TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!! - Guess Who?

This installment of 'To The Bike Spokes' looks at a card that exposes a brutal mistake in Pinnacle's 94/95 release.

Who dropped the ball on forgetting to shoot St. Louis Blues players.

More importantly, can you guess who this guy is? (I've erased his name obviously)


Believe it or not, most (if not all) of the St. Louis Blues cards from that set are posed shots in the locker room.

Are they wanting to showcase how neat and tidy their locker stalls are?

I'll give you a hint on the player... he was a goalie.

Give up?

Here ya' go...

Jon Casey
1994/95 Pinnacle

Wow! Just goes to show you that you put a mask on a player and he can all of the sudden become recognizable.

I bet he doesn't get too many people asking him for his autograph as he walks down the street.

Back to the card for a second.

I find it absolutely unbelievable that Pinnacle didn't have a single shot better than this one for their 94/95 release. Every other team in the league has 'regular' cards in the set, but not the Blues. Nope. Brett Hull, Adam Oates, Al MacInnis and big Jon Casey all had posed portraits.

They look like the good ol' Sears portraits I used to get as a kid once a year at the mall.

What's funnier is that on the back of the card, there is a full head shot - the same pic that is on the front, but against a blue backdrop.

Pinnacle had to Photoshop him into the locker room setting. Hilarious!

I can only imagine being the photographer who was told - "Yeah, can you go get a shot of a Blues' sweater in a stall? No, no player is needed - just the stall. And be sure to use an old wire hanger. "

Jon Casey, it's not your fault.

PPPPPFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

To the bike spokes!

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - A new feature!

A few months ago, I blogged about the penmanship of some of the NHLers out there - past and present.

The variety of signatures is still a topic that is at the forefront of my mind. Each time I go searching for signatures, I find some gems - on both sides of the fence.

Today was just another one of those instances. These autos however, made me want to create a new feature on my blog...

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES

In a nutshell, it's the worst and the best of NHL autographs out there. We all know there are some nasty looking signatures coming from a lot of the current NHLers, while the retired gents tend to have some sleek looking autos.

There are always exceptions though. This will be a place for me to showcase some of my finds.

Without further ado - a definite scribble!

John Davidson
SCRIBBLE

Where does the 'J' start and the 'avdison' end?

I know two-year-olds that have better flow with a marker. Wow!

Charlie Simmer
SCRIBE

Now this autograph reeks of the quality and penmanship that I tend to expect from a vet. The only shame is that the autograph is on an angle. Normally, this is because there isn't enough space on the card (not quite the issue here). It just gives the signature a feeling of being squeezed in.

What do you think? Feel free to comment on my opinion. Agree or disagree.

Should be fun.

ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 2008/09 ITG 1972: The Year In Hockey Autographs

Well, the mail today dictated my decision for this week's 'One Sheet, One Set'. An eighth card to finish off a sheet - let's get things going. It's a great autograph insert set - the first one to be included in this project.

2008/09 In The Game
1972: The Year In Hockey
Autographs

As with the release in general, these autograph inserts were met with high fanfare. A very eclectic mix of players - from Hall Of Famers all the way down to obscurity. Sadly, a few too many guys in the obscure category takes the impressiveness of the set down just a smidge.

It's a 170 card insert set. Which I can only imagine made for quite the task of acquiring all of the signatures (which by the way are all hard-signed on the card. No stickers!).


The front of the card is very appealing to me. It's because of the simplicity of the design. Simple design structures were the way back in the 70's and ITG did a great job of capturing that essence.

I also like it because (not to toot my own horn) I feel like it is a card design that I could come up with. I look at the elements of the design and I think to myself - "I could do that".

The background is a combination of the team city and a photo of the arena from that era. It's sometimes tough to read the city name (one of the very few negatives of this set). It's got a scanline effect to create a nice backdrop for the autograph.

The side and bottom border contains a very bold single color. The color choices really give off a 70's feel.

The side text is slight overkill on the set name, but I don't mind it too much. Bold and simple. That said, I would have preferred the team name here.

The player name and position along the bottom really utilize the positive and negative space. A nice simple effect.

The player photo is a simple head shot creating consistency to the set. Some of these pics really show the era it was taken in. Even sans color, they exude the simpler times of the NHL.

