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......
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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!