LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 2011/12 Heroes And Prospects Memorabilia

One of the questions I asked myself when Trevor Linden retired was "How long will it take before In The Game includes Trev in their 'Heroes and Prospects' product?"

You must remember, at the time of his retirement, Linden was rarely included in any company's sets and so the desire to have more cards to chase was much higher than it is now.

Of course, 2-3 years later and I almost cringe when I see the checklists of new products (more on that in a moment).

I was really happy though to see Trev included in this season's H&P product. It was about time. I was even more happy to find that his inclusion was a very modest (and wallet friendly) 2 cards.

2011/12 In The Game
Heroes and Prospects
#HM-10 Heroes Memorabilia Silver

This is the 'easier to find' card of the two in the set (the 'tougher' one is the gold version - which is limited to just 10 copies). This silver version is 1 of 60.

I don't know what it is about the card, but I really like it. I love the photo (considering ITG can't use NHL logos). The old-school Cooper helmet is my fave. The design is simple and really effective. And it's a generous-sized piece of memorabilia.

It's just a sharp looking card.

I really like that I was able to land a 2-color piece of jersey as well. I had seen a couple go on ebay previously and was worried that the well had run dry on the premium pieces. I had even tried to get a single colored swatch a couple times, but was patient not to overpay.

This card popped up with a very reasonable 'Buy It Now' price and I scooped it up right away.

A quick note to all of you about shipping your cards now. When I received my package, I noticed the card was in a toploader that was one size too big. Thus, the card could easily (too easily) slide in and out - not good when you're mailing it.

So what did the seller do? He taped the top of the toploader. Problem solved right? Well, unfortunately one of the corners kind of wedged out causing a tiny bit of damage. Not enough for me to ask for a refund or anything, but enough to make the seller aware (and now all of you).

If your card isn't well secured in your package, then beware of the potential headache you might receive from the buyer. It just takes a moment to rectify the situation.

All right, enough of that. I mentioned new products and checklists.

In The Game is coming out with yet another unique product idea. This time, celebrating the captains that have played in the NHL.

And my guy was indeed a captain.


'Captain-C' is due out at the end of March and features a 10-card box (much like Decades, Canada vs. The World, Enforcers, etc.) with 5 cards being premium foil base cards (part of a 100-card base set). Yes, Linden is included.

The other 5 cards are a mix of autographs, game-used memorabilia, etc. And yes, Linden is included....many times. From my initial count, he has 8 different cards to chase. Without a doubt, some of those will have silver and gold variations. So I'm estimating 14-17 cards in total being added to my wantlist.

My wallet is feeling the anxiousness inside me.

The most exciting inserts though - the 'Captain's C' cards. They are a pair of 1/1's. Here's what the mock-up looks like....


Yeah.....I want both of the Lindens.

Did I mention how much I like products that have just one or two cards in it?

RAISE THE CUP - Going Outside The Box

Lots on the go this past week. Yet somehow I was able to hit up a card show last weekend as well as the monthly trade night a few days back.

It's all about priorities.

Actually, those two events just happened to land on the right days. As a result, I was able to pick up a few cards for various PC's.

In this post, I'll take a look at some of the 'Cup raisers' that have recently come across my desk.

1973/74 Topps
#198 Stanley Cup Champions

This card featuring Henri Richard (winning one of his 11.......YES, ELEVEN Stanley Cups) was a must have when I saw it a few weeks back at an antique show I went to.

It's great to see these Stanley Cup photos from back in the day placed onto cards. It's rare, but I think it makes them that much more special.

2011/12 Upper Deck Series II
#440 Tyler Seguin

At the local trade night, I played a couple rounds of pack wars featuring the new Upper Deck Series II product.

While I didn't win anything, I did notice one person sifting through the cards he picked up. This Seguin caught my eye and before the end of the night I asked if I could pick it up.

He gladly handed it over to me not looking for anything in return.

A great add to the collection.

1999/00 Upper Deck Timeline
#12 Gretzky Exclusive

A friend of mine handed this card to me a couple nights ago asking if I needed it.

