Puck Junk Podcast: Target Stops Selling Sports Cards

Plus NFTs, COMC & New Hockey
Episode #91: May 20, 2021

Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about Target’s decision to stop selling sports trading cards in its retail stores. Is the end of retail flipping? And does the hobby need retail packs, anyway? The guys also discuss NFTs, new hockey card releases and Tim FINALLY getting his order from COMC six months later. It’s 80 minutes of hockey goodness.

Show Notes and Links:
Dapper Labs Lawsuit Story (Coindesk)
New Jersey Devils NFT coins (Twitter)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker Archive (Topps)
President’s Choice Trading Cards “Roots” cards (PCTC)
Dispute Over Cards Leads to Gun… (Sports Collectors Daily)
Target Stops Selling Cards, Citing Safety Concerns (NY Times)
Rate our show and write us a review on Apple Podcasts

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Quinton Byfield and Upper Deck Sign Exclusive Autograph Deal

Upper Deck announced today that they have signed L.A. Kings first-round draft pick Quinton Byfield to an exclusive autograph deal. Upper Deck will sell memorabilia autographed by Byfield, who was picked second overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He is the highest-drafted black player in NHL history. Byfield made his NHL debut on April 28, 2021 when he suited up for the Kings against the Anaheim Ducks. 

“We are proud to have Quinton as an exclusive spokesman,” says Gabriel Garcia, Director of Upper Deck Authenticated. “He’s already made NHL history and we look forward to being a part of his journey as he continues to break barriers. We couldn’t be more excited to offer his fans a collection of new and authentic memorabilia.”

Some of the autographed items bearing Byfield’s signature are signed L.A. Kings hockey pucks, signed Sudbury Wolves jerseys and signed prints varying in size from 16″ x 20″ to 16″ x 24″. Items are available for purchase at the Upper Deck’s online store and range in price from $399 to $999. Upper Deck Authenticated is also selling prints autographed by Byfield and fellow 2020 Team Canada teammate Alexis Lafreniere, who was selected first-overall by the New York Rangers in 2020. 

The full press release from Upper Deck is below: Continue reading “Quinton Byfield and Upper Deck Sign Exclusive Autograph Deal”

2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hobby Box Break

So much hype surrounded the release of 2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey. The season hadn’t started yet, but that didn’t stop hockey card collectors (as well as speculators) from wanting to buy the latest release from Upper Deck — mainly in the hopes of finding a Young Guns rookie card of first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to get a Lafreniere rookie card — or three — as I opened numerous retail packs from blasters and “mega boxes” that I purchased at my local Target.

Unsuccessful with retail packs, I decided to try my luck with hobby boxes. While the odds of getting a Young Guns card are the same (1 in every 4 packs), there are more inserts in hobby packs, better odds at getting jersey cards and the chance of finding an autographed card. The price of a hobby box is higher, but the trade off is you get more inserts and a jersey card. 

A hobby box of 2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey has 24 packs. Each pack has 8 cards. Here are the results of my first hobby box break of this set. 

Oh, and I must apologize in advance for the sheer amount of Rangers in this box break; it seems like practically every insert card I got was of a Rangers’ player. 

Continue reading “2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hobby Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: New Hockey Cards for February 2021

Plus, Upper Deck Extended Series! 
Episode #83: Feb. 25, 2021

After a three-week hiatus, Sal and Tim are back to talk hockey cards! This time, they discuss the latest releases from Upper Deck, Leaf, Topps and President’s Choice Trading Cards. Plus, a look ahead at the upcoming Upper Deck Extended Series — and how “Event-Used” jersey cards could be better! It’s two hours of hockey goodness.

Show Notes and Links: 
Sal’s “Hockey Card” from his youth hockey clinic. (Puck Junk)
Sal talked about writing the text on the back of “Bloodlines” cards, but he really meant the “Sibling Sensations” set from 2019. (Upper Deck Blog)
Adam Pardy knocked into audience at a Blackhawks game. (The Real DFG)
President’s Choice Game-Used Number cards. (PCTC)
President’s Choice Game-Used Rocket Richard Trophy Cards. (PCTC)
President’s Choice Game-Used Vintage Memorabilia cards. (PCTC)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker print runs. (Topps)
Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Champions 6-card set (Upper Deck Blog)
Review of the 2013 Blackhawks Stanley Cup Set (Puck Junk)
Dragon Ball Z: “It’s over 9000!” (YouTube)
2020-21 Upper Deck Rookie Box Set (Cardboard Connection)
Michigan J. Frog, a.k.a. “The Singing Frog” (YouTube)
2020-21 Upper Deck Series 2 Young Guns Checklist (Upper Deck Blog)
Upper Deck addresses Game Dated Moments problems (Upper Deck E-Pack)
2021 Leaf In The Game Used Hockey Checklist & Info (Beckett)
2021 Pro Set Football Trevor Lawrence rookie card (Leaf Trading Cards)
Ways to Improve Upper Deck Series 1 & 2 (Puck Junk)
Upper Deck Answers My Burning Questions (Puck Junk)
2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series Info (Beckett)

Jeremy Roenick “Fight Strap” card by President’s Choice Trading Cards

Here are some of the 2021 Leaf In The Game Used cards:

2020-21 The Cup John Marino rookie card with the “wrong” patch on it:

A Dino Ciccarelli North Stars card with a Red Wings swatch. Just awful! 

A 1999-2000 HoloGrFX card. HoloGrFX will return this year. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Puck Junk Podcast: Postage and PayPal Problems

Plus: the BVG 10 Bobby Orr Rookie Card
Episode #82: February 4, 2021

In this episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the recent price increases from the U.S. Post Office and PayPal issuing tax forms to “small-time” eBay sellers — and how these impact the hobby. Plus, they discuss new hockey card releases, Sal’s birthday presents and the BVG 10 Bobby Orr rookie card (which, unfortunately, was NOT one of Sal’s birthday presents). Episode #82 is 1 hour and 56 minutes of pure hockey goodness!

Show Notes and Links: 
Rangers Put Tony DeAngelo on Waivers (NBC Sports)
2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 is now on ePack (link)
Topps Now Hockey Stickers currently for sale (link)
Topps Now Hockey Stickers Archive (link)
2020-21 Artifacts Hockey checklist (Cardboard Connection)
President’s Choice Game-Used Lace ‘Em Up Cards (link)
President’s Choice All-Star Six Booklets (Facebook)
BVG 10 Bobby Orr rookie card auction (Heritage Auctions)
Follow our buddy Drew Wright on Twitter (@Dr3wskiii)
USPS postage rate increases explained (Stamps.com)
Pirate Ship shipping service (link)
Last Sticker website for trading stickers (link)
Trading Card Exchange (link)
Tim’s cards for sale on Trading Card Exchange (link)
How does PayPal report my sales to the IRS? (PayPal)
Finally, here is video of Tim opening his ePack:

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Puck Junk Podcast: The Million Dollar Gretzky Rookie plus 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

Episode #76: December 9, 2020

After a three-week hiatus, Sal Barry and Tim Parish are back with a new episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast. This time, they talk about the release of 2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey cards — and some of the production problems that have plagued the set. The guys also discuss the PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie card that will become the most-valuable hockey card of all-time. Plus, new and upcoming releases, “COMC Jail,” and more.

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey Checklist (Cardboard Connection)
President’s Choice Trading Cards (website)
Upper Deck E-Pack (website)
Why – and How – Hockey Cards Have Made a Comeback (The Score)
PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky OPC Rooke Auction (Heritage Auctions)

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Best of the Worst: 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

Greetings, my fellow hockey fans who aren’t watching hockey! While we are trying to socially distance and wash our hands like NBC Sports washed it’s hands of several problematic co-hosts, Upper Deck dropped a lump of coal in our turkey before yelling, “Happy St. Paddy’s Day!” and throwing beaded necklaces at us. And who can blame them since we don’t know what day it is, let alone what holiday. But that’s no lump of coal: it’s a box of Upper Deck’s Series 1!  If it was coal, it would have said “Panini.”

Before jumping to the goods, I was worried that I wouldn’t find enough cards to make fun of in a post, and this has been the case for the past few boxes of Upper Deck’s flagship hockey set. Honestly, the first half of the packs that I exhumed not only lacked of comical merriment fuel, but frankly, they lacked anything awesome or inspiring. The cards were boring. Dull. Safe. But thankfully, the later half of the box got things back on track! 

Continue reading “Best of the Worst: 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2020-21 MVP Hockey Cards

Episode #71: October 22, 2020

In this episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about hockey announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick retiring and the new 2020-21 Upper Deck MVP Hockey cards. Plus, more details about the Virtual Expo 2.0. 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Tim’s column on what Mike Emrick has meant for hockey (Puck Junk)
Virtual Expo 2.0 (show website
Andre Dawson State Farm Insurance commercial (YouTube
Penguins and Flyers “Reverse Retro” Jerseys (Icethetics)
The Penguins’ jerseys also featured a diagonal “PITTSBURGH” wordmark on home and road jerseys during the 1967-68 season, and again from 1992-93 to 1996-97 on road jerseys. 
The Joey Logano hockey card (Puck Junk)
President’s Choice Trading Cards Captains Row (link)
That time Evgeni Malkin  appeared twice in the same set (Puck Junk)
Joe Thornton’s 1995-96 junior league hockey card (Puck Junk)
2020-21 MVP Hockey checklist (Trading Card DB)

2020-21 MVP Hockey card images:

2020-21 MVP Hockey #106 – Alex Ovechkin

2020-21 MVP Hockey #106 – Alex Ovechkin (back)

2020-21 MVP Hockey #23 – Brock Nelson

2020-21 MVP Hockey #76 – Jamie Benn

2020-21 MVP Hockey #125 – Patrick Marleau
Even though Marleau was a Penguins player when this set came out, he is pictured with the Sharks. Coincidentally, Marleau signed with the Sharks after this card came out. 

2020-21 MVP Hockey #219 – Steven Stamkos (short print)

2020-21 MVP Hockey #230 – Gage Quinney (RC, short print)

2020-21 MVP Hockey #221 – Michael DiPietro (RC, short print)

2020-21 MVP Hockey – Puzzle Back Variants

2020-21 MVP Hockey #161 – Sebastian Aho Silver Scripts Parallel

2020-21 MVP Hockey #8 – Nick Foligno Super Script Parallel (16/25)

2020-21 MVP Hockey Retro Parallel #74 – Matthew Tkachuk

2020-21 MVP Hockey Colors and Contour #66 – Liam Foudy (160/250) 

2020-21 MVP Hockey Mirror Mirror insert #MM-9 – Brad Marchand

2020-21 MVP Hockey Net Crashers inserts #NC-2 – Nathan MacKinnon

2020-21 MVP Hockey High Speed inserts #HS-1 – Connor McDavid

2020-21 MVP Hockey – Unopened Hobby Box 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle Play MusicSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Video: 2019-20 Upper Deck Ice Two-Box Break & Review

Sal Barry and Tim Parish break two boxes and then review 2019-20 Upper Deck Ice hockey cards in the latest Puck Junk Video. 

Ice was released out earlier this summer, with boxes selling in the $100-$120 range. Each box has five packs and each pack has five cards. There are 50 base cards and 100 rookie cards in the set, with some RCs being signed and limited to just 99 copies each. 

Who got the bigger hits? Who gave Ice a better score? All these questions and more are answered in the video. Watch it, then leave a comment and let us know what you think about 2019-20 Upper Deck Ice hockey cards. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Intro music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube, and support this site and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop

Puck Junk Podcast: July 4, 2020

1996-97 Black Diamond Hockey Cards

In the newest episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish give their long-overdue recap of the Virtual Expo. Then they talk about the NHL Draft Lottery and the NHL’s rumored “hub cities. Finally, they take a look back at the 1996-97 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey card set, which was the first hockey set to utilize short-printed cards as part of the main set. 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Tim Parish’s Instagram account @TheRealDFG66
Sal Barry’s Instagram account @PuckJunk
1996-97 Black Diamond checklist (Trading Card DB)
1996-97 Black Diamond card images

#160 – Joe Thornton RC

#103 – Patrick Marleau RC

#88 – Peter Schaefer RC
Shown here for being very BAPish

Wayne Gretzky Promo Card, courtesy of Trading Card DB.

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle Play MusicSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop