After a grueling 7-hour session Saturday night/Sunday morning, I have completed the most complicated and (in my eyes) stunning custom card I have ever created.
I stepped outside the box and tried some new things.
In the end - I'm thrilled with the outcome.
Sorry, no scans at this time. I promised the owner of the card he will without question get first dibs.
About a year ago, I came across probably the toughest card to track down for my 1 vs. 100 project.
While some of you might think that it would be the 1/1, you'd be wrong. The oversaturation of cards /1 makes them not only easy to find....but relatively cheap.
Plus, I already had the /1 in my collection even before I started this project.
No, for me it was the card /2 that caused me the most concern.
After all, how many cards out there numbered /2 would have lesser known players on it and/or not cost an arm and a leg.
I did find one such card. For the past year it has become one of my favorite acquisitions for this pc.
Shortly after purchasing this card and showing it off on my blog, I received an e-mail from a collector who focuses on enforcers. He was very interested in the card and asked if I would be willing to trade it. I said no problem.....as long as it would be replaced for another card /2.
A few months went by and then I received another e-mail from the same person. He indicated that while he tried to track down another card /2, he didn't have any success (too expensive). He also indicated that he was restructuring his collection and was no longer interested in the card. No prob. I'll hang on to it.
Fast forward to about a month ago. I received yet another e-mail regarding this card and I made the same request for a card in return. This time though, there was a much better chance of a trade actually going down.
There have been a number of cards /2 released in this year's Artifacts release. Coming across a suitable card for trade was much more likely - as well as affordable.
Last week, I received an e-mail saying that a card has indeed been bought and was on its way. It showed up today.
This suits the bill nicely. So I will be packaging up the Orr/Carkner this weekend and shipping it off.
While I'm a little sad to see it go, I am more happy that this card (and this project) has created the opportunity for someone else to land a pretty darn rare card for their collection (really rare since I know the other copy of the card is gobbled up in another person's pc).
Note: If anyone out there wants to trade for the Versteeg, I have no problems doing so.
What was really cool was that in addition to the Versteeg, this card was sitting in the envelope.
2008/09 Upper Deck The Cup Gold Rookie Auto #75 Jonas Frogren /24
To be able to gain this card for the project was huge. It was such a kind gesture (as I was just looking to trade one-for-one straight up).
It's another unique card to the collection and a tougher one at that.
Thanks again for the trade Sean. I'll have your card in the mail this weekend.
Those of you who have followed my blog for past couple years know that I love creating custom cards. Be it cut autographs, cards to be signed or just simple concepts.
Sadly, the number of actual completions has been much smaller than I would have hoped by now. I just find it hard at times to commit hours on end designing and building these pieces of work.
This past week though has been a bit of a breakthrough.
In addition to finally constructing this Reggie Lewis cut auto (which is slowly turning into one of my favorites), I have hit that 'Eureka' moment when it comes to one of the most important cards I've tackled to date.
A couple of years ago, I showed you a ticket stub card from a Beatles show. It was part of a collective request I received a while back.
In addition to that ticket stub, there were a number of autographs (many of which have been built) and one final item.
This ticket stub comes from the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup run (the last time they hoisted the Cup). Through a little detective work, it was determined that this particular stub came from Game 3, which happened to be a Toronto victory....3-2 in double overtime.
Wow! That is one cool piece of history.
So of course I want to put together a smokin' card to house this stub. And so it began. Draft after draft, revision after revision, I kept coming to the same conclusion. I don't like it.
Just to give you some context...I've been in communication with the owner of this item for over 3 years now. THREE YEARS! For 3 years, he has been patiently waiting for this stub to return home.
Well. This week I was able to jump over that major hurdle.
I have finally come up with a look that I am happy with. And while I still have to add the final touches, I wanted to share it (because I'm just really proud to have crossed that threshold).
With the ticket stub taking up a substantial amount of space on the card, I kept finding it difficult to put any sort of design or information on the front.
I tried doing some simple box shape concepts, but found they were too bland. And every time I tried to add some info, it got too busy.
But this idea just hit me one day and I ran with it. Within a few hours I knew I had it.
Over the past day, I've been refining and adding the final touches. I should be able to start the back of the card by Friday. And from past experiences, the back of the card comes together in a fraction of the time.
On top of that, I've got a couple of ideas for how I will assemble it (ideas that I've never tried before, but if they'll work it'll make for a stunning frame). Fingers crossed.
And if you're reading this Greg....thank you VERY MUCH for your patience.
I'm a sucker for retro. And I absolutely love the ol' fibreglass goalie masks of the 60's, 70's and 80's.
So this mask should fit right in to my style. Right?
Late last season, Cory Schneider switched from a mask design that paid tribute to a number of past Vancouver goalies and turned his focus to just one retro tender.
For those of you who might not know, this 'X' logo design pays tribute to Canucks goalie Curt Ridley.
He played at a time where the team was just trying to tread water in the NHL. Appearing in about 100 or so games between 1976 and 1980, Ridley was the starting goalie for just 2 seasons. Wins? Well they were quite scarce.
By the time he was just starting to gain strides with the organization, a young upstart named Glen Hanlon wrestled the starting gig away from Curt.
He was traded to Toronto for cash in 1980 and played in only 9 more games (registering just one win). His career would end much like it started - struggling just to make a name for himself.
As for Curt's mask, it consisted of the west coast colors and if you look closely, you can see the gorgeous weave texture in the mask...something that all fibreglass masks had back in the day.
Now take a look at Cory's mask. That texture is included. An amazing attention to detail. The faded and worn white also adds to the vintage look.
Mark Hart of Hart Designs was responsible for the look and feel of Schneider's new lid. In addition to the Ridley tribute, Hart added some of the Canucks logos along the sides - and he wanted them to appear as if they were underneath ice (note the 'skate marks' painted on).
From a distance, Cory's mask really pops out. Something that is sorely missing with a lot of goalie masks these days. They are too detailed or busy and a person sitting in the stands can't really appreciate it for the work it is.
This mask gives the fans the best of both worlds. You can get a strong sense of the theme from far away while appreciating the attention to detail upon closer inspection.
Take a moment to watch this video where Cory explains the inspiration for his mask as well as what his backplate is all about.
A solid looking mask (and better than his older one in my opinion).
With ITG's 'Enforcers' product out in full force, I thought I'd take a look at a pretty unique looking card from the 1970's depicting one of the lesser known tough guys of the time..
It's the 1977/78 OPC set specifically and it's got a very basic design which really lends well to photos that are well thought out.
In this case, I feel that it was.
1977/78 O-Pee-Chee #17 Willi Plett
The Flames were still a couple seasons away from relocating to Calgary and I would have been 5 years old at the time this card was released. Needless to say, it slipped by me the first time around.
But Willi made the city of Calgary take notice that first year in 1980. He notched 38 goals and accumulated 239 penalty minutes. He continued his hot hand in the playoffs tallying 8 goals and 4 assists in 15 games while sitting in the sin bin for 89 minutes.
Speaking of the sin bin, you don't normally see hockey card photos showing this aspect of the game.
There's a lot I really like about this card, so let's break it down.
First, the isolation of being the only person on the bench. These days, there's 8 other guys in suits sitting next to you. Either telling you when you can leave, or asking for a quick interview.
Willi's a big guy (6'3" and 205 lbs) even by today's standards. But when I look at this photo all I see are the small pants, lack of padding above the knee, the non-football-like shoulder pads and of course the lack of helmet.
I don't think any player in the league would dare go out on the ice wearing what Plett is in a game today.
I like the towel in his hands. It has the appearance of movement to it. The waterbottle sitting next to him on his right while his wood stick is propped up to his left.
The bench itself has the wear and weathering of a 30-year-old outdoor rink. The black bumper is just chipped enormously with character and the glass looks as though it's seen better days.
In the background, you can see hundreds of fans in the crowd. Did they just witness a scrap involving Plett? Did Willi get lazy and trip someone up? We'll never know for sure.
What I can say is that the layout of this card fits the photo quite well. And the photo....well, if you got the original, blew it up and framed it - it would make one heck of a hanging in your man cave.
As for Willi, did you know he was a six-time 20-goal scorer? He also cracked the 200 penalty minute mark 7 times.
In addition to the Flames, he played for the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins finishing with over 200 goals, 400 points and 2500 PIMs. Not too bad for a 5th round pick.
I think he could have fit into today's game quite well.
The recently released Panini Limited product has once again thrown Trevor Linden into the checklist. And I'm more than happy about that. But it wasn't revealed to me right away to what capacity he would be included.
Now he has a few insert set additions like 'Game Pucks' and 'Select Signatures'. He also has a 'Back To The Future' dual autograph with Ryan Kesler (where each side features a full photo and autograph)...I'm really looking forward to that one.
It's more the base card.....or should I say cards that made me take a closer look at the overall list of Linden cards.
You've all seen the card of Trev I pulled from my pack of Limited. It's numbered /299 and features a nice photo of him in his Canucks uniform. It's a sharp looking card.
There are also 5 parallels of it. A 'Ruby' /49, a 'Gold' /25, a 'Platinum' /1, a 'Monikers Gold auto' /19 and a 'Monikers Platinum auto' /1.
Seems simple enough. Right?
You with me?
Now take a look at this.....
That's right. It a Trevor Linden base card /299. From the same product.
But he's wearing his Washington Capitals attire.
The addition wouldn't be so bad if there weren't so many parallels. Now, instead of chasing 6 versions from the base set, I have to go after 12. 4 of them being 1/1's.
Overall, Trevor has 18 cards in Panini Limited this year (up from the 13 last year).
I guess it could be worse. I know of a Tim Thomas collector who cringed considerably when he realized that there were 55 different cards produced in the 2011/12 Panini Certified product.
That's right - 55!
Don't get me wrong, ultimately I'm happy that Trev's got more and more cards for me to chase. Keeping me busy for many years to come. I just can't help but feel that at times his popularity in the hockey card world has pushed companies to insert him - heavily at times - into numerous products.
Does he deserve a spot in a set? Absolutely. Does he deserve two spots in a set? Not really.
Does he deserve to be in the high-end set? Sure. Does he deserve a spot on an autograph card with Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic? I don't know.
My heart says yes....my wallet says no.
I remember back in the late 90's when companies like Pacific, Pinnacle and Topps would introduce 'parallel hell' on player collectors. These days, it's seems like a simple splash of water compared to the tidal wave of cards a player can have in any given set.
How much is too much when it comes to a player being put into a product? Should there be limitations on the number of appearances a player can have within a certain product?
Well, with all the hype and anticipation leading up to the release of In The Game's 'Enforcers' product, I told myself a number of weeks back that I'd give it a shot.
Even though there are no cards that I'm really pursuing for my own collection, I feel that it would be a fun break and it would give me a chance to gain some traders in hopes of landing a Linden or two.
2011/12 In The Game Enforcers
Before I begin, I should say that I've already traded a couple cards away, so this is not really what I received in my box break. It was just a couple of the base cards as opposed to the auto or memorabilia pieces.
I had a pair of the 'Bloody Battles' cards. You can see an example of one in the piece I wrote back in December. And while I really like the looks of these cards, I had no problem trading them away since I received some nice stuff in return.
So the base cards in my 'box break' might feel a little thinner.
There are 12 cards that come in a box of Enforcers. 5 base cards, 2 game-used memorabilia cards and 5 autographs.
These 'Record Holder' cards might seem like an oversight, but upon closer look can really give you a glimpse of what the tough guys in the league have cemented into hockey's history.
It was the Oilers team of 1990 that hold the distinction of racking up the most penalties in a single game - 44 (26 minors, 7 majors, 6 10-minute misconducts, 4 game misconducts, and a single match penalty).
Immediately, I thought the opponent would be their 'Battle Of Alberta' rival, the Calgary Flames. But not so.
