Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Parkhurst Champions Hockey Cards

Plus: Are Sports Cards Investments?
Episode #189: May 17, 2024

In this episode, Sal, Tim and Clemente talk about the 2022-23 Parkhurst Champions Hockey Card set by Upper Deck – including what they like about this “retro-esque” release, and what is frustrating about collecting it. Plus, a discussion asking if sports cards can be considered “investments?” It’s 93 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Links
Discussion asking if sports cards are investments (X/Twitter)
2022-23 Parkhurst Champions Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on X/Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X/Twitter @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

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Video: 2021-22 Ultimate Collection Hockey Box Break

Sal Barry opens a box of 2021-22 Ultimate Collection Hockey by Upper Deck. A box is guaranteed to have an autograph and a memorabilia card. 

Are you collecting the 2021-22 Ultimate Collection set – or chasing any of the hits from it? Leave a comment and let us know! 

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Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Intro/outro music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, listen to the Podcast, subscribe to the Newsletter and YouTube Channel, and support this site at the Online Shop. 

Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk. ■

Should Upper Deck Change Its Redemption Policy?

Topps Changed Its Policy. Will UD Follow Suit?

Late last month, the Topps Trading Card Company announced that all redemption cards will now be valid for 10 years from the date of issue. This extends back to include redemption cards that were issued in 2021-22 products.

Normally, a redemption card – a little cardboard “I.O.U.” that promises the collector a premium card – would expire after two years or so. This would take the luster off of buying sealed products that were more than two years old. Sure, you might get a rookie card of a player that is now a superstar…or you might get an expired redemption card for an autograph of that same rookie that was now worthless. 

What this move does for Topps is increase desirability in both old and new card products. We all dislike getting redemption cards – but it is nice to know that if we buy a product from 2021 in 2024 that the redemption card is still worth something.

Of course, Topps does not make hockey cards, but Upper Deck does. So, will Upper Deck keep up with its main rival and also extend the window of its own redemption cards?

Continue reading “Should Upper Deck Change Its Redemption Policy?”

The Hobby Bros Be Hatin’

Seriously, Bro…Do You Even Know Sports Cards?

Back in March, I wrote about how Connor Bedard’s Young Guns rookie card was trending downward in value. I also posted the link to my story on X/Twitter…and boy, did that rub some people the wrong way!

While most agreed with my analysis, some did not – and their comments were funny. Here are some of my favorites:

I think you are bing disingenuous by counting poor condition cards and cards listed with no shipping to Canada as “comps”

It’s definitely not UNDER 400. It’s still selling for mid 500s. Anyone who bought it at 1200 when it was first hitting is a dope. It will settle in the 3-400 range.

If you are surprised by this, you don’t know anything about sports cards. Everything drops after retail hits the shelves.

Rooting for cards to plummet in value sure is a choice.

New to the hobby, or just repeating the same story and replacing the card?

Ouch! Maybe I’m naive at times – but I sure as heck ain’t new to this 🙂 

Granted, my analysis of the Bedard Young Guns card and its downward trajectory was hardly hard-hitting stuff. When the supply starts to meet the demand, prices go down. That’s how these things usually work.

My whole point was that the card’s eBay sales price dropped by around 60% in less than two weeks’ time. 

Now, what is really interesting is what is happening to eBay sales of Bedard’s Young Guns cards now that his first autographed rookie cards were issued back in April with the release of 2023-24 SP Game Used Hockey. 

Since then, his Young Guns card has continued to plummet in value. While an ungraded copy of the card can still sell for upwards of $500, average sales of late have been between $250 and $350 – a far cry from the $900 it was fetching two months ago. Even PSA 9 graded copies of his Young Guns card have been selling for between $250 and $400. 

It appears that the Herd of Hobby Bros has moved on to greener pastures, grazing for the next shiny thing they think they can flip for a huge profit. 

Note: This article is an updated version of an editorial that originally appeared in Volume 2 – Issue 13 of the Puck Junk Newsletter. For stories like these, plus news and updates about hockey cards and collectibles, subscribe to the newsletter here.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, listen to the Podcast, subscribe to the Newsletter and YouTube Channel, and support this site at the Online Shop. 

Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk. ■

Puck Junk Podcast: Why Connor Bedard Will Win the Calder Trophy

Plus: How Topps Policy Changes Could Affect Hockey Cards
Episode #188: May 10, 2024

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, the guys discuss why Connor Bedard will win the Calder Trophy, as well as the latest population counts on graded copies of his Young Guns card. They also talk about Topps changing its redemption card policy and how it might force Upper Deck to do the same. Plus, how Fanatics is changing local cards shops…but not necessarily for the better. It’s 98 minutes of hockey goodness!

Links
Topps Announces Redemption Extension (Sports Collectors Daily)
Bedard, Faber, Hughes Named Calder Trophy Finalists (NHL.com)

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on X/Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X/Twitter @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. ■

Tim’s Take: Shoresy, the Modern-Day Slap Shot

I’m admittedly late to the Letterkenny party as for quite a while; it wasn’t available on any of the services that I had. Once I was finally able to watch, I clearly saw what all the hype was about. But as much as I enjoyed that series, I have enjoyed it’s spinoff series even more. If you are a hockey fan, hockey player, grew up around the rinks, or just like really well put together shows, you may want to give Shoresy a look.

Continue reading “Tim’s Take: Shoresy, the Modern-Day Slap Shot”

Clemente’s Corner: Hockey Collectors Should Make a ‘Pitt’ Stop to Learn Penguins History

Take a stroll through downtown Pittsburgh and there’s a lot of American history to take in. The second-most populous city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia – known both as “Steel City” for its role in that industry and the “City of Bridges” for its 446 spans – has also plenty of sports history.

Aside from the Steelers and Pirates (sorry football and baseball fans), the Penguins could very well be the team that has left the deepest impression on the city. In fact, the Penguins have also played a vital role in the history of the NHL, especially since Mario Lemieux was drafted by the team in 1984.

Over the next 40 years, the team has made the playoffs 28 times and lifted the Stanley Cup in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017. In the process, fans got to delight in the scoring heroics of Lemieux, then Jaromir Jagr and later Sidney Crosby.

Those five championships – proudly displayed on the façade of PPG Paints Arena – are part of the city’s iconic downtown. But the streets around the arena – usually bustling with fans – are empty these days. The Penguins, for the second straight season, failed to make the postseason.

My travels took me to Pittsburgh last month just as the playoffs got underway. Instead of taking in a game, I went on a search for – what else? – Penguins memorabilia. Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Hockey Collectors Should Make a ‘Pitt’ Stop to Learn Penguins History”

Puck Junk Podcast: RIP Coyotes

Plus: The 2023-24 Connor Bedard Collection
Episode #187: May 2, 2024

In this episode, Sal Barry and Clemente Lisi talk about the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah and the 2023-24 Connor Bedard Collection box set. Plus, will the Feds start cracking down on The Hobby? It’s 73 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Links
The Opening of the film BASEketball (YouTube)
2023-24 Connor Bedard Collection Checklist (Trading Card DB)
You can buy the Connor Bedard set at the Upper Deck Store (link)
Review: 2016 Leaf Jack Eichel Collection (Puck Junk)
Review: 1985 Islander News Bryan Trottier (Puck Junk)

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X/Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on X/Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X/Twitter @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google 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. ■

Despite Issues, Connor Bedard Game-Used Jersey Fetches $37K

When Exactly Was It Worn? And Why Frame It?

By Sean Sullivan

Connor Bedard mania has run wild throughout the hockey-collecting community this season, and on April 18, the game-worn jersey collecting segment joined in on the fun – but not without some controversy. Continue reading “Despite Issues, Connor Bedard Game-Used Jersey Fetches $37K”

The Case of the Unpaid O-Pee-Chee Case

Hey Buddy – Can You Cancel My $3.72M Winning Bid?

Back in February, you may recall that a full 16-box case of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey cards sold for $3.72 million at Heritage Auctions. The case may potentially have as many as 25 Wayne Gretzky rookie cards inside that presumably would get high grades. 

Well, the winning bidder still has not paid in full for the case – and he no longer wants it. 

Continue reading “The Case of the Unpaid O-Pee-Chee Case”