LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Panini Certified Expo 10

Only one Linden card arrived in the mail this past week, but it was one I never thought I'd be adding to the collection.

No......it's not the quad auto (although I'm working on it). :)

2010/11 Panini Certified Immortals #170 Trevor Linden Toronto Fall 'Expo 10' /5

This card was a redemption insert when you opened up Panini products at the Fall Toronto Expo last year.

Numbered to only 5, I saw a couple of them sprout on ebay and the price grow quickly (too much for my liking).

I hadn't seen one for months and just came to the conclusion that the five of them were sitting either in other collectors' pc's or in the basement at Panini remaining unclaimed.

When I saw this one hit ebay a couple weeks ago, I immediately put the crosshairs on it. The best part is that I paid about a third of what I expected it to go for.

A double bonus for me.

Another toughie off of last year's list.

OPINION: GENEROSITY

I've said many times in the past - Do good things and good things happen. That extends out from the simple boundaries of hockey card collecting (obviously), but for this post, I will stick to just that circle.

Over the past couple weeks, I've been the recipient of a few acts of generosity from other hobbyists and hockey fans. While I know a couple of them read this blog, not all might. Regardless, I'd like to offer a big 'Thank You' to everyone who've been generous in sending me a gift, a card, a package, a piece for my pc. The cards upcoming in this post are just a few recent receipts, but there have been a few as well in the past.

Thank you!

On to the show & tell.

2010/11 In The Game Decades Autograph #A-TLI Trevor Linden

This card is one that I have wanted since it came out last spring. A nice hard-signed Linden auto. One of the first autos released by In The Game since Trev agreed to sign with ITG.

But the price tag has always been too high for my liking. I was really hoping to trade for one.

It took a number of months, but I finally found a copy at a previous traders night and the wheels were in motion to try and work a trade.

No luck that night (but I knew there would be more chances the following month).

Well, a few months have passed and at the last traders night, the owner of the card just handed it to me. He said we could work something out down the road, but for now the card belonged in my collection.

Talk about trust and generosity.

Of course, me and my 'Achilles Heel' issue of not remembering names.....can't remember his name. I think it's Mike (in fact, I'm pretty sure).

I do know that he collects HOF autographs, and I'm making a point of finding a card that will fit nicely into his collection.

1991/19 Score Young Superstars #11 Trevor Linden

This card along with the one below came from the same trade night.

Brian (Captain Canuck) pulled this Linden out of his stashed box of cards and simply plunked it down on my box of traders. Not looking for anything in return.

And although I already have a copy of this card, it's the gesture and the thought that counts (cheesy as it may sound). But what I do plan on doing is replacing the copy currently in my collection with this card. It might be a little more 'worn', but it will be a card that will remind me of a very simple gesture that really means a lot.

1991/92 7th Inning Sketch #283 Jamie Linden

This is the second card Brian gave me. Another Linden....but not Trevor this time.

I had always contemplated starting a collection of Jamie's cards. Trevor's younger brother has a couple dozen out there. If I ever do, this one will sit proudly in the pc.

As it stands, this one's not going anywhere.

Thanks again Brian!

2007/08 Upper Deck Ice Glacial Graphs #GG-SA Marc Savard

There are two people I have to thank for this last grouping of cards. Casey (over at Drop The Gloves!) and Steven Kampfer.

Who's Steven Kampfer you ask?

I was asking the same thing after joining Casey's contest at the start of the season. Kampfer was on the 21-man starting roster for the Boston Bruins this year. Casey's contest consisted of people winning when the first goal was scored, first assist, etc. Each entry was given a random player.

I was given Kampfer.

The problem.....he was injured. The benefit....that made me a winner right off the bat.

I received a beefy package from Casey last week and the Savard was the one of many great cards to add to the collection.

Let's take a look at some others.

2005/06 Upper Deck Trilogy Ice Scripts #IS-MT Marty Turco

This hard signed Turco is a really nice card. I've never really taken the time to look at this set. Man these cards are thick. It's like a solid piece of fibreglass. It won't bend and I'm sure it would snap as opposed to tear if you tried to split it in half.

2010/11 Panini Playoff Contenders Leather Larceny #1 Cam Ward

I've seen these cards in the past and was really happy to see one included in the package.

It's got a look and feel of leather (ok...not a real feel of leather, more like a leather looking texture). Still, a pretty neat idea.

Some of the photos on these cards in the set are a little 'meh' for me, but the Ward is pretty darn solid. Just look at him showing off the puck he's found in his glove.

2010/11 O-Pee-Chee Marquee Rookie #605 Jacob Markstrom

I really liked the looks of this card when Casey showed it off on his blog. I even commented on it. I can't help but think he made a mental note when I saw this card within the stack I received.

Just that little bit of something that means just that much more to me.

Of course, if it was just a coincidence then I feel like a bit of a maroon....but I'm betting on the prior.

This card represents the goalie cards that were included in the package. I nice assortment, some with a nice closeup shot of the mask. Cool beans.

2005/06 Upper Deck Rookie Threads #RT-BB Brandon Bochenski

In addition to the autos and goalie cards, there were a few jersey cards. Very cool.

How many of you remember Brandon when he lit it up with Ottawa that one preseason? How many of you took him in your hockey pool as a result? Let's not talk about that anymore.

I wonder where he is now?

2010/11 Panini Playoff Contenders #99 Daniel Sedin

This Sedin card represents the bundle of Canucks cards included in the package. It was very nice of Casey to make a note that I am a Canucks fan. Some cool base cards from recent releases that will fit nicely into my 'One Sheet, One Set' project.

1991/92 O-Pee-Chee #422 Chris Terreri

Yes! Chris Terreri makes an appearance on my blog. It might be the only time he does.

I just really liked this photo of Chris getting snowed. Looks like a Flyer was the culprit.

This card represents some of the 'old school' cards from back in the day. There were some great Upper Deck cards from the early 90's and a few OPC goodies.

1980 Topps #77 Dave Stieb

Talk about a guy who might never see the light of day ever again on my blog. Dave Stieb.

Yes, in addition to the many hockey cards I received, there was some baseball included in the lot.

Blue Jays - all of them.

It instantly took me back to the early 80's when I collected both hockey and baseball. I miss those days.

Very cool stuff.

Overall, Casey fired off 45 cards my way. More than I ever would have expected from simply entering my name into his start-of-the-season hockey contest.

A very generous contest at that (since I was not the only winner).

Thanks very much Casey!

These are just three examples of the generosity that I see on a pretty regular basis. Not just towards me, but in general. At shows, at stores, online...it happens more than one might think.

Often, a random act of kindness gets overshadowed by some of the negativity that hovers around this hobby like a vulture. I really wanted to make a point that this generosity is something that can easily overpower the negative if one wants it to.

Thank you again to everyone who's been a part of the positive in the past. It's something that has not gone unnoticed by me.

RAISE THE CUP - A Little Peach Fuzz

What a great weekend! The weather is awesome (I contemplated breaking out the golf clubs one more time), I spent some time with my niece and nephew, I watched a couple movies, caught a couple games on TV, went to a card show and most importantly - I did not work a single second.

Oh how I have missed you weekends.

This afternoon, I'm hanging out watching some football and getting caught up with my hockey cards. It's an escape day.

First post - more Cup raisers.

I picked up these three from the show I went to yesterday. This first one though was a neat find.

2011/12 O-Pee-Chee
#49 Marc-Andre Fleury (playoff beard variation)

This was an insert set I was unaware of until yesterday. The first 50 cards in this year's OPC set has a duplicate insert. The card looks the same say for the silver writing of the player's name and the different photo.

The photos in these parallel cards all show the players sporting their playoff beards (except for a few of the Penguins young ones......there's a difference between a beard and peach fuzz).

I thought it was a neat idea and picked up a few more for my 'One Sheet, One Set' project. Sadly, I only picked up 7 more, leaving this Fleury card in limbo. Do I put it in the 'Raise The Cup' pc or the 'One Sheet, One Set' pc?

