Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
With the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow, now seems like a good time to look at the Stanley Cup Presentation set by Playmobil. Several years back, Playmobil released a whole line of hockey toys, including NHL player figures, a rink playset, a Zamboni, and even the Stanley Cup – along with two Keepers of the Cup. Let’s take a closer look at this fun little playset.
Sal Barry talks with Paul Zickler, the Director of Sports Brands at Upper Deck, about Upper Deck’s new Rookie Patch Auto Authentication. The feature will deter the practice of “patch swapping” on high-end rookie cards starting with the 2023-24 The Cup. Zickler also talks about the success of PWHL trading cards and plans for the next release, future Four Nations Face-Off cards, Alex Ovechkin autographs in 2024-25 Extended Series, and a look at 2025-26 Upper Deck Series One. It’s 37 minutes of hockey goodness – now with chapters so you can skip to your favorite parts.
Links
Upper Deck Unveils New Feature to Combat Fraud (Sports Collectors Digest)
The Authority website (TheAuthority.com)
Can Ovechkin Save Extended Series? (Puck Junk)
2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break (Puck Junk)
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Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.
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2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey comes out today. As the name implies, Extended Series extends Upper Deck’s flagship release by another 250 cards for a total of 750 cards between the three series.
Since 2020-21, Extended Series has made a good thing better by making Upper Deck’s flagship release the largest set of the season. Extended Series usually brings along with it loads of fun, retro-themed insert cards, drawing inspiration from the late 1990s to mid-2000s. In the past, many of the inserts you found in Extended Series were seral numbered, too.
A box of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series is selling for around $120 for a 12-pack box. Each pack consists of nine base cards and three insert cards for 12 cards total. There is even a very long shot at pulling an Alex Ovechkin Young Guns buyback autographed card. There’s only eight of those Ovie Autos floating around, so your chances of getting hit by lightning are probably better. And no, I don’t mean Victor Hedman…though he does have a card in this set.
Today, I opened a box of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey. Let’s see what was inside.
Continue reading “2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series Box Break”
Ten years ago this month, I launched the Puck Junk Podcast. On May 12, 2015, the first episode of the show – which didn’t have a name yet – was posted online. Tim Parish and I talked about three different card sets and two other topics in under 30 minutes, if you can believe that. Now, it takes us 30 minutes just to get through the small talk at the start of the show.
This year is technically the 10th anniversary of the podcast. I say “technically” because we released 25 episodes from mid-2015 to mid-2017, then the show went away for two years.
So, is it REALLY a 10-year anniversary? Continue reading “The Puck Junk Podcast is 10 Years Old”
Sal Barry talks with former NHL goaltender Stephane Fiset, who played 390 games across 13 seasons. We talked about Fiset breaking into the league with the last-place Quebec Nordiques, to winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, what it’s like to play with Guy Lafleur, and even some of his favorite wrestlers. It’s 11 minutes of hockey goodness.
Links
Stephane Fiset’s career statistics (HockeyDB)
Special thanks to the Sport Card Expo for providing audio of the interview.
Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.
Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.
Connect
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.
Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel.
Support
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Two historic pieces of game-used memorabilia are currently up for bid at Grey Flannel Auctions. Either of these pieces would make a fantastic centerpiece of a game-used hockey collection.
Continue reading “Gretzky Gloves and Sittler Sweater Up for Bid”
In this episode, the guys have a long talk about the 2024-25 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey card set, including the top rookies and some of the best – and worst – insert sets. Other topics include Alex Ovechkin collectibles that have come out since he became the all-time leading goal scorer, as well as the autographed Ovie Young Guns that will be in extended series. It’s 79 minutes of hockey goodness – now with chapters so you can skip to your favorite parts.
Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.
Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.
Connect
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.
Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel.
Support
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Last month, Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for most career NHL goals during the regular season – a record that The Great One held for over 30 years. Ovechkin breaking the record was celebrated across the league and highlighted the close of the regular season.
As we get closer to the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, many collectors are working on their want lists. Looking ahead, some of Gretzky’s other records could potentially be broken. So now is a great chance to buy rookie cards of players that very few are paying attention to. Staying ahead of these trends by buying the right cards now could pay off in the end; not just financially, but in the thrill of being a part of hockey history in the making.
Here are three of Gretzky’s records that could be broken in the next few years, and the hockey cards you should buy now.
Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Will These Gretzky Records Fall? Get These Cards Now!”
Upper Deck announced that Alexander Ovechkin has autographed eight copies of this 2005-06 Young Guns rookie cards, which will be randomly found in packs of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series. Each card will bear Ovie’s autograph in bright blue ink and be hand numbered out of 8. These are original Young Guns cards that Upper Deck purchased to get signed (a.k.a. “buybacks.”)
Will the hype and hope of pulling an autographed Ovechkin Young Guns rookie card give Extended Series that push it needs?
Alex Ovechkin’s historic achievement of becoming the NHL’s all-time leading scorer has not only captured the attention of hockey fans around the world – but also sparked a surge of interest in his memorabilia and collectibles.
Since surpassing the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s longstanding record of 894 goals on April 6, Ovechkin’s impact on the market for sports memorabilia has been nothing short of remarkable, with fans, collectors — and, yes, investors — alike all very eager to get their hands on a piece of hockey history.