Another one of my fun side projects that's been in hibernation of late has been my Raise The Cup collection. It probably is the most "loose" in terms of the rules I associate with it.
There's no checklist for something like this...it's all about the photos and the cost of the cards. And with that comes zero pressure. Zero pressure = Maximum fun.
A lot of my hobby friends know that I have this PC on the go and I appreciate when they keep an eye out for some new additions. The owner of one of the local card shops here in town pulled a few aside for me - cards that I'd never see before. Always exciting.
What a photo! This might rank in the Top 10 of my cup raiser cards. It really epitomizes what the goal is with this build. The pinnacle moment of a player's hockey career - lifting the Stanley Cup. In the mid-90's, Detroit was a dangerous team each season. A guy like Darren McCarty was an impact player for team so deep in talent.
You can just see him soaking in the moment. It's as if the packed crowd isn't even there. And I love that the angle of the photo has no other players (or anyone else) on the ice around him. It makes for a more intimate moment. Really great pic.
I'd never seen cards from this insert set before, so I did a little digging. It's a 10 card offering that was inserted into the Pacific flagship set in 98/99. Called the Trophy Winners set, not all 10 cards involve the Stanley Cup. Cards 1-4 are other trophy winners including Marty Brodeur and Sergei Samsonov. (remember him?)
While the McCarty is a dynamite photo, The others in the set reveal a bit of a shortcoming in the photo quality department. Now I say that knowing full well this is such a one-shot moment. You only kiss the bride for the first time once. I don't envy the photogs on an assignment like covering a Stanley Cup clinching win.
But still, there has to be some better photo selection that Sergei getting sucked into a black void...no?
Or Nick Lidstrom in the hallway posing directly for the camera.
This card might actually be dismissed from the collection as it really doesn't fulfill the true spirit of the cards I'm looking for. This is not nearly as dynamic and powerful as the moment he hoisted the Cup over his head on the ice for the first time. Not even close.
And Chris isn't even lifting the Cup by himself. It's a half hoist. Ha.
Again, these photos just don't resonate with me in the same way as that McCarty. The great thing about this project is that I get to completely call the shots. I can choose to keep him...I can choose to let him go.
I don't I'll make that decision right now. I'll toss them into the binder and enjoy the new adds for a while instead.
There's one card left from this insert set that is now on my radar...card #10 is the Steve Yzerman. I'm kind of making it a must-have and so I guess I now officially have a wantlist. :)
Overall, these cards really reinforce just how much a person can enjoy the hobby without having to tear apart the wallet. As my fellow blogger The Chronicles of Fuji likes to say..."affordable treasures". Love that.
OK...let's have some fun. Just for pure enjoyment, you be the judge. Which of the above cards would you include (or decide not to include) into a project that is called 'Raise The Cup'? And why?
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