HHOF AUTOS - Mats Sundin

I was able to add to the slowly growing Hall of Fame autographs project at the last trade night I attended.

Looking at the list of players I still need signatures from I knew that hitting the 100-card mark wouldn't be a problem.  The only question would be "How long will it take"?  At the rate I'm going.....a good decade or two.

But slow and steady wins the race.  And when you're not buying any of the cards - only trading for them - it makes for a truly enjoyable quest.

Case in point, the following card.

Mats Sundin

(Inducted in 2012)

To know that this card came from a Mats Sundin/Toronto Maple Leafs collector only adds to the thrill of adding this to the project.

The scan is horrible on this card and believe me, the signature is very visible and quite solid considering it's on a very shiny finish.

This card comes from a day when In The Game had an NHL license and could therefore show team logos.  While it was only a little over a decade ago, it feels like a lifetime.  I miss those days.

It's weird to start seeing players that I saw come into the league, have long and incredible careers and then get the call to the Hall.  Makes me feel a little old.  There was a time when it was just guys like Howe, Richard, Hall and Horton.  Now it's Bure, Blake, Shanahan and Sundin.

And while an auto is an auto for the project, there will be some names that just have a greater meaning to me in the collection.  This Sundin is one of them....not because of who he is, but because of who I got the card from.

Current Collection - 64 HOF Autos

OUTSIDE THE BOX - Marques Haynes

I meant to post this last week and I'm kind of kicking myself that I forgot.

I recently heard of Hall of Fame Harlem Globetrotter Marques Haynes' passing and was saddened to hear that one of the game's most important figures was no longer with us.

He was a Globetrotter when the team was more than just about silly antics and hail mary plays.  He was known as one of the best ballhandlers ever - EVER and (in my opinion) revolutionized the small-man's role in the game.

This write-up from The Washinton Post has a couple of great videos in addition to some incredible numbers.

Hearing of Marques' passing also had me dig out this card I had sitting in the collection.

It's from the 2008 Donruss Sports Legends set and shows Haynes in his Globetrotters gear with a game-used piece of jersey in the card.  I picked up the card because I was in a bit of a Harlem Globetrotters vibe at the time.

I had heard that the team was coming to town and got a little sentimental when I decided to take my niece and nephew to the game.  I also got a little motivated to try and obtain an interview with an all-time Globetrotter great.

You can check out the full story here......and believe me, it was an incredible experience.

You can see my Haynes card as part of the last page of the article.

It's card I'm glad I didn't get rid of and will proudly store it as part of my personal collection.

oh, and if you feel a little nostalgic towards the Globetrotters yourself, be sure to check out the fantastic documentary, The Team That Changed The World.

12 in 12 - Used Book Sales Galore

I look back about 3-4 years ago and I can't believe that I was a guy who just did not read books.  I enjoy the daily newspaper, I like a good magazine article and I love reading blogs (especially sports card related).  But I can honestly (and regretfully) say that up until a few years ago I went probably a good decade without really sitting down and enjoying a book.

That has most definitely changed.  I am constantly working on a title, albeit a little slow sometimes (but I've found flipping through more than one book at a time to be more uncomfortable than not) and I've really found enjoyment in spending time reading with my niece and nephew.

And of course, the collector in me loves to scour book sales for the hidden gems.  The month of May here in town is the hottest for just that.

I started off great even before then with a nice used book store find.  Once again, thanks to Captain Canuck for his pointing me in the direction of a used book store I've never heard of.  In it, this very recognizable title (to all you hockey fans).

What made the buy even better....

Yeah....money well spent.

Well, the month of May would bring with it a few more author-signed copies and more than enough pages to last me for a long time.

Take a moment if you will to check out some of the titles that are now on my "to read" list.

Ken Dryden's iconic book "The Game" is (in my opinion) a must read for hockey fans and sports fans alike.  One of the most well-written first hand accounts of the game of hockey and the dynasty-driven eras.

I need to re-read that one.

I knew that Dryden had written other titles, but had never heard of this one when I came across it during a garage sale day with my niece and nephew.

It's in fantastic shape and was very nicely priced at a mere twenty-five cents.

Oh......and it's autographed as well.

I couldn't get the change out of my pocket fast enough.

I've seen a lot of Dryden autos with personalizations on them.  This one is just screaming for a cut auto.  Maybe one day.  I do recall that I've already got a Dryden on the "to do" list.

