1992 Los Angeles Kings Holiday Card

The Los Angeles King gave a collectible holiday greeting card to their season ticket holders in December of 1992. How do we know that it is collectible? Because it has the Upper Deck logo and a serial number. In your face, Hallmark!

By the way, I should start serial-numbering all of the Christmas cards that I send out so that people save them for future collectibility and/or investment value. Of course, that would mean that I would have to actually send out Christmas cards in the first place.

Anyway, the front of the card shows a group of Kings celebrating a win at the old Great Western Forum. Robb Stauber (#35) looks eager to mess up fellow goalie Kelly Hrudey’s hair some more, as if that was possible. But the other side of the card is way better. It has a detailed illustration of Continue reading “1992 Los Angeles Kings Holiday Card”

1993 Action Packed Holiday Card

This holiday card was sent to shop owners in 1993. [Click to see larger]

All right, the holiday season is still a ways off, but I couldn’t wait until December to show you this awesome, oddball item I recently acquired. Sharp-eyed collectors will recognize the Bobby Hull card above as a promo for Action Packed’s ill-fated 1994-95 Hockey Hall of Fame set, which was advertised but never produced.

But what really drew me to this is what the card came with: a holiday card! How about that? A holiday card that included a promo card. But this was the early 1990s, so putting a promo card inside of a Christmas card was just as good as putting a wrinkled $20 bill inside. Of course, looking back I’d rather have the $20. The Hull card can be found easily for around $5.

In 1993, Action Packed sent this to card shop owners. The holiday card measures 5″ x 7″ and included the Hull promo, which can be removed. It is the same Hull promo card that was given out in gold-foil promo packs.

At the bottom, the card greeting card reads “Happy Holidays from everyone at Action Packed.” To the right of the Hull card is two lists of Action Packed employees, noting 13 of them as “Naughty” and the other 13 as “Nice.”

Also notice the small tear in the holiday card, right above the Hull card. I asked the dealer who originally owned this if he tried to remove the Hull card. He informed me that he did not remove the Hull card, and that his holiday card came with the small tear already in it. An Action Packed employees may have torn the greeting card while trying to slide the Hull card in — it was probably one of the naughty employees. ■

Mario Lemieux Hallmark Hockey Greats Keepsake Ornament 2001 edition

Hallmark Hockey Greats, 2001

In 2001, Hallmark released two hockey player ornaments: Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux. The Jagr ornament was the fifth and final of the Hallmark Hockey Greats series. The 2001 Mario Lemieux ornament was technically not part of the series, but it does fit in with the other ornaments nicely. In fact, it is a straight-up repaint of the Lemieux Hockey Greats ornament released in 1998. Still, it is not noted as part of the Hockey Greats series on the box like the other ornaments from 1997 to 2001.

Releasing a second Mario Lemieux ornament made sense at the time. Lemieux came out of retirement in late December 2000, scoring 76 points in 43 games. During the 2001-02 season, he missed much of the season but was still considered one of hockey’s elite players. Continue reading “Mario Lemieux Hallmark Hockey Greats Keepsake Ornament 2001 edition”

Jaromir Jagr Hallmark Hockey Greats Keepsake Ornament

Hallmark Hockey Greats, 2001

Hallmark continued it’s series of NHL player ornaments in 2001 with Jaromir Jagr. Although the box states that this is the “fifth and final” ornament in the series, there was actually two ornaments released in 2001 — Jagr and teammate Mario Lemeiux. Here, Jagr is decked out in the Pittsburgh Penguins road uniform. For a holiday ornament, this is actually a pretty cool-looking keepsake, due to the high level of sculpted and painted detail lavished on this figure. Continue reading “Jaromir Jagr Hallmark Hockey Greats Keepsake Ornament”

Pro Set Holiday Card

It’s no secret that, even 20 years later, I still love Pro Set trading cards. So when I found this holiday greeting card at The National back in August, I eagerly bought it. It was sent out by Pro Set in 1990–most likely to companies and suppliers who dealt with them, but it may have been sent out to Pro Set Gazette subscribers (though I cannot confirm that) Continue reading “Pro Set Holiday Card”

Eric Lindros Holiday Card

This was one of the many oddball items I purchased at The National Sports Collectors’ Convention, way back in August: a holiday greeting card featuring then-future top prospect and soon-to-be first overall pick Eric Lindros.

I’ve kept this card under my proverbial hat until the time was right to show the rest of the hockey card-collecting world. That time being the holidays, of course. Continue reading “Eric Lindros Holiday Card”

1990 Blackhawks Holiday Card

This came in an envelope postmarked December 19, 1990…

Midway through the 1990-91 season, the Chicago Blackhawks sent my Aunt Gayle this holiday greeting card. This card was sent to all their season ticket holders. My Aunt knew that I collected everything hockey, so she gave me this card for safe keeping. And here it is, 20 years later. Continue reading “1990 Blackhawks Holiday Card”

1989 Blackhawks Holiday Card

From 1989 to 1992, my Aunt Gaylehad seasons’ tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks games. In December of ’89, the Blackhawks sent her this holiday card…

Click to see larger.

The front shows a Christmas tree, adorned with lights, a glowing Blackhawks logo and a silver ornament, reflecting an exciting scene from a Blackhawks game. Denis Savard, arms raised in the air, has scored against the New York Rangers. The crowd at old Chicago Stadium erupts in thunderous applause. Continue reading “1989 Blackhawks Holiday Card”

Eric Lindros Hallmark Keepsake Ornament

Hallmark Hockey Greats, 2000

During the holiday season of 2000 Hallmark continued its line of “Hockey Greats” Keepsake Ornaments. Philadelphia Flyers forward Eric Lindros was chosen to be this year’s tree decoration. At that time, Lindros was at the top of his game, and was one of the best players in the NHL. However, he was not established as one of the all-time greats of hockey. Perhaps Bobby Orr or Patrick Roy would have made a better choice of players, but that’s neither here nor there. Lindros was still a superstar. Continue reading “Eric Lindros Hallmark Keepsake Ornament”

Gordie Howe Hallmark Keepsake Ornament

Hallmark Hockey Greats, 1999

For their third ornament in the “Hockey Greats Series”, Hallmark decided to pick a long-retired hockey legend: Gordie Howe. Howe last played pro hockey in 1980, so I never saw him play. I still bought this ornament back in 1999, partially because I had the previous two (typical collector mentality, eh?).

This ornament feels very different than the prior two – Wayne Gretzky in 1997 and Mario Lemieux in 1998 – in that Howe was from a different time, having played the bulk of his career in the “Original Six” era. In a way, that makes this ornament feel more old-timey, like something you would hang from a Christmas tree. Continue reading “Gordie Howe Hallmark Keepsake Ornament”