LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - A Gold Cup

I'm slowly getting some hockey card housecleaning in order.  Does that mean my collection is a little more organized?  Not yet.  But soon.  For reals.

OK.....I don't know when I'll get around to it, but a little is better than none.

I've been transferring some of my Linden cards out of magnetic one touch holders and have been putting them into regular toploaders.  In the past, I would put all my memorabilia cards in one touch holders.  But with the wave of jersey cards now upon us, I have decided to be a little more selective with what gets put where.

It was crazy to think that a $1 jersey card was getting the royal treatment while my quad auto /5 was getting slipped into a simple toploader.  Well that all changed this past weekend.  Now, all the "bigger ticket" cards are in the one touch holders and the rest are in toploaders.

Simple as that.

I also did a tiny bit of blog cleaning.  I don't have a huge blogroll on the right hand side of the site, but decided to remove a couple of blogs (please....no offense) and added a few new reads.

I have always been intrigued by a couple of blogs written by one "cynical buddah".  His Rollie Fingers collection and Robin Yount collection are ones that I truly enjoy reading about.  It makes me feel like I'm not the only crazy one chasing endless cards of a certain guy.

I like checking out all the blogs listed on the side and urge you all to hunt down more fun reading material.

Now......on with the show.

Today was a one card mailday and while the card itself doesn't have any huge patch or a wicked auto, it does knock another one off the list.

2012/13 Upper Deck The Cup

#85 base gold  /25

It's a nice looking base card parallel and in fact I forgot that I needed it.  I've passed on a few copies recently thinking I already had it (and that doesn't happen too much).

When this copy popped up, I had to ask about the odd line in the upper left corner.  The seller (whom I later learned is a member of the hobby boards I belong to...and have known for a bit) let me know that it appeared to be a printing defect as opposed to damage from mishandling.  The moment I knew who the seller was.....I knew I'd be bidding on the piece.

The auction ended and I won the card for a decent price.  A few days later and here we are.

Simple as that.

This puts me one step closer to finishing the second year of Cup (non 1/1) cards.  It was a much better chase in comparison to year one.  Only 4 cards to chase as opposed to 11.  The crazy thing is that the one last card I need.........the regular base card.

Is that patience or just laziness?

Speaking of....I've got to get back to cleaning up my collection.

MY COLLECTION - Replenishing The Trade Box

With all of the trading I have been doing of late, I'm finding that my trade box is getting a little lighter.  While I do feel like I've got a good chunk of cards to haul around with me to trade nights and such, I also feel like the quality of cards has slid a bit.

So today's trip to the local card show had a little bit of a mission behind it.  Replenish the trade box.  And what good timing.....last show of the season (for this location).  So a few sales were on the table.  In fact, the topic came up a couple times.....I'll get into that in a bit.

But first, some of my pickups.

One of the great concepts that has been developed over the past few years has been that of the Social Signatures variety.  I love the look of my Linden SS from Panini Classics last year.  Great design.  The one small miss is of course the lack of the social signature.

In fact, that's been the big drawback with all of Panini's attempts at this set.  You get a handful of players jumping on board with the idea only to have it ruined by some who decide to only slap their auto on the card.

This year Panini decided to give it the ol' college try again.  They announced that a (minimum) 70-card offering would be inserted into multiple products put out by Panini this season.  For the record, I like the cross-product set builds.  The Private Signings idea was hugely successful in my opinion.

Panini decided to do a show of the roster of signers.  I've got to say....I was impressed.  That was until I saw a tiny group of non-compliers.  So I'd like to say "Thanks!" to Anze Kopitar, Carey Price, Jaromir Jagr, John Tavares.  Thanks for ruining it.  I count only 6 cards out of the 70 - SIX....with guys who didn't read the instructions.

Dang.

And with Panini not doing hockey after this year, it might be a while before we see this concept fully realize its potential.

With the release of 13/14 Titanium, the quest started for these cards.  Here's what I picked up today.

Andrew Shaw was a nice find.  I think any player from Chicago would be on the radar these days.

Nice hard-signed signature with the twitter handle just below.  Slow down though Andrew.....I can barely make out your penmanship.

Jake Gardiner.  Not a big name, but playing for a big team (hobby-wise...let me add that).

Jake and Andrew must have gone to the same writing class.  Gardiner just a little bit better.

George Parros.  OK....not really the cream of the crop in terms of player pickups, but still a nice looking card from a sweet set.

George's fists may have hindered his signing ability.  Sloppy.

Sheldon Souray.  Now I'm scraping.  Is he still playing?  Did he retire?  He's so off the radar for me (ever since picking him in my pool a couple years ago....for shame).

Another guy who might have been rushing his order.  After all, there's extra letters and numbers that need to be added.

Maybe Anze had it right.  A solid signature......no social.  Why ruin a good thing eh?

Wrong.  Way to blow it Anze!

Part of the reason why I picked up these five cards is that they were in the cheap boxes.  These days (if I'm not finding Lindens or Masks at the shows) I'm scrounging the loonie and toonie boxes for deals.  My wallet only allows for so much.

And at $7 for the five cards......I'll do that.  The Kopitar might recoup that alone (or at very least make for good tradebait).

Now a quick aside.


At today's show I overheard (and was partially involved) in some talk about people gravitating towards the cheap boxes.  People questioning why they even set up at the show - or for that matter, why they rip wax to begin with.  If all people want are cheap cards why bother.

I interjected with my two cents.

I'm not a huge box (or case) buster so I'm not investing into the hobby that way.  But I think the root of hockey card collecting is very simple...

If you are doing something that you don't like - DON'T DO IT.

Nobody is forcing anyone to open boxes.  Nobody is forcing anyone to put certain cards on their table.  People will gravitate to what interests them.

Would I like to open more?  Yup.  But my focus is set on Linden cards.  Often I have to choose between opening stuff or buying singles.  I choose singles (most of the time).

Would it be great to get top dollar on cards at your show?  Yup.  And I'd love to buy more singles.  But if they aren't named Linden then I've got to be a lot more selective.  That's part of the reason why the discount boxes appeal to me.

And who's not a sucker for a good deal?  Really.  If you don't like people scrounging in your cheap boxes....don't put them out on your table.

I heard the comment that the $10 bin turned into the $5 bin, the $5 into $2 and the $2 into $1.....and watch the people flock.  Duh?  People pin in on a sale.  And if you've got your cards priced to go....they'll go.

Unfortunately, a lot of people won't pull the trigger on a good deal unless it's a stupidly good deal (myself included).  Would I have bought these five Social Signature cards if they were double the price?  Probably not.  I might have picked up one...or two.  I bought these cards for the purpose of putting them into my trade box.  So there has to be a bit of room there to move on my end.

Ultimately, the mindset of setting up at a show needs to be "Here I am, here's what I have, here's what it's priced for.  I'm ok with all of it and if I don't sell a single thing....I need to either accept that - or change what I'm doing".

I don't dictate what you price your cards for.....but I do decide if I'm buying from you or not.  And when my wallet is on a leash, there's got to be something that catches my eye for me to chase it.

Sorry for the mini rant (I don't feel like I ranted, but it felt long).  I just don't like people setting up at a show and then complaining the whole show about why things suck.

This is a hobby......have fun.

HHOF AUTOS - Three Chi's And A Bos

Trade night on Thursday and that means yet another opportunity to add to my HHOF Auto project.  And once again....it was a smashing success.

It was a relatively quiet night.  I think it was partially because of the lack of new hockey product released.  About half the usual crowd showed up. But that's OK....any chance to talk shop is a good one.

My first trade brought to me a trio of Hawks.  And three of probably the best known Chicagonians... Chicagoites.... Chicawgans.... players.

Tony Esposito

(Inducted in 1988)

This is probably the nicest Tony O auto I've seen.  I love this set (as the Clark Gillies card in the project will attest).  Strong and sharp, it's exactly what I wanted to add to the signature set.

And the photo.....c'mon.  It's how I remember Esposito the best.  That unique hunch, clean fibreglass mask and the big #35 on the sleeve.  Simply awesome.

Denis Savard

(Inducted in 2000)

What a tremendous talent.  Overshadowed in the 80's by some guy named Wayne, Denis Savard carved his own path by being feisty, fierce and flashy.

The Savardian Spin-o-rama is something that still gets referenced to this day.  I remember watching some of his goals than thinking "Who else could pull that off?"  The answer - nobody.

I haven't really had the radar going on Savard autos, but I would think this one sits in the average pile.  A little sloppy when holding it up against some of his contemporaries, but still a nice overall card.

Better than having a sig of his in a Habs jersey (no offence)....Denis will always be a Hawk to me.

Bobby Hull

(Inducted in 1983)

Yeah.....this is a big one.

Hull's auto is legendary.  Instantly recognizable.  A little oversaturated in the open market, but when it comes to adding his name to the project - I'm holding the doors wide open.

I really like the look and design of this card too.  Just a great addition to the collection.  Hull's purposeful penmanship just finishes the card off perfectly.

Huge - HUGE add.

Cam Neely

(Inducted in 2005)

Now get along you guys.

Neely's induction into the Hall Of Fame I think opened the doors for a lot of other players getting consideration.  Here's a player that had his career severely shortened by injury, never won a Cup but basically redefined the phrase "power forward".

Do I think he's worthy of being in the Hall?  I'll leave that for another discussion.  All I know is that his name is on my wantlist, there was a card available and I was able to make a trade for it.

And I like the card.  The Trilogy Ice Scripts concept is one that I've focused on very little but always seems to be an eye-catcher to me.  The auto is just a little streaky, but more than adequate.

And speaking of his signature, what a unique looking stroke.  I've seen a lot of his cards with sticker autos on upside down.  I can see how that might happen.  Difficult to do with a hard signed offering....but I guess it could happen.


Four more for the pc which puts me a little closer to the halfway mark.  Still plenty of momentum.  I'm hoping that the struggle doesn't really hit until I'm well into the 80's.  Fingers crossed.

Current Collection - 42 HOF Autos

RATE MY MASK - Petr Mrazek

Petr Mrazek likes the show "Homeland".  He also likes "24" (one of my faves).  One show he's never watched though is "Family Guy".  So why does he have the lead character Peter Griffin slapped on the side of his mask?

It was a question that I did a little digging on....and as a result, came up with the most recent installment of Rate My Mask.

That.....and I just wanted to post a mask that had one of the most identifiable cartoon characters of a generation (and that's a sad commentary on society....but that's for another day).

The Czech-born netminder was drafted 141st overall in the 2010 Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.  They have a way of picking very well deep into the draft.  He had fantastic junior career with the Ottawa 67's, posting a pair of 30-win seasons and was making waves with Detroit's farm team.

To me, he's best known as the top goalie at the 2012 World Junior Championship held in my home province.  Although he sported a record of 3-3, his 2.49 GAA and .928 SV% were tough to miss.  As was the 52-save performance in a 5-2 win over the USA.

So where does Peter Griffin come into play on all of this?

Well, I mentioned he had a strong showing on Detroit's farm team - the Grand Rapids Griffins - during the 2012/13 season.  He was expecting to play a bunch again on the farm this year.  So.....why not mash Peter (Petr) and Griffin (Grand Rapids) into one heck of a mask.

Even if it didn't really mean anything to Mrazek, just having this character on the side of his lid ripping open his suit to reveal his Superman outfit would get people's heads turning.

The bold red and white colors do a similar job of being bold and noticeable on the rest of his mask.

I feel like a lot of goalies are going this way these days.  Bold colors with strong lines.  A little hint of old school.

Designer Dave Gunnarsson (who does pretty much everyone's masks these days) airbrushed a nice, but safe, piece as he developed this look for Petr.

"He knew what he wanted on his mask, and with that name and that team name, he knew what would fit perfect on his mask.  I brainstormed some ideas and got started, and as you can see this mask has super powers."

Well, I don't know about that.  There's a lot more to a mask than just a Family Guy reference (points for that though).

In addition to Super Griffin, Mrazek's mask utilizes the Wings' logo along the bottom right down the jaw line.

Again, simple can sometimes work.  But I do think there's a little lacking here.  It feels just a bit too empty for my liking.

If you look closely, you can also see a subtle Griffin in the red of the mask.  This mythical creature has the body, tail and back legs of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle.

How many other uses of the word Griffin can be applied to this mask?

Ah yes, the striking Griffin shield on the top of the goalie mask.  Of course.

I'm waiting for RGIII to make an appearance on the backplate.

Speaking of backplates, you should check out Petr's from his junior days. One of the best ever.

Definite points for that.

All in all, the mask has some strong looks, but some definite weaknesses.  Kryptonite does Mrazek in.

2 out of 5


Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!!

I'VE GOT SOME BAD NEWS

I would just like to begin by saying that this is not an April Fool's Joke.

There are times in a person's life when decisions need to be made.  Decisions that are bigger than a simple collection.  Some cards in a box and some junk in a closet.  Sometimes those decisions are difficult....but they are for the greater good.

That's why this post might be the toughest one to write in the five years that I have been blogging.




(BEGIN SOMBRE MUSIC)

There are items in my personal collection that (I guess you could say) mean more than others.  They have sentimental value, they may have been gifts or tough chases.  Sometimes they are bigger ticket items or those rare gems.

I smile just a little more when I see them in the binders or take them out of the boxes to look at.  They provide great memories.

Rarely do I part with any of these items.  In fact, for the most part, they are off limits to others.  And respectfully, nobody has ever asked me to part with an item in my personal collection.

But today I was presented with an opportunity that I just couldn't turn down.  Will I reget what I did?  Maybe.  And that's why I'm typing these words.  It's just that important.

I happened to stumble on a thread posted by a fellow hobbyist who is collecting one of the most challenging sets I think I've ever seen.  This person was showing off a recent pickup.  The moment I saw the card and read the story, I knew that I would have to dip into my vault and part with a cherished item in my collection.



(DEEP BREATH)

Yes, it's the Paul Kariya golf card.

I know, I know.....you must think I am crazy or just not thinking straight (and maybe that's the case).......but sometimes there are things out there bigger than a crappy looking golf card.  Like helping someone else build the set.

That's right - someone is actually building the 100-card set.

For those of you who have not been following my blog for all these years, Paul was essentially the inspiration, the nucleus, the seed of what has become one of my favorite side projects.  To The Bike Spokes!

It was many moons ago that I saw this gem and decided it was worthy of it's own post.  For those of you who have not read it (or would like a refresher, here it is).

So when I found out that there was somebody who was actually building this set, I knew I had to sacrifice.  It's for the greater good.

I'll miss you.....jeans-laden, lazy golfer guy.  I'll miss you.....camo-themed background.  I'll miss you.....silly mustache side photo.

(TEAR WIPE)

Parting is such sweet sorrow.  (That's from a book).

As much as this pains me to do, I know that there will be someone happy on the other end of this (I think).  And I'll always have this post.  This scan.

I feel like I'm just rambling now.  This stream of consciousness thing is getting a little out of hand.  I need to reel it back in.

Ooooooooohhhhhh.....hockey player themed fishing set.

Dibs!

LINDEN CARD(s) OF THE WEEK - Some ITG Silver Linings

With In The Game's newest offering coming out this past week, I knew it would only be a matter of time before a few new cards would be added to the collection.

The big question was "Which ones?" and "When?"

With a name like In The Game Used, one can quickly deduce that all of the cards on the wantlist are of the game used variety.  And there are parallels as well.  The silver versions run between 30 and 60 copies while the golds are out of 10.

There's also another dreaded Nameplate (it's a Montreal jersey...looks good) and one other 1/1.  So the wave of cards hitting the open market will be quick and beefy.

Which is why my attitude towards a lot of the cards on the wantlist has changed from years past.  No longer am I chasing copies of anything and everything I need.  I have to be selective.  If I'm not - I'm busting the bank...simple as that.

So when I see silver versions /60, I just yawn.  Why chase those when the odds are good that they'll be around months from now - and at cheaper prices.

That's what I'm doing with the Decades 90s product.  Only now am I chasing some of the "lower end" Lindens in the release.

I wasn't even planning on putting the new silver jersey cards from In The Game Used on my radar, but a chance e-mail changed my mind.  I received a message from another local collector who opened a lot of the product.  He knew I collected Linden and showed me the Trev's he pulled.

I initially told him that I was going to pass.  The prices I'd be looking at spending would be less than what he could get currently on the open market.  He told me to fire an offer at him..."Cash is king".  That's true.  So I did.

And here's what I picked up.

In The Game Used Jersey

Silver (limited to 50 copies)

This card has a nice two-color piece with a thick seam.  Out of the 50 copies available, I'd say this looks will be the best of the lot.

