A Trio of 13-14 Artifacts Brett Connolly Team Canada Patches

Brett Connolly the other night against the Rangers scored the game winning goal. That goal was his 13th of the season which is a career high and his 3rd game winner which is also a career high at the NHL level. With the home stretch coming up and a chance to play in 17 more games I am still optimistic he can approach 20 goals on the season which would be an impressive accomplishment. Combine that with him being a restricted free agent at the end of the season and is approaching his prime I am hopeful there will be a few suitors out there if the Caps decide not to retain his services. In celebration of his accomplishments here are a couple news Team Canada Connollys and one that you've seen before.

13-14 Artifacts Team Canada Brett Connolly Patch /5

 This is pretty awesome, ok patch and amazing IIHF tag. This is probably my favourite swatch out of my entire Connolly collection.

 13-14 Artifacts Team Canada Brett Connolly Auto Patch /8

I've shared this one before but this card probably has it all. Nice jersey, great patch which actually has a hint of gold in the window and an autograph. Sadly it doesn't match the photo but otherwise it's a pretty awesome piece.

 13-14 Artifacts Team Canada Brett Connolly Patch /15

The last one is new shared content as well. No autograph but two just down right fantastic patches. Part of the A in Canada and some piece of the crest with 4 colours. For a non-autographed card it does a pretty good job being awesome. The person at Upper Deck who assembled this one did an amazing job. Plus when you see the holo-gold foil it just draws your attention. 

I do have another rare one from this sequence and that is the basic auto black /5 but it didn't have any patches or swatches and is standard thickness and I am worried about trying to pick it back up off the scanner bed given the black can chip easily so perhaps I'll snap a photo some day with the camera and share it. Thanks for stopping by, next post hopefully will be coming in a day or two!

A Homemade Hobby 6 Pack For About The Price Of One

This batch I bought so long ago (1.5 years ago) that I almost forgot I didn't even share it. It was around my birthday two years ago I was doing some looking and one of the online/in-store dealers near my place had a batch up on eBay. He always posts like 400 cards and lets them ride on auctions and then a month later he will be back with a new batch. The cards are always decent and he is very accurate with his descriptions for quality purposes so I really trust him. He has a pile up starting at 99 cents and free combined shipping meant deals could be had. Alas when the dust settled I ended up with this 6 and the price was very nice and well under a blaster. 

14-15 UD Ice Teemu Pulkkinen Premieres Rookie /799

 I am not sure if Teemu will be a bust or a late bloomer but he's now 25 years old and currently in the AHL with the Wild owning his rights. He was an AHL superstar but his big league game hasn't made an appearance yet. I figure one more season to crack the line-up otherwise he will likely bolt overseas. I'm hopeful still but realistic too.

14-15 Upper Deck Series 2 Seth Helgeson Young Gun

So far Seth has been a bit of a cusp player for the Devils. I like to say he's our 8th defenseman really. Good enough some nights to be a 5-6th but inconsistent which makes him an easy scratch target. He is pretty reliable in the AHL and given he's 26 he too will need to prove his worth soon as the Devils are loading up on young d-man prospects or he could be searching for a new organization as well.

12-13 Panini Classics Reggie Leach Auto

 The first big name in the lot, Reggie Leach was a big force in the 70's with the Flyers winning two Cups with the Broad Street Bullies. Reggie scored 61 goals one season and then backed it up with an NHL record 19 post-season goals. Despite some impressive years and accomplishments, Reggie likely won't be a HOF'er ever but if there was a Hall of Very Good, I believe he would be a first ballot inductee.

07-08 Be A Player Signatures Nicklas Backstrom Auto

This was the one I was most excited about because it is a rookie year auto of a player I love watching and believe is greatly underrated. Nick is off to another great season with his production spiking of late. As of today, he sits tied for 4th in points with 63 and second in assists with 45.

07-08 Be A Player Signatures Jason Spezza Auto

 Ages ago I wrote Spezza and never heard from or got my card back. These things happen but that didn't mean I didn't want his auto anymore. When this was was up for bids, I threw a bid that would cover two way postage and thankfully it was enough and righted a wrong! Spezza seemed to hit a wall in Ottawa and has since been revitalized in Dallas. This past year has been a tough one in the Lone Star State but Spezza is young enough that he could be a good trade deadline pick up or have another go next season after Dallas does something about their goaltending.

11-12 Panini Rookie Private Signings Brett Connolly Auto

The last was a fun one for the PC and that is this nice on-card auto from Brett Connolly. Brett has been playing well of late and making a bit of a push to be in Cy Young contention. After pretty soft start and a few nights of being scratched Brett had a pretty solid point streak going (6 games) and currently has 12 goals and 6 assists for 18 points. He is on pace to 18 goals and with a little luck that could be 20. As it stands right now he has tied his career high for goals so the next one will be a big one.

11-12 Titanium Rookie Reserve Brett Connolly Patch Auto /15

Well today is Canada Day or Free Agent Day in the NHL world. I have always loved that these two days have generally coincided on the same day in recent years. My birthday is around this time and apart from a 2 years ago, I have generally had very good luck on birthday boxes and last year was no exception. I picked up a couple boxes and did well on them including a box of 11-12 Titanium. I pulled some star jersey cards of guys like Giroux and Weber but the best part of the box was this hit:

11-12 Titanium Rookie Reserve Brett Connolly Patch Auto /15

Perhaps my best Connolly hit I have ever pulled. The piece on the left is white jersey with some white and blue patch and the right piece is all silver and sparkles rather nicely in the sunlight! This was my first Rookie Reserve card from the set which has auto jersey /100, auto patch /15 and auto "patch" /10. I have since picked up the Brett Connolly /100 and /10 and believe it or not, the /15 card is by far the nicest. My /10 which claims to be a patch is really just a seam swatch and the /100 are just jersey swatches with an auto. All three are great together and I will be sure to post them up all together eventually.

Boston decided not to qualify Brett Connolly with an extension which means one of two things. One is they feel they can resign him without giving him a raise. The other is they are willing to let him walk as a UFA which means that the Devils or any other team can sign him. I do hope he give him a shot since we are lacking in experienced wingers and I think he'd be great to help the new rookies transition over and be very productive in our lineup. Not likely to happen, but a collector and fan can dream. Wherever he signs, I do wish Brett the best of luck and I will keep cheering him on.

Hey Cougars, Brett Connolly is a fan!

We season 1 in Boston is over and my boy Brett is an RFA for the final time and Boston needs to decide if they liked what they saw or if they would like to move his rights/risk losing him. The good from the season was at times he played well on the top line and put up points in bunches including a 3 assist night against the Jets in February. The bad was a stretch to close the season out which had him off the top line scoring only 1 point in his final 10 games prior to ending the season injured.

I of course will be watching this off season closely and hopefully he will get a chance to play some solid top 6 minutes and have an opportunity to showcase his potential. Of course NJ is undergoing a retooling and while we need young forwards with scoring potential I am not sure if Brett is on Ray's Radar but one can only hope. In the meantime, here is a hat-trick of similar Brett Connolly SPx Rookies.

2011-12 SPx Brett Connolly Autographed Rookie /499

 

The first one in the three pack is the base Brett Connolly auto rookie which features a blue swatch and a sticker auto numbered with his junior number (8). I am a fan of the design of this and love how it almost looks like its a carbon fibre background. I am also a fan of the print run and think anything above /499 really shouldn't be numbered.

2011-12 SPx Patch Spectrum Brett Connolly Autographed Rookie /25

 

If you haven't seen these in person, add it to your to-do list. I love the spectrum foil on these cards. In addition each of the 25 cards features some inscription and in the case of Brett Connolly he went with "Go Cougars". How awesome is that, an inscription that could potentially have a double meaning! Of course he probably isn't referring to the urban dictionary version of a cougar but it still makes me chuckle looking at the card nonetheless. What is also sweet is the four colour patch they squeezed into the window of the card. Well done Upper Deck, well done! 

2011-12 SPx Patch Spectrum Brett Connolly Autographed Rookie /25

No you aren't seeing doubles here, but similar card yes! This time the patch is a three colour version and Brett is all about being on top of the "Go Cougars" instead of behind the idea. Ok, please excuse the high school humour but I just couldn't resist the lame joke. I did go after the second one because the inscription was written differently and the price was too good to be true. This is the only copy I have seen of this card where he wrote the inscription below his signature which made this a must have. I also like how the inscription versions have his NHL number and the base has his junior number.

Well there you have it a hat-trick of BC and a little HS humour. I promise a more serious post next time but in the meantime thanks for stopping by and putting up with me :)

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!

13-14 Artifacts Emerald Brett Connolly Team Canada /8

After a very long and much needed break to begin getting things taken care of I feel that I might be ready to come back and continue sharing my adventures and sharing in those of others. Thank you very much to all those who wrote me and have stayed in contact a variety of different ways including sending along PWEs (yes I am looking in your direction Jeff, thank you very very much).

I plan on easing myself back into this possibly with a post every few days but the truth is I probably will post whenever I feel like it and that will be possibly more frequent! I have loads of new additions and fun things to have shared that have happened to me in the collecting side of things over the past few months.

To kick things off, why not go with 2 of my three collecting loves. Brett Connolly and Team Canada. If only the Devils would make a play for this kid and offer Boston a young defenseman!

13-14 Artifacts Emerald Brett Connolly Team Canada /8

While the emerald foil has never been a love of mine, I think it isn't bad on this card. The patch piece is just fantastic. You may not see it that well but there is gold peaking out in the bottom right portion of the watch. Brett's auto features his number 8 from playing in junior and I am guessing UD used up all his 28 signature stickers on the UD Team Canada set.

This card was one I had been watching for quite a while and when the price creeped down to a reasonable number I threw them an even more reasonable BO and it was accepted! If only a couple others could do the same.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who's kept checking out my blog and at least allowed the old hit count to grow slightly and those who may have discovered my blog in my absence. I hope to keep you all coming back and thank you for your patience!

Dave

A Successful International Experiment

So a while back Shane from Shoebox Legends writes to ask me if I wanted to participate in an experiment. I was flattered and immediately agreed to (for the sake of science of course). So fast forward a little over a week and in my mail was a wonderful care package of 9 cards in a PWE!  The best part is they all arrive safe and sound and what would have originally cost a finger or two to mail to Canada set Shane back nothing more than probably the hair off his knuckles!

I on the other hand, get ALL the rewards! Check them out!

Here is the gem of them all! My first Brett Connolly Young Gun! Despite having countless rookies and autos I never actually had this card (now I have 2, story to follow). Brett was recently traded to the Boston Bruins which did excite me because he was getting a new start after being buried low in the depth chart due to the hoarding of many young offensive forwards by Steve Yzerman.

Love this kid, just wish the coaches did. I have a couple of his rookies but this is the first Prizm one! Eric was a bit of a whipping boy for PDB, but since his firing, Eric has seen an increase in ice time and a decrease in scratches which will hopefully translate to a longer term deal next season (especially since we let Marek Zidlicky go).

I said that the Connolly YG was the Gem, but that is because I was expecting it. The real diamonds in the rough are this card and the next one.The Stadion cards are a Czech release from the early 2000's which feature players from all sorts of sports. Here is an awesome photo that I doubt Upper Deck would ever put on their cards. Scott has been wounded in action and I can almost picture this being taken while he was on the bench waiting to hear if the player got 4 minutes for the infraction! Or maybe it was a fight? Maybe it was a "no call". Well the cool thing about these cards, is there is a date stamp on the back which states when the photo was taken it this one was from Game 3 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. Ville Niemenen took a 2 min boarding call against Scott in the first period so this could have been the result or maybe it was something missed. Either way, Scott didn't take any penalties during this game so it is safe to say it wasn't a fight. Love this card!

Here is another one, this time Scott Gomez is celebrating a goal! No games this time, this game is from April 20 2001 and while the Devils lost this game 3-2 to Carolina, they would go on to of course win the series and make it eventually to the Cup final. This particular game, Scott Gomez was one of the goal scorers but Arturs Irbe stopped 37 of 39 from the win. Based on these two cards I am very tempted to try and see others from this set. I am not sure how many Devils make an appearance but these two are great examples so far.

Yikes! Ok, don't judge a book by its cover but I have a hard time seeing him as a goalie coach! Maybe the accountant or something like that but not goalie coach. Well, it turns out boys and girls that the goalie coach for the 1980 USA Miracle on Ice team was Mr Strelow! He was only with the Devils for one season but he did coach in San Jose and Washington as well.

