I acquired a personal grail of mine recently when I added this card to my collection: a 1999-2000 Upper Deck Century Legends Ken Dryden. It’s a card that technically does not exist, and yet I have one. Continue reading “Card of the Week: 1999-00 Upper Deck Century Legends #23 – Ken Dryden”
Hockey Cards
Hockey Extreme Value 10-Pack Box Break
Normally, I avoid re-pack boxes unless they guarantee something spiffy. A few years back, I bought a so-called Hockey Cube because it promised two autographed cards and a full set of 2010-11 Score Traded. This particular box of packs, repacked by the Fairfield Company in Iowa, made no promises, other than a 40% savings.
Still, I was enticed by that pack of Be A Player, clearly shown in the right window of the box. We all know that Be A Player packs tend to have a higher ratio of autographed inserts than other sets. For $20 $12, I took a gamble to see if I’d pull an autograph. Continue reading “Hockey Extreme Value 10-Pack Box Break”
Card of the Week: 1951 Hit Parade of Champions Jack Stewart
One thing I absolutely love about collecting is that you will find cards out there that you never knew existed. In the past, I’ve come across some pretty sweet cards unbeknownst to me, like this one about the 1934 Blackhawks and another one about Lester B. Pearson. My latest cool find is this 1951 card of Hall of Fame defenseman Jack Stewart, from a set called Hit Parade of Champions. Continue reading “Card of the Week: 1951 Hit Parade of Champions Jack Stewart”
Box Break: 2013-14 Panini Titanium Hockey Retail Tin
I bought this tin of 2013-14 Panini Titanium Hockey at a local Target store a few months ago, then forgot I had it until now. What treasures lie within this tin? Continue reading “Box Break: 2013-14 Panini Titanium Hockey Retail Tin”
Custom Card: 1992-93 Pinnacle “The Idols” Seth Martin & Vladislav Tretiak
Former St. Louis Blues goaltender and International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame member Seth Martin died on September 6 at 81 years of age. He helped Canada win the World Championship in 1961, made Glenn Hall his first goalie mask — and was an inspiration to a young Vladislav Tretiak. Continue reading “Custom Card: 1992-93 Pinnacle “The Idols” Seth Martin & Vladislav Tretiak”
Review: 2005-06 Parkhurst Hockey
Great for fans of 1960s, 1990s hockey cards
Several different companies have leased the Parkhurst name over the past 20-plus years, starting with Pro Set way back in 1991, as an effort to sell a brand of hockey cards with some nostalgia attached to it. The 2005-06 Parkhurst Hockey set was produced by Upper Deck, coming out just as the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals were underway. This late-season set was a great “jumping on” point for collectors who had fallen off the hockey card-collecting wagon, but wished to return and try to get some rookie cards from the 2005-06 “double rookie class” — without spending over $100 on a box of cards. This relatively low-price, late season release was met with mixed feelings from collectors. Continue reading “Review: 2005-06 Parkhurst Hockey”
Deja Vu Tuesday: Bob Murray
For 25 years, I was positive that Bob Murray’s cards from 1980-81 and 1981-82 used the same photo. I was almost right. Continue reading “Deja Vu Tuesday: Bob Murray”
Card of the Week: Oil Painting
1980-81 Topps Don Murdoch
Don Murdoch’s late season trade from the Rangers to the Oilers resulted in his last hockey card looking awfully…awful. Apparently, Topps didn’t bother finding a photo of him with the Oilers. He did play 10 games for Edmonton at the end of the 1979-80 season, so a picture with his new team might have existed then.
No matter. Topps did what they always would do, and painted the photo. Out with the Rangers jersey, in with the Oilers jersey. Since they could do anything they wanted, you would think that Topps would have at least bothered to use the right logo. Continue reading “Card of the Week: Oil Painting”
Review: 1980-81 Topps Hockey
One of the ugliest hockey card sets ever made
You would think that it would be impossible for me — a die hard hockey card collector — to hate a set of hockey cards. But there is one set that still makes me mad every time I think about it: the 1980-81 Topps Hockey set.
Topps used a stupid gimmick on their hockey cards that year. Player names were obscured by a black “scratch-off” puck that you had to remove with a coin in order to identify the player. This is even touted on the card wrappers. Continue reading “Review: 1980-81 Topps Hockey”
Box Break: 2008-09 Panini Stickers
K–Mart stores in Illinois are selling full boxes of older Panini Hockey Stickers at heavily discounted prices.I purchased a box of 2008-09 Panini Hockey Stickers for $21.99 plus tax at a Super K-Mart in Bradley, IL yesterday. A box contains 50 packs. Each pack has five stickers. Packs originally sold for 89 cents, so at $22 a box I basically got these at half price. Although I acquired an album a long time ago, I never did bother to build this set. I figured now was a good time to do so.
Unlike other sets, though, there are no jersey cards, autographs or other “hits” to hope for. My only hope was at building a complete set. Continue reading “Box Break: 2008-09 Panini Stickers”