Not only did I need it, I had never seen or heard of this card before. I still can't find any info on it (other than some singles for what looks to be a set).

Regardless, it's got a cool reflective surface and a great pick of Wayne looking borderline overwhelmed with all the commotion.

If the photo could have been a tinge wider though.

2011/12 Panini Certified
Certified Champions
#12 Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Another card that I picked up at trade night. Made a nice deal for this and some other lower-end pc cards as well as a couple of traders. Always nice to mix things up a bit sometimes.

This card won't go into the official books as part of the Raise the Cup set.....yet. I'm waiting until I finish building the insert set (and yes, I still need to finish the set from the year before as well).


Now we get to a couple of cards that have pushed the envelope in terms of what I will accept and not accept into my pc.

You'll see what I mean.

1992/92 Upper Deck
#275 Kevin Stevens (card back)

Brian (Captian Canuck) over at Waxaholic flashed this card in front of me with a bit of a sly smirk on his face. He commented on looking outside the box - pushing the envelope when it comes to cards that can go into the Raise the Cup collection.

I like that.

This Stevens card really has no redeeming qualities on the front side, but this shot on the back opens up the dialogue of "should card backs be allowed".

I see no reason why not. As long as the card fits backwards into a binder sheet - why not.

And yes, for the record......it does.

Thanks Brian.

2011/12 Upper Deck Series I
#187 Tim Thomas (Cup cameo)

Here's another one that gets some serious attention. Should a card be included into the set if the player listed isn't the one holding the Cup?

Here we have Tim Thomas looking all cool during (what I'm guessing is) the Bruins' Stanley Cup parade. Yet it's Milan Lucic who's stealing all the thunder in my eyes.

Again, why not.

The whole idea of this project is to show those moments in time where a player is celebrating one of the greatest moments an NHLer can experience - raising the Stanley Cup.

That's good enough for me.

Current Collection - 78 cards

RATE MY MASK - Dan Bouchard

Time for a little vintage mask goodness.

I've got a bit of a soft spot for this one (and it might just affect the scoring). This was one of my faves as a kid growing up. Mainly because it was cool to draw (and easy......just needed a red pencil crayon).


Dan Bouchard was the number one goalie in the Flames' organization when they moved from Atlanta to Calgary to start the 1980 season. For a short time, Dan was my man.

Until he was traded to Quebec after just 14 starts (for Jamie Hislop). I was a little bummed (but I soon discovered the Vancouver Canucks and all would be better.


I spoke of drawing Bouchard's 'fire' mask as a kid and here was the template I used to do some mean tracing. FYI.....when you're 8, tracing is the same as drawing.

This page came from the 'Hockey Masks and the Great Goalies Who Wear Them' book I would constantly be borrowing from the library.

At the time, I wouldn't really care about what the words said at the bottom. After all, there was a cool mask to look at.

For those who still don't want to read it, I'll give you a chunk of the dialogue.

"From first vaseline to final paint and polish, Dan Bouchard's masks are his own creation. 'I started making my own masks when I was 18. I have a special recipe to give extra strength to the fibreglass. The young son of a neighbor acts as art critic. If we both like the design, I feel it's a good one.'"


It's pretty cool to think that Bouchard did his own artwork. I think it's even cooler that a 13-year-old kid designed this lid that would catch the eye of a lot of teammates, opponents and fans all throughout the NHL.

This Jim Homuth mask was one of the final full fibreglass masks to be worn in the NHL. It was the early to mid-80's when most goalies switched to either the conventional helmet and cage or the combo mask (that would eventually become the norm in pro hockey).


In fact, if you look at old videos and photos of Bouchard, you'll notice that the switch occurred when he was still with the Flames (makes sense since I don't recall him wearing a fibreglass mask when he came to Calgary).

I really like the crown of flames at the top of the mask. Rarely do you get to see this part of the mask (especially close up). It's just a simple idea, but I really like how the whole mask works the positive and negative space (red and white).


This mask currently sits in the collection of a mask connoisseur named Barry Levine. I came across his fantastic website tonight which showcases some of the great lids he's accumulated over the years (including a Murray Bannerman and Rogie Vachon.....very nice).

