So When Is It Enough? I am not sure if it will be three.

So my regular readers might have remember when I got my first Dryden rookie a few years ago:

The front is rough, tape stains etc. The back is near-mint. What is this card worth? Who knows some would call it worthless and others would love to have it. I am more in the latter crowd but still, I wanted a better one.

Then a little over a year ago I got this gem:

Crease free, slight rounding of corners and off centered. However, it is also a Topps version but I was very pleased to get it and the price was super fair via auction.

Then that brings me to my latest Dryden acquisition:

Here it is, this one is an OPC one with fantastic centering. The back and front are no where near mint and arguably a little way away from VG. That being said, it still is a wonderful addition to my collection and cost me nothing out of my pocket because it was all trade with my LCS. I got rid of some modern cards I didn't care for anymore and got my third Dryden. In a perfect world I would like my last to be EX or better but I guess I will slowly climb the Dryden ladder and end up there someday.

I know I was supposed to unveil my Richard auto with this post but I don't have my act together in that department so please forgive me!

And for those that don't know, here is my auto from Ken Dryden which of course completes my HOF project on him a couple of times over.

Back Checking - Ken Dryden Rookies

When you look at old OPC and Topps cards, depending on the decade the number of differences can vary from minor to significant. For example some of the releases in the late 60's feature no differences on the front and on the back the inclusion of french is the biggest difference. However, if you look at the ones in the 80's, Topps has their dark back and Topps logo on the front where OPC will have a light back and their branding on the front plus the typical french and english text. Set size is another difference too, but that varies very signficantly depending on the release. Some years they are the same (early 90's) and other years the difference can range from 66 to 198 more cards in the OPC sets.

1971-72 featured MANY difference between the two sets. First there was a difference in the checklist as Gordie Howe had his own player card in the Topps set instead of a tribute card in the OPC set and the design of the backs of the Topps cards were significantly different.  

1971-72 Topps #45 Ken Dryden Rookie

I already had the OPC rookie but I recently landed the Topps version online for the cost of a blaster and when it arrived I couldn't have been more happy. Here is the front of the card, looks exactly like the OPC version, it even is off-centered!

The back side

Here is the back side. Typical of Topps (after OPC started)  it features no french. However, unlike the OPC release, this layout has different colour combinations and is a portrait layout instead of landscape.

OPC Back

I never get tired of looking at this one, this is the back of my OPC Ken Dryden rookie. Same comic and same text, but the layout is pretty different.

I am very happy having both versions especially a sharp looking Topps rookie. The Topps looks every bit as nice as the OPC version except when it comes to price tag. OPC books for 300 in strong condition and Topps a mere 125. Depending on your budget there is a rookie out there for you and I was very lucky to steal mine for under 25 bucks.

I am not sure which back I do prefer, I guess I like them both for their individual reasons, but what about you? Do you like the Topps or OPC best?

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.