Parkhurst Project Card 37: Mr. Hockey

If there was ever a fire and my family was safe and I could go and grab one item, this might be it for me. I have made it very clear 1951 Parkhurst is my favourite set all time and when it comes to this set there really isn't much bigger and better than this.


1951-52 Parkhurst #66 Gordie Howe Rookie

 As you can see from the front, there is some damage. A pretty significant crease and some tape stains. With that being said, I only see beauty. This card is in fantastic shape and thanks to being taped in some book for a number of years have helped preserve the card I believe and prevented other creases from happening.

To see the card in person is a pretty awesome experience to be honest. It's hard to truly explain but for me personally this could be one of the best cards I will ever add to my collection and one I will certainly cherish for the rest of my life.

It is worth sharing the backside to show that this card is indeed a gem. Nice clean back with the same crease you may have noticed on the front.

What adds to my enjoyment of this card is the fact that I got to meet him many years ago and get a couple autographs. More recently, I bought and read his book Mr. Hockey which was a fantastic read and in ways I felt brought me closer to the man that was Gordon Howe. In many ways this marks a turning point for me in the set as I have been able to land a few whales from this historic set but alas there are a few more in the sea (Richard, Sawchuk, The Goal) but patience has got me this far and patience will be what it takes for me to finish it too. Thanks for stopping by and while my next post won't be featuring any cards of this magnitude, it does feature an amazing surprise!

Progress:


Card #66 and # 37 of my set


Percentage Complete:

35.2% 

Parkhurst Project Card 36: Woody Dumart

Continuing on with pick ups from the past is card number 36 in my set and 28 in the set which is Woody Dumart. To be clear, this is NOT his rookie card. There are a number of rookies in the set and this isn't one of them. Dumart and a small number of others who were still playing in the NHL at this time had rookie cards make it into the OPC sets of the late 30's. 

With that being said, there is still actually loads of demand and value on some of these cards despite more than a decade of time has passed between their first and second cards. Landing another HOF'er off the checklist was very rewarding and the condition of this card is very acceptable for my personal needs and was a very welcome addition.  

1951-52 Parkhurst Woody Dumart #28

Not a bad looking card, a little bit handled and some soft and rounded corners. The red ink on the bottom is very faded as well but you can still read it all when you look at the physical card. I definitely get a great deal of enjoyment each time I cross one of these off the list and the fact it isn't just a common increases the enjoyment! I am nearly caught up with just a couple left to share. One big fish coming up sometime soon so keep an eye out for it. Thanks for stopping by!!


Progress:


Card #28 and # 36 of my set


Percentage Complete:

34.2%

Parkhurst Project Card 35: Doug Bentley RC

This Parkies set is one which has small fries, medium fries, large fries and massive potatoes. This pick up is one of the medium fries in my opinion. Even though Doug began his career in 1940 this card is indeed his rookie. One misconception I see all the time is vendors assume that ALL the cards in the set are rookies cards which sadly isn't the truth. Players like Elmer Lach, Turk Broda and others make appearances in card sets from the 30's. However, Bentley was just late enough to miss the 39-40 OPC set and here is his rookie and really apart from his Bee Hive photos doesn't have any other cards from his playing days. With that being said if I were to only ever have one card created of me, this one is pretty darn awesome. 

I love the snow shower picture and the fantastic "Black Hawks" sweater. The Hawks players seemed to think this was a great idea as well as a few other cards in the set have the same idea. 

1951-52 Parkhurst Douglas Bentley Rookie

As you can see the text and front of the card are pretty clear and in person the colours are nice. There is some definite rounding of the corners and some creasing but nothing that really takes away from enjoying the card. I can't remember what I paid for this card but I do remember picking it up and another from a card shop in Halifax for around the price of a blaster.

Doug Bentley was a very good player from the 1940's who lead the league in goals twice and points once. He was eventually inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame which is pretty impressive for a young lad who grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan. Having just finished reading Mr. Hockey it seems there were a number of these young farm lads from Saskatchewan and I both enjoyed the book and this card greatly! Thanks for stopping by, not sure what I will post next but I will find something fun to share.

Progress:


Card #48 and # 35 of my set


Percentage Complete:

33.3%

Officially I've crossed the 1/3 way mark. I have about another half dozen to share but it's still cool to see that milestone on here. 

Parkhurst Project Card 34: Robert Goldham RC

Wow, I cannot believe it has been nearly 3 years since I have updated the Parkhurst Project. In that time I have added a few cards, some found in random card shops, some online and even one was sent to me out of the kindness of a fellow collector's heart! With all that being said, I am making a slight alteration to the project because I have long forgotten what I have paid for some of the cards it's going to continue forward without a cost tally.

Today's addition I am going to share was my freebie thanks to Sal from puckjunk.com. Two summers ago he sent me a nice package with all kinds of cool goodies and this card was one of the ones in the package. I was totally floored by his generosity and couldn't thank him enough. In fact, Sal, thank you once again!!

1951-52 Parkhurst Robert Goldham RC

The card is pretty nice and clean. Two tiny tape stains on the bottom left and upper right corners and some rounding of the corners but otherwise this awesome. No real creases to speak of and original gloss make it a card that's even better looking in person.

Robert Goldham better known as Bob had not just one nickname from his playing days but two! He earned the nickname "Golden Boy" during his Malboros days and then "Second Goalie" for his fearless puck blocking. In an era of limited armour, the puck blocking is extra impressive if you ask me. His career in the NHL spanned from 1941-1956 but he did miss a few seasons while serving his country in the Navy. Thankfully he returned home safe where he would have an impressive NHL career as a defenseman. During those years he would win 3 more Cups to go with the one he won as a rookie in 1942 (His 1946-47 Leafs would win the Cup but he didn't meet the games requirement to make it on the Cup). This card lists his best offensive point total of his career where he would score 5 goals and 18 assists in 61 games. For his career of 650 games he would finish with 28 goals, 143 assists for 171 points. Not too bad for a player who gave up many of his prime years to fight for his country.



Progress:


Card #67 and # 34 of my set


Percentage Complete:

32.4%

Hockey Cards and Music - Tragically Hip - Fifty Mission Cap

One post I have been meaning to do since I started this blog was one about the song Fifty Mission Cap by the Tragically Hip. The song is about Bill Barilko and his final NHL game and following tragic demise. What I like about the song is not just it's a very interesting story, not just because it describes a card from my favourite set of all time but also because it references a hockey card I actually owned before I even heard the song. When the song came out and I listened to the lyrics I knew exactly what they were referring to and that just added to my enjoyment of all things related to Fifty Mission Cap. 


1951-52 Parkhurst #52 The Winning Goal

I wish I owned this card. Still on my want list and without a doubt one of the best hockey cards ever made and definitely one of the best from the 1951 set. Just sheer awesomeness. Because Bill went missing after this season, he wasn't actually included in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set because they just featured players from the 1951-52 season as opposed to players who played in the previous season so for some fans, this card is Bill Barilko's rookie.

As iconic I believe the previous card was, it was actually this next card from the 1991-92 Pro Set Series 1 set that The Tragically Hip reference. The photo is a zoomed out and larger than the Parkhurst one but still the same iconic scene.

Back side

Here is the back side of the card which was references in the song.


Fifty Mission Cap

Bill Barilko disappeared that summer
He was on a fishing trip
The last goal he ever scored
Won the Leafs the cup
They didn't win another till nineteen sixty two
The year he was discovered
I stole this from a hockey card
I keeped tucked up under

My fifty-mission cap
I worked it in
I worked it in to look like that
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's his fifty-mission cap
And I worked it in
I worked it in
And I worked it in to look like that
And I worked it in to look like that

Bill Barilko disappeared that summer (in nineteen fifty one)
He was on a fishing trip (in a plane)
The last goal he ever scored (in over time)
Won the Leafs the cup
They didn't win another till nineteen sixty two
The year he was discovered

In my fifty-mission cap
I worked it in
I worked it in to look like that
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's his fifty-mission cap
And I worked it in
I worked it in
And I worked it in to look like that
And I worked it in to look like that

It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap

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

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. 

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

Parkhurst Project Card 30 and 31

This post will feature two additions. The first is my last pick up for the Parkhurst project and the other is my Edgar Laprade rookie which I have decided will be included in the set. This is a card that I thought I had already owned but when Bamlinden of My Hockey Card Obsession posted his Meatball I realized that I didn't have it. Not that I went on a mission to find it immediately but as I watch auctions I always look for deals and this one was a deal. I won it a penny below my max and it pretty much ate up the rest of my lingering PayPal money. 

Metro Prystai was a very solid NHL'er who played 11 season and put up some impressive numbers. 151 career goals and 330 career points including three 20+ goal seasons and two 50+ points seasons. He won three Cups with the Red Wings. Sadly he passed away this past Fall at the age of  85. He was a month shy of his 86th birthday but had outlived two spouses!

The card itself is in pretty awesome shape. There is a little wear on the corners and a small ding/crease on the top right corner but really it is in fantastic shape otherwise. Super happy to land this for as little as I paid for it.

Progress:


Card # 65, 96 and # 30, 31 of my set


Percentage Complete:

29.5%

Cost of the Card:

$10.00 (including 3 for shipping)


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$265.99

This total includes the cost of my Edgar Laprade rookie.

Parkhurst Project Card 29

Since my last update I have managed to land two more of these. While my pace is very very slow to say the least, I am pleased to be reaching a milestone once I am finished updating so for that I am very pleased. I think my goal going forward is to try and land as many as I can in at least as good of condition as Gaye Stewart is in. While it is a long way from mint, there are no massive creases or damage that was the result of spending a day in someone's pocket. The corners are worn and it has seen many hands, but in all it still looks rather attractive for being 63 years old.

Gaye was born in Fort William which is the same side of Thunder Bay I was born on. Gaye's claim to fame was he beat the Rocket Richard for the Calder Trophy as league's top rookie in 1943 which is amazing feat especially when you consider the fact that Gaye was two years younger than Maurice Richard. Gaye would win two Cups in his career and a variety of other awards including a first and second all-start team honours. Like many players of his generation, Gaye also stopped his NHL career to help the Allied forces in WWII for two years before coming back and playing every bit as well as he had in his Calder Trophy winning season. While he may not have made it into the Hall of Fame, Gaye is one of the better players to come out of Thunder Bay and he is a welcome addition to my growing set.  

Progress:

Card # 99 and # 29 of my set


Percentage Complete:

27.6%

Cost of the Card:

$8.00


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$230.99

Parkhurst Project Card 28

The final of my 1951 Parkhurst pickups is an Alex Delvecchio rookie. For regular readers, you may know that Alex is a player who I collect heavily so this card is performing double duty right now! I came across this in auction as I was checking eBay for recent Alex additions and when I saw this I thought it would be perfect for my set. On the lower end condition wise I thought that I could land it for a decent price and sure enough a last second upping of my bid landed it for a very decent price. I was able to use the rest of my birthday money to help subsidize the purchase so in the end the $60.22  I paid was only about 35 out of my pocket.  

Here is the card, the seller stated that it was VG-EX, however, there was a tiny hairline crease on the card. It is located just left of his head at the top. Apart from that, everything was as I expected with some corner wear, solid colouring and no serious staining. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, I contacted the seller and they offered a refund but at the same time I knew a card booking for $400 even in VG condition is probably $100+ card on most BIN's. Sure enough I did some digging and it was half the price of most cards in worse condition so I decided to keep it in the end. I must say I am glad I kept it because it does fit well in my set because it isn't in the worst or best condition and being one of the higher booking card it is nice to have some integrity to the set. I think my goal is a VG set in the end so Alex is right in the mark for me.

Progress:

Card # 63 and # 28 of my set


Percentage Complete:

26.7%

Cost of the Card:

$35.22 of my money


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$222.99

Parkhurst Project Card 27

This one is a HUGE one to cross off my list. Doug Harvey's rookie card was one of the 6-7 cards I feared would cost me a FORTUNE, but believe it or not, this cost me NOTHING! Free!!

Ok, I need to be honest, I have some really nice In-Laws who gave me some birthday money because they know of my addiction and last year were kind enough to help me land some C56's and I am sure they were hope this year I would continue buying some cool stuff. So armed with a generous amount of money, I was able to buy this card and a portion of my next one too. 