A bit of empty space on the card design for my liking.  But I do believe that it's a new photo used.  That's always nice.  The jersey piece doesn't match the photo though.  Points lost.  :)

Captain C

Silver (limited to 30 copies)

A little more scarce...but still not rare enough to really make me throw a lot of money towards.

I like the design of this.  I wonder if it's a generic crowd in the background or if there is some Vancouver significance?

Again...another new photo.  Noice!!!

Teammates w/ Pavel Bure

Silver (limited to 60 copies)

The Linden is a white swatch and another card of 60 copies.  Nothing overly desirable here....except that it was for the right price, it was a local pickup and I paid in cdn currency.

That white swatch doesn't look so bad now.

Oh....and there's Bure too.

Quad Franchises w/ Naslund, Bure & Luongo

Silver (limited to 60 copies)

Yup.  Four guys, a theme and some jerseys.

Coming this fall on CBS.

Cup Battles w/ Messier, Richter & Bure

Silver (limited to 50 copies)

If there was one card that was the real "steal" of the bunch it might be this one.  It looks like it's the higher demand card on ebay....but let's see where the bidding sits after a couple months.  That's when I would have started to chase this copy if it hadn't come available this weekend.

Overall, I am really happy with my pickups.  Anytime I can buy locally it's a good thing.  Like groceries.....home grown is better.  Supports the economy.  Things like that.

I think I paid a fair price (I know it was a price I was firm on) and I also think that down the road these prices will look good for the seller too.  I told him that's it's a tougher go with the Linden collecting these days with all the cards out there.  Lots to choose from and a lot of low-numbered stuff.  So the key is "choice".

Now the question becomes "Who's next?"

BOX BREAK - In The Game Used

I caved- AGAIN!!!!

But sometimes that's a good thing.

So I was out running some errands with my nephew this afternoon and one of the stops happened to be the local card shop.  I don't normally hit the card shops on the weekend as it can get me into trouble real quick.  But I needed new toploaders for the revamping of my Linden collection (finally sorting that out properly).

Anyways.....when I first walked into the shop I noticed the new ITG product on the shelf - In The Game Used.  And yes, my guy is in the product....a lot.  Twenty-one cards in total.  Six of those are Nameplate letters (from a Montreal jersey), one other 1/1 and the rest are most definitely on the radar.  That's yet another good wave of cards on the wantlist.

My nephew is not big into cards.  Actually.....he could care less about them.  And that's totally cool.  He respects that I like them and I think he enjoys that I enjoy the hobby.  I think he likes it too when I involve him in the little aspects about that I think would be fun for both of us.

I was finishing up with my supplies when I called my nephew over.  I asked him to pick a number between one and four (as there were four boxes of the product on the shelf).  He chose two.

Wanna see what he picked out for his uncle?  I knew you would.

2013/14 In The Game Used

(one box - four cards)

Oh yeah.  Another quick and funny story.

So my nephew thinks that all boxes of card have packs in them (like Score or OPC).  So when he saw the box of In The Game Used, he thought he was going to rip open some packs.

He opened up the box and was a little perplexed by the lack of cards and the abundance of emptiness.  His face was priceless.

Of course I knew what to expect and I explained to him that it there were just four cards in the box.

His reaction....."Boring!"

I on the other hand was really excited about the first card I saw.

Teammates Colorado

Joe Sakic & Peter Forsberg

Gold (limited to 10 copies)

A gold parallel to start with.  I was loving that.

In each pack you get a single game-used card, a double game-used, a triple and a quad.  So with no single on top....I got excited.

Guarding The Net Detroit

Terry Sawchuk, Roger Crozier & Ed Giacomin

Some gorgeous vintage on the triple.  That's 2 for 2 in my books.


Now I'll leave the next card in the pack until the end.  The "single" so to speak.

Forever Rivals

Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Billy Smith & Mike Bossy

Gold (limited to 10 copies)

Another gold parallel in the pack.  I really couldn't ask for anything more.

But what the heck....why not finish with something bigger.
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Nameplate "M"

Tony Amonte (from his All Star jersey) 1/1

Geez.....way to pick 'em buddy!!!

Of course he was oblivious to what each card was (the scarcity or player names) but he could see my excitement.  What a bunch of fun.

Now hopefully I can turn these goodies into some Trevor Linden cards.  I've got a lot to knock off the list.


Oh yeah.....I'm bringing my nephew to trade nights from now on.  :)