That's the key word, simple.

As for the autograph itself, a lot of the sigs are really cool to look at. Great penmanship and it looks like the players took their time with the task (except for maybe Butch Goring - he clearly has ahead of his time).


Since this is the first autograph set to be included in this project, the card backs yield to a very different set of conditions and as a result - the critique.

While I can appreciate the explanation of what I have received on the front of the card, I somehow feel jipped.

The design template as a whole really takes from the front of the card. Unfortunately, they use the same background photo on all of the cards. That's a shame since I think they could have switched things up a bit.

The information on the back of the card is nice, but I think they could have used the space a little better. Some stats, or fast fact.....anything.

I guess it keeps a clean look with the card and again, I like that there is some explanation to the card's authenticity.

Overall, this set is a really nice one for those trying to build it. They've got a subset within that celebrates the Summit Series - which means autographs from big names like Henderson and Tretiak.

At 170 cards (35 of them shortprinted), it could take a while. They were inserted one in every six packs. So a box will only get you two or three tops. Some of the unknown guys can be had pretty cheap (a couple bucks) whereas the bigger names could fetch a fair penny.

A solid looking set through and through.

Sounds simple enough.

3.5 out of 5

BOX BREAK: 2006-07 ITG Between The Pipes

This past week, In The Game trading cards released their annual Between The Pipes set. It is one of my favorite sets every year as it focuses strictly on goalies.

This year, the cards look better than ever - and I'm looking forward to buying a box and trying my luck.

I didn't get a chance to go to the card store this weekend to buy a box so I decided to show off a box from the 2006/07 version of the series.


I purchased this box not too long ago as it was on sale at my local card store. The main reason I bought it was because I was building (and am still working on) the Mask IV insert set. You'll see if I made any progress here momentarily.

I'm also a sucker for a bit of a gamble. You never know what you might get in a box of cards.


The base cards in the set focus on the future stars in the game. And while I'm not the biggest fan of collecting junior cards, this set always raises the bar. A nice mixture of future superstars and guys who will be lucky to have a cup of coffee in the bigs.


The Between The Pipes subset are also a part of the base set. What I like about these cards are the nice closeup of the masks (most of 'em anyways....some have just a mug shot). These cards focus on the current players which allow for ITG to get around any sort of issues with showing logos and jerseys.


The Greats Of The Game also count towards base cards and are - you guessed it - the greats. The oldtimers. I love these cards. The ol' fibreglass masks are my faves.


The remainder of the base cards feature a number of subsets. Some I really like, such as the Immortals, and some I'm not the biggest fan of, like the Record Holders (I think the design is a little sub-par versus the rest of the release).


A couple more base card subsets. Lots of variety and some unique and 'outside the box' thinking. I like that.


Now we get to the goodies!

I got 2 Mask IV cards in my box. Unfortunately, I already had both of them, but the Hasek International Mask card will make a good trader. By the way, these cards do not scan well at all. They look really slick in person.


The autograph sets that ITG puts out in their Between he Pipes sets are legendary. A fantastic mix of junior, current and retired players. They are not hard signed autos unfortunately, but I think ITG did a very nice job of masking that fact by incorporating the sticker shape into the card design.


A real nice memorabilia hit here. This Hasek triple is nicer than it looks. Considering that the pieces of jersey come from a Buffalo jersey, a Detroit jersey and an Ottawa jersey. Very nice.


This item though was a complete surprise. I had already hit what I thought were all of my inserts (memorabilia cards came 1 in every 20 packs - and there were 24 packs in the box). This Toivonen would be what is considered a 'case hit'. One of these cards show up in every case. A case is a box of multiple boxes. Not sure how many boxes were in a case this year, but it still made for some long odds.

The card has a gorgeous patch - bursting at the seams. And a nice sloppy signature to finish it off.

Too bad it was Toivonen - but on the upside, there are only 10 of these autograph patch cards, so the rarity in them should make someone's day.

Overall, a really great product for any goalie lover. As nice as the 06/07 release was, I urge everyone to take a look at the current release. Some fantastic stuff from a company that literally has one hand tied behind it's back at all times.

