Companies have been known to recycle photographs on trading cards in the past, but Upper Deck probably saved a ton in photographers’ fees during the 2002-03 season by reusing the same photo of Tony Amonte over and over. Amonte signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in July 2002, and when Upper Deck got their hands on a photo of Amonte with the ‘Yotes, they really got their money’s worth out of it.
Hockey Cards
Box Break: 2013-14 Upper Deck Edmonton Oilers Collection
Earlier this year, Upper Deck released a team-centric set called the Edmonton Oilers Collection. The set focuses on the greatest players in Oilers’ history — even including some players from the team’s WHA days. A box contains 10 packs, and each pack has 10 cards. The front of the box boasts that you will “get a full base set in every box!”
Spoiler Alert – I did indeed get a full base set in this box, and a few other goodies too. Continue reading “Box Break: 2013-14 Upper Deck Edmonton Oilers Collection”
Box Break: 2013-14 Between The Pipes
It’s goalies, more goalies and only goalies. Between the Pipes is back for its 12th year, and is poised to please fans of old school ‘tenders, current players and NHL hopefuls. A box contains 18 pack, and each pack has nine cards. Here’s what I got in my recent box break. Continue reading “Box Break: 2013-14 Between The Pipes”
Ryan Stanton has best rookie card ever!
If I was a professional hockey player, I could not imagine having a better rookie card than the 2013-14 Panini Prizm card (#223) of Ryan Stanton. Sure, some of Stanton’s RCs have his autograph, while others picture him with his current team, the Vancouver Canucks. But this one takes the cake…er, takes the Cup. It shows the freshmen blueliner hoisting the Stanley Cup after the Blackhawks’ Game 6 win over the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Finals.
Stanton spent practically the entire 2012-13 season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He made his NHL debut on April 27, 2013 when Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville rested most of the team’s best players for the playoffs and gave several prospects a shot. During the playoffs, Stanton was one of the ‘Hawks “Black Aces” — a minor-league call up that most likely wouldn’t play in the postseason, but was on hand just in case. Stanton did not appear in the playoffs, but suited up when the team was awarded hockey’s ultimate prize.
While Stanton did not qualify to get his named engraved on the Stanley Cup, he did get his day with the cup. He also got a Stanley Cup ring — and the best rookie card ever made.
Box Break: 2013-14 Panini Prizm
Initially, I thought that 2013-14 Prizm would be another clunker from Panini. The cards are printed on shiny foil stock, look like pretty much every other Panini set out there and originally cost $100 for a 20-pack box (each pack contains six cards). But I found a box at a recent show for $50, so I took a chance and was pleasantly surprised.
Prizm cards are printed on a silver, mirror-like card stock. Whereas Upper Deck’s Black Diamond are shiny but dark, Prizm cards have bright, vibrant colors that jump out at you. The cards are also printed on heavy stock. After opening a box, I totally understand why baseball card collectors go nuts over sets like Bowman Chrome: they just look so cool. Of course, I was a sucker for “chromium covers” back in my comic book collecting days in the 1990s, so enjoying “chromium” hockey cards isn’t much of a stretch for me.
Anyway, onto the break. Continue reading “Box Break: 2013-14 Panini Prizm”
Box Break: 2013-14 Heroes and Prospects
Heroes and Prospects, by In The Game Trading Cards, celebrates its tenth season this year. The set focuses mainly on players who were drafted by NHL teams, players eligible for the 2014 NHL draft, or players eligible within the next few years. There are also “heroes” cards, of former hockey legends, that use illustrations instead of photographs. Rounding out the 199-card set are 49 short-printed lenticular “Class of 2014” cards that have a cool, 3-D effect. Like all In The Game products, you can also expect autographed cards and game-used jersey cards in every box.
Without further ado, here are the results of the box I opened:
Continue reading “Box Break: 2013-14 Heroes and Prospects”
Review: 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee Leaders
41 of the best players from the ’86-87 season
A popular trend in the late-1980s was the “leaders” set – a small, inexpensively priced set of trading cards focusing on the best players from the prior year. These cards were smaller in size and cheaper than regular cards, but also seen as premium cards due to their glossy fronts and the better cardstock that was used to print them on. O-Pee-Chee would make a Leaders set in the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons. Back in the day, you could a pack of five “super glossy hockey cards” for a quarter. Continue reading “Review: 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee Leaders”
Review: 1985 Islander News Bryan Trottier
Thirty-three cards o’ Trots
Released in 1985, this set of cards highlights the career (up to that point) of New York Islanders legend Bryan Trottier. The set sponsored by the New York Islander News and, according to Beckett, was issued by the Port Washington Police Department. The card fronts show photos of Trottier from various points in his career. The back of each card, written by Trottier, feature information about the photos, as well as a drug/alcohol prevention tip. Continue reading “Review: 1985 Islander News Bryan Trottier”
1991-92 Topps & Bowman promo sheet
This is a nine-card uncut sheet of cards, given to retailers to promote the 1991-92 Topps and Bowman hockey card sets. As you can see, it features nine of the greatest hockey players from the 1990s: Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, Ed Belfour, Mark Messier, Pat Lafontaine, Steve Yzerman and Brett Hull. If you collect cards of any of these players, this is a very cool item to have in your collection.
The front of the sheet shows what the Topps and Bowman cards were going to look like when released later that year. Many of the photos used on these prototypes differ from the actual cards that were put in packs. Continue reading “1991-92 Topps & Bowman promo sheet”
2013-14 Upper Deck Series One Hockey Box Break
Another hockey season, another Upper Deck Hockey set. This season’s Upper Deck Series One Hockey set came out in mid-November, and is loaded with quality rookie cards. Whereas the 2012-13 Young Guns class had to scrape the bottom of the rookie barrel, the 2013-14 set features the “Double Rookie Class,” meaning that Upper Deck can pick and choose the best new players from 2012-13 and 2013-14.
I recently bought a box of 2013-14 Upper Deck Series One. Here’s what I got: Continue reading “2013-14 Upper Deck Series One Hockey Box Break”