The same garage sale had this pristine conditioned book about the history of the hockey stick.  Again, for a quarter I just couldn't resist.  I even have a copy of it already (it soft covered so this is definitely an upgrade).

And....you guessed it - it's signed.

Now, that said, a signed copy of a book is way more exciting when the author is a superstar hockey player as opposed to a newspaper columnist.

But still.

For the past couple weeks, I've been volunteering my time at  one of the largest charity used book sales in the city.

Unloading, sorting and organizing almost a million books over the span of less than two weeks makes for busy work.  But it was truly the most fun I've had volunteering in a very long time - if ever.

The non-profit organization running the sale is new on my radar (my sister had heard of them before) and their goal is promoting early literacy.  Making sure every kid has the chance to read - and have that reading be of quality.

I jumped in the deep end with both feet and haven't looked back.

One of the benefits of volunteering is that we were able to get first dibs on the book buying.  Now it's not what you think.  I didn't sign up just for the early bird buying.  But it's a nice perk.

I went the night before the sale and the day of and came home with a good selection of titles.

Satchel.  This cover just spoke to me.  On a normal day at a store, I probably wouldn't have bought this book, but when the money is going to charity...let's give it a go.

Sweetness.  Again, not one on my radar, but I just had to have it.  The book is in great shape and I have no doubt that one of the greatest running backs of all time would have an interesting story.

I don't have too many golf titles, but this one seems like a no-brainer.

I love the cover on this one.  Look at the old camera in the blurred background.  And the pink scarf....priceless.  Where's that look nowadays?

Hockey's Book Of Firsts.  I bought this with the sole intention of reviving my "Did You Know" segment on this blog.  A bunch of neat tidbits in this read.

I have this book - and it took forever for me to find locally.  I paid a good amount for it so I was crushed when I saw this copy sitting there.  I had to buy it.  It'll make for a good "here....read this" gift.

As a side note on this title, I started reading this book a number of months ago and found it hard to get into.  But it does list very high on all-time sports bios....so I'm betting it's a quality read.

Bruce Dowbiggin again.  I think when I picked up this title it was because I was stalled at just a few titles.  I wanted to buy a few more book knowing the money was going to a good cause.

This may be one that sits on the shelf for a while.

Taking a flyer on this one.  No clue who Moe Berg is but I saw the baseball card on the front and immediately thought "I must have this one".  I don't even know if it's fiction or non-fiction.

note: a quick Google search reveals that this book is fact-based.  Interesting.

This book was in really nice shape.  And Roger Neilson is a guy I know little about (other than the infamous white towel episode).

When I brought all my books home I realized I already have this one.  Oh well, I'm sure I can find someone to take my other copy.

This Dave King book is always in the library and never really intrigued me.  But again, it's a charity book sale so why not.

And when it's a signed copy, I'll take it on that alone.

Again, I love that it's not personalized.

Dave Bidini wrote one of my more recent sports faves, Keon & Me.  I'll pick up anything of his I don't have just to add to the collection.

Of course it's signed.

And by the way....if you ever sign a book, this is how you do it.

I finally drifted from the sports genre and grabbed this Keith Richards title.  One of my co-workers is huge into music bios and said this is one of the best.

I passed on a copy last year so when I saw it this time around, I grabbed it.

This was a book that just kept following me around the two days I was at the sale.

Grant MacEwan is an iconic name in Alberta history and John Ware is a name that is familiar with me too.  I went to John Ware Junior High.

But that's not why I bought the book.

Just for fun I picked up the book, showed it first to my sister, then my mom and every time I flipped it open and read a few sentences, it had me wanting to read more.

It didn't matter what page, what part of the story - it was interesting in the moment.

This might be the next title I read.  I'm that intrigued by it.

Lastly, I rolled the dice on this title.  I've heard very good things about it and while it's not completely fiction, it's not your typical biography.  It feels more like an adventure story.

So there you have it, new (old) books for the shelf.  And fresh titles to sink into over the next year or two......or ten.....or thirty.

I've got too many books.



What are you reading these days?  What's been the best title you've read of late?  Anything on the radar?

LINDEN CARD(s) OF THE WEEK - A Three'Fer At The Show

While it's still been a slow go over the 2015 calendar year, I've been pleased with the pickups I've made (and more impressed with the Linden's I've passed on).

The big Toronto Expo is about a month past and even though I wasn't able to attend, I did manage to snag a great looking card for the collection.  Trade nights have been quiet for the most part, but do occasionally lend a nice surprise.