Doug Harvey is pretty much one of the top 4 defenseman of all-time and depending on who you speak to, he could even be top 2. Doug was an 11 time all-star and a 7 time Norris trophy winner, and while he may have had some tough demons to live with, there is no denying his amazing on ice ability. He was an offensive star in a time when defense really didn't chip in much offensively. Before there was Bobby, there was Doug. in my opinion, Doug really revolutionized the role of the offensive defenseman, Bobby just took it to a whole other level.

The card itself isn't great condition wise, but I still think it looks great! There are two major creases running top to bottom and the corners have some rounding. There is also a minor crease going from left to the C on Doug's jersey. However, the colouring is great and no fading of the text which is common for Parkies. The back is also clean and stain free. I contacted the seller who had a BIN on it and gave him a best offer scenario and he took it. 50 dollars. Sure the card is rough, but crossing off a card that books for 600 with a copy I could live with is worth it. I know some of the other biggies from this set will need to be wounded whales as well, but again I am building a set of character, not a mint set. (Though I may nab a Viper Reprint set someday so that I have a mint set to compare with)

Progress:

Card # 10 and # 26 of my set


Percentage Complete:

25.7%

Cost of the Card:

Free (gift)


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$187.77

Parkhurst Project Card 26

Made a few changes to my website. I am not sure what will be permanent and what is currently just in flux, but I do like my banner. It is the seam piece of an 83-84 OPC Wrapper and the main background is the back of my Ed Slowinski 51 Parkhurst card. I choose this one because it is clean and NOT mint. I like the small back side crease on it and I think it adds some character. However, I will continue to reflect on my blog because after 520+ posts, it is nice to change some stuff up!

Harry Watson is my latest addition to the Parkhurst Project. Harry is a HOF'er who won 5 Stanley Cups and was a part of 7 All-Star games. Harry did finish second in the league in goals once and he scored 10+ goals in every one of his 14 seasons.  One of his reasons for being in the Hall was due to the advocacy of broadcasters like Don Cherry and Brian Williams who felt his generation was being over looked. I for one can't argue for or against his inclusion since he did miss a couple years due to the War and I wasn't alive to see all aspects of his game not included on a score sheet.

This is card number 26 in my set, and it is a pretty nice piece of cardboard. The card is crease free, but rounded corners and a little black mark on the card (not sure what it is, sharpie?). Book value on this one is 125 which makes it middle of the road cost wise as far as the set goes, but I felt that picking this one up for 14.99 was a pretty solid deal considering I think this is easily VG+. In case you were wondering, that little black mark is actually a printing flaw! I thought it was someone's handiwork with a sharpie, but I found proof here: 

Progress:

Card # 70 and # 26 of my set


Percentage Complete:

24.8%

Cost of the Card:

$14.99 with shipping


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$187.77

So that pretty much has me at the quarter mark with less than 200 invested. I suspect I am going to have to shell out more than 800 for the whole set considering I am still missing Terry, Gordie and Maurice.

Parkhurst Project Card 25

So over the past year and a bit I did manage to land five more Parkies so here is number two of those five. I am sort of going in order of "impressiveness" but mostly in order of how much I like the card. This post is all about the last card in the set, Jim Conacher.

What some modern collectors don't know is back in the day the first and last cards of sets usually took a beating. Kids had all sorts of creative ways to keep their cards together which included the infamous elastic band. As a result the "ends" of the set often were the only forms of protection so middle cards had some good padding but the end cards absorbed much of the abuse. The end result is many vintage cards have serious premiums on the first and last cards in a set. The 51-52 Parkhurst set is no different with card number 1 Elmer Lach (not a rookie) booking for 500 dollars and the last card 105 Jim Conacher books for 200 dollars. While this card isn't even remotely close to grading about poor, I do actually like it. The previous owner(s) kept this card safe by using tape and at one point it might have even been on a ring in a binder via a nice hole punch. Like Fred Glover, I may choose to upgrade this some day but at the same time I do love the punishment it has suffered over the last 62 years that I may just keep it and all its character.

As for the subject, Jim Conacher had a few decent seasons prior to the making of this card. From 1946-1951 he scored 188 points in 270 games which is pretty excellent when you consider HOF'er Elmer Lach put up 213 points during the same time period. However, after his 30th birthday production tailed off severely and he was out of hockey by the end of the 52-53 season.

Progress:

Card # 105 and # 25 of my set


Percentage Complete:

23.8%

Cost of the Card:

$9.50 with shipping


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$172.78

Parkhurst Project Continues With Card 24

Even though it has been over a year since I last updated the chase I assure you I have made some pretty decent progress. I have nailed a few huge ones off the list so I will share them over my next few posts! Lets start with the least significant and work our way to the most significant, and hopefully by the end of it all my 33-34 OPC will have arrived.

So Frederick Glover pretty much Reggie Dunlop as he spent the last 6 seasons as a player-coach with the AHL Cleveland Barons which include a championship in 63-64. In fact Fred Glover was an AHL superstar scoring the second highest career point total in AHL history with 1334 points. Sadly, he never hit his stride at the NHL level where he managed 13 goals and 11 assists in 92 career games. Despite that limited NHL success, he does have a Stanley Cup to his resume as well as a number of AHL awards and Championships. Fred did sadly pass away back in 2001 but he is survived by his former teammate and brother Howie.

The card itself is in horrible shape and I may consider upgrading it but I couldn't pass it up based on the price.

Progress:

Card # 60 and # 24 of my set


Percentage Complete:

22.9%

Cost of the Card:

2.99 with shipping


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$163.28

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.

Parkhurst Project - A Six Pack of Habs

A while back, I mentioned that I would be buying my 11/12 Score set, rather than doing it through packs and trades. Well I think it is about time to share what I did with the 100 bucks instead of buying three boxes and then painfully trading and tracking down base cards. The set cost me a whopping 26 bucks plus 15 shipping. So, for 41 bones I got a complete set from 1-548. That is all the base cards and the 48 rookies that are SP'ed. That left me with 59 dollars to spend on other cards. Well 30 of those 59 dollars went toward this lot purchase. I must warn you, the cards aren't pretty for the most part. I think one would grade VG+ and the rest would fall in the Fair or Poor range. But, they Habs cards usually are a little more sought after, so to land 6 at 5 bucks a piece isn't too shabby either. Here they are!

Paul Masnick

 Creases and rounded corners, check. Tape, check. Nice colouring, the only plus about this card. Paul's NHL career was pretty short, 232 games, but his pro career was quite long, 13 seasons. During his stay in the NHL, Paul scored 18 goals and had 42 assists for 60 points. Most of those points came in the 53-54 season where he had 26 points in 50 games.

Ross Lowe

 Definitely a sad story here. The nicest card of the batch, features a player who died just after winning the AHL MVP award. Ross Lowe won the Les Cunningham Award in the 54-55 season after 82 points in 60 games and then drown that summer while vacationing with his family. He was 26 years old when he died.

Gerry Doc Couture

 Gerry had a pretty decent NHL career with 385 games, 86 goals, 70 assists and 156 points. Gerry is best known for being a member of the 50 Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings. During that post season, Gerry had 9 points including 5 goals in 14 playoff games.

Floyd Curry

                                         
 Floyd maybe the most famous of all the players in this lot. Curry won 10 Stanley Cup rings including 4 as a player and all with the Canadiens. He played a total of 601 games with the Habs and during that time he put up 105 career goals, and 204 points.

    Paul Meger

 Paul Meger was similar to Ross Lowe in the sense that his career was cut short before it really took off. In the case of Paul, it was a nasty skate to the temple that would eventually require surgery to repair the skull fracture that would end his career. He was also only 26 and unfortunately would never play hockey again.

       Jim Bud MacPherson

This card could be in the roughest shape of ANY card in the set so far. As a player, he was a rugged stay at home defenseman and his career was primarily in the minors. He did win a Cup with the Habs and made an appearance in the 1953 All-Star game.

Progress:

Card # 2, 6, 8, 12, 17, 18 and # 18-23 of my set


Percentage Complete:

21.9%

Cost of the Card:

30.00 with shipping


Total Cost of Set to Date:

$160.29

Parkhurst Project - Card 11

The latest addition to my 51-52 Parkhurst set isn't pretty. As you can see, it looks like Steve had a run in with some glue at one point in his life. Oddly enough, the backside of the card is pretty clean so most of the glue was on the front of this card, or the backside of another.