Thanks for the time to take a look. Hope you enjoyed.

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 2002/03 SP Game Used First Round Patch

This week's card features my three favorite colors when talking about Linden cards...white, yellow and orange.

2002/03 Upper Deck SP Game Used
First Round Pick Patch #PC-TL /30

What a beauty of a patch on this piece.

Now, the back of the card says that the patch comes from a jersey worn by Trevor. It does not say that it was from his rookie season (which by looking at the card, one might assume). I am guessing it is not from a rookie jersey. Still...I could care less.

With only 30 copies of the card in existence, this rare release has been a popular card for both the player collector and set builder. Having to wait a good 5 years before I landed it shows me that these were gobbled up early. I'll be surprised to see 2 or 3 of these over the next few years. They just don't surface.

When I did see this card pop up on ebay, I grabbed the 'Buy It Now' without hesitating. I knew that I overpaid for the card, but I felt it was still within reason (meaning it wasn't the most I had spent for a Linden at this point).

I'm glad I made the purchase looking back now as it is one of my favorite cards in my Linden collection. It's my favorite Linden featuring the vintage colors (the stitching on the card really pops it over the top).

I just wish the photo of him on the front of the card from his rookie year was the prominent photo (and in color). I can just imagine the yellow uniform and helmet - gotta love the yellow.

Quick bit of trivia...on the front of the card, it says Linden was drafted second overall in 1988. Who went number 1?

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!! - Glen Hanlon

Turn your head and cough please....thank you.

Mr. Hanlon, you've been diagnosed with BADCARDPHOTOITIS.

See for yourself....


Ouch. That hurts.

Why O-Pee-Chee decided to use this photo in their 1987/88 'mini card' set is beyond me.

Would this be considered an 'action shot'?

Why Glen Hanlon was even included in this set is a head scratcher. He never really was given the reigns as a starter throughout his 13 year career. He only played in 50 or more games in a season twice. He cracked the 20 win mark twice. He played on 4 different NHL teams (never lasting more than 5 years in any one place).

So what made him so special in the 87/88 season?

According to the card back, he finished fifth in goals against average (GGA) with a 3.18.

An interesting tidbit - a GAA of 3.18 would land you THIRD LAST place this season (behind Atlanta's Ondrej Pavelec and Calgary's latest acquisition Vesa Toskala).

Way to go Glen. That cup shifting really must have helped.

But, fifth place is not good enough here.

PPPPPFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!

To the bike spokes!!

OPINION: PWE's!!!!!

Well, I had a subject for this most recent opinion all picked out and ready to discuss...that was until I came home to see the mail that I received today.

Long story short - I hate PWE's!!!

PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPES!!!

Having bought and traded for cards via ebay or online trading card sites for 10 years now, I feel that it is pretty much standard practice that when shipping or receiving cards that they be sent in an appropriately sized bubble envelope (unless we're talking about a huge lot of cards in which case a box is necessary).

For years, PWE's have been heavily frowned upon. To the point that collectors appreciate knowing who these PWE users are. People will avoid purchasing from sellers who use PWE's. There is no place in this hobby for them.

Why do people use PWE's? I think there is a very small percentage of people who are naive to the practice. A very small percentage. For the most part, I think it is cheaper and easier. Hey, I agree - but when I am paying for the shipping and handling of a product (and we're looking at $3-4 to ship), I expect it to be properly packaged and protected.

What really bothers me is the seller's attempt at justifying using a PWE. "Your card is just as well protected in the PWE as it would be in a bubble envelope." or "Your card will ship faster in a PWE." or "Your card won't be held up in customs as long in a PWE."

Take a poll - I'd like to see the overwhelming amount of people against the PWE. Most people would easily sacrifice a day or two - even a week or two - knowing that their card is given the best chance of arriving safely.

"You were only buying a $2 card." Doesn't matter. The same courtesy should apply.

"I ran out of bubble mailers." My personal favorite. There's lazy....and then there's lazy.

I realize that the PWE people won't go away. I accept that. My wish is that these sellers would have the balls to advertise that they ship in PWE's.

Oh yeah, that's right....you'd lose a ton of business. Doesn't that turn some sort of a light on in your head?

Guess not.