Leading scorer in Devils history! Sweet!

Some more Elias! Awesome!

In addition to these 7 cards, there was also base cards of Zach Parise and Brian Gionta filling out a PWE stuffed with 9 cards. Every card made it safe and sound and I want to thank Shane again for including me on a pretty awesome experiment. Hopefully it isn't 3 weeks until my next post either :)

11/12 Dominion Pen Pals Stamkos/Connolly Auto /50

I think this one speaks for itself! One for the PC and one I didn't have already all in one.

13/14 National Treasures - 11/12 Prime Brett Connolly Black Plate 1/1

 If you said to me 7 years ago when I got back into collecting I would be having some PCs of players who aren't on the Devils and chasing parallels etc I would say you were crazy and there is no way. However, it has happened and I have probably 15 or so autos of Brett Connolly and countless rookies. But of course, I didn't have a true 1/1 yet just a Artist Proof from The Cup so I was able to fix that this spring.

The nice thing about my plate is I have two examples in my collection that were made with the plate:

 Example 1
 
11/12 Panini Prime Brett Connolly Rookie Holosilver /50

 Example 2:

11/12 Panini Prime Brett Connolly Hologold /25

 Here is the printing plate that was used to help those two cards above!

 When I picked this up, I didn't know what to expect. How thick are they? What do they feel like?

They are actually very thin and they have some weight to them (more than a normal card of course) and they feel really cold (metal obviously). No real texture to the surface and I was surprised the printing wasn't reversed.

 Here is the back side of the plate.

Getting my first plate was pretty cool, and I really like the idea. However, I don't see myself trying to get every single plate from Brett Connolly or any other player for that matter (unless circumstances are too good to pass up of course). I do have one more plate I added to my collection around the same time as picking this one up but I will save that for another day.

A Chance To Land An Escaped Whale

Over the years I have been very fortunate to add cards through purchases and trades thanks to the internet and blogging. Sometimes though, cards I learn about aren't able to be had and it is almost torture. Someone contacts you and says hey I have a card you might like and you write them back only to hear dead silence. I have had that happen a few times and I am left wondering why the heck did you contact ME in the first place. With that being said I have also had times where the owner and I just couldn't reach a deal and that is all good too. For example one guy contacted me about 4 years ago with an insane collection of David Clarkson cards. I wanted a few pieces, he wanted to sell the whole lot and I knew the lot was far beyond what I wanted to pay so we just left it there. This post however is about a success.

A while ago, not sure how long ago someone (not sure who) had contacted me about a rare Score Auto Rookie of my boy Brett Connolly. When they told me it was rare and numbered to 5 I was interested right away. I wrote them back saying hey, I am interested, what are you looking to get for it. Response, nothing. Not nothing as in free, they wouldn't tell me what they wanted. They never acknowledged my existence. I checked my sent message to make sure I sent it properly, everything check out so rather than harass them with more emails, I sadly had given up on it and just keep an eye out on the internet. 

Fast forward to the spring and I see a seller with the exact card I was looking for and missed out on trading for, for sale. His price, $50. Now, if we were talking trades, I would have easily traded twice that value for the card. However, cash is different and I am very partial to my money especially since budgets are budgets. I gave him an offer of $15 knowing there was no way he would take it. He responded with a counter of $35. I couldn't do it.

Fast forward a few more months and finally he posts it as an auction, opening bid, 99 cents. I was all over that. A couple bidders also jumped in but in the end it was mine with shipping for less than $10!!! That is more than 10 times less than I would have given and more than 5 times less than the original price which I MIGHT have paid if I had the funds. While I went a long time without having it, luckily it will stay with me going forward and for a price everyone can live with! 


11/12 Score Brett Connolly All-Star Rookie Auto 3/5

Here is the front. Sticker auto with his number 14 on the card. Also All-Star 2011/12 is embossed on the front as well. Other than those features, it looks just like his Score Rookie.

Here is the back, all the same again with the exception of the numbering 3/5. Strange not to see a guarantee on the back about the autograph but I suspect these convention cards sometimes are just thrown together pretty quickly and no need for a few extra printing plates.

While many wouldn't care too much about this card, it is my main PC and relatively rare too. I hope that I can land a few more rarities as he is now back in the NHL hopefully full-time with the Lightning and a few more cards will be produced! Patience is key, I am not the first or last to benefit either. I just need to remember this experience when future trades and purchases don't work out when I hope them to!

Another PC addition for just a dollar

Short one today. 99 cents plus shipping brought home one of the guys I follow on Twitter.

13/14 Social Signatures Brett Connolly

While he isn't super active on twitter, being my main PC it is totally worth the cost.

Brett Connolly's Team Canada Fight Strap /15

Most game used collectors out there will tell you plain white is the lowest of the low when it comes to game used. White jersey and white patches often sell for the cheapest and are far inferior to their multicoloured siblings. What about fight straps? They are white, make up the least on the jersey with the exception of tags...in or out on them?

12/13 SP Game Used Team Canada Fabrics Brett Connolly Fight Strap /15

I paid so little for this one I just had to have it. But, if it were a big name star, would it be desirable? Would you rather a Gretzky Strap, Gretzky Swatch or Gretzky Patch?

Either way, more fun for my PC.

13/14 Upper Deck Team Canada Brett Connolly Auto

When Upper Deck released their Team Canada set this season I was pretty excited. Sadly, I haven't done much more than purchase a pack or two. I guess I am torn on value. Is it worth buying a box or two? Or should I just buy a complete base set for under 10 dollars and a couple hits and still be better off? True I miss out on a chance to get a big hit. But then again, I am likely not going to hit it big anyway. Tough call, in the meantime...Here's Brett! 

13/14 Upper Deck Team Canada Signatures Brett Connolly

 Check out this picture! Upper Deck did use this one before as part of his Artifacts Team Canada card. Don't believe me, check it out.

Now wouldn't this card and my Team Canada one above look much nicer with the auto from yesterday's post? I think so! Why doesn't Upper Deck manage to plan their stickers better? They are paying players directly or indirectly to sign, you think they would make a request to try and match them up with the right picture. It is minor details like this I would concentrate on if I owned my own card company.

Here is the back side of the card. Again, wish we had some stats back here. Maybe a blurb about his performance for Team Canada in the U17 or U18 tournament. Or talk about his two medal winning performances at the WJHC in 2011 and 2012. Instead, more Richard P McWilliam.

11/12 Artifacts Brett Connolly Auto Rookie Redemption /99

The Connolly Craziness continues. I used some Paypal sales money a while back and landed this beauty. This card is a case hit and I was fortunate enough last year to land a case hit in Brendan Gallagher but when I saw what they were selling for, I unloaded my fast and got more than the value of the box for mine. Lucky for me because Brett has been brought along slowly, many collectors are bailing on him as a prospect and I was able to land the 5th best prospect according to Upper Deck in 11/12 for a little more than the cost of a pack of 11/12 Artifacts! Crazy I know!  

11/12 Artifacts Brett Connolly Auto Rookie Redemption /99 

In person this is a superb looking card. There is dimpling and foil all over this card it is superb. The big reason for my interest is actually the autograph. I have one from junior and NHL with the number 8. I have some with his number 14 and now I finally have one with 28. He wore 8 in junior but some of his NHL cards have them because he signed stickers at the beginning of the season before he was assigned 14. He also signed some stickers while he was in the AHL were he wears the number 28. He also wore 28 at the WJHC which makes this sticker choice odd for this card...more in my next post.

Here is the back of the card showing he was number V in a set of XVI (16). The prospects were ranked by Upper Deck based on desirability (my guess) and that is why Mr. Connolly is number V on the card and number II in my heart. Adam Larsson is the only Devil from the set for some reason, even though Adam Henrique had the better season.

There you have it, my super collection is a little more super. More in the next post!

More Brett Connolly Parallel Rookie Goodness - Its Fight Time!

It is amazing how a card company can do both amazing and careless things all on one card. Panini Prime was a premium product with a price point of 200 dollars a pack. Not exactly The Cup price range but certainly on its way there. 

A recent pick-up for the old PC shows the great and bad things about the product. Come and take a look with me.

11-12 Panini Prime - Brett Connolly Hologold Auto Patch Rookie /25

Here is the holo-gold version which is a neat treatment to a card, but it isn't quite as flashy as Upper Deck's The Cup gold treatment. There is also a holo-silver version which I picked up a while back too.

