LINDEN CARD(S) OF THE WEEK - Card Show Pickups

It was a weekend that I have been looking forward to for quite some time. We finally had a "big" card show here in town.  Not as big as Expo in Toronto, but definitely bigger than anything we've seen in over 3 years.  And I was thrilled to see it come to fruition.

I'll show off more of my goodies throughout the week.  Tonight it'll just be the Linden pickups.  And there were only two.  But two is better than zero.

2013/14 Upper Deck Trilogy

#SP-TL Signature Pucks

I was hoping to find a card like this locally.  There are enough copies of it out there that surely someone would have it.  The best part was that the seller hunted me down to tell me about it.  I like when other people find cards for me.  I like it even more when they don't try and charge "Linden Tax" on top of the price.

I made my offer and he took it.  A very simple and smooth transaction for a solid looking piece.  There are two parallel version of this card.  One with a retro logo puck /13 (on it's way) and a shield logo puck /3 (that one will be tougher to find since one is already tucked away in another person's pc).

2012/13 Upper Deck The Cup

#B-TL Brilliance Auto

This card looks pretty sharp in person.  It is super-thick (for some unknown reason) but the brilliance logo and silver team emblem are recessed quite deep.  It's a nice effect (and surprisingly scans well).  The front is a little scuffy, but I don't think that was from mishandling.  The guy I bought it from knows his cards well.

His price was a little higher than I wanted to pay, but I bit on it since it's always nice to buy locally.  No mailing of cards or shipping fees.

I'm sure I'll find some go for less down the road, but this one will remind me of a fantastic card show weekend.

Stay tuned for more goodies and some shocking surprises (a hint...I started on one of my "bucket list" projects).

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Jumbo!!!!!!

Another trade night come and gone and while it was a little lighter in participation...the take home was big.

Jumbo even!

I always enjoy seeing new concepts for Linden cards and the past 2-3 years have seen a plenty.  Too much in some instances.

From the Captain C to a monster quad auto, nameplates and multiple jersey pieces, there are a lot of really great memories.

Tonight was yet another chapter.  One I won't soon forget.

Well over a year ago, Superlative III was released by ITG.  And while I have slowly tracked down the bulk of the cards from the product, there are still a few that have managed to elude me.

With some cards it's tough.  Numbered out of 9 or 2 or the dreaded 1/1's makes tracking down these pieces a bit of a shoulder shrug.  They might come easy or they might never see the light of day.

One such card had a story like that.

Believe it or not, some people buy cards with no real rhyme or reason behind their collecting....and then shove the cards in the closet never to be seen again.  Gak!!!  What if a rare Linden lives in there?

Well, one such Linden did - for a year.  Then, out of the blue, this person with this rare Linden card just decides he wants to sell it.  Uhhhhh...ok.  So up on ebay it went.  And the price was not one I was going to budge at...rare or not.

I did reach out to the seller and soon learned it was a person whom I've met before.  He was selling the card for the actual owner.  We worked out a deal and this past weekend at the Expo in Toronto I had somebody pick it up for me.

It hit my hands tonight and boy did it feel nice.

2012/13 In The Game Superlative III

#JP-11 Jumbo Patch Gold  1/1

Oh yeah!  This scan does not do the card justice.  It is a fantastic looking piece and one of the best patches I have in my entire collection.

Why does it feel nice?

Because I cracked it out of its case.  I am an official Superlative toploader cracker.  I will not keep any of my cards in those holders ever again.

So even though I didn't make it out to the Expo, I feel like somehow the Expo came to me.

Thanks very much to Eli and Jeremy for making this transaction happen.

Now the card will forever be shoved in my closet.  So take one last look at it.

MY COLLECTION - The Best Piece Of Pink In It

Over the month of October, I have been following The Hockey Life a little closer than normal.  Young Colin has been providing some well used hockey tape in the hopes of raising money for a very worthy cause.

Game-used blade tape was carefully removed each week and put up for auction on ebay.  All the money earned from the auctions are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

And although there were no bids on the final auction (sadly....the starting price was just $2.49!!!), Colin and crew built up over $76 in funds.

Congratulations!!!!

My nicely laid out tape arrived last week.

I asked if Colin could autograph it for me and he kindly obliged.  Thanks very much.  I'm planning to take it in to work to put with my other special items.

In addition to the stick tape, there were a couple bonus surprises in the package.

Some of you may recall the Doug Keans story.  Well he currently coaches Colin.  So these cards have a special connection.

Love it!!!!  And the pinky just makes me snicker even more.  Thanks very much.