The LA Kings were on the receiving end, but they managed to dish out a bunch too. 41 penalties for the guys in black and silver.
Man that must have been a long game to watch.
Second looks are important when it comes to cards. This Chris Nilan selection is a perfect example of that.
Probably least known as a Bruin (80 games over two seasons late in his career), many of you might be disgusted by seeing 'Knuckles' in Boston colors. I know I was. But then I took a closer look at the card.
Most Penalty Minutes In A Game
It was in 1991 when Boston played Hartford that Nilan would set a record by receiving 10 penalties in a game. And he was kicked out of the game midway through the third period.
I look at this card and am more impressed that In The Game would take the time to track down an obviously tougher-to-find photo of Chris in a Bruins uniform.
That attention to detail is something that as a consumer I appreciate.
I gained a couple of these 'Tale Of The Tape' card in the trade I mentioned earlier. A nice concept that has a brief writeup on the back of the card as well as the boxing-style stats.
While not overwhelming, these are a nice subset in the base card product.
Of course, the real draw to this product are the memorabilia and autograph cards.
This two-color Terry O'Reilly card continues the run of Boston guys in my box break. It's a fair sized piece and I'm happy that I got someone from the 70's/80's era as opposed to today's game.
When I think of tough guys in the league, it's not long before the name Bob Probert comes to mind. He's probably one of the most sought after players in this release so seeing him on a dual jersey card (along with Tony Twist) is a welcomed sight.
Not the biggest fan of the design layout here, but I've seen worse.
Now on to the signature cards. I can definitely see this set being actively pursued by a number of collectors.
86 different autograph cards are included in this product - and not a single one of them a redemption (something In The Game demands of all its releases). A tremendous checklist.
Well, maybe not too tremendous to someone who isn't really well versed on his tough guys.
I know who Craig Berube is (he had a cup of tea with the Flames in the 90's), Paul Laus...the name kind of rings a bell and Jay Miller - another Boston guy.
I will say that I really like the design of these cards. Anyone who builds this set will have some really cool binder pages. Not only that, but the range of players included is pretty diverse.
You gotta give ITG points for that.
Garth Butcher. I was happy to see some Canucks love in my purchase. And even though In The Game don't have the authority to show team logos (which really restricts their photo usage), I really like the pic they chose of Garth.
Only Canucks fans love the yellow.
Speaking of yellow....did I get a Bruins 'hot pack' or something?
Actually, in addition to the Bruins, John played for the Blues, Nordiques (which I'm guessing this photo is of), and Rockies/Devils franchises. Although I do wish John would have been pictured in his infamous Boston garb.
The moment I saw this signature in my box break, I immediately reminisced about my encounter with Mr. Wensink when I was in high school.
I worked at a skate sharpening shop in town (actually owned by tough guy Tim Hunter) which gave me the chance to talk sports on an almost daily basis.
One day, out of the blue, this hulk of a guy walks in. I can't remember if he was travelling with a team that happened to be playing at the rink or if he was visiting someone or what, but I soon found out who he was from others in the shop.
When I heard the name John Wensink, I knew who he was. He played in that late-70's era for the Boston team coached by the legendary Don Cherry.
And believe it or not, he had a 28-goal campaign in 78/79....not too shabby.
I had the chance to introduce myself to him and stuck out my hand for him to shake. Never.....NEVER in my life have I ever received a handshake from someone with such a stone-like grip. It actually hurt.
All I could think about was how those huge mitts would have felt scrapping it out on the ice. To this day it still makes me shake my head.
In my moment of amazement, I forgot to ask him for his autograph. Well, 20-odd years later, I finally got it.
Overall, the box break didn't have the huge 'wow' factor (it hasn't been my week for box breaks) but that doesn't always happen. I'm glad I broke this box but with no cards or sets that I'm going to go after, it's unlikely I'll open any more.
But if you like your tough guys....give it a shot. There's some stunning cards in the product.
And for you John Wensink fans...
The end of the video made me chuckle. I have no doubt he wanted it to happen (and he'd have given them more than they'd want).
