News

Mattel Releases Tim Horton’s PWHL Barbie Dolls – Then Promptly Sells Out!

Last week Monday, the Tim Horton’s donut chain teamed up with Mattel and the Professional Women’s Hockey League to sell two special hockey-themed Barbie dolls. One of the Barbie dolls is blonde and modeled after Marie-Philip Poulin, while the other has darker hair and is modeled after Sarah Nurse. 

But if you are looking for one, you’ll have to check eBay, because the dolls sold out the day they were released.

Continue reading “Mattel Releases Tim Horton’s PWHL Barbie Dolls – Then Promptly Sells Out!”

Making Lemonade from Lemons

I’ll be at the National This Year – But Not as a Dealer

A few weeks back, I got some disappointing news. The vendor that I set up with at the National Sports Collectors Convention over the past four years informed me that they sold their booth space for the upcoming National to another company.

That means that I will not be setting up to sell hockey cards and collectibles at the National this year because it was way too late for me to get a booth on my own. 

Initially, I was disappointed. Heck, I was bummed. I jokingly told a friend that it felt like getting dumped, minus the crying. 

But then I asked myself, would going to the National as a shopper – not as a seller – this year be such a bad thing? 

Continue reading “Making Lemonade from Lemons”

Rookie Cards of Every NHL 1st Overall Pick

Which Top Picks Were Booms – or Busts? 

The 2025 NHL Draft took place last weekend, and defenseman Matthew Schaefer was taken first overall by the New York Islanders. If Schaefer makes his NHL debut this fall, collectors will undoubtedly be looking for his Young Guns rookie card when it appears in 2025-26 Upper Deck Series Two. And depending on how good the young d-man plays, collectors may even buy his RCs found in other sets like O-Pee-Chee Platinum or SP Authentic. 

In fact, ever since 1990, hockey collectors have anticipated a first-overall pick’s rookie card, usually buying like crazy when their RCs first hit the market. Such was the case with Connor Bedard in 2023-24, Connor McDavid in 2015-16, Sidney Crosby in 2005-06, and numerous other first-overall picks.

I recently wrote a story for Sports Collectors Digest about every first-overall pick since 1963 – the year the NHL implemented a draft – and their rookie cards.

Do you know who the first-ever first-overall pick was?

How about the first goalie taken first overall?

The first American? 

The first European?

Which first-overall pick got a rookie card two years before his NHL debut?

Or did not get a rookie card until four years after his NHL debut? 

If you want to know the answer to these questions and more, you can read my article here at the Sports Collectors Digest website. 

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The Puck Junk Podcast is 10 Years Old

Well, Sort Of…

Ten years ago this month, I launched the Puck Junk Podcast. On May 12, 2015, the first episode of the show – which didn’t have a name yet – was posted online. Tim Parish and I talked about three different card sets and two other topics in under 30 minutes, if you can believe that. Now, it takes us 30 minutes just to get through the small talk at the start of the show. 

This year is technically the 10th anniversary of the podcast. I say “technically” because we released 25 episodes from mid-2015 to mid-2017, then the show went away for two years. 

So, is it REALLY a 10-year anniversary? Continue reading “The Puck Junk Podcast is 10 Years Old”

Gretzky Gloves and Sittler Sweater Up for Bid

Two Pieces of NHL History are for Sale

Wayne Gretzky gloves & Darryl Sittler jersey

Two historic pieces of game-used memorabilia are currently up for bