Introducing the Puck Junk Online Shop

Today, after several months of inspired and feverish work, I would like to finally announce the launch of the Puck Junk Shop, an online store for this site. I’m excited that everything  came together to make this happen.

Currently, the Puck Junk Shop is selling hockey t-shirts that feature original designs that my girlfriend and I created. Hopefully, the Shop will soon expand to sell other hockey-related merchandise.

Do you collect hockey cards? Do you play hockey in a recreational league? Do you  love all things hockey? Then check out the Shop, which has six different hockey t-shirts — in multiple colors — with more creations in the works.

The Puck Junk Shop is currently taking pre-orders, with shirts expected to ship the first week of the hockey season. Place an order between now and October 1 and save 10% off your first order with coupon code SHOPLAUNCH at checkout.

Even if you don’t buy anything, please help spread the word about the new online Shop, and consider signing up for the mailing list. This is something that I’ve dreamed about doing for a long time, and every share, like, retweet and repost will help. Also, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the designs — or what hockey shirt designs you’d like to see. Wish us luck, and thank you for your support! ■

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.  

Collectors Corner #28 – Sports Video Games


(Player not working? Listen to Collectors Corner on SoundCloud.)

Last week Thursday was National Video Game Day, so Ron Barr and I talked about sports video games, from Tennis for Two and Pong, to Double Dribble and NHL ’94, all the way to current games like Madden 20.

Collectors Corner airs Friday nights at 9:25 p.m. CST. Find a nearby radio station that carries Sports Byline USA here, or stream online here.  You can also listen to past episodes here.Special thanks to Sports Byline USA for providing the audio clip.

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Sports Byline USA on Twitter @SportsBylineUSA. ■

Blake’s Takes: The Marner Bomb Drop and Other Extensions

How many synonyms can I use for the word extension? You will have to keep reading to find out because this edition of Blake’s Takes is all about extensions. Mitch Marner finally signed an extension. Many of the other big-name RFAs followed suit, making last week one of the most memorable weeks of the summer in the hockey world.

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Box Break: 2018-19 Ultimate Collection

Yesterday, I posted a break of Upper Deck Chronology Hockey Volume 1, a box that has just four cards. Today is a break of another four-card box, this time of 2018-19 Ultimate Collection Hockey by Upper Deck. The set came out about three weeks ago and costs around $140 for a box. Let’s see what that gets us. 

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Box Break: Chronology Hockey Vol. 1

All the cool kids on Twitter and Instagram were opening boxes of Upper Deck Chronology Hockey Volume 1, and showing off the cool autographed cards they got.

Chronology is a “living” set that will be ongoing over multiple releases. Volume 1 was released at the end of July 2019, while Volume 2 is slated to come out in summer of 2020. This is an interesting concept, as there are thousands of retired NHL players, making the sky the limit for who might be included in this set. 

A box of Chronology costs around $120 to $140 USD and contains FOUR CARDS. But three out of four are promised to be hits, so that’s enticing. 

I finally got my hands on a box of Volume 1, and wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. 

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Box Break: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee Premier

During The National last month, I purchased a box of 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey cards for $5. It seemed like a fun retro break to do. The set is small, at just 198 cards, and seemed relatively easy to put together. Plus, I already had some doubles in my collection, so I thought if anything, I’d get a set out of the deal. I was wrong.

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Blake’s Takes: Extension Season

Zach Werenski

NHL GMs were busy this week dishing out a ton of money in extensions. I’ll look into four of the most impactful deals and why one of them could open the floodgates for the many unsigned RFAs. 

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Collectors Corner #27 – Annoying Behavior By Dealers and Collectors


(Player not working? Listen to Collectors Corner on SoundCloud.)

In this episode, Ron Barr and I talk about card show annoyances. Going to shows consistently over the past 13 years, I’ve noticed a lot of annoying things that both dealers and collectors do — from dealers never wanting to negotiate on prices, to collectors always wanting to negotiate on every purchase they make. Plus, body odor, rolling suitcases, and more! 

Collectors Corner airs Friday nights at 9:25 p.m. CST. Find a nearby radio station that carries Sports Byline USA here, or stream online here.  You can also listen to past episodes here.Special thanks to Sports Byline USA for providing the audio clip.

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk. 
Follow Sports Byline USA on Twitter @SportsBylineUSA. ■

Review: 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings Set

Trading Cards Brought to You by Smokey the Bear

At a glance:
– 1988-89 L.A. Kings Team Set
– 25 cards
– Standard Size: 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
– Download checklist

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention sponsored a set of Los Angeles Kings trading cards during the 1988-89 season. Of course, we know this Department best by their mascot, Smokey the Bear. The anthropomorphic bear told us, over the years, that “only you can prevent forest fires.” Since the set bears Smokey’s face on the front, the set is usually referred to as the “Smokey” or “Smokey the Bear” Kings set.  As is the case with most team-issued sets, many lesser-known players — as well as the coaches — are featured throughout.

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Blake’s Takes: NHL Sticks with CBA

The offseason has been slow, but with so many RFAs unsigned, that should change soon. For now, there were a few interesting things to happen in hockey this week, most notably the NHL’s decision to not opt-out of the current collective bargaining agreement. Also, potentially-huge extension and another big jersey announcement. 

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