What I like about this card is with the base you get 4 jersey swatches, with the holo-silver there are two patches on mine and then this card has one 4 colour patch, 1 two colour seam and a piece of the fight-strap with velcro!. The last piece is just a swatch of white jersey with a ripple. In all they are 4 great pieces from different parts of the jersey. The patch and the fight strap are just amazing. But, if you look closer, the seam piece doesn't even take up the whole window. There is actually a gap of NOTHING, that is a downer. Another downer is the signature. It looks like the auto area wasn't prepped properly or there was an issue with the marker. Either way, for a premium product those are both cons about this card.  

Here is the back side of the card. Nothing special here from the other versions except the numbering is to 25 instead of 199, 50, 10 which are the regular, silver and black versions respectively.

So, have you ever bought a premium card and been saddened by the craftsmanship? In all the patches and numbering make up for the signature and seam piece but I would not have been happy if I paid 200 bucks for a box and this was my main hit. But since his is in my PC and I paid very little for the card, its shortcomings can be over looked.

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. 

10-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects Number Black Brett Connolly /6

I have loads of Brett Connolly NHL stuff and very little from his junior days. Given he was a solid prospect during his time in the WHL, ITG has a few things out there from his time with the Prince George Cougars. A while back I was bidding on two, lost the one and landed one. This is a pretty cool one if you ask me and another good addition to my BC PC.

10-11 ITG Heroes and Prospects Number Black Brett Connolly /6

 Great swatch from the back of his jersey back when he wore number 8. You can see a little white of the jersey and then three solid colours which are Red, White and Black. Not sure why the red in the card came out a little salmon like but still a nice swatch nonetheless.

Here's the back, again my pet peeve is with a low print run of six, why not number them? If not by factory, then by hand? Still, as long as ITG keeps their website going I can prove it is numbered out of 6 but if the internet ever shuts down when the Machines decide to rise up then I am screwed with a nice looking card.

Good news for me is Brett is set to be an RFA after this season so hopefully if TB isn't going to use him for good then they will trade him somewhere so he can get a legit shot or at the very least get signed to an offer sheet elsewhere and choose his own destination.

11-12 Prime Brett Connolly Rookie Silver /50

Here is my other Panini Prime Rookie pick up. This gem was picked up for less than a pack of Artifacts and it was worth every penny.

11-12 Prime Brett Connolly Rookie Silver /50

Unlike the Henrique, this one has a pretty sweet patch as opposed to a seam piece. This patch has silver trim with a black piece attached to the blue jersey. The other three pieces are just regular jersey pieces but still are all cool together and an on card auto makes this a winner. The silver holofoil shines nicely and like the Henrique this card is a great addition to my major PC.

Next couple posts are some holiday generosity I was fortunate to receive and a few box breaks.

A pair of Brett's for the price of a pack of Prizm!

Brett overload I know, but I do really like the kid and his cardboard is often found at real nice prices! I landed two great autos one from my favourite set 11-12 Certified and another from a set I don't typically collect but it was attached to the auction for the Certified so I went for it.

11-12 Certified Brett Connolly Rookie /499

This was the card I went after. I absolutely love the 11-12 Certified Rookies and when you combine that with my boy Brett, this is a must have for myself. I am not a huge fan of the white only swatch, but the autograph is awesome. The Certified set was very early to market in the 11-12 season and clearly Brett signed his stickers during the transition from junior to pro and his signature definitely reflects what he was signing in junior and even has his number 8 from Prince George on it.

When you compare his auto from the beginning of the season to the one at the end of the season you can see he shortening his last name up significantly

 11-12 Panini Contenders Brett Connolly Rookie /800

Here is a Brett rookie auto from later in the season and you can see when he started signing serious numbers of cards he shortened things up to basically a B, C and Y and there are no numbers with his auto here.

The latter appears to be the way he is signing now which is all good in my books but what I do like about the second card is it is ON card and I love the first one because the auto was done clearly before he was assigned 14 in the NHL and you see his old auto style.

Two fun cards for the collection and 7 dollars was all it set me back. Not too bad, I promise no Brett in my next post so if you are tired of them, don't worry! If you are loving them, I am working on another one or two...stay posted.