Stanley Cup set is where it will go.

2008/09 Upper Deck
Montreal Canadiens Centennial Set
Coupe Stanley Cup #198 Yvon Cournoyer

Another one from 'The Roadrunner'. I like this pic. I just wanted it a tad wider so I could see the whole Cup.

A great card from a fantastic set. A must for any Montreal fan IMO.

Man some of these guys have a lot of rings.

2005/06 Upper Deck
Power Play Cup Celebrations
#123 Wayne Gretzky

Last but certainly not least - another one from The Great One.

I never lose interest when I see a shot of Wayne raising the Cup. This set from Power Play is a definite favorite of mine. Finding this Gretzky for half price was a nice bonus at the card show.

Three more for the binder.

Current Collection - 61 cards

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Brett Hull

Wow....almost a full week between posts. Work was a 'fun' one this week. One thing I enjoy about my job is that there are rock-solid deadline days. What I hate about my job sometimes.......rock-solid deadline days.

Yesterday was one of those days.

The good news is today will be a breeze (maybe even a little movie watching at work) and I've got an extra long weekend as I'm taking a few days off next week.

But enough about that....on to the card.

Warning: The following image might be disturbing in nature.....if you're a Buffalo Sabres fan.

2011/12 Upper Deck
Parkhurst Champions
#105 Brett Hull

Last week, I was introduced to the 'wire image photo' cards inserted into this year's Parkhurst product. Every time I see one, I'm drawn to it.

This one was a must have as soon as it was pack pulled from a game of pack wars.

Not only does it have great view of such a controversial moment, but it's timed as such to show almost the exact time that the infraction in question was made.

Hasek is his usual self....sprawled out on the ice, flopping around like a fish trying to stop the puck (hey, whatever works), and Hull is ever the opportunist.

The black & white tinting of the shot really adds to that 'news' feel. Capturing a moment...for posterity.

What confuses me a bit is text at the bottom of the card. It states that Mike Modano (9) is looking on.

Now I'm no expert in hockey, but even an untrained eye can see that Mike Modano does not appear in the shot.

This makes me wonder if these wire photo cards use actual wire photos and captions? Or if Upper Deck writes their own captions?

Either way, an avoidable blunder on what otherwise is an outstanding card.

.....unless you're a Buffalo Sabres fan.

RAISE THE CUP - New Favorite Card

Three new cards to add to the collection...and a mighty nice trifecta if I do say so myself.

1999/00 Upper Deck
Wayne Gretzky Living Legend
#85 First Stanley Cup 83/84

This card was part of a 99-card set commemorating the career of The Great One. I picked up the set last weekend at the local card show for a whopping $5. At the time, I thought there would be a few cards showing him raising the Stanley Cup.

Sadly, this is the only one.

Now I only need one card to complete the set. :)

2011/12 Upper Deck
Parkhurst Champions
#74 Brent Sutter

This card came from the hot product of the night at traders night a couple days ago.

Parkhurst Champions has the feel of one of my all-time favorite sets - 2006/07 Parkhurst.

The player selection is diverse both in eras and abilities and the photo selection for the most part is a breath of fresh air.

I plan on doing a more involved post down the road. I gotta say, the more I saw of the product as the night went on, the more I liked it.

If you want a good overview of the product now though, check out this box break from Captain Canuck over at Just A Bit Offside.

The card itself has a great pick from an era that's near and dear to my heart. The early 80's was when I really started getting into hockey and hockey card collecting.

Too bad it wasn't a Trottier, Bossy, Smith, Goring, Gillies, Nystrom, Potvin or Arbour. But I guess this would be the next best thing.

2011/12 Upper Deck
Parkhurst Champions
#124 Mark Messier/Jari Kurri

This 'wire image photo' card made me do a solid double-take when I first laid eyes on it. What a gorgeous photo.

At first I wasn't a huge fan of the design concept, but when I saw these cards in person and when I saw the subject and photo selection - I quickly changed my tune.

