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.

76-77 OPC Update...Then there were 7

After all my mystery box fun with the 76-77 OPC stuff, I was down to just 10 cards that I didn't have and a few I wanted to upgrade at some point. However, my focus is to get the 10 I need, and then upgrade later in life...or save that for my son to do someday.

Anyway, my LCS have many of the ones I need for this set and I have just been picking away at the slowly and working out deals when I can. I did manage over the last few weeks to nail 3 more off the list. Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson and Bobby Clarke. None of those three book for more than 6 bucks so getting those three for 10 bucks was a pretty good deal. They are all near-mint condition which means they won't need to be upgraded and that leaves just 7 more to go.

I was as happy as Denis buying those three!


However, of the remaining 7, there is an Orr and Dryden in that mix which will drive up my final set price, but I still imagine I will be ahead of the game when it is all done. My LCS does have an Orr as well as the Lafleur I need, but I will let them collect some more dust before I go in and beat them up on a price.... :)