Category: Hockey Cards

OK, I’ve been meaning to post more box breakdowns. I recently purchased five tins of 2007-08 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards. Each tin contains 13 packs of cards, and each pack has six cards. If you recall, I’m still trying to get that elusive Patrick Kane rookie card.

Without further ado, here is how I did on the first tin:

– 66 base cards
– 7 Marquee Rookies
– 1 Base Parallels
– 1 Season Highlights
– 1 In-Action
– 1 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers

I got two particularly good rookie cards in this tin: Erik Johnson and Patrick Kane. Finally! I finally got a Patrick Kane card. Yes! Now I have all of the “pricey” rookie cards.

My fifth (and final) OPC wax box break:

– 184 base cards
– 18 Marquee Rookies
– 4 Base Parallels
– 2 Team Checklists
– 2 Season Highlights
– 2 In-Action
– 2 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Vezina Trophy: Patrick Roy–yet again!!!)

Would getting three of these cards be called a “Pat Trick”?

These OPC buyback cards are getting nuts! In the past three boxes, I have gotten the exact same card–a 1989-90 OPC Vezina Trophy Patrick Roy card. Would getting three of these Roy cards be called a “Pat Trick”? Since I got them in three boxes in a row, maybe it should be called a “Natural Pat Trick”?

I don’t know. I think the buyback cards would be OK if I got some variety in years. But to get the exact same card three times in a row is ridiculous!

The only other notable card I got is a base parallel of Henrik Lundqvist–I guess these are called “Micromotion”. While these inserts are not all that notable–you get four of them per box–I really like this Lundqvist card, especially the way the rays emanate from behind the goalie, and how his glove hand is outstretched. It’s a dynamic pose; adding the rays behind Lundqvist gives the card an even cooler look.

Still no Patrick Kane card (but three Patrick Roy cards). Oh well, on to the OPC tins…

Box number four in my OPC box breaks…

– 183 base cards
– 18 Marquee Rookies
– 4 Base Parallels
– 3 Team Checklists
– 2 Season Highlights
– 2 In-Action
– 1 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 Marquee Rookies parallel
– 1 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Vezina Trophy: Patrick Roy–again!!!)

Why did I want two of these?

Not only did I get another 1989-90 OPC card…but I got the exact same card that I pulled from the last box! I am now the proud owner of not one, but two 1989-90 OPC Patrick Roy Vezina Trophy cards. It’s easier to get this 19-year old card than it is to get a card of 19-year old Patrick Kane. In four boxes, I’ve gotten two of this Roy card, and not one Kane.

I got a decent Marquee Rookie card of Washington Capitals Nicklas Backstrom

I also got a Marquee Rookies parallel of Marc Staal–I think they call these cards “Micromotion” in the Beckett guide:

Another day, another box break. I got a few good rookie cards in this one (more on those in a moment). Here’s what this 36-pack box yielded me:

– 185 base cards
– 18 Marquee Rookies
– 3 Base Parallels
– 3 Team Checklists
– 2 Stat Leaders
– 2 Season Highlights
– 1 In-Action
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 Marquee Rookies parallel
– 1 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Vezina Trophy: Patrick Roy)

Wow…another 1989-90 OPC card. Though this one is of Patrick Roy, so maybe it’s worth a quarter instead of a dime.

I did get two good Marquee Rookies in this box: Jonathan Towes and Jack Johnson.

The only top-tier rookie card I need now is Patrick Kane…

My breakdown for the second OPC box I opened recently…

– 185 base cards
– 18 Marquee Rookies
– 4 Base Parallels
– 3 Team Checklists
– 2 Season Highlights
– 2 In-Action
– 1 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 Marquee Rookies parallel
– 2 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Scott Young; 1982-83 OPC Bernie Federko In Action)

This box yielded three more insert cards than the previous box break, but overall I’m not overly impressed with the inserts.

In this box, I also got not one, but two OPC buybacks. One is from the ubiquitous 89-90 OPC set, while the other one was a bit more interesting–a 1982-83 OPC “In Action” card of Bernie Federko, who in actuality *not* in any sort of action (he’s lining up for a face-off).

I just purchased five wax boxes and five collectors tins of 2007-08 OPC, in my quest to build a set.

Here’s the breakdown of the first wax box (36 packs):

– 185 base cards
– 18 Marquee Rookies
– 3 Base Parallels
– 2 Team Checklists
– 2 Season Highlights
– 2 In-Action
– 2 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Benoit Hogue)

An OK break, I guess. Got some rookies, but no one notable (no Price, Toews or Kane).

I’m not getting the whole “OPC buyback” thing. I have hundreds of 89-90 OPC cards. Why would I want more? They are neither all that hard to find, nor are they all that attractive (though I *do* like the set). I mean, if I got a card from like 1978 or something, that’d be cool because it at least 30 years old…and not this 18-year old junk.

The third (and final so far) blaster box I purchased. I hit the jackpot!!!.

The breakdown:

– 69 base cards
– 7 Marquee Rookies
– 2 Base Parallels
– 1 Rookie Parallel
– 1 Stat Leaders
– 1 Record Breakers
– 1 Team Checklist
– 1 OPC Buyback (1989-90 OPC Jon Casey)
– 1 OPC Buyback Autograph (1983-84 Marcel Dionne)

This is awesome! The card of Marcel Dionne–a Hall of Fame player–is signed neatly in blue ink. The odds of getting one of these cards is 1 out of every 1440 packs (or so). Not only am I surprised to get this card in a blaster box from Target, but I got this after buying only three blaster boxes–42 packs total. It’s one thing to buy a ton of packs and finally get a card; it’s another thing to get a card relatively early on in collecting a set.

The Dionne auto came with a certificate of authenticity, from Upper Deck:

I am really glad that I bought all of the blaster boxes at Target that day, as they had three of them and I bought all three. As many of you know, I collect hockey autographs.

The second blaster box of 2007-08 O-Pee-Chee that I opened was better than the first one, as I got a Carey Price rookie card. I got six other rookie cards too, but nobody noteworthy.

Here’s the breakdown for my second OPC blaster box:

– 71 base cards
– 7 Marquee Rookies
– 1 Team Checklist
– 1 Stat Leaders
– 1 Season Highlights
– 1 In Action
– 2 base parallels