11/12 ITG Captain - C Box Break

At long last, my box of Captain - C arrived at my LCS. I went in and picked it up immediately and that night I got down to the brass tacks and ripped this baby. The box boasts 10 cards, 5 base and 5 hits. Of the base cards, you get 3 regular at a print run of 150 copies and 1 gold card with a print run of 50. After that you get three hits and from other breaks I notice it is usually 2 autos and 3 game-used.





Upon opening my box, I can see the cards are lying flat because of the cards is bulging which I thought was a pretty good sign. On the top of the pack was Sprague Cleghorn's ghostly face. It looks like he is trying to challenge me possibly, well Sprague, here we go!




(These are in order from top to bottom of the pack)





Sprague Cleghorn Base /150



I love the look of the cards. A nice classy foil look and simple photo of the player's face and shoulders. No emblems allowed here, but sometimes you do catch a peak of a captain's crest.





Back side

Most breaks I have seen neglect the back, but we all know I love back-sides, so here it is for your viewing pleasure! Simple all text and no foil or holograms.

Ted Kennedy Base /150

Not THE Ted Kennedy, but rather 1954-55 Hart Trophy winner Ted Kennedy. Solid career which was entirely with the Leafs and included 5 Stanley Cups. Teeder also lead the league in assists once.

David Backes Base /150

Happy to get this one. Over the years I have become a bit of a Backes fan. I need to get a letter of to him before the post-season is over!


Zdeno Chara Base Gold /50

Wasn't too excited to pull this one, certainly is up for trade.



Shea Weber Base /150

I wonder what Shea thinks of "Webering"? Funniest thing I have seen in a long time!

Now time for the hits!

Ed Van Impe Auto

Wow.


Kirk Muller Auto

Well Kirk, it looks like I win! Kirk stood me up for a TTM request despite my Devils fan status and after more than a year, I am a little bitter. Well, I guess I get the last laugh Kirk as I got your stinking autograph anyway! I likely would have enjoyed the Lemieux Sweepstakes Second Place Prize more if he would have signed for me. Nevertheless, I was a fan of his as a kid and getting the auto is a little bitter-sweet.

At this point, the box has been a bit of a dud. But, things get a little better, after all there is that bulge to look forward too....


Denis Savard Game Used Silver /90

The swatch is a beautiful red and a pretty good size too. Not a bad start for the final three cards.

Franchise Captains Barber-Clarke-Tocchet Gold /10

Wow (for real this time). Two really nice seam pieces that just explode out of the card. Tocchet's is a simple black piece but the Clarke and Barber ones are amazing. This is the hit of the box by far! Numbered to 10 is a great added touch and value. I hope to possibly trade this to a Flyers or Clarke fan.


Ryan Murray Junior Captains Silver /50

This hit is going to make this box a decent or a great box. Ryan is projected to go top three in this year's draft and this card could become a little more desirable as a result. A nice finish to a bad start really!

Well there you have it, after a few weeks of waiting, this box took about 2 minutes to open. You have to love hockey cards, after all where else can you spend 100+ bucks and get 2 minutes of enjoyment?(don't answer that, this is a family website)

My wife asked me if it was a dud or a good one and after a moment I decided it was a break-even box for me. I feel that I did get value for my money, but apart from the game-used portion I wasn't too jacked about this box.

As for as availability, I would like to keep one base card (Backes) and I will likely keep the Muller and everything else is up for trade if they interest you.

Recent TTM Successes

Been a pretty slow month for autos, but I did get a few. Here are some of the successes I have had recently which I have been posting up on Dirty Dangle.com


Tyler Seguin
This kid had a great start to the year, and even though he cooled off towards the end, he certainly showed what he can do this year. I expect the growth to continue and he will be a solid 80-100 point kid in the future.

Carey Price

Around the same time everyone else was getting their autos, I was getting somebody else's auto. I had mailed away a really nice Ovation rookie and got back a cruddy OPC rookie. At least it was signed which is a success, but my hope was to have it on a nice rookie card instead. Win some, lose some.

Keith Yandle

Keith was kind enough to sign both cards I sent him. Love the auto and he actually took my cards on a trip because he mailed them from Phoenix, and I had mailed them to him in another state.

Johan Hedberg

Awesome back-up goalie for the Devils and an even better signer! He signed all three cards I sent, and this one is by far my favourite!


Thomas Vanek

Been a fan of him for a while! Vanek had a tough second half of the year, I can't help but think he was fighting through some injuries or something. I hope to see him back in 40 goal form soon. Thomas personalized one card I send and signed this Top Guns card as well! I love the personalized ones.

80-81 Topps Hockey

Another Christmas post! One thing I wanted to do was try and get myself a significant set which I might not have normally bought with my hockey card budget. In addition, I am also trying to acquire one set from each year hockey cards were produced so when I saw an auction for a 80-81 Topps set on Boxing Day I decided to set my limit and try and win it.

The set was advertised as being an unscratched 80-81 Topps set. That was all, no other information. With about 3 hours left in the auction I based my bid on the set likely not being completely mint. There were low res-scans of Wayne and Ray but that was about it.

When the auction ended, I won the set for about a dollar less than my max. Then came the waiting game. Luckliy the set arrived about 4 days after paying which was pretty sweet.

In the binder, here is page 1.

The first page features a few Record Breaker cards most notably was Gretzky's record for being the youngest player to ever score 50 goals. The Bourque RB is for setting a record for most points by a rookie defenseman. Both cards were in nr-mt shape.

Page 4

I already had a Liut rookie in OPC form, here it is in the Topps form unmolested. One of my top 25 favourite cards of all time.....Hmmm....Seems like a post idea.

Page 10

Gretzky All-Star Card....about a mint as they get...Love it.



Page 21

Gretzky team leader card is pretty cool, but I also like the Bob Murray card next to it.



Page 23

Gartner rookie! It is also in great near-mint shape and it is my first Gartner rookie too.


Page 28

Gretzky 2nd year. I did a switch-a-roo here because the one that came with the set was actually better than the one I bought about 6 months ago! The one that came with the set is Near-Mint-Mint where the one that I bought a while back was less than Near-Mint when I finally took it out of the top-loader.

Spare Gretzky

Here is the one that arrived in the set. Nicer puck and better centering. Best part, 4 sharp corners and a perfect surface. The one that came a while back has a indentation on the surface.


Did I forget anything?

Oh yeah, Ray Bourque

This card isn't mint. Which I had to figure something was going to be wrong with this set. The card is in pretty good shape though and for what I paid, I believe I got an AMAZING deal. If I were to grade the Ray Bourque rookie, I would think EX condition likely. There are no creases or dents, but the corners are fuzzy.

So another set ticked off the checklist and a steal of a deal if you ask me. This set would have qualified for my Value Vintage list if it wasn't for the shipping. But having a few spare 2nd year Gretzky cards are nice, especially as trade bait!

ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 8th Edition

While I am catching up on posts, here is a little gem I picked up with some Christmas cash (a little late I know). Having picked up my first Kovy auto thanks to a trade with Casey from Drop The Gloves!, I was hoping to land a second one and here is what I ended up with.

For starters, the dealer wasn't a douche like some might be. If you notice, this card is numbered 17/30. Some dealers would call this a "1/1" or a "player number mojo hit" or some crap like that. This dealer just posted a nice respectable ad on ebay and for less than 10 bucks plus shipping, I have my second Kovy auto.

This like other ITG Ultimate cards came in its own ITG case which presents good and bad things. I like that design and the special serial numbering, but of course I don't like that once this baby picks up some scratches, you are more or less stuck with them in a "foggy" case. This card was shipped with a plastic sleeve over top of it which I have kept for storage-sake but I can see some people running into issues with scratched up cases on some pretty nice cards.

Do any of you have ITG Ultimate Memorabilia cards? Have you ever bought a pack or box of this stuff? At about 200 a pack, I haven't chanced it yet mainly because singles can be found for 10-20 bucks a piece which means you can buy the contents of a 200 dollar pack for about 30-60 bucks. That scares me a bit, but then again I am sometimes a coward with my cash....

First Over-time Hero of the Post-Season

I LOVE playoff hockey. Last night was proof to that as all three games were good ones. Maybe not good for the losing teams, maybe not good for the officials, but good for casual fans who want a nice close game. Being a Devils fan, I got last night and tonight as days where I can enjoy games as a casual fan.

Sure I want LA to win thanks to Casey's pool, but last night allowed me to watch some spirited playoff action.

The hero of the night was a player who I enjoyed watching play in Junior for Halifax and a player who I have been trying to land a game-used card of for a while:

Jakub Voracek

Jakub scored the game winner last night which capped off a 3-0 come from behind win for the Flyers. While it wasn't the prettiest goal of the night, it certainly was the most important and was clearly the type of goal you often see in the playoffs when checking is more fierce and players go the extra mile for a win.

Two weeks ago I went to a local flea market and found one or two tables with cards and I bought a few. This card happened to be one of them and it set me back a total of 50 cents. The swatch on this card is neat because it almost feels like it was from his hockey socks. Do card companies do this? It certainly didn't feel like any other swatch I have ever pulled and I have over a 100 of them.

Voracek has played pretty well this season and last night was his first taste of post-season hockey. As much as I hate the Flyers, I do want Jakub to do well and that is the only silver-lining I find in the Flyers winning! Here is hoping tonight's games are just as entertaining.

11/12 Heroes and Prospects Box Break and Review

Last year, I busted a box of 10/11 H&P and I was very happy with the results. I had 5 hits and all of the cards were pretty decent. It is now one year later and the Gaunce auto could be a card that REALLY makes that box cool. After that box, I had every intention of buying one this year and when I landed one for 30 bucks below LCS prices I was elated.

Here are the results of the break!

Base cards
The look of the cards are nice! I think the design and layout certainly rivals anything UD and Panini put out in that price bracket and the fact that the cards get no Rookie respect is something that irks me but I imagine I am a part of the minority. Here is an example of the front, each card has a nice gloss to them which you can't see on the scan.
Back side

The backs are simple enough with a good balance of stats, vitals and information.

Subsets

Like last season, the set features a few subsets and the increased set size from 150-200 allows ITG to include many more stars as part of the Grad subset and a few specialty cards like this Bourdon card.

The Hits:

Boone Jenner Game Used Number Black /6

Boone makes his second appearance in my ITG busting history. Last year I pulled his Subway Series game used card and this year I topped it with the nicest H&P card I ever pulled. This swatch is beautiful and the size allows for all three colours and a small piece of jersey to peak through the window.

Devan Dubyk Moving Up Silver Version /50
A really cool swatch! It is a two colour seam and it is BUSTING out of the card. Another example of what ITG gives collectors, best bang for their buck!

Subway Series Trio /70
This didn't scan as well as I hoped, but this card represents my bonus hit. I ended up with three game-used cards which is nice, but the fact a Devils prospect is on the card is just that much cooler! Swatches aren't the best, but Wedgewood's is white which is nice as my other Wedgewood swatch is red.

Auto Hits

Blake Kessel
Phil has a brother? Turns out he does and his career thus far has been pretty strong, but taking it to the NHL level will be a challenge and time will tell if he will experience the same success Phil has.

Sven Bartschi
Sven is going to be a superstar and getting this card was another hit that turned a normal box into a great box. Sven's name is spelled a variety of different ways which might be why his auto is just an S. B. This Calgary draft pick already has 5 NHL games under his belt with 3 goals to his resume. I think he will be a full-timer next season and a reason why Iginla might be playing somewhere else in the near future.

I also pulled two inserts, one was a Cory Locke Calder Champions card and the other was a Zack Fitzgerald Tough Customers card.

This box was a blast and the set looks nice. I am about 60 cards short of a complete set, and I think I might try and pick up another box or two in the summer. I am also going to try and collect the 200 He Shoots points so if ANYONE out there wants to sell them or trade them please contact me and I will try and make it worth your while.

Most of my hits are also up for trade with the exception of Sven!

If you find yourself with an extra 100 bucks, grab a box, you won't be disappointed.

A dream card....damaged.

When it comes to active players, the closest one I have to a serious PC is David Clarkson. From the moment he put a Devils jersey on, I loved this guy. As far as playing style goes, I played the game the exact same way (only with less talent) and his heart is one of the biggest on the team. This season was the breakout season I have been talking about on here for a while and with 30 goals, he will be expected to contribute this post-season.

I have quite a few of his rookies and that includes one copy of his 07/08 The Cup rookie /199.

As you can see, there is some chipping on the bottom left but at the very top and very bottom there is also some damage. The card looks like someone with very long nails tried to pick it up off the table or something and made some nasty indentations.

What makes this tough is, the seller never mentioned it and the scan of the card for the auction featured this and 5 other cards in a very poor scan. So I was faced with a tough decision. Do I send it back knowing the only other one on eBay is listed for 125 bucks? Or do I suck it up and hold on to it hoping someday I will come across of the other 26 copies in better condition.

Well I decided to go with option B, but of course in the meanwhile it does suck to have what could have been an amazing card somewhat tainted. However, I have gotten over it somewhat and am appreciating the card more than when I first saw it. After all, it could have been a 1/1 that was damaged!

Have you ever been in a similar situation?

The Future is looking bright!