Steve Kraftcheck

Certainly not the nicest of the Parkies in my set thus far, but the price certainly was right as I won it with a $2.99 bid. For basically the price of a pack of Pinnacle, I won a card that is 60 years old and is a little worse for the wear. They all count I guess, but I am not going to make a habit of getting ones this rough.

Stephen had a pretty short NHL career of just 4 seasons, but did play pro hockey in the AHL for an additional 13 seasons. He was a strong and talented AHL defenseman who just couldn't recreate the AHL numbers in the NHL. His final NHL line was 157 games, 11 goals and 29 points.

Progress:

Card #92 and #11 of 105 in my set

Percent Completed:

10.5%

Cost of Card:

$5.49 with shipping

Total Cost of Set to Date:

$77.94

Parkhurst Project Cards 6, 7 and 8

The other day I saw on eBay a seller who had a few different 51-52 Parkhurst auctions on the go and was willing to do combined shipping. I looked at the cards and to be honest, because of the photography, it was difficult to tell the shape the cards were in except for the little write up about the defects of each. I decided to take a chance and put a max bid of 5 bucks on each auction based on what the seller said.

Sure enough to my surprise, I won all three for 5 bucks a piece. When the arrived about 10 days later, I was happy to see they were all in pretty decent shape.

Ed Slowinski

Card number 102 and card number 6 in my set. As a card, Ed Slowinski has one corner that is rounded and the other three corners are worn but still have some sharpness to them. There is a very light crease near the middle of the card, but the colouring more than makes up for that.

As a player, Ed Slowinski didn't have a long career but he did have a few solid NHL seasons. He played from 1947-53 in the NHL and in 291 games he finished with 58 goals and 132 points. His best season was in 51-52 where he had: 64 gms, 21 goals, 22 assists for 43 points. After 1953, Ed tore up the AHL for a couple of seasons before leaving hockey in 1958.

Don "Bones" Raleigh

Card number 93 and card number 7 in my set. Of the three cards, Bones is in the roughest shape having a couple light creases and 4 round corners. The colouring is much nicer in person than in the scan and the text is sharp.

Bones played 10 NHL seasons all with the Rangers. His best year was in 1951-52 where he had: 70 gms, 19 goals, 42 assists for 61 points which was good enough for 4th in league scoring. Bones would play in two NHL all-star games (1951, 1954). I think I know where the nickname came from, according to Total NHL (the book) Don Raleigh was 5' 11" and he weighed 150 lbs.

Hal Laycoe

Card number 25 and card number 8 in my set. The card is in pretty good shape, a very very faint crease on the bottom, rounding on the corners and a very light stain on the back. Like some of the other cards, the colouring is great and the text is sharp.

Hal Laycoe's claim to fame is he had a significant role in the Richard Riot. Click the link to get brought up to speed if you were unaware of the history of that event. As a player, Hal was actually a Montreal Canadien for 4 seasons and would have played with Richard during those years. Laycoe was a stay-at-home defenceman who never scored more than 5 goals in any one season. Of the three cards I bought, all being rookies, his card is the only one listed in the Beckett with a Near Mint value of $80. I imagine the value of that card is associated more with the Richard Riot than with his accomplishments as a player.

Progress:

Card #25, 93 and 102 and 6,7 and 8 of 105 for my set.

Percent Completion:

7.62%

Cost of Cards:

$17.50

Total Cost of the Set to Date:

$49.95

With this latest pick up, I really think this is a set I am going to be able to complete.....It is just a matter of time (and a little money).

The Parkhurst Project Card 1

The first card I purchased, was from Ebay, and it was Bert Olmstead. Definitely the best player of all the cards I have bought from this set so far. Bert was an all-star 4 times and lead the NHL in assists twice. His best season was a 70 point performance in the 55-56 season. Bert was an early power forward who could hit with the best of them earned the nickname "Dirty Bertie". Bert eventually made it into the Hall of Fame in 1985 while finishing with 5 Stanley Cups in 11 appearances.


The card itself isn't in the greatest of shape. The red ink has a little fading, and there is some shiny glue marks on the back. The front isn't horrible, there are not major creases or damage to the front, you can see the reflection of a little glue on the front as well. This scan looks worse than the card does in person.

Progress:
Card # 1 of 105 and #5 in the set
Percent Completion: 0.95%
Cost of Card: $7.95
Total Cost of Set to Date: $7.95