Be sure to check out some of the amazing closeup photos he's taken to really give you a great sense of what these masks have done over time to protect the brave tenders. In some instances, he compares these photos to actual game photos to prove that he does indeed own the actual mask. It's very cool to see.

The scuff marks, paint chips and full blown cracks must make the goalie breathe a small sigh of relief that it's the fibreglass and not the face that receive the bulk of vulcanized rubber punishment.


You can pretty much see the brushstrokes as the design is carefully placed on the blank white fibreglass canvas. I love the non-symmetrical paint job. It gives the mask a human touch that sometimes is lacking with today's airbrushed work.

Simple and effective.


Talk about simple, check out the inside of the mask. It's downright scary to think that this is what was referred to as 'protection' back in the day. Little to no padding.

But I guess it beat the alternative.

3 out of 5.

Now it's your turn to Rate My Mask!

NOW YOU CAN SAY THAT ORR IS PRISTINE

I knew when I saw that pig flying earlier that something was up.

I came across an auction today that I never thought I'd see.



Here's the link to the auction if you want to take a closer look. Maybe you could even talk them down from a quarter million to oh, I don't know, a hundred thousand.

This stunning 1966 Topps Bobby Orr rookie card, which is the only copy in existence to receive a BVG grading of 10 (pristine), seems to have popped up out of nowhere and has left a number of people jaw dropped.

Cards from this 1966 set are incredibly difficult to find in top condition (let alone perfect). That wood grain border just wreaked havoc on collectors. Collectors who as kids could have cared less about the condition of their Bobby Orr cards, instead deciding to toss them against walls or shoving them in bike spokes.


And when it comes to the grading, it's even tougher......bordering on impossible to find top copies.

According to Beckett's Population Report on BVG graded cards, 141 different 1966 Topps Bobby Orr rookie cards have been submitted over the years. Only 10 have a grade of 8 or higher. 3 have a grade of 9.5 and just a single copy - this copy has been given the elusive 10.

A rating of 10 is so rare, out of all the Bobby Orr cards ever submitted (from any set, any year) to BVG for grading - over 2800 cards - only 22 have been given the perfect 10 (and only 4 of them are cards from his actual playing days, as opposed to Orr cards from current products being submitted for grading).

So how can this be? How can an almost 50-year-old card stand the test of time and remain perfect?

That's the million dollar question.......or at least the quarter million dollar question.

Was it a pack pulled gem that somebody had the presence of mind to just never touch (keeping in mind that a lot of these cards were cut off-center, had imperfections along the borders, who knows)? Or was this card the result of being laser cut (using current technology) from a complete sheet of cards? And if so, where would anyone find one of these sheets?


It's hard for me to think that this card was a pack pull from the mid-60's. I just don't see a card lasting this long in this perfect of condition.

If it was laser cut (which I'm not claiming it is) would it diminish the impressiveness of the 'accomplishment'? I don't know. It's still pretty stunning to see this single copy card looking as perfect as can be. Hard to argue that.

What I do know is that it's one amazing card and if I had the chance to obtain it - I would. Laser cut or not. It's truly one of a kind. And it probably will continue to be for a long time.

So what are your thoughts on laser cut cards? Would you buy a card knowing that it was laser cut from a sheet of cards as opposed to distributed 'old school', in packs?

If it were a Gretzky rc or a Linden rc, that would be a little different to me. I think the fact that this card is from the mid-60's comes into play. Newer cards (or newer to me) wouldn't get the same level of leeway as opposed to one of these true vintage pieces.

Alright, I think I'm going to bid. So just a heads up to you all who are looking to snipe it away from me.

OPINION: REDEMPTION CARDS

A couple of days ago, I was reading a little 'back and forth' between some people regarding redemption cards. Specifically, how In The Game is able to release product after product without any (I repeat - ANY) redemptions.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what these cards are, it's pretty simple (in my eyes anyways). Card companies come up with a concept for a product which includes a number of different elements (be it base cards, inserts, autographs, memorabilia, etc.). During the design and production process it is determined which players will be required to sign what cards for the product (or stickers if that's the way the product goes).