This pic of Messier and Kurri is another strong example of the essence of the 'Raise The Cup' project. And as much as I hate The Moose, I must say that seeing him in his Oilers gear purely celebrating victory makes this one Messier that can come along for the ride. A new fave in my collection.

Stay tuned for more of these wire image cards. I might just try building the set.

Current Collection - 58 cards

BEHIND THE MASKS - One And Done

The third Wednesday of the month can only mean one thing. Trade night!

I tried my best to resist the urge to bust a box or two. I'm really leaning towards going to the Toronto Expo next month and wanted to save the case for that trip.

That didn't mean I walked out empty-handed.

I played a few rounds of pack wars (and lost them all). It sucks because there were some amazing pulls tonight, highlighted by a Parkhurst Champions Gretzky Printing Plate 1/1.

I made a few trades as well. One of which had stemmed from my Dominion break a month ago.

2010/11 In The Game
Between The Pipes
Inspired Masks
#IM-12 Carey Price

This is the fourth card to make into the collection from this eye-catching Inspired Masks set.

The mask Carey is wearing comes from the Heritage Classic played in Calgary last season. The design was inspired by the king of the goalie mask, Jacques Plante.


Crude and frightening, Plante was often taunted for wearing the mask. Most opponents called him 'chicken' for wearing protective head gear. I'm sure they would have been singing a different tune if they had a few hundred stitches in their face.


It might not look pretty, but it saved him countless times from suffering more broken bones. It also prolonged his career for many years. I'm sure that's why he became heavily involved in the production of goalie masks.


Gotta love dynamic lighting. It just makes his mask even more creepy.

Back to the Price card. It's one of the more sought after cards in the set, so to add it to the collection for what I thought was more than a fair trade makes me even more happy.

What I love about the card is the seamless transition between the hair on the mask and Carey's hair. The ear placement is bang on where it should be. It really gives the illusion that he's donning an old school lid.

Stay tuned for the rest of my trade night pickups. There's a couple of tremendous pc pickups and some good ol' hobby generosity.

Fantastic stuff!

ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 2008/09 MVP Rookies

I was flipping through my binders last night, trying to find a sheet that had a bit of an eye-catch to it. After the simplicity of the Enshrined product, I wanted a little more excitement to the card.

Here's what I came up with.

2008/09 Upper Deck
MVP Rookies

This 92-card subset to the MVP product definitely delivers in 'loudness'. The first time I saw these cards, I was immediately reminded that these are ROOKIE cards.

I've always remembered MVP as being a more subtle and simple product.

Not these cards.

MVP went with a more bold approach in design and text. While it does give it a 'stop-and-look' effect, it can also come across as a product geared towards a younger collector.


Obviously, the first thing you see when looking at this card is the 'Rookie' text at the bottom. It takes up a lot of space, but allows for a decent amount of photo still. The font style is pretty bold and simple and the matching of color to the team palette is a nice touch.

The photo is encased in a moderately thick white border - again a little more bold than most releases. It offsets the background texture nicely (which is a consistent blue gradient line effect with what looks like the middle section erased).

The team name is along the left side (nicely fitting in the white space for easy reading) and the player name sits along the bottom. Simple but consistent text font is again used.

Within the photo sits the Upper Deck logo (in silver foil) in the top left corner and the MVP logo (again in silver foil) just above the 'Rookie' text. I'm on the fence with what they did to the MVP logo. It's somewhat unobtrusive, but looks a little messy as well. Something a tad smaller and more in the corner of the photo might have been better.

The photo itself is ok at best. Nothing too spectacular with action. And the quality of the pictures is a little bland. Some even slightly out of focus.

Not enough 'dynamic' shots for such a bold card.


The back of the card continues with the 'loud' theme.

The team logo screams off the card along with the text to the right of it indicating when the player was drafted. While it's consistent with the front of the card, it's a little much for my taste.

The player name, number, position are in the upper section. I like the way it is framed on the card, I like the simplicity of it as a header and I like the simple card number in the upper left.

That said, I think it lacks information. Give me more than just his height, weight and when he was born. It seems sparse.

