1 vs. 100 - It's Celebration Time

It's been a busy June for me (as always when it comes to work).  I've been on a semi-hiatus from the hobby....but not quite like last year.  I've dipped my toes into the pool a few times, mostly only to take them out after a couple minutes.  No deep end dives (although the thought had crossed my mind on one occasion).

I've also had a few cards come in.  Some with very important meaning and representation in my collections.  I'm looking forward to sharing those later on this summer when things calm down at work next month.

What June has brought me though is a couple of very significant milestones.

First, this is post #1000 of My Hockey Card Obsession.  In a little less than 6 years, I've pumped out more posts than I ever imagined I would.  I've looked back on some of them over the past few months and get a kick out of what I wrote.  I still very much enjoy blogging and find it a stabilizing cog in my hobby world.

I started this blog for me, for my collections and for the thought that I would build and improve both my writing and enjoyment of sports cards.  I can say with 100% certainty that this is the case.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to stop by and read my ramblings.  I hope you have enjoyed my journey and will continue to do so in the future.

Now......the second milestone.

Why not celebrate this historic post by announcing the completion of a long outstanding project.

That's right........'1 vs. 100' is complete.  The final card arrived today.

This Patrick Roy /14 has a terrific story behind it (I love cards with stories).  I was at a local trade night a couple months back and noticed this card in one of the trade boxes held by a regular at the store.  I knew immediately the importance of the serial number.  Of course, the player name had me a little concerned.

But me being me, I asked if there was a trade that might be worked out.

A quick sift through my old, stagnant and generally boring trade box yielded nothing.  He then proceeded to say "for futures".

Uh.......no.  While I really appreciated the gesture (he knew the project that card would be going to), I knew that a Patrick Roy /14 was not a low-dollar parallel.  He insisted......and so did I.  I knew that the card would be in his trade box next month.  Who knows what might happen.

So a month passes and I go to the next trade night.  Topps Archives Baseball had just been released and my other guy, Oscar Gamble, has a couple autograph cards in the mix.  So I bought a couple packs just for kicks.

What did I find but a gold Harold Baines signature /50.  A pretty sweet pull considering I just grabbed a couple packs (the card is a 1:190 packs find).  Before I even had a chance to really let sink in what I had pulled, what comes across the counter but a Patrick Roy /14.

Now I won't say no to that trade.  Thanks Art!

A couple guys asked me what the final card on the list was.  Can you believe "98"????!!!!!!!!  Seriously?

I went home that night and dug through ebay a bit to see what I could find.

Craig Smith Titanium Rookie /98 is the answer to the question.

Nothing really out of the ordinary about this card.  It wasn't a wallet burner by any means.  A simple parallel (and a higher numbered one at that) that had just snuck by me for a half-decade.

Well, It's in my hands now and so are the other 99 card in the project.

I've really enjoyed putting this "set" together.  It's taught me that you can build anything you want in this hobby.  It doesn't have to be expensive or shiny or rare or eight-color.  It can be a simple idea - with a little creative spark - that can bring fun and challenge to collecting.

I've already got ideas about what I'm going to do next.  I think the quest will begin this fall.  Stay tuned.

Current Collection - 100 out of 100 (DONE)

LINDEN uh....PIN(s) OF THE WEEK - Two More For The Collection

I normally don't salivate at the sight of pins - even Linden pins, but when I saw this two-pack up for sale on ebay I just couldn't resist.

What can I say...I'm a sucker for a good deal.

In fact, I thought it was such a good deal that I bought two sets.  One to store away in the collection box and one to crack open.

I have little info on these NHL/NHLPA endorsed pins other than when I saw them during a routine ebay search (for the price they were sitting at) I decided to buy them.  I thought they looked neat (at the price I paid).

Are you getting the sense that I'm just a cheapo when it comes to these pins?  I am.

I can get on board with smaller Linden items that can fit nicely in boxes as opposed to giant banners or stand-up cardboard displays.

OK....I have some of that kind of stuff too.

I just really liked the idea of getting the second set.  Cracking them open out of the plastic was fun.....more fun than I thought I'd have.

There's really nothing too special about these pins.  Simple designs.  A cash grab to fans of Linden alike.  What can I say, I got sucked in.

But when I put the set I didn't open in my "non-cards" box, I found this...

Looks like I have the home and away set now.

Why didn't I buy a second set of those ones?  Probably too expensive.

'DID YOU KNOW' - Tom Bladon

With one of my recent used book purchases, 'Hockey's Book of Firsts' by James Duplacey, I've become inspired to post a few 'Did You Know' posts.

You know........Did You Know?

Maybe not.  After all, it's been well over a year since I last posted one.

But I loved finding a neat story in the book and then trying to hunt down a card that represented the accomplishment.

And if the name Tom Bladon doesn't ring a bell (or what his achievement might be), then this post, and Mr. Duplacey's book, will have served it's purpose.

'Did You Know' - Defenceman Tom Bladon was the first rearguard to register 8 points in a game.

This excerpt comes straight from the book...

"Tom Bladon had a night for the ages and a slot for the record book on December 11, 1977, when he recorded four goals and added four assists in the Philadelphia Flyers' 11-1 whipping of the Cleveland Barons.  Since Bladon finished the season with only 11 goals and 35 points, he collected 25% of his season's output in a single game!"

Wow.  That's quite a night.

Now, why did I show you a Penguins card from a couple years later?

You can clearly see the fast fact on the bottom of the card.  Card backs can actually house some interesting information if you are looking for it.

There have only been a handful of players to ever score 8 points in a game (13 to be exact) and Mario Lemieux is the only one to have done it three times (Gretzky did it twice).  The majority of these 8-point games came in the 80's when scoring was at an all-time high.

That's what makes Bladon's accomplishment even more impressive.  Up until he has his historic night, only three players ever....EVER had scored eight in a game.  Maurice Richard in the 40's, Bert Olmstead in the 50's and Darryl Sittler's incredible 10-point game in '76.

Tom Bladon held the defenceman single game record for almost a decade when Edmonton's Paul Coffey matched the stat on March 14, 1986.

They remain the only two D-men to have scored 8 in a game.

But there was only one to do it first.

Tom Bladon.


note: in doing some additional research, I learned that Bladon was a +10 on the night, a record at the time and one that still stands to this day.  So that's like two Did You Know's for the price of one.  You're welcome.