Review: 1997-98 Pinnacle

In the quest to put out product quickly and cheaply, sports cards manufacturers, like drug dealers, have consistently undervalued the power of quality.

Of course, it’s because they know the junkies will keep buying.

This doesn’t mean that the addicts have lost all discernment, however. Personally, I fiend for powerful sports photography in my cards.

Granted, investing in sports photography is not a moneymaking venture for card companies.

But occasionally, those of us who appreciate a beautifully-photographed set are given a treat. From the first years of Upper Deck to Topps’s Stadium Club, and even now, with Upper Deck’s annual flagship release, we see cards that capture the grace of Sergei Fedorov gliding and the crunch of Rob Blake hitting and the explosion of 16,000 fans screaming.

Pinnacle, which debuted so ignominiously by having different sports share the same funereal design in 1991…and 1992…and 1993, finally chucked the black for sun dresses in their 1994-95 flagship release, continuing this theme until their last release in 1997-98 (before the brand’s recent revival by Panini).

1997-98 Pinnacle was one of my first boxes ever because of its affordability and stunning photography. I also pulled one of my first big pulls from it. But before we get to that, let’s spotlight a few of those wonderful pictures: Continue reading “Review: 1997-98 Pinnacle”

Review: 2003-04 Topps Lost Rookies

What if Topps didn’t always play it safe?

What if Topp was not such a boring company when it came to hockey cards in the 1980s? While Topps made epic-sized, 792 card baseball sets that featured practically every player on a team, including bit players and first round draft picks before they even suited up for a game, their hockey sets were seriously lacking,

In that decade, Topps hockey sets were not much bigger than most non-sports sets, sometimes weighing in at a scant 165 cards. That is, if they even bothered to make a hockey set at all.

Those of us who started collecting hockey in the 1980s will remember when NHL players had to EARN a rookie card. While some exceptional players in the 1960s and 1970s got rookie cards during their rookie season–like Bobby Orr and Guy Lafleur–the 1980s were a different story. A player had to play a full season before they were granted cardboard. Even Mario Lemieux, who rewrote the record books in junior hockey and was drafted first overall, had to play in the NHL for a year before getting a card.

In 2003-04, Topps released an insert set called The Lost Rookies. Found 1 in every 12 packs of Topps Hockey, The Lost Rookies is a “what if” set that depicts 11 superstars on cards from their rookie year–such as Lemieux on a 1984-85 Topps card or Joe Sakic in the 1988-89 set. It is a very cool idea, and a great set for anyone who enjoyed hockey in the 1980s, 1990s or 2000s.

Continue reading “Review: 2003-04 Topps Lost Rookies”

Review: 1997-98 Springfield Falcons

Nice design, two future stars, make for a worthwhile set

Not everyone who laces ’em up in the minors will make it to the NHL, but it is always cool to see the players who do at a point in their career before they become famous. For me, a minor league team set is worth picking up if it has just one player in it who goes on to NHL stardom.

The 1997-98 Springfield Falcons team set features cards of not one, but two players who would go onto NHL stardom–Shane Doan and Daniel Briere. And the design isn’t the usual over-designed nonsense of the late 1990s. Continue reading “Review: 1997-98 Springfield Falcons”

Review: 2012 L.A. Kings Stanley Cup Giveaway Set

The special hockey card treatment Stanley Cup-winning teams have gotten in recent years makes this Blackhawks’ fan jealous.The ‘Hawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, but no commemorative sets or arena giveaways marked the occasion. A year later, the Boston Bruins got their own 30-card commemorative set, while Los Angeles Kings fans received this 6-card giveaway during the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals.

Wow…Kings’ fans got to go to a Stanley Cup Finals game AND got a special set of hockey cards. The only thing that would make that scenario better is free nachos at the concession stand.

The cards are printed on thinner stock than normal Upper Deck hockey cards. They are devoid of gloss or foil. For a freebie, though, that really does not matter.

2011-12 L.A. Kings Stanley Cup Finals - Sealed Set — The set came sealed in a cellophane wrapper.

Player Selection
Six cards of the Kings’ best players during the first two rounds of the playoffs are in this set. The players included are Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and a second card of Dustin Brown. So, while this isn’t a comprehensive team set, each card has relevance.

Front Design – 3 out of 5
The design of these cards is a bit confusing. The cards have a Stanley Cup Final logo on the front, but the photos used are either from Round 1 or Round 2 of the playoffs, and not the finals.

Also confusing is that the last card in the set–the second card of team captain Dustin Brown–lacks the Stanley Cup Final logo and the little black diamonds, and instead says “Stanley Cup Memorable Moments.”

2011-12 L.A. Kings Stanley Cup Finals #6 - Dustin Brown — Card #6 does not have the Stanley Cup Finals logo on it.

Why the last card looks different is anyone’s guess. My theory is that all the cards were originally supposed to say “Stanley Cup Memorable Moments,” but a decision was made to use the Finals logo instead.Given the fact that this set was produced rather hastily, I think the last card somehow got overlooked during production.

Back Design / Stats & Info – 3 out of 5
The design of the back of cards 1 to 5 looks very sharp. The white text against the black background is very easy to read, and explains a particular feat the pictured player accomplished in the playoffs. Below that are the player’s stats for the 2011-12 regular season and their career totals. Season stats seem unnecessary here, as the focus of this set is the playoffs.

The last card is a mess, though–black text superimposed over a gray background with the Stanley Cup ghosted behind it. It is an unnecessarily complicated design that is hard to read.

The set is a unique collectable for Kings fans who like hockey cards. Putting the Stanley Cup Final logo on cards that were given out at the Finals–but actually have nothing to do with the Finals–is a bit of a misguided design choice.

BONUS
Here are images of the entire set.

SC-1 – Anze Kopitar – Kopitar is included because he scored 2 goals in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. (back)

SC-2 – Mike Richards – He had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semis, scoring the game-winning goal. (back)

SC-3 – Jonathan Quick – The Kings ace netminder had a shutout against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the first round. (back)

SC-4 – Dustin Brown – Scored the game-winning–and series-clinching–goal against the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the second round. (back)

SC-5 – Drew Doughty – Doughty had 1 goal and 2 assists in the third game of the Western Conference Semifinals. (back)

SC-6 – Dustin Brown – Brown scored 2 shorthanded goals against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 of the first round. (back)

Review: 1988-89 ProCards AHL/IHL

A major league set of the minor league teams

In 1988, a trading card company called ProCards issued a large minor league hockey card set. It consisted of teams from the American Hockey League (AHL) and the old International Hockey League (IHL). Many players who would go onto NHL careers appeared in this set–including Ed Belfour and Mark Recchi. Continue reading “Review: 1988-89 ProCards AHL/IHL”

2011-12 Hockey Cards: Year in Review

With the 2012-13 hockey card collecting season around the corner–actual hockey season pending–now is a good time to take a look back at some of the sets released during 2011-12.

Many online sellers like DA Card World and Blowout Cards have dropped the prices on boxes of 2011-12 hockey cards. Likewise, many eBay sellers will try to sell off their 2011-12 sets for bargain prices before collectors get too focused on buying the new cards. This makes for an advantageous time to go back and pick up anything you missed out on.

Below are 9 micro reviews of the various sets from the 2011-12 season. Continue reading “2011-12 Hockey Cards: Year in Review”

Review: 1993-94 Donruss Elite Series

One of the harder-to-find insert sets of the 1990s

Remember when a print run of 10,000 copies felt small? That number is laughable now, as numerous insert sets today are limited to 99, 50 or even just 10 copies of each card.Of course, there are 1 of 1 cards to collect too, so tracking down a set limited to “just” 10,000 copies doesn’t seem too daunting. But back during the 1993-94 season, it was a good idea at the time, given the millions of cards printed during the hockey card boom.

The 1993-94 Donruss Elite Series insert set was a sign of things to come, a harbinger of serial numbers and shiny holo-foil. Given that insert sets became more and more numerous, stepping back and making something that was limited in print run and looked extremely different than the base set design made this insert set unique.

So, how does this set hold up today? Is it worth buying? Continue reading “Review: 1993-94 Donruss Elite Series”

Review: 1972-73 Los Angeles Sharks

A mediocre set for a mediocre team

Alton White Before the Sharks took up residency in San Jose, there was another team by the same name. The Los Angeles Sharks – no relation to the current team in San Jose – was a founding member of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Unlike some of the luckier teams in the WHA who had the benefit of a Bobby Hull or Gordie Howe playing for them, the Sharks did not have much in the way of star power. They finished 6th out of 12 teams in 1972-73 and dead last during their second and final season. In their first year, they issued an ugly set of 19 cards. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Los Angeles Sharks”

Review: 1972-73 Quebec Nordiques

Twenty-one cards from the upstart team’s first season

Richard Brodeur

The World Hockey Association was founded in 1972, and placed several teams into markets that yearned to have an NHL presence. One founding member of the WHA was the Quebec Nordiques, giving the province of Quebec another team to call their own. Longtime Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman J.C. Tremblay was the Nordiques’ first captain, while a 20-year old Richard Brodeur was breaking into pro hockey as the Nords’ backup. Released during the season was a postcard set featuring the Quebec’s inaugural roster. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Quebec Nordiques”

Review: 1972-73 Atlanta Flames Postcards

Color action photography makes for a worthwhile set

Pat Quinn Team postcard sets seemed to be all the rage in the 1970s and 1980s. Many NHL and WHA teams gave out postcards picturing the players – either in response to an autograph request or as a giveaway at a game. In their inaugural season, the Atlanta Flames issued a simple, yet fantastic, set of postcards that featured practically everyone on their team. Continue reading “Review: 1972-73 Atlanta Flames Postcards”