A tidbit about the player appears under the team logo. Tidbits are nice, but when all you have are tidbits.....not so much.

All of the text is framed nicely in the 'file-tabbed' shaped rectangle. It fits in with the front of the card and is maybe a little more striking since there is a ton of white.

It doesn't show as nicely with the blue, but the team color is incorporated in the border as well as the bold text of the player name and draft info. Points for that.

A ton of white because there's no information. More beef, less bun please.

The MVP logo sits in the background and is a little more bold than on the front of the card.

The bottom logos and text isn't too bad.....I've seen worse. But I can't understand why there isn't just a little more in terms of statistics. Give me his final year in junior....something - anything.

Overall, the card design has some hits and some misses. I can appreciate the attempt, but I think some slight refining would have launched this card to the next level.

As for the checklist of players, Steven Stamkos is definitely the number one guy on the list. Followed by Drew Doughty, James Neal and then it drops off after that.

With it being slapped with the MVP label, these cards sit on the lower end of rookie cards. A nice option if you want an inexpensive RC of one of the top players. A quick ebay search shows the Stamkos being had for $5-10. Not bad.

Not the worst set I've ever seen, but not the best.

Definitely one you won't miss when looking for it.

2.5 out of 5

CONCEPTS - Nicknames

While scouring the tables at the local card show this past weekend, I was talking with one of the dealers about a recently released card. That discussion has motivated me to finally write up this post.

Through the decades, card companies have introduced new cards to us hobbyists. New ideas, new concepts. From inserts to jersey cards, autographs to limited print runs, there's always something on the horizon to try and make the hobby feel fresh and exciting.

Sometimes new ideas are far fetched, sometimes they are a dud. Every once in a while though, a new concept is produced that catches my eye and makes me stop and appreciate them.

So, I'm going to do just that. First up.....'Nicknames'.

2010/11 Panini Dominion
Notable Nicknames

This was the card that we were talking about. It's one of 10 cards in the new Notable Nicknames Autograph set released by Panini in their Dominion product.

Hard signed and numbered to just 50 copies, I commented that something as simple as Jarome adding "Iggy" to his card immediately places that card in a different light for me.

What I like about it is that it put a bit of light on the individuality of the player.

Do you remember the first time you pulled an autograph card from a pack? I bet it was pretty cool. A new idea...the thought that the player was actually holding on to the very card now in your hands. But year after year of seeing autographs...seeing sticker autographs...over-saturation, it just diminishes the 'specialness' of the autograph card.

Now, by having the player add a little personal touch to the card, that connection to the player is reinforced.


Some of the other cards in the set include this Doug Gilmour favorite of mine. Additionally, the checklist includes Dustin Byfuglien, Felix Potvin, Ed Belfour and Mark Messier. I've seen a Messier....sadly, he didn't grasp the concept - he only signed his name.

The one card in the set I'm looking forward to seeing most is the Jean Beliveau. In addition to his phenomenal signature, I can already appreciate the time and care he would have put towards making this nicknames project the best it can be.

One card in the set had me scratching my head though....


Sadly, I had to do some research to find out Al's nickname. You'll have to do the same too. :) Once you find out....you'll see it.

But this concept is not a new one. Card companies have used this technique in the past and have created some really fun and highly discussed sets.

2007/08 Upper Deck Trilogy
Personal Scripts

This Bob Nystrom card from a few years back is one of my favorites. Not only is the photo on the card awesome (I miss the helmet-less days), the simplistic scribe of 'Thor' just punches off the card.

I haven't seen any other cards from this release, but the checklist looks deadly.

A 38-card set that includes the likes of Bobby Clarke, Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr, Ron Hextall, Phil Esposito, Lanny McDonald and Jari Kurri.

Even some of today's stars like Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Martin St. Louis and Corey Perry.

Now, with this set - 'Personal Scripts' - the idea isn't always about nicknames. Sometimes the player includes when they were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, or if they accomplished something unique.

Still, the idea of making the card more personal is there.