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Through The Glass

Going through some of my old base cards, I came across a subset that I thought would fit this subject perfectly.

Back in the 1996/97 Upper Deck release, there was a 13-card subset called "Through The Glass". It took a closer look at photography in hockey.

The front obviously would show the cool looking photo, while the back of the card would list the photographer as well as his comments about the photo or photo technique.

Here's a sample of the subset (be warned, the cards don't scan that well. The left side and top border have a silver foil "mirror" look that doesn't come across in the scan).

#198 Murray Baron
Photographed by: David Klutho

Card back: "I sometimes use a fish-eye lens to bring myself and the fans closer to the game. Here, Murray Baron's stick seems to be coming at us in a 3-D kind of way. What I enjoy most about shots such as this one is how the rest of the arena seems to move away from us while the subject approaches ever-closer."

#206 Sergei Fedorov
Photographed by: Robert Beck

Card back: "The subject of hockey action at its best, Sergei Fedorov can even provide unusual photo opportunities when he's sitting on the bench. This shot shows more than Sergei stretching out a jaw that has taken a hit. In his eyes you can see the unrivaled intensity that makes him one of the game's greatest."

#196 Dino Ciccarelli
Photographed by: David Klutho

Card back: "Every photographer knows that to capture Dino Ciccarelli at his best, the lens has to be pointed at the front of his opponent's net. Dino is the ultimate goalmouth pest, setting up the screen in every way imaginable including jumping in front of Colorado's Patrick Roy."

#208 Theoren Fleury
Photographed by: Gerry Thomas

Card back: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall. But in the case of Theo Fleury, the smaller, the more spectacular the fall. Fleury is the type of player that is always making something happen, so defenders have to keep an eye on him. In this case, Chris Dahlquist gives him a little extra."

#197 Ron Hextall
Photographed by: Mark Buckner

Card back: "I found that this camera angle in Philadelphia gives me an opportunity to show the game from a unique perspective. This shot is about more than the puck trickling over the goal line. It captures Ron Hextall in one of the rare moments in which he wasn't in control last season. You can almost see his agony through his mask."

It's a pretty neat concept and I wish there would have been more cards in the subset.

Even better, bring the subset back today. I'm sure in the 15 years since these photos were taken, there have been many improvements in sports photography.

Raise The Cup - Darren McCarty

Just the one addition today. Found it as I was sorting through base cards.


Did you know that Darren McCarty has 4 Stanley Cup rings? I remember one memorable one.

June 7, 1997 he scored a beauty of a goal - the Cup clinching goal - in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers ending the Wings' 42-year Cup drought.


Sweet goal! The photo in the card is from the same game - nice.

Raise the Cup collection - 8 cards

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 1988/89 Mohawk Team Issue

This installment of the Linden Card Of The Week showcases Trevor's very first card.

1988/89 Mohawk Team Issue

This card pre-dates Trevor's rookie card by a season. It comes from a team issue that was put out by Mohawk gas station.

They were perforated together in panels of 4. I ended up having to buy a full set of 'em just to get the Linden (by the way, anybody that needs an Adrian Plavsic or a Garth Butcher - I'm your guy!).

Nothing fancy about this card other than it's the first card in the Linden box. You gotta love the "I just got a new haircut" look on him though.

Intimidation factor - zero.

THANK YOU TO ALL!!!!!

Well, I just realized that my previous post was my 100th since I started this blog in October.

I'd say that is an accomplishment.

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to visit. I hope you continue to do so.

I will do my best to keep this blog interesting and entertaining.

ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 2006/07 O-Pee-Chee

Well it has been a while since I have posted a set from the collection (which has grown substantially I might add). I have over 100 'sheets' with easily another 60-70 on standby. I really like this project to see the various card designs out there from various time periods.

Good stuff.

Sadly, this next set doesn't quite fit the bill as "good stuff".

2006/07 O-Pee-Chee

Over the last 2-3 years, one of my favorite sets has been the O-Pee-Chee brand. Cool card designs, deep player selection, cool inserts and some tough jersey/autograph pieces. Outside the box thinking with the 'retro' set was introduced a couple years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if it is a staple for a few years to come.

The 06/07 set was a precursor to all that. O-Pee-Chee was just re-introduced into the fold as a release (the name now used by Upper Deck) and I think there was some ironing out of the concept that hadn't yet been made.

In total, it is a 700 card set. But 200 of those cards are shorter print RC's and inserts. Still, a 500 card set can be appealing to some set builders....if there is a good player selection and an exciting look to the product.


I'm going to say no. I can forgive the player selection thing (as everyone and their dog has a card in the set), but the look of the card is definitely not up to the standards that one should expect by now. The boring rounded border for the photo looks as if someone whipped it up in Photoshop just moments before going to print. It looks way too basic. The photo is a full body shot on all photos. Thanks for the variation! It looks like everyone is slowly turning left or right.

The name bar across the top - meh, I've seen a lot better. The bottom of the card front looks terrible. A huge O-Pee-Chee logo just plunked in the lower left and a team logo in the right. They look like they've just been placed there with no creative thinking at all.

The faint O-Pee-Chee texture blended into the crappy brown background is by far the most creative thing this card front has going for it. Wow wee!

My niece could come up with a better design.

Maybe the back of the card will yield better results.


Oh yeah - where do I start.

This card back has more rental space available than a University campus during the summer. B to the RUTAL!

I will give mild points to the fact that they utilize the look of the front of the card. That said, crap is crap. Full career stats - nice. But what to do with all the extra space underneath? Lets print one sentence and spread it out to look like we've filled up the area. That just looks weak.

Hey great! Another huge O-Pee-Chee logo at the bottom....and in gold. That means it's goldy good.

Logos. blah, blah, blah just finish this card off with a wimper. The only other mild highlight is the introduction of the set name on the back (which has since become a standard with UD releases. I like this because now I know immediately what set this crappy card belongs to.

Overall (you guessed it), this set fails in just too many ways. If there is a positive, they didn't repeat this debacle (the 2008/09 OPC set is one of my faves). Sadly, they took a bit of a step back with photo quality in the 2007/08 set.

Maybe one day they can get all of the stars to align properly and they can put out a set to rival all sets. I think they have it in them.

But THIS set has very little in it.

1.5 out of 5

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!! - Petr Nedved

In my opinion, any Petr Nedved card should be good to go into the bike spokes.

This flashy forward had a strong junior career after defecting from the former Czechoslovakia during the Mac's Midget tournament in Calgary in 1989.

Drafted by the Canucks (in a stacked first round that included Owen Nolan, Keith Primeau, Mike Ricci and Jaromir Jagr), Nedved showed moments of promise. But inconsistency and lack of passion is what I saw from him most nights.

Juggled later on by the Blues, Rangers and Penguins, Nedved never materialized into the player many touted him for.

That's where we find him at on this card.


Oh man. Really. This is the best pic you could come up with Pinnacle?

Well, it might just be. Nedved is after all - shooting the puck.

Nice Nike's! I think I had a pair like 'em back in the 90's as well.

And the long underwear/sweatpants - nice.

Wanna know the best part. Pinnacle liked the "photoshoot" so much, they decided to go with another beauty.


Awesome! A double shot of Nedved goodness.

He looks like a seven year old who just got a hockey stick on Christmas morning.

Why? Why do we need these kinds of photos on our hockey cards? There is absolutely no reason for it. Heck, the back of the cards have better photos - IN UNIFORM - I might add.

It's a double for Peter Nedved....

PPPFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
PPPPFFFTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!

To the bike spokes you go.

TTM: They're off!

Well, I am very excited today. For years I have been designing cards with the thought of sending them through the mail (TTM) in hopes of getting them signed.

The first two are in the mail.



For the record, I am sending to Curly Neal and actor Marc Singer. I was hoping to send to Mr. T, but I can't find an address that I feel confident would garner a response.

I plan on making more and sending them off. I will keep you guys up to date with my progress as well as my successes and failures (which will hopefully be minimal).

Cross your fingers.

STASHED IN THE CLOSET: Linden Christmas Card

Now here's something that I'm pretty sure no other Linden collector has. It's been sitting in a box in the basement of my mom's place for the last 20 or so years. She called me to let me know that she came across it and asked if I would like it.

Um...yep. Yep I do.



This is a Christmas card from the Linden family that was sent to my mom back around 1990. Our family knew their family from when we lived in Medicine Hat (long before Trevor was in the NHL). My mom and Trevor's mom have kept in touch over the years and one year she sent her this.

Recently, she sends year end letters letting us know how the family is doing.

I remember this photo from back in the day, but I honestly forgot about it. Actually, I was quite surprised that she still had it.

I can say with certainty that it isn't going anywhere now.

Merry Christmas!

Do Good Things...Good Things Happen

So I mailed off some of the custom cards I had completed a few weeks ago to the person who asked me to create them. He received them and was really happy with them.

How happy? He was extremely kind to send me some presents for my hard work. A few cards, a couple mini-jerseys and this:


How sweet is this!!!

Marty Brodeur....autographed puck. And it's a gorgeous signature. Crisp and clean.

This puck will be proudly displayed on my desk along with my thank you card from a prior custom I made. They are my reminders that when you do good things - good things happen.

Thanks Greg!

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 2005/06 Upper Deck Notable Numbers autograph /16

This Linden card is one of my favorite autographed cards. It was one of the first cards that made me realize that getting my Linden collection to the "next level" was going to take a bit more of an investment.

2005/06 Upper Deck
Notable Numbers #N-TL /16

This card is the only Trevor Linden card that I have ever had to redeem from Upper Deck.

A few years ago, the redemption program was not as chaotic as it now seems. I went to the local card show and one of the vendors had held a Linden card for me. He showed me a redemption card for the Trevor Linden Notable Numbers auto. Now I knew about this card...only 16 copies printed (numbered to the player's jersey #), a highly sought after set and of course - it's my player. So definitely I was interested. I honestly didn't think I'd find one at a card show.

So I asked how much. Hoping to hear $40, $50 maybe even $60.

"$120".

Gak! I was speechless. Part of me wanted to complain about the price gouging, part of me wanted to just walk away. Deep down though, I knew that this might be the one and only shot I get at this card. I knew of a few guys who had it already in their collection, and with a redemption card...it's always a hit or miss.

I thought about it and decided to pull the trigger. I figured I'd cut back on some other cards to compensate. $120 on a piece of cardboard that didn't have Trevor's mug on it, nor his autograph.

I immediately went home and redeemed the card. Time seemed to drag on week after week. I was starting to regret the purchase.

It was a good 6-8 weeks later that I received a package in the mail from Upper Deck. I tore the envelope open and staring at me was this card. Immediately, I knew I had made the right decision in purchasing the card. It's one of the nicest in my collection.

Since then, I have seen these cards go for about what I paid (believe it or not, I've seen about 4 come up for sale or trade online). Sometimes more, sometimes less. The nice thing is, I don't lose sleep over my purchase. I have thought about it a lot though. It wasn't the first time I shelled out $100+ for a Linden card, I've done it many times since and I know it won't be the last time. I'm ok with that. As long as I stay within the boundaries I set for my collection, I'll be happy.

1 vs. 100 - The Mail's Here!

Well, after a few months of working on a huge BLOCKBUSTER trade, I finally received my end of the package today. In addition to over 20 different 'One Sheet, One Set' groups of cards, I received the following additions to my 1 vs. 100 project.

03-04 Beehive Gold
#239 Andrew Hutchinson /15

This is the lowest numbered card of the bunch. A pretty good start if you ask me.

01-02 Pacific Heads Up Silver
#32 Joe Nieuwendyk /27

Me thinks this is a tough card to come by with only 27 copies in existence.

00-01 Pacific Premiere Date
#127 Guy Carbonneau /40

The trend of Pacific parallels is just beginning. I knew they would play a huge role in completing this project.

00-01 Pacific Ice Blue
#132 Mike Keane /45

Another one with a print run of less than 50.

01-02 Crown Royale Premiere Date
#30 Mark Bell /60

A little die-cut action. Looks good.

01-02 Pacific Adrenaline Blue
#102 Richard Zednik /62

Keep 'em coming.

99-00 Pacific Omega Premiere Date
#20 Byron Dafoe /68

Clearly I have run out of comments.

01-02 Titanium Rookie Team
#6 Kristian Huselius /70

This card is my favorite of the bunch. Definitely a unique design that really stands out.

00-01 Paramount Holo-Silver
#159 Radek Dvorak /74

Almost there.

99-00 Pacific Prism Holo-Blue
#20 Michael Peca /80

Yes! that's 10!

There were 3 other cards that were to be a part of my 1 vs. 100 project, but the serial numbers are on the back of the card. I thought they were on the front when I traded for them. I'm working on rectifying the situation with the person I traded with. I've traded with him a few times in the past and know he's a great guy so I have no worries or complaints.

I'm thrilled to have these cards as a part of my collection. Thanks Andy. I really appreciate it.

31 out of 100 (31%)

CARD SHOW PICKUPS: Two Toonies - Nice!

A trip to the local card show today yielded some great results.

I picked up some base cards for my "One Sheet, One Set" project (about a dozen sheets worth) including a couple jersey sheet sets. I'll be getting those ready for show in the near future.

I also found three other cards that were too good of a deal to pass up.

2007/08 ITG Between The Pipes
Mask Game-Used #MGU-06 Cristobal Huet

This set was on my radar back when it was released a couple years ago. These cards were a nice addition to the regular "Mask" cards. Too bad they were priced a little on the heavy side. As well, the print run for these cards are only 60 - so they were not too readily available.

Forward to today where I saw this beauty staring at me in a discount binder. The asking price - $4. On a forty dollar card, I couldn't get the toonies out of my pocket fast enough.

But the deals weren't done.

2007/08 ITG Between The Pipes
Mask Game-Used #MGU-02 Dominik Hasek

Second verse, same as the first. Now Hasek is one of those players who I don't consider having a "mask". He has a helmet...like Chris Osgood. Lame. Hasek even got a paint job done on it to make it look more mask-like. Lamer. I've never enjoyed the helmet on goalies.

But for $4 - I'll make an exception.

Now, the last card I picked up was for no other reason that this guy was in my opinion the most complete player for the Canadian Olympic team that won the gold medal in Vancouver.

He was a question mark for me when the team was picked...but I won't doubt this guy again. He was a stud. Solid play. He'll be a staple on the blueline for the next 4 Olympics I predict.

2007/08 ITG O Canada Jerseys
#GUJ-07 Drew Doughty

A two-color jersey limited to a print run of 100. The jersey taken from a Team Canada jersey. Gold medal winner. About to lead his Los Angeles Kings to the promise land (I predict good things over the next 3-5 years....see Chicago Black Hawks).

Asking price - $4.

Are you kidding. I picked up these three cards for less than the pizza I bought at my sister's place yesterday.

That's why I love card shows. Hidden treasures!

OPINION: CARD PHOTOS

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

This famous quote is what came to mind after I recently read a posting about a new card release. There has been some pretty heated debate about the cards and their "desirability".

The cards in question are from a release called Famous Fabrics. They span all different types of sports and incorporate memorabilia into the cards.

Here's an example of one of my favorite cards from the set - a Wayne Gretzky, Kirk McLean dual memorabilia card.



It seems the center of the debate revolves around the exclusion of player photos on the card.

This was done on purpose by the makers of the cards and it could be because they didn't have the rights to some photos? It could be because they couldn't find certain photos? It could be because the didn't like the photos? It could be because they never wanted photos?

Fact of the matter is, the company made the call to not include photos.

Does that make this card less desirable? Does that make the design of the card less enjoyable?

I don't think so. I think the card looks pretty slick.

There will always be cards that don't appeal to me and some that absolutely look phenomenal. Whether it comes from one company or another is more or less irrelevant.

What looks good to me is what I consider good.

I am always interested to know why other feel certain cards are less desirable than others. Critiquing and criticizing is more than good debate to me.

Where I draw the line is when someone comes out and says "This is garbage." or "It looks unprofessional." I think that if someone has some harsh comments towards something, that they explain why. I'm also curious as to why people spend time commenting on things that they have no interest in. To me, it's nothing more than trying to get a rise out of people.

At the end of the day, collect what you want, enjoy what you want. If there are things that you don't like, be a part of the process constructively or just avoid it completely.

For me, cards with photos are great. Cards without photos...they're great too.