Happy Friday, everyone!
Month: October 2013
Mini-Box Break: 2013-14 Trilogy
Upper Deck Trilogy — or TRILO3Y as it is spelled on the box — was released almost three months before the 2013-14 season started! Lately, Upper Deck has divided their hobby boxes into three smaller “mini-boxes.” A 9-pack box of Trilogy is actually split into three 3-pack mini-boxes. This move was to address that collectors were reluctant to shell out $200-plus for an entire box, but also hesitant to buy a single pack since it may not have a hit. This way, a collector buying a mini-box is guaranteed to get a hit without committing to a full box.
Recently, I opened a mini-box of 2013-14 Trilogy. Here is what the three packs netted me: Continue reading “Mini-Box Break: 2013-14 Trilogy”
Two Great Reasons to Buy the October 2013 Issue of Beckett Hockey Magazine
The October 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey (#254) has not one, but TWO articles I wrote. I feel that I really raised the bar in this issue.
First, I interviewed Jeremy Roenick (“It’s Roenick – He’s Good,” pages 6-8). The video game NHL ’94 is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and Jeremy Roenick is considered the best player in the game. “I wish I was as good in real life as I was in that video game,” says J.R. in the interview. Besides his NHL ’94 legacy, Roenick also discusses what it is like to be a video game cover athlete, being name-dropped in the film Swingers, and lots of other cool stuff. Roenick is a lot of things, but he’s never dull.
If an interview with a video game (and real life) legend is not enough, I also wrote about the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks Convention (“Puck Powwow,” pages 16-18). The Blackhawks are one of the few NHL teams to hold a summertime convention, where fans can get autographs, attend panel discussions and participate in other cool activities. Several attendees and a dealer share their experiences from the weekend, while numerous photographs give you an inside look.
I know that some card shops have stopped carrying Beckett publications for one reason or another. I suggest checking a bookstore like Barnes & Noble, since they tend to carry almost everything in their magazine seciton. Or look online. Many dealers sell Beckett Hockey on Ebay.for less than the $10 cover price, and sometimes even include free shipping.
Box Break: ITG Enforcers 2
In The Game released their inaugural Enforcers trading card set during the 2011-12 season. Amid the silly controversy over the “blood-and-bandages” design was a pretty good set. Those who like fighting and the enforcer role in hockey no doubt enjoyed the first Enforcers set, which was chock full of hits (no pun intended); each box contained five autographs and two jersey cards featuring hockey’s unsung heroes.
Knowing a good thing when they see it, In The Game released Enforcers II last week. Like their first set, a 12-card box costs around $65. However, Enforcers II includes three jersey cards, but reduced the amount of autographed cards from five to four per box.
Here is the result of this box break: Continue reading “Box Break: ITG Enforcers 2”
Puck Junk is 6…and Love Junk is 25
Puck Junk celebrated its 6th anniversary this weekend. And by “celebrated,” what I really mean is “did not get updated for over two weeks.”
Yeah. That said, I’m still “all-in” when it comes to the hobby of collecting hockey cards. A few things have kept me away from this bliggity-blog, including playing in a low-level recreational hockey league, writing for Beckett Hockey and teaching college once again.
But another, more important “Junk” celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The album “Love Junk” by Canadian rock band The Pursuit of Happiness was released in 1988. It was TPOH’s first LP, and it went Platinum in Canada.
“Love Junk” is one of my favorite albums of all time. It was a big part of my college years. Good memories. I’ve lost count of how many times I listened to that CD. In fact, I drew inspiration from that album’s title when I decided to name my hockey card website “Puck Junk.”
And now you know.
TPOH is perhaps best known for their debut single, “I’m an Adult Now,” which was released in 1986 (as a self-produced single) then was re-recorded for “Love Junk” in 1988. Here’s their self-produced video for the 1986 version of the song. WARNING: contains 80’s hair!
If you’ve never listened to this album before — or it’s been a long time — you can hear it online on Groove Shark.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who has continued to read this blog throughout the past six years, despite my random bouts of inactivity here and there. I appreciate being a part of this small-but-passionate online hockey card-collecting community.
As always, I’ve got lots of cool stuff to share over the next few days. Stay tuned, and happy 2013-14 hockey season!