2005/06 Upper Deck Trilogy
Personal Scripts

Trilogy has used this concept in the past more than once. I tracked down this fantastic Gordie Howe card from the same insert set a couple years prior to the Nystrom.

This 21-card set is equally as intriguing as its 07/08 counterpart.

'Mr. Hockey' is so synonymous with Howe that he includes his nickname quite regularly when he signs his cards. You can find a number of examples with a quick search on ebay.

To my earlier point, I think it starts making the inscription a little less special........just a little. :)

2004/05 Upper Deck Legendary Signatures
AKA Autographs

Without question, the granddaddy of the 'Nicknames' concept goes to this stunning collection of cards from 04/05.

Breaking new ground to create this 24-card set, Upper Deck started a buzz with the uniqueness and coolness of this eclectic mix of players.

Where else would you see Al Iafrate and Gump Worsley sit side by side? Tony Twist and Glenn Hall?

I find myself just looking at this set over and over, appreciating each card individually (remembering each of their nicknames just takes me back to the time when they played), but then realizing how cool it is to see a set like this completed (numbered to just 100, it's not impossible, but pretty rare to see a full set).

A great way to cap off this look at one of my favorite concepts to come along on the past decade.

Do you know of any other nickname cards out there?

Do you have any favorite concepts?

LINDEN CARD(s) OF THE WEEK - Card Show Double Take

I think the funk I was in is officially over.

While I didn't manage to go skating with my niece and nephew (that's in the agenda sooner than later), we did go glow-in-the-dark bowling tonight.

A fun time just being goofs. It can't get much better than that.

Earlier in the day, I made the quick trip to the monthly card show here. One that I have been going to for years. I missed last month's show (the first of the year), but was determined to make it out this time. Especially since Dominion was hot off the presses for the shows.

And the tables didn't disappoint.

Rarely do I track down even one Linden at the local shows. Today, I found three (actually four.....you'll see).

2010/11 Panini Playoff Contenders
Classic Ticket #103

A simple base card that I decided I wouldn't pick up off of ebay. The price to ship it is more than I was willing to shell out for the card.

I finally tracked down a copy. Still paid more than I needed to, but for a toonie, it was worth being able to scratch it off the list.

2010/11 Panini Dominion
Legends #150 /99

Another base card. This one I severely overpaid for, but again I felt it was worth it since I was able to pick it up locally. Plus, the guy I bought it from always seems to have good deals and is fair to work with.

He also happened to have this on his table...

2010/11 Panini Dominion
Legends #150 Ruby Auto /50

This one definitely caught my eye. Wasn't expecting to see it at the show.

This card has been up and down all over the place on ebay. I've seen it go from $10 to over $50.

I asked what he wanted for it, he named his price, it was a little more than I wanted to pay for it, but again....you just don't see these cards at the shows.

So I jumped at it. I was happy with the deal.

Until I moved down about three tables...


Yup. Wouldn't you know it.

I just shook my head. I asked how much he wanted for it. His price came in at almost half what I just shelled out for the other one.

Ouch.

And to add salt to the wound...


It's the one numbered to his jersey #16.

Not that it makes much difference to me, but it can provide a small premium to some collectors.

I figured what the heck....so I picked that one up too. It'll be a nice trader down the road.

I never thought I'd find two identical Linden autos /50 at the same show.

I learned my lesson today.

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Ken Wregget

I'm noticing a trend when it comes to the cards I've talked about in previous 'Cardboard Photography' posts.

I like goalies!

So why stop.

1996/97 Upper Deck
#135 Ken Wregget

Talk about a moment frozen in time. This pic takes the cake.

Now, the caption at the bottom says "Wregget stones the Rangers 40 times en route to 4-1 win". So I'm assuming this photo ends up as either a save or the puck goes wide. I'm hard pressed to think Upper Deck would use the one goal New York scored as the picture used in a stellar goaltending performance.

The one small beef I have about this card is that you have very little reference as to where the net is. You can kind of make out the crease, and it appears that you can make out the shadow of the mesh in the netting. But a post or crossbar would have been nice.

By loosening the shot a bit, you'd also be able to eliminate cutting off Messier's head (which I found funny anyways).

I really like the 'zero blur', razor sharp image captured here. From Wregget flopping back to make the save, to Moose licking his chops at a loose puck (and potential garbage goal), to the fans in the crowd who are seemingly in awe by the action.

I think the shot has got good exposure, decent framing and works well with the layout of the card.

Now if it could only be determined if it was a goal?

An interesting tidbit on the back of the card...Ken led all NHL goaltenders in wins in 1994/95.

Seems harmless enough, but there was something odd about the stats, and the year......it took me a bit, but I figured it out.

Get this...

Ken Wregget played in 17 NHL seasons. He led the league in wins once (94/95). He had only 25 wins that year. I'm sure you can guess why. Yup, it was the shortened, 48-game lockout year.

Now the weird bit. Ken's best season as an NHL goalie in terms of wins? 1994/95! A whopping 25 wins!

That's his BEST season. Ken won 20+ games in a season only 5 times and never cracked more than 25.

Yikes.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - I'm Back!

It has been a mighty long time since I've posted a 'Scribbles & Scribes' entry, but who am I to deny longtime reader Michael over at Collecting For Kicks from enjoying one of his favorite topics.

So I did some hunting and searching and digging.....scouring the Internets for scribble goodness (actually, it was the scribe that naturally took a while to track down - BUT I FOUND ONE!).

And believe it or not, he still plays in the NHL. So it's a rare one.

Enjoy.

Nathan Horton
SCRIBBLE

More like a lazy attempt than random sharpie swirls, this 'signature' from Nathan fits the bill just fine.

For those of you who were unaware, Horton sports the number 16 on his jersey. Thanks for letting us know Nate.

It never ceases to amaze me just how ugly looking a bad autograph can be.

It almost makes me want to start a new side project - Ugly Autos.

Almost.

And now, the B-side to this terrible single, the clean side of the crumb filled cushion......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Ray Whitney
SCRIBE

Hey? Yeah? I think we have a winner!

I see some legibility (is that a word? it doesn't have a squiggly line under it....so it must be good). I see both capital letters and lower case. I see a first name and a last. And I see it all along one straight line.

It meets the checklist of scribe.

If it looks like a duck and smells like a duck.......(that's how the saying goes right?).

Granted, Ray is on the tail end of his career (can you even name the team he's playing for?). I can.....I took him in one of my pools.

Thanks for the blog post suggestion Michael. Hope you liked it.

OPINION: FUNKS

Man, this past week and a half has really got me messed up.

On the positive side, the NHL season is in full swing, I'm involved in a pair of hockey pools and I'm making strides towards traveling to Toronto to attend my first ever Toronto Card Expo (in mid-November).

But work has flung some more weight on the plate recently causing me to think a lot about what's left before the end of the year. I'm a few weeks behind in my paperwork (which bugs the crap out of me) and I'm behind on getting my e-mails sorted out. My condo looks like a bomb exploded and I've got a bit of a backlog of laundry staring me square in the face. Add to that the projects that have taken up my time so far this year (they just won't get off my plate for some reason), the custom cards that I've been completely neglectful about...and I don't like that and the overall disarray of my collection - hoo boy.

But all I wanted to do this weekend was relax. With it being Thanksgiving weekend (here in Canada), it stands up to be the last three day weekend of the year. The home stretch to Christmas (yikes!).

You'd think I'd be able to get some nice relaxing time in watching the odd hockey or football game......but no.

Some of it was spent recovering from a pounding headache on Friday and Saturday. Sunday was turkey dinner at my sister's house (and I'd like to note....that was the best part of the weekend bar none). Monday was spent feeling guilty that I let my weekend slide away.

To top it all off, I'm supposed to be in early Tuesday at work as we have some group work that needs some prep time. Trying to get to sleep was not in the cards.

So here I am, it's 5:00am and I've got an hour and a half to kill before I go into work. Where did the weekend go?

My motivation to blog has been down a bit. I think it's been the lack of cards I've picked up recently, but I look all over my office and see a ton of cards I've never shown off. It doesn't add up.

