie /99. I wanted to make sure that when I bought cards with that money I was going to accumulate a batch of cards that exceeded my interest in the card that I sold. If I could do that, then in my opinion I feel like I went ahead on the transaction. So, here are the cards I landed and yes I feel in the end, I am further ahead.

11-12 The Cup Adam Henrique Auto Rookie / 249

The was a beast off the want list. While the patch is insanely dull, the auto is large and crisp and it is the pinnacle of Henrique rookies as far as most collectors go. It is worthless because of the patch? Not in my eyes, but many collectors shied away from this auction as it sold for well less than half the price another Henrique did at the same time with a nicer swatch. Really happy to gain this card and there was plenty of money left over to land some more gems, stay tuned!

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie /249

If you  have a PC of a modern player, what is their most desirable rookie card? Many collectors wouldn't hesitate with their answer and it likely would be their "The Cup" rookie. As far as book value goes, these rookie usually carry a pretty hefty price tag and are sought after by fans of the set and of the players.

Since I consider my Brett Connolly and Adam Henrique PC's to be reasonably serious I felt it would be important to try and cross The Cup of their lists. My Brett Connolly The Cup rookie isn't my favourite but I do like it a fair bit. When compared to my Dominion Gold card, the swatches aren't even close in comparison. The Cup version does have a nice subtle two colour swatch and isn't much smaller than the Dominion one. But the print run is nearly 10 times larger and this card actually cost me 5 dollars more than the Dominion Gold card. Those factors do take away from the card a little bit but still in the end it is a great card for my PC and I do like it lots, it just isn't my personal favourite. 

11-12 The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie /249

As you can see, this is numbered 52/249 and features a cool two colour swatch (blue and white). The auto is nicer on this card because he includes his Tampa number 14 with a signature that looks a little less rushed than the Dominion one. In fact, you can see some elements of his old autograph from junior which I will get into when I finish all my Brett pick ups.

Here is the back side of the card which I do like the improvements that UD has made of the years to their The Cup back designs. This has a few important stats and your lengthy authentication note that you have come to expect from UD.

The book value on this card is 80 bucks which is tied with his Crown Royale rookie as being the most "valuable" base rookies you can get of Brett Connolly. I don't include his Titanium rookie because it is limited to just 14 copies and doesn't have a book value. In fact, I haven't come across any online in the last year or so but I suspect I could have easily missed it.

So there you have it, my third favourite Brett Connolly rookie which trails only my Rookie Anthology Patch Rookie /15 and my Dominion Gold Rookie /25