The new year is barely 3 weeks old and already I’ve managed to uphold one of my Collecting Resolutions:
I placed an order on the Beckett Marketplace last week and purchased 64 cards. Many brought me closer to completing many different sets. But 16 of these cards were special, because they helped me “kill off” 10 sets. Some of these cards I’ve needed only a short time, and others I’ve needed nearly a lifetime. Here are those 16 “special” cards:
1991-92 Pro Set Platinum #PC20 – Mark Messier
Sheesh, I’ve needed this card for 20 years. I don’t know if that makes me old or lazy. Either way, I finally have every single insert card from the only Pro Set Platinum set ever made.
1993-94 Pinnacle #224 – Ed Belfour & #230 – Mario Lemieux About 2 years ago, I bought a near-complete set of ’93-94 Pinnacle, I think for around $2. These two “quarter purchases” bring my set cost to a paltry $2.50. Just another reason why I love collecting sets from the 1990s.
1984-85 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #244 – Mike Eaves
This is the card that sparked my online purchase. Only two dealers on the Beckett Online Store had this sticker, and the guy I got it from wanted a mere 30 cents. Over the summer, I bought this set and thought it was complete. I thought wrong. It was missing one sticker–this one–but not anymore.
2007-08 Black Diamond #60 – Mike Knuble
Wow, two mentions of Mike Knuble on this blog in one week. Must be the apocalypse. This was the last card I needed from my 2007-08 Black Diamond base set. I still need many Double, Triple and Quadruple Diamonds from this set. If you have any for trade, send me an email.
2003-04 In The Game Toronto Star #17 Jarome Iginla and #31 Chris Chelios
These two cards complete an extra set. This set is available for trade, if you are interested.
1994-95 Fleer Slapshot Artists #6 Mike Modano
The last card to completes my Slapshot Artists insert set.
1995-96 Donruss Team Canada #13 – Darcy Tucker
Another “last card” for a 1990s insert set.
1999 Wayne Gretzky Living Legend #13 and #99
About a year ago, I bought this set online for a few bucks, but didn’t get around to checking if it had all the cards until a few months later. It had two of card number 18 (one in place of 13) and had an extra card 89 in place of 99. Perhaps an honest mistake by the dealer.
1995-96 Playoff One-on-One #54 – Mark Recchi; #161 – Rick Tocchet and #199 – Alexander Selivanov
These three cards complete an extra set, which is now listed on my Sets for Trade page.
1995-96 Upper Deck Swedish Elite #31 – Stefan Polla
To complete another extra set (also available for trade).
I will admit that I paid a bit for these than I would have at a show. Most of the cards that you see above cost me 50 cents each. Some were a quarter, and some were around a dollar. At a card show, these cards are the stuff of quarter bins–if you find them. I guess I’m tired of looking.
Completing sets is fun. Maybe I’ll make it a point to finish off at least one set a month.