And I can now say that the monthly card show has proven to be fruitful for my Linden collection (something that was very "hit or miss" so far this year).  A couple weeks ago I was able to grab three.....count 'em - THREE new pc cards.

2014/15 Upper Deck Trilogy

#133 Ice Scripts

This hard signed Ice Scripts autograph is a solid addition to the signatures housed in my collection.  I do like the clear cards (be it the Ice Scripts or Glacial Graphs) so long as the auto is not faint or smudged.

I prefer the card design on this year's offering over the 13/14 card, but like the more full-body shot on the prior.

This card was an addition to the main pickup from the show....a card that made me cut short a "parade of garage sale day" with my niece and nephew (to be fair...it was raining and we were about done anyways).

2014/15 Upper Deck Masterpieces

#133 Black Framed Memorabilia Stick  /35

When fellow blogger Captain Canuck fired off a photo of this find asking if I needed it, I was already doing the math in my head on what to offer the seller.  A quick drive over to the show and I saw the great looking card first hand.

For a memorabilia window so small, Upper Deck did a nice job with their sticks and patches, maximizing the "wow" factor.

With no completed sales on ebay (the card was that new on the market), I gave it my best guess and made what I felt was a fair offer....and still think so.

I really like the wear on the stick piece and am thrilled to cross off the toughest card from the product release (just 35 copies).

2014/15 Upper Deck Masterpieces

#133 Memorabilia Jersey

While I was finalizing the transaction of the two cards shown above, another seller popped by and flashed this card in my face.  I knew he had it as I saw him pull it during his box breaks earlier in the week.

I predicted correctly in what I thought the seller would be looking to get and when I kind of stalled on it he lowered the price.  While it was still a little higher than I would have eventually spent, the seller has kept me in mind on more than one occasion and he does price his cards fairly.  In this instance, he got a few extra bucks off of me due to the newness of the product.

At the end of the day, it wasn't enough to raise a stink over and I do like that it's a non-white jersey piece.

So with that, it was one of my more successful card show trips in a while. And I didn't even plan on attending.  Fancy that.

LINDEN CARD(s) OF THE WEEK - A Pair With Some Pop

About a month ago I was observing some of the new Linden offerings in Upper Deck Ice.  Specifically the Glacial Graphs trio of cards.  I was quite excited to start the chase for these three autos.

And while the blue base version has been here and there, I haven't really even taken a sniff of them yet hoping that I'll find one locally.  The yellow and black variations have shown up on the secondary market, but it seems as though many sellers want to impress the Linden Tax on these cards.

After all.....they're clear plastic so they must demand a premium.

What started as an exciting adventure quickly turned into a sit-and-wait game.  I've become a patient man in my old age.  I can wait (most of the time).

I did see one of the black parallels /10 hit ebay with a low starting bid.  I kept a close eye on it but decided not to chase it.  I was more curious to see what the end price would be.

I was a little surprised that it finished so low (about $30-40 less than I anticipated).  Of course, the next two or three to hit the open market were slapped with high Buy It Now prices.

No thanks.

I made (what I considered to be) a very fair offer and was quickly shot down.  I was told that I should have bid on the last one since it went so low.

So I continued to wait.

Until last weekend and the Toronto Expo where I unknowingly had a couple people on the lookout for me.  I received a text late in the day Sunday asking if I'd be interested in this card...

Uh.....yeah.  How much?

Well, the price was not terrible, but still higher than I wanted to spend.  I countered with (again what I considered to be) a fair price but the seller wanted just a little more.

I bit and bought.

Picking the card up at last week's trade night made me happy with the purchase.  It's a really solid signature and I was right....the scans do not do the card justice.  It looks great in person.

The funniest part....this is the same copy as the guy who snubbed my offer on ebay.  In the end, it was a compromise on both sides.

But that was not the only Linden to cross my path on trade night.

I had almost forgotten about a Linden card I was told about months ago.  I knew the card the collector was talking about (and I did need it), he just kept forgetting to bring it.  Until now.

This 2014/15 Trilogy Signature Pucks card is very reminiscent of the previous year's copy, just a color change in the background really.

But hand-numbered to 15 makes it a tough find.  And it does meet the minimum requirements of my Linden collection.  The guy pictured....that's Linden.

So a good ol' fashioned trade occurred.  I was able to part with a few cards that have been sitting in the trade box for a while now and walk away with this....kind of off-angle auto.

There.  That's better.  Too bad I couldn't do that with the puck for real.  Only in the world of Photoshop can I fix a card that quickly.

Two great cards in one evening.  I'm sure there's a word for that.

MY COLLECTION - A Very Entertaining Gift

I'll admit....I've been a little demotivated with the hobby recently - I'm in a bit of a funk you could say.  Nothing is really exciting or "talk-worthy".  That is until last night's trade night when all that went straight out the window.

I was the very fortunate recipient of a gift.

I'll say this...I like cards with stories.  And I like collectors who have stories to tell.  To me, hockey cards are more than just little 2.5x3.5 pieces of cardboard with price tags on them.  They tell of history in the sport and in the hobby, be it a superstar name or one game wonder.

So when I was sifting through a monster box of traders, and gawking at many spectacular offerings, I was immediately drawn to a stack of 51/52 Parkhurst jewels.  While sorting through them (and imagining how many of them I'd love to buy) I came across a few other vintage goodies.

The box owner popped by and lifted one out.  We took a closer look at it and he told me that it was a gift.

He said that when he picked it up he was thinking of me and that I'd probably appreciate it and enjoy it.

Clear.  The.  Track!!

Enjoy it?  This is downright awesome.

For those of you who might not recognize the buzz cut Ed Shack, this is the rookie card (from the 1958/59 Topps set) from the man who we would later dub "The Entertainer".

Next to the Bobby Hull, this Shack rc is the most desirable card in the set.  Definitely not "common" or no name.

Still not sure you know who he is?  Here....maybe this will help.

Like I said - Clear the track.....here comes Shack!!!  Toronto fans would probably instantly know who I'm talking of.  And I'll be honest, I didn't know that his days in the league started with the Rangers.

That is just a spectacular photo.

In his post-playing days, he'd ham it up during NHL oldtimers events as "referee"....while dog-collaring players I'm sure.

Alright, back to the card.

When I was told that the card was meant for me and was bought with me in mind, I really was taken aback.  I mean, this isn't a Trevor Linden offering on my wantlist, it's not a Cup raiser or goalie mask card, not quite a vintage Parkie and it's not numbered less than 100.

No, this card has it's own energy....it's own character and that's what I see in spades.

Just look at how tight that jersey is on the young 21-year-old winger.  His gloves crawl halfway up his arms.  The stick is a fine wood offering (and probably a straight blade).  And I must correct myself.....it's a SWEATER, not a jersey.

The card design is so simple, but that was how things were back in the 50's.  Huh....this card is almost 60 years old.  How cool is that?

Creases and dinged corners be damned....they just add to the awesomeness.

And since we are having so much fun....

Here's what the back of the card looks like.

I would have expected nothing less.

Topps knew even then when they stated "Colorful..." and "Aggressive..". Yeah, that would be bang on.  And who nowadays would have a hobby like "truck driving" or skills like "butcher boy".

I wish this piece of cardboard could talk so I could hear some of the neat stories of where this card has been.  For now, it's an easy decision as to what I'll be doing with it.

My little shrine at work could use a new addition ever since I snagged my #WalletCard off the mantle back in January.  This Shack will make for a great conversation piece.

And to the fellow collector who gifted me this card - Thank You!!!  Your generosity, enthusiasm and approach towards the hobby is one that I appreciate and enjoy.  Please know that this card really means a lot.

RAISE THE CUP - Cleaning Off The Desk

Well I had a few moments tonight to clean up my office desk.  Seems there's been a massive explosion, and the result......cards, cards everywhere.

Most are ones that need to go into trade binders or monster boxes (as they've been downgraded from the toploader world) a handful are from various projects and a couple are "reminder" cards.

What they're supposed to remind me to do.....who knows anymore.

But I came across three cards that were easy to place and a quick check on a project binder showed me that I needed to do some scanning.....and some show & telling.

This Mario Lemieux card is a real eye-catcher.  Even when I look at it close up, it has that drawn/sketch feel to it.  But it's not.  It's just a slightly overexposed photograph.

Inserted into the 2006/07 Power Play insert set called Cup Celebrations, this has slowly revealed itself as one of the earlier Cup raising insert sets out there.

I picked it up at a trade night a few months ago.  Crazy enough - I traded for it.

A lot of LA Kings Stanley Cup cards of late (but not this year).  I really like a lot of the horizontal offerings in my project.  The background really gives the card depth and makes the Cup punch out even more.

Kopitar looks truly overjoyed.  What a great moment - and a perfect example of what I like about this collection.

Uh oh.....we need a ruling.

A while back I made the decision to take some cards out of my Raise The Cup project.  I decided that some of the parameters include...

1. Photo must appear on the front of the card
2. Stanley Cup must be raised over the player's head

Well, clearly you can see that we only have 50% on the test.  But boy is this card ever nice.  You can tell that this photo was taken literally moments after Toews was presented the Cup.  The expression on his mug is perfect and there's good energy in the shot.

Plus it's Jonathan Toews....not Mark Messier.  I was able to throw out a card of The Moose because he had the Cup at his side.  A good reason as any to get rid of it.

This card on the other hand - is going in.......for now.  I'm sure I'll change my mind at a later point.

But I get to do that.  It's my project.

Current Collection - 120 cards

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - More Artifacts

It's been a bit of a slow week hobby-wise for me.  I've kept my eye on a number of auctions, but have passed on pretty much all of them.  Prices just don't feel right.

But every once in a while one pops up with all the stars aligned.  And when the bidding is all said and done, sometimes you win one.

And in this case it was a nice addition to a miserable release.  (OK....that might be a little over-dramatic).

2014/15 Upper Deck Artifacts

Gold Spectrum Material

#31 Patch/Patch  /15

I'm happy with any card numbered to 15 that I can grab for what I feel is a good price.

A couple of interesting patches on it though.  I couldn't put my finger on it until I saw the card up close.

Doesn't look like Canuck colors.  And it's got some unique stitching too.

I think it looks like a CCM patch.

Thoughts anyone?

With this card I'm almost halfway through the parallel hell of Artifacts for the 14/15 release.  I now have 9 of 19 cards put out in the product.  A couple of them are easy pickings, so I'm not in a rush.  All the others?  Well, let's just say this /15 was the easiest of those.

Not a race.  Not a race.  Not a race.

OPINION - Is It Really A Masterpiece?

For a few weeks now, I've been anxiously anticipating the upcoming Upper Deck release - Masterpieces.

I remember this product being a blast back in the 2008/09 season when it debuted.  The artist painting feel of the card, putting it on a matte, textured card stock and the great action many of the cards all made the robust checklist very popular.  Not to mention the jersey variations and hard-signed autograph finds.  A great product.

Word of Masterpieces being resurrected this season got me excited.  And  I really got my ears perked when I learned that Trevor Linden would be on the checklist.

Recently, Upper Deck showed off some of the cards in a Facebook post.  Here's what I saw.

First off, some of these artist paintings are spectacular.  The photos do these cards no justice I'm guessing.  I fixed them up as best I could, but I can just bet that seeing them up close will be a real treat.

The design may be simple, but that's part of what hooked me last time around.  The textured card stock is back too it seems.

And I really like how they've built the signature and memorabilia components.

And I have no doubt that the checklist will be a who's who.

Hopefully, like last time, there will be some all-time greats included along with today's current stars.

Oh yeah......did I mention Linden is in the release?

Marty, shown in his Devils garb.

You can kind of tell in the collar of his jersey.

That exciting......right?

Iggy.

Really?  That's the best photo you could draw from?

Hmmmmmmm.  Going back I'm seeing a bit of a trend with these cards.

Huh.

This Ovechkin offering lacks any sort of dynamics that the original Masterpieces had.

I'm getting a little bit concerned.

Ah, there he is.  Trev.

Doing his best "glide, turn left".  A real action shot if I've ever seen one.

OK, opinion time.

With a product like this (that has a very distinct and definitive history behind it) why would Upper Deck fill the pot with portrait shots and lackluster action?

Seriously?  Take a look at all the above cards.  It would be very fair to say that the Linden offering has the most action in it.  And if that's the case.....not good.

In this day and age, shouldn't the best of the best in terms of reference photos be available for a project like this?  Why didn't Upper Deck use the  08/09 offering as a guide?

Now, I'll admit, this Cam Neely card is not the most dynamic card itself, but it blows away anything I've seen from the upcoming release.

Great detail, great framing, good looking card.

And the white border base version really looks bland when compared to the brown border gems.

There it is.  That's what I think of when I hear Upper Deck Masterpieces.

What more would a person want in a card?  Tons of great color, creativity and artistry.  Both in the player depicted and the artist capturing.

Here's another.  This just destroys anything shown above from the current crop of cards.

So what happened?  Why the change?

I'm not certain, but what went from a high-level of excitement on the set has turned to a lukewarm simmer for some Linden chasing.

Not the end of the world, but I do believe that more could have been done with this set.

What are your thoughts on Upper Deck Masterpieces?  Both the original offering and the upcoming release?  What are your thoughts on the portraits painted?

WALLET CARD - Disaster!!!!

It was a disastrous afternoon.  A chain of events that led to an unfortunate incident.

The results......ugly.  Too much for some to handle.

Warning - the following photo may be disturbing to some hobbyists.

Simply put, this is what happens when your wallet (housing the above #WalletCard) is placed in the washing machine.

The story goes.....

Jar of salsa smashes on the ground.  Salsa everywhere.  Salsa on pants.  Wallet in pants (but forgotten about due to said salsa).  Pants go to washing machine.  Pants get washed.  Wallet gets washed.

Salsa gone.  #WalletCard gone.

Other than my wallet being a write-off, this was the only other item to take on any real damage.  All my credit cards and such are plastic.  All my money is some freak kind of waterproof indestructible material.  coins...good.

Just poor ol' Oscar.

I let him dry out and now he's super brittle.  I don't know if it's possible to salvage this copy - but believe me I'll try.

If not, I'll be on the search for a new copy.  I need #WalletCard

Actually, what bothers me more is the fact that this card was given to me as a gift and had meaning to me even before this year and the advent of #WalletCard.

Down......but not out.

1 vs. 100 - Are You Kidding Me???!!!!!!!

This project has been ongoing for well over five years (I checked) and I've been sitting at four cards remaining for a while now.

The only really searching I do is at the monthly trade nights or when something shiny is one a table at the monthly show.  I don't really do any hardcore searching on ebay right now.

You could very easily say that this project is in sleep mode, but recently it was given one of the biggest kicks I've ever felt.

Once again, thanks goes to fellow Linden collector Kevin for the very generous (and absolutely hilarious) additions.  It was without a doubt the most jaw dropping cards I've seen.

You'll think so too.

Yes!!!!  Josh Leivo.  Told ya.

This card, numbered to 86, represents his draft position.  I'll be honest, I've never heard of young Josh and I'm pulling for him as I see he's wearing the blue and white.

But let's face facts, his name could be Putta Playernamehere for all I care.  It's all about there serial number for me.

Now.......can you guess what's next?

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Ready?

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Yes!!!!!!!  Josh Leivo.

That's right, you're not seeing double.  This is Josh's jersey number parallel.  32 copies....and I need the number 32.

To have four cards on my wantlist - and not having seen any copies cross my way, only to have two in one shot - and of one player from one product release........is quite honestly the most incredible thing I've ever seen.

Let me think about that for a second.





Yup.  I can honestly say that this unlikely event has truly left me gobsmacked.  I can't stop smiling over the sheer coincidence of it all.

And if you think I'm going to upgrade either one of these two - you are CRAYYY-ZZZEEEEE!!!!!

I'm off to buy a lottery ticket or maybe the 50/50 draw at the Flames game.  Wow!

Current Collection - 98 out of 100  (98%)

12 in 12 - He Shoots, He Saves

A month or so ago, Sal over at Puck Junk posted a book review that had me very intrigued.  It also had me thinking back a few years to some of my fine photography skills.

Sal reviewed Jon Waldman's latest hockey hobby offering "He Shoots, He Saves: The Story Of Hockey's Collectible Treasures".  Sounds like it'd be right up my alley.

In fact, I put it on my wishlist for my birthday and my nephew got the hint. He wrapped it up like he always does - with tender loving care with reckless abandon and watched as I gawked over it after tearing apart the paper.

I'll be honest, I had ulterior motives to wanting this title.

You see, this book isn't just a what's what of hockey "stuff".  It's got a little bit of Linden inside - courtesy of yours truly.

That is the same Trevor Linden Rookie Of The Year button that currently sits in my closet.....somewhere.  It was one of about a dozen or so photos I took for this book after Jon sent out the call for submissions.

While I wasn't prepared to scan in the entire collection (that's for my own book to come), I did offer up some pretty unique oddball items.

Sadly, the Linden portion of this book is pretty sparse and this ROTY button was the only item to make the cut.

But that doesn't mean my photo skills weren't still on display.

One of my favorite goalie mask collectibles are these posters from the 1988 Calgary Olympic displays.  I snagged the collection of four years ago and they still garner a bit of attention.

I thought it was pretty cool to see some of my hockey collection make it into a mainstream book.

Now I'm looking forward to reading about the wonderful world of hockey collectibles.  And if you get a chance to pick up a copy - please do so.  Or if you'd like to get a little more insight first - read Sal's review.