Review: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update

200-card factory serves as a nice addendum

2009-10 OPC Update #771 - Tyler MyersReleased in April 2010, the O-Pee-Chee Update Set featured 200 cards that extended the O-Pee-Chee set issued earlier in the 2009-10 hockey season. This was a smart move by Upper Deck, who currently leases the “O-Pee-Chee” brand name from Topps.

In 2009, Upper Deck released a 200-card Update Set for its 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee set, but in 5-card packs. Three out of 5 of the cards in the pack were parallels, making this a particularly hard set to piece together. Fortunately, Upper Deck did not repeat that mistake, and instead issued the 2009-10 Update as a pre-collated factory set. Continue reading “Review: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update”

Who’s Signing ‘Graphs at the ‘Hawks Con?

The Blackhawks still haven’t confirmed exactly WHO will be signing autographs at the 2010 Blackhawks Convention–or Hawks Con, as I’m gonna call it–this weekend. According to a source of mine, the team won’t let fans know until the convention actually starts on Friday. Continue reading “Who’s Signing ‘Graphs at the ‘Hawks Con?”

1963-64 Parkhurst #3 – Leonard (Red) Kelly

I have been working on a new set review that isn’t quite ready to share just yet, so in the meantime here is another card in my ever-increasing 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey Set.

Red Kelly is my 26th card. This one also has a few pin holes in it, but otherwise is not a bad-looking card. No stains, no creases and no badly-rounded corners.

Hawk Bits

A few quick thoughts on what’s going down in HAWKeyTown

Stanley Cup visiting Elmwood Park The Stanley Cup will be in the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park on Wednesday, July 28.. However, the Cup will be at a private event, held at First Security Bank. The Wirtz family owns First Security Bank.

Who’s Signing Autographs? As of Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks still haven’t told us who will be signing autographs at the Blackhawks Convention this upcoming weekend. Sure, some are a given (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito), but who else? Maybe I’ll just bring one card of every Blackhawk ever, just to be safe. The team did announce a pretty explicit autograph policy, though.

Training Camp Fest – On September 18, the Blackhawks will hold a Training Camp Festival. Seriously. For $5, you can watch the team practice. There is also a charity run/walk/skate event, and a 3-on-3 street hockey tournament. Tickets can be bought here.

Easy Come, Easy Go– Last month, the Chicago Blackhawks traded away three good players and a prospect for Marty Reasoner and Jeremy Morin. Last week, the ‘Hawks traded Reasoner to the Florida Panthers for Jeff Taffe. Guess Reasoner’s $1 million annual salary was taking up too much cap space. Funny, though, because the ‘Hawks made a big deal about acquiring Reasoner, going so far as to “Photoshop” him into the Indian-head sweater (above). But Reasoner’s subsequent trade to the Panthers was nary a mention on the ‘Hawks home page.

JR in the HOF – Former Chicago Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last week. Roenick was a favorite player of mine, so I certainly hope that he will make it into the “real” Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2012. For those who missed it, I posted a Career in Cards about Roneick earlier this month.

2010 Blackhawks Convention – Passes

On Thursday, I received my passes to the third annual Chicago Blackhawks Convention–a full 8 days before the convention starts. Last year, I got the passes barely 2 days before the convention started. Of course, the team’s last-minute mailing practices last summer cost Dale Tallon his job.

Anyway, here is what the front of the pass looks like. As you can see, it has a large shiny object on it.

Yup, they put a HOLOGRAM sticker in the upper right corner. It really makes the pass feel both classy and official. Continue reading “2010 Blackhawks Convention – Passes”

1963-64 Parkhurst #18 – Robert Baun

Robert Baun is the 24th card in my 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey Set.

There are a few pin holes in the card and a dent on the back at the top. One of the corners is also rounded a bit.

But at $2.50–yes, two dollars and fifty cents–I could not turn down this 47-year old “artifact.”

47 years back, someone felt strongly enough about this card to want to pin it up where it could be seen and enjoyed.

If you think about it, this card was more loved than most modern cards, which are slapped into protective plastic immediately and sequestered in cool, dark, dry places for the rest of their existence.

1963-64 Parkhurst #50 – Alex Delvecchio

The last time I bought a Parkhurst card from 1963-64, it was February. Attending a card show this weekend, I decided to rectify that issue and get me some old Parkies. This one is of Hall of Fame Red Wing Alex Delvecchio, who proudly displays the “C” as team captain on his uniform.

The back of the card has a bit of a flaw–a slight crease towards the middle. The crease does not break through to the front, and actually looks worse in the scan than in real life.

This is the 23rd card in my 1963-64 Parkhurst set. Later this week, I’ll reveal the other cards I picked up at that show.

Last Year’s Upper Deck – New Low Price!

I noticed an interesting trend at my local Target retail store–last year’s Upper Deck cards are back on the shelves at lower prices.

Here is a tin of 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Cards–you know, the series that no one bought–for $12.99.

This perplexes the hell out of me. As my girlfriend can attest, I practically memorize the trading card aisle at my local Target store. Every time we go there–about once a week–I beeline for the cards, hoping to find something new and cool to purchase. I don’t recall 8-pack tins being sold at Target last year.

So, my theory is that Upper Deck had a bunch of unsold 24-pack boxes sent back to them, repacked the packs in tins and sent them back at a reduced price. Further supporting this idea is that these are 8-card packs, and not the standard 5-card packs usually found in tins and blasters.

That might also explain this blaster box of 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice.

I also don’t recall Ice being sold in blaster boxes during the 2008-09 season. Either Upper Deck had a ton of last year’s Ice sitting around their warehouse, or a retailer returned them en masse.

Upper Deck’s “Extreme Value” wasn’t just limited to hockey cards. Old football cards have also found their way to the shelves.

How about that? Nine packs of football cards for $6.99. But if this is 50% off, then the normal blaster price for football is $14, and not $20 like a hockey blaster. Man, even at full price you football collectors have it so good.

I also spotted this complete football factory set for $14.99. It even includes 2 jersey cards. Granted, it is from 2008–like the football blaster–but $15 for a complete set is more of a deal than $13 for 8 hockey packs.

Has anyone else spotted “old” cards from the past year or two making a comeback on the shelves of your local retail store? I guess selling off old cards at half-price is one way Upper Deck is raising the funds to pay off their lawsuits, eh?