Each year, ITG impresses me more and more. There was an insert card out there in the new Heroes and Prospects that just spoke to me!

Here are three prospects in the Devils organization that have me believing that we can keep up the success after Marty retires.

I found this gem a little while back on eBay. I paid a little more than I probably normally would for a game-used card but still brought it home for a respectable 10 bucks.

This is the silver version of the insert, so they are numbered to 50.

After getting this card, I was inspired to buy a box of 11/12 Heroes and Prospects. The results were pretty good and I will share those in a post soon!

A little love to the Canucks Fans and some other Vintage

After that Messier post, I thought I would send some love the Canucks way with a post about one of their favourite players. I was in my LCS and I was skimming through the 4 for a dollar bin and I saw a card I had never seen before. In fact, I had to double check on the back because I really wasn't sure if it was true. A Harold Snepsts Rookie! What surprised me at first was the lack of a moustache! I figured this card had to be old because that man's 'stache is so bushy you figure he was born with it.

But sure enough on the back there was only one year of hockey listed and I figured it had to be his rookie. For 25 cents it was worth the risk plus the card looked in pretty good shape. Corners are a tiny bit worn but that was it.

After bringing it home, I was given confirmation that it was his rookie and it books for 20 bucks! However, I also discovered a small surface crease by his head/shoulder in the bright light at home too. I was a little sad at the crease, but the card looks really cool and I got it for 2 bits!





These next two cards I bought recently in an auction on eBay. They were a lot deal which I won for less than 4 bucks.

The first card in the lot is a 76/77 OPC Bryan Trottier rookie. It does have some fuzzy corners and a mark on the right side of the card by his stick. There are no creases or other damage so I was really happy to get this card for what I paid. This was another card on my wish list and in this condition I probably see no reason to upgrade. I might actually try and get the rest of the set since I have to most expensive card already.

The other card in the lot purchase was Bryan Trottier's 77/78 OPC card. This card is in better shape than the rookie with a slight off-centre cut and a small mark on the upper right corner. Other than that it is a great looking card too. Like Harold, I have a hard time imagining Bryan without a moustache and clearly that is because he grew one in his second season.

Before Stastny and Selanne beat the NHL rookie point records, the most points by an NHL rookie was held by Bryan Trottier. He had an amazing 95 points in his rookie year which was 23 more than the previous record held by Gilbert Perreault. Trottier would break 100 points 6 times in his career and finish with 1425 points in his career. He would also win 6 Stanley Cups and a Canada Cup and his 1425 career points are currently good enough for 15th in NHL history. Not too bad shabby if you ask me!

eBay Auto Lot - 3 Sens plus 1

As I have posted a few times, I love Certified eBay lot purchases! Am I addicted to them? My wife would certainly suggest that I need help, but at these prices, I can't help myself. This latest lot was won for less than a price of a pack of UD Victory and including shipping I paid less than a pack of Panini Pinnacle. What did I get for my money?

Here they are:

Erik Condra rookie auto from the 11/12 Certified Set. These rookies aren't numbered, but their design is just as attractive as last season and the on-card autos are always a great touch. The foil board makes the card just that much more attractive. Condra has had a great season so far and probably exceeded some expectations much the Sens have! Condra has 8 goals and 24 points this season and could be a great role player for the Sens this post-season.

The other 11/12 Certified card is a Patrick Wiercioch auto rookie. Much like the previous card, it is an auto on foil board. Patrick was a second round pick of the Sens in 2008 and is currently honing his skills in the AHL. I suspect he has #4 or 5 d-man potential in the NHL, so don't expect a Karlsson-like season from this kid!

The Sens last season surprise rookie was Bobby Butler. This year he has been in a bit of a sophomore slump with his production through 56 games this year being below his 36 game totals last season. I think Bobby can turn it around next year and don't be too surprised if he ends up a 20-20-40 kind of player. I have been trying to get his auto for a little while so it was nice to find his in this lot!

One of these things is not like the other!

Like the Butler card before, this one is from the 10/11 Certified set, but unlike the previous three cards, Cliche isn't a Sen and his auto is a sticker. The 10/11 Certified set had 11 cards that were numbered to /799 at the end of the set and this is one of them. Cliche was a former second round pick of the Rangers in 2005 and is currently a Manchester Monarch. I remember watching him play against the Mooseheads during the playoffs in 2007. He was a pretty decent player in junior who just hasn't been able to crack a pretty strong LA Kings line-up.

I said it before, and I will say it again. I love Certified autos!