On the plus side, the last hour has me caught up on my e-mails and a solid dent in my paperwork. I should have that done by the time I go to work.

Have you ever been in a 'funk'? How long did it last?

I think after my shift at work today I'm calling in the troops. My sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew have always been great at getting me on track or motivated. I think this time I'll call on them to help me get out of this funk.

It might be a day trip out somewhere, or maybe even a basement purge here at my place. Whatever it is, I hope it will be the engine restart I need right now.

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!! - Dominic Roussel

Well, tonight was the second hockey draft in two nights for me. To summarize how I feel about my picks, I will show you this card.

1995/96 Score
#182 Dominic Roussel

Now, at first this card might look like it belongs in the "Cardboard Photography" section. After all, it's a cool glove hand flash.

But take a close look at what's in his glove.

That's right - nothing.

And take a look at his face.


His eyes are looking behind him...directly into the net.

Yup, it was a 'swing-and-a-miss' for me when it came to my hockey pool selections.

I won't bore you with all of my picks. Instead, I will let you cringe at some of the names that came out of my mouth.

Martin Brodeur (not so bad.....if it wasn't for the fact that Cam Ward was still available).

Sheldon Souray (is he still playing? I hope so).

Jaromir Jagr (let's just say that the groans were mighty - throughout the room).

Ville Leino (not in a million years did I expect to pick him).

And that's just from Tuesday's draft. Here's some goodies from tonight. (keep in mind, I picked 14th out of 14.....not fun)

Sheldon Souray (no joke....I decided to double my pleasure).

Travis Zajac (um yeah, he's out for a couple months....nice job in your research).

Steve Mason (the goalies went quick and he was the best of the leftovers...unless you want to count backups. I should have considered one of them).

Anze Kopitar (not necessarily a bad pick, but when your top two guys are Kopitar and Mike Richards....you're hoping that the Kings have a huge season). 'One' and 'two' they are not in my books.

Needless to say, I am sitting here looking at my picks with palm clearly in face. Let's hope for a crazy season.

So with that, Dominic Roussel, and your lack of keeping your eye on the puck.....

PPPPFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!!!!!!!!!

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 1997/98 Esso Olympic Hockey Heroes Autograph

With three different hockey pools upcoming this week, I've been swamped with projection guides and internet research. It's been crazy trying to come up not only the 'must haves' but also the 'sleepers'.

One thing I did conclude.....take heads over tails - EVERY TIME. :)

I can't say that this has been the reason for not posting over the weekend, I've just been busy.

Friday was again a stellar mailday with two packages arriving. One had yet another Decades jersey show card 1/1 (the ten billionth one in existence). Worthy of its own post if it wasn't for the fact that I'm almost getting bored with scanning them in.

But the other envelope had something that I've been waiting over 10 years for.

1997/98 Esso
Olympic Hockey Heroes
#A-8 Autograph (500 sets)

About a year and a half ago I blogged about the French version of this card. At the time I mentioned that finding one of them was like a needle in a haystack.

Well, this is the first English version I have seen on the market and I wanted to make sure I gave myself a more than fair shot at getting it.

But first, you may ask "How can you tell this isn't just a regular card that's been signed in person?"

I asked the seller the same thing. Well, actually I just asked for a scan of the back of the card.


Voila! A-8. That's the magic number.

I offered what I felt was more than a fair price (basically what I paid for the French version) and mentioned that I would really like to work with the seller to make this transaction happen.

He said he had a couple other offers to consider. I'll admit I got a little worried. He got back to me a couple of days later and said the card was mine.

I don't know if I had the best offer? I don't know if I got preferential treatment since I was a Linden collector? But whatever it was, I was thrilled to see the card coming my way.

When it arrived, I couldn't wait to tear into it. And I needed to - literally. The packaging was so thourough, it took me about 10 minutes to finally get to the card.

I think I need to do a post on what I consider the proper way to package a card.

Nonetheless, a fantastic way to start the fall hockey season.

Now, back to the books!