I also received a Trevor Linden card from ITG's Heroes and Prospects and a very nice handwritten letter from Colin himself.

Thanks very much for taking the time to write to me.  And thank you for everything you sent.

Continue having a great season guys!

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Patching The Cup

With the Toronto Fall Expo over and done with for another year (and no...I did not make the trip), I have found myself keeping a close eye on the new Linden cards released.

For the past couple years, Trev has made his way into various redemption programs at these bigger shows and just keeping track of the new adds to the checklist can prove to be tasking.  The Fall Expo has no doubt brought a few more cards to the list.  I've already seen some Superlative: The First Six and Decades 90s hit ebay (and with healthy prices on them).

I'm finding that I'm less excited about these this time around and have decided to wait - maybe for a long while.  There are other cards that have piqued my interest more.

In the meantime, there have been a couple new Linden cards to hit the pc this past week.  One of which was a great find at an even better price.

2012/13 Upper Deck The Cup

#85 Game Used Patch  /10

I've said it many times before....I love the patch cards that come from the ol' yellow and orange jersey.  This might not be the most elaborate patch design out of the 10 cards made up for this release, but so far it's been the cheapest.  That'll do me just fine.

The patch window is a decent size, but I would have loved to have seen a photo that matched.  And the middle of the card is just screaming for an autograph.  Either add one or give me more photo.

Still, next to the 1/1 in the release, this is the toughest of The Cup cards I have to chase down this year.  Me likes.


Now on the flip side, I picked up a Linden at the last local show (which also happened to run last weekend).  It's amazing how much I enjoy finding a simple base card if I need it.  That tells me that I am collecting what I'm supposed to collect.

2013/14 Panini Select

#178 base

This is a nice looking base card from an equally nice looking set.  Shiny, nice photo.  But I'm lost as to why this product has come out so close to the release of Panini Prizm?  The sets seem very similar in many ways.  Especially the price point.

That....and the release of Upper Deck's flagship product Series I will likely put this Select product out of the minds of many.  It's a shame....looks like a nice set.

Anyways, I got mine.  Now to track down the parallels.

And yes, it does seem that a redemption version of this card /25 was released at the Expo.  One more for the list.

OPINION - Local Card Shows (Big Ones)

I love going to card shows.  I've said it before that I feel very fortunate that I am able to go to a local show once a month during the fall/winter months.  It's a chance to get out, window shop, touch  base with other collectors, talk shop and on occasion pick up a sweet pc item.

But while the small monthly shows are fun, they are just that - small.

It's been over two years since I've seen a bigger show come through town.  Not sure exactly why?  There are two very successful promotions that have put on shows in the province recently...just not in Calgary, and nothing this year or last.

I've been fortunate enough to make it out to the Toronto Expo a couple times in the past couple years and while it is a bit overwhelming at times - it's a ton of fun.  Why can't we have something like this here?

Well....it's going to happen.  In just a few weeks.

Shameless plug: I designed the poster.

A couple people decided to quit waiting and start acting.  They've put the pieces together to what hopefully will be at very least an annual event.

The Card Show will hopefully have 40-50 tables set up, door prizes, autograph guests and more.

Yeah....autograph guests.  And what a group.  Three guys from the Stanley Cup winning Flames team of 1989.  Jim Peplinski, Joel Otto and Tim Hunter.  I've got a cool story about Tim Hunter that I'll share leading up to the show.

What excites me the most in talking about (and listen to people talk about) this show is that it really feels like a throwback show.  Something I haven't seen the likes of in a number of years.

Spending a day reliving some great Calgary memories, looking at some great Calgary memorabilia and just enjoying a "slice of Calgaryana".

As a hobbyist, I feel it's important to support these shows (especially if they can prove there's some worth to them).  Because without people coming out to these shows - these shows just won't exist.

So if you live in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, heck Canada, Northern US, c'mon out on Nov. 23 & 24 to what should be the best card show to hit the city in quite some time.

I've already got my calendar marked.

PACK RIPPING - 2013/14 Panini Prizm

I'm finally cleaning off my desk!  There....I've said it.

I've got paperwork and cards strewn all over my desk - some dating back a number of months.  So tonight I spent some time putting cards away (and I did some scanning at the same time).

I noticed a common theme with a lot of the cards.  Pack ripping.

That.....and caving.  Bordering on regret and buyer's remorse.

But I so enjoy ripping wrappers.  And a little bit every once in a while is ok.  As long as I get good stuff inside.

SPOILER: This is not one of those instances.


I was eyeballing some packs of Prizm on the shelf last month at trade night.  The shiny silver wrappers got the best of me and I bought five packs.

After hitting a bunch of blanks....I bought a couple more.

I put a stop to things right after that.  Ugh.

On with the show!!!

2013/14 Panini Prizm

(7 packs)

This is a nice product if you like shiny sets.  It's got a look and feel of the ol' Topps Finest products from the mid-90's.

How sad that I can't even remember how much packs cost...but I do know that it's not a low-end product.

There's a 300-card base set to chase with 100 of them rookie cards.  There are also colored parallel cards (with limited print runs), some die-cut goodies and autos...albeit stickers.  No memorabilia.

It's a nice design.  Nothing over the top (I think the shiny silver does enough of that).  Basic 3/4 body shots with not much action in the photography.

Minimal card design elements with aggressive font styles.  A thick card stock and that's that.

Player selection is ok.  Stamkos and Landeskog were my best base cards pulled.

I mentioned rookie cards and they come one per pack.  Some guys I've never heard of before (in a double rookie class...not good).  This Granlund would be my best hit.  And that's not saying much.

Very similar look to the regular base cards.  I'm already getting bored.

I did manage this insert.  It's not numbered...or rare.  I dunno, is this any good?

Quarter box it is.

The "big hit" in my 7 packs was this Mike Richter Immortalized Stanley Cup die-cut card.  I think Panini has a bit of a love affair with putting full shots of The Cup on the front of their cards.

I'm just happy it wasn't Mark Messier.  I've already felt the pain of this pack ripping episode enough.

I need to refer to this post the next time I get the urge to open packs.

Who am I kidding....I'll never learn!

Now, back to my desk cleaning (it would go so much quicker if I just attacked it a little differently.....where's my garbage can?)

12 in 12 - October Review

It took a little longer than expected but I managed to finish off another book during this year-long challenge to myself.  I have really grown to enjoy reading...sometimes for long stretches.  Taking the niece (and more recently my nephew) to the library for some solid bonding - even if it's just sitting in the company of the other person, silently as we enjoy the written word.

This month's book (or should I say October's) was one that I was drawn to mostly because I knew a new biography was coming out.  A biography that I wasn't sure would ever be written or released.  The subject being a very personal, and reclusive superstar.

This was a book that has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time and I am really happy to be able to now say that I have read it.

Searching For Bobby Orr

Stephen Brunt

284 pages

To many, Bobby Orr the greatest hockey player ever to lace up the skates.  To most, he's in the top five.  To me, he went up the list after reading this book.

In what would definitely be considered an agonizing career, shortened by knee injuries, Bobby had a talent that far exceeded his peers of the time.  He is one of very few to have truly changed the game.  Evolving it and revolutionizing it.  He had talent that was noticed at such an early age and his path to stardom in the NHL was all but guaranteed by the time he could legally drive a car.

Yet it's the person himself that most people don't know anything about.  He rarely (if ever) let the outside world in for people to see what he was really like.  And while Searching For Bobby Orr doesn't accomplish this...it gives us probably our best snapshot.

note: Bobby Orr was approached by Stephen Brunt regarding this book but declined to participate.  He also asked that family and friends not be approached either.  Stephen Brunt respected his wishes.

Searching For Bobby Orr felt more like a story of atmospheres and landmarks.  Scene sets and circumstances.  All with Bobby Orr deep in the mix.  While we never get in depth with Bobby's life or career at any given point, the path the book takes gives one a very good sense of how his life growing up and hockey career progressed.

Events like his signing with Boston (he was never drafted....the Entry Draft didn't exist at the time), his ascension to the top of the league both in scoring and with a pair of Stanley Cups.  His chronic knee problems, his omission from the 1972 Canadian team that battled the Russians.  His betrayal by then agent Alan Eagleson and eventual move to Chicago to end his career.  It's all in there, but it lacks that first person account.

Stephen Brunt is a very good writer and he puts the story together in a very entertaining way.  While it was a bit of a slow starter for me, his NHL story was one I really enjoyed.  I would have loved to have learned more about the Eagleson relationship as it is to this day one that still irks Orr.  (I hope in hie new autobiography, Bobby addresses it a little more bluntly).

For fans of hockey in the 70's, this would be a must read.  For those of you who want to learn a bit about the greatest defenceman of all-time, pick this one up.  It will give you a very good surface account of his career.  It doesn't dive deep - but that's tough to do without the man himself getting involved.

3.5 out of 5

November's book...

Only because I have a personalized autographed copy of the book (I'll explain later).