Obviously, if there is a product with (for the sake of this example) a Trevor Linden autograph in it and the cards (or stickers) haven't been signed and returned to the card company in time for packaging, they are left with 3 options.

Push the release date of the product until the signatures come in. Remove the player's card from that product release. Or issue a redemption card.

The redemption card would give the person who pulls it from a pack the ability to communicate with the card company and set up a way for the card to be delivered to him once it's finally produced.

Seems simple enough right. But what if in this redemption ocean, the waters become a little dicey.

A lot of collectors have become increasingly frustrated by the redemption process. Issues pop up such as the card not ending up being produced (for whatever reason), the length it takes to redeem some cards (and we're not talking weeks or months......we're talking years of waiting) and in some instances where the card isn't being produced - what the replacement card (or cards) will be.

Redemption cards make me a little nervous. Essentially, until you get the redeemed card in hand you have nothing to show for it except a piece of cardboard with a serial number on it.

Those aren't the kind of cards I like to collect.

Now, back to the discussion over the past few days. In The Game has had a policy of not including redemption cards into their product. Plain and simple. The biggest reason they are able to do this is that they only include the autographs received by the deadline into their product. It makes things very black and white. If it's in.......you're in. If it's not - you're not.

So does this mean if the product (let's say a Vancouver Canucks tribute set.....for the sake of this example) is being released on April 1 and Trevor Linden's autographs make it back on April 2 his autograph is not in the product? That's right.

So does In The Game have late returned cards or stickers from various players for various sets just sitting on a desk somewhere - ready to go out? Yup. And how does In The Game respond to that? Dr. Brian Price, President of In The Game says "Hard signed autograph cards that were never issued, don't go bad."

Again, plain and simple, I think that these cards will eventually find a way to be utilized. It could be show promotions, used in update sets, freebies - who knows. But I do believe that ITG has the mindset of 'not wasting any of the meat on the bone'.

I can appreciate ITG's attitude towards redemption cards. They seem to treat the players they deal with well (based on the statement, again made by Dr. Price, "I have NEVER paid a player for autographs he did not return."). That success rate shows me a company that works with the player and places realistic expectations on them.

Do other companies do that? I don't know. But something is off when a player is constantly appearing on redemption card after redemption card. Why is that? Is the request too big (too many signatures needed)? Is the time required to get the signatures back too short? What is the situation regarding how the player is getting paid for the service? Did the company blow all of their sticker inventory too fast or in too few products?

There are a lot of elements in play - and I don't claim to know any of them. I just am speaking what I see. And right now, it's a company with no NHL license having ZERO redemption cards in their numerous yearly releases while the two companies with NHL licenses utilize redemptions to a point where there is some frustration among collectors.

So what's the answer?

That's a good question. If all companies adopted a 'no redemption card' rule, I believe that the overall depth of some products would suffer. That said, I also believe that after a year or two of this 'drop' in size, stature or dynamics in products, most people would see the 'new normal' as...........normal.

I think that redemption cards are a 'false promise'. There's no 100% guarantee that I'm going to receive the card that I may have just pulled from my pack of cards. It's artificially raises the expectation and 'value' of the product it comes in.

Until companies can bat a good .900 or .950 in redemption returns, I think collectors will become increasingly frustrated with the entire structure and optics of these 'cards'.

So my answer to the problem is eliminate the redemption cards completely. Include only the cards you have in hand into the product. If the set suffers, then that's a good indication that you have to try harder to get your signatures.

For the record, I have redeemed a whopping 2 Trevor Linden cards in my 15 years of collecting his stuff. Both times I was concerned (but confident) about the process and did eventually receive the cards. At the same time, I have passed on buying redemption cards of Trev, instead deciding to wait until a redeemed card surfaces before pursuing it.

What are your thoughts on redemption cards? Are they just 'part of the hobby game'? Can anything be done to curb the increasing frustration? What would your policy be on redemptions if you called the shots?

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Ice Kings

Well, I learned my lesson from last month's local card show trip.

Don't buy low-end Linden cards the day before a card show.

In February, I bought a Panini Limited Linden card on the Friday before the card show. It was a parallel /49. Not a super rare card, but I thought it was listed for a decent amount as I had let a few pass by me waiting for the right price. I pulled the trigger and was happy about the pickup.

Until the next day when I saw the exact same card.....at about a third of the price. I immediately had buyer's remorse from the day before.

I picked it up anyways since I could use it as tradebait.

Fast forward to this month. A couple new products have been released and there are a few new Linden base cards and low-end inserts available for the picking.

I resisted the urge to pick them up on ebay and the waiting paid off.

2011/12 Panini Crown Royale #7 Ice Kings

While it might seem weird that saving a couple bucks bring me great joy, I'm just happy that a small victory was won on my part.

Buying a card for my Linden collection locally is a bit of a rarity. Anytime that I can purchase from someone in person, it's a definite plus.....and a definite preference.

That is, if the card is of a reasonable price. And this one was.

The design itself is really nice. The white photo is set inside a die-cut matte frame (kind of like how the brown border UD Masterpieces cards worked). A really nice cut job, the dark frame with silver design really creates a great contrast. And the autographed parallel of the card looks great. I'm looking forward to adding one of those for a good price too.

The only beef I have with this Ice Kings card is that the photo used is very similar to pics used in the past by Panini.

2010/11 Certified

2010/11 Limited

In fact, I'd bet that the photo was taken in the same sequence of shots. Everything in the pics look too similar to be a coincidence. The facial hair, the camera angle, the gloves, helmet, undershirt. It's just too similar.

Changing up the photo selection would be nice.

Regardless, I'm glad to have picked this card up......and just one copy at that.

1 vs. 100 - New Blood

Saturday was local card show day. I feel like I've been spoiled this past season. With 2 monthly card shows taking place within a reasonable drive (10 mins) from my place, I've been able to really take advantage of physically seeing all these great cards out there, drool over gems that are beyond my pc (and wallet) and 'talk shop' with a lot of great hobbyists.

And the winter season here in town has been a very pleasant surprise. Rarely have we been hit by a winter storm or blasted with frigid cold temperatures that leave us all sitting inside with nowhere to go.

If I had one beef with the local shows, it would be that it's the same people week in, week out setting up tables. Sure they have different cards out at times and they showcase some new product breaks, but it's just not the same.

Today, I was really happy to see a couple new faces setting up tables. I was even happier to see that on these tables were potential purchases.

I look forward to card show days, and new faces just make the event even better.

On this occasion, the new tables worked out well as I was able to land a couple cards for my 1 vs. 100 project.

Now, before I show off the cards, I have a little story. Have you ever found a card on a table, asked what the price was and thought it was just a tad higher than you wanted to hear? Have you ever tried to bundle the card with another to try and get the end price down slightly?

I did that today - and it worked. And yet I still cringed.

2005/06 SP Game Used
STATscriptions
#ST-JB Jay Bouwmeester /82

First, I was just happy to find a card that I needed for this project. I'm almost at the end of this trek and I'm still trying to finish off with the mindset that I'm not going to break the bank to complete the 100 cards.

I pulled this card out of the binder and asked what the asking price was.

"10 bucks" was the response.

Not bad. I was hoping to hear a little less. $5 would have been a "get your money out of the wallet now" moment. But I put the card aside along with the information.

Soon after, I found this nice compliment.

2005/06 SP Game Used
SIGnificant Numbers
#SN-NH Nathan Horton /16

Now if the Jay-Bo /82 was $10, I figured the Horton would be at least twice that. So I decided to bundle the two together and make an offer.

"Would you take $25 for the pair?"

"Absolutely".

Doh! Part of me was happy to get both cards for my asking price, but I have no doubt in my mind that if I had offered $20, I would have walked out the door with them.

I won, but I felt a little like I lost.

But in the end......I won.

I'm really happy to cross the number 16 off my list. I wasn't sure how tough that one was going to be. That leaves just 5 cards under the serial number of 30 on my wantlist and 16 cards left in total.

This year? Maybe? Who knows. But I'm in no rush.

84 out of 100 (84%)