Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
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.
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.
Yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that they signed goaltender Cam Ward to a one-day contract so that he can retire as a member of the Hurricanes. I’ve always been irritated when teams do this; it’s trite and stinks of an NHL club wanting a photo op — and maybe to smooth things out a bit with jilted fans. It is time for the NHL to put an end to the one-day contracts.
I went to the 40th National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago last week (July 31 to August 4). This is the 6th time I’ve been at The National. Going to world’s biggest sports memorabilia show for five days takes a lot out of you, from standing and walking around most of the day, to the visual overload of cards, memorabilia, cards, jerseys, cards, photos, cards, game-used items and cards.
But I have finally recovered, so here’s my recap of my experience at the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention.
Continue reading “My Recap of the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago”
Last year on this date, Chicago Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita passed away. This is the prayer card that was given out at his funeral a week later. The front has a black and white photo of Mr. Mikita, most likely taken at one of the Blackhawks Conventions.
But instead of a prayer on the back, the card has a quote by Mr. Mikita that reads “Keep your feet grounded and always remember where you came from.”
Great words to live by. ■
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
This Friday, after The National Sports Collectors Convention wraps up for the night, two colleagues and I will be hosting a Hockey Card Trade Night. Meet other hockey fans, trade cards with each other, and take part in our free raffle. The get-together will be at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare right across the street from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
Here are the full details:
Date: Friday, August 2, 2019
Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Location: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
(right across the street from the DES Convention Center)
Room Number: DFW
For More Info: Call 586-522-5093 or email TreesCollectables@aol.com
We should have a sign out in the lobby that looks like the graphic above.
Hopefully, some of you who see this will be at The National and will visit our little hockey card trading event. ■
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Like 12.7 million other people this month, I downloaded FaceApp because it looked like a fun little phone app to play around with. For those who don’t know, FaceApp is a program for mobile phones that lets you take a picture and, using artificial intelligence, alters it by adding a smile, facial hair or glasses, among other things. You can also age a person to look older or younger than they actually are, with convincing results.
It’s a very cool app, but unfortunately, like the 12.7 million other users, I didn’t realize that it had a questionable privacy policy. So, I ended up deleting FaceApp from my phone a few hours later, but not before having fun with some hockey cards.
The California Golden Seals have a long and storied history as the worst hockey franchise in the NHL’s 100-plus years of existence. So long and so storied, in fact, that it took author Steve Currier over 400 pages to document all of it in his book, “The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL’s Most Outlandish Teams.” If you love a good story about a bad team, then this book is worth the read.
Yesterday, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced its inductees for 2019. The Hall will honor six new members: Sergei Zubov, Guy Carboneau and Vaclav Nedomansky will be inducted in the players’ category. Haley Wickenheiser is the latest woman to be enshrined. NCAA coach Jerry York and longtime NHL GM Jim Rutherford join the Hall as builders. Except for York, all of these Hall of Fame inductees have had hockey cards issued during their career. Here is a look at each of their rookie cards, their pre-rookie cards (yes, there is such a thing), and the values for each one.
Continue reading “Rookie Cards of the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductees”
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft took place 25 years ago. Unlike the drafts from the prior few years, it did not boast a generational talent like Eric Lindros, who headlined the 1991 Draft. Nor was it particularly deep, like the 1990 or 1993 Drafts. The 1994 Draft did have two players who scored over 1000 points — one who will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame some day — and three future Calder Trophy winners. And yet, those players weren’t even drafted in the first round!
So, let’s pretend that we could re-do the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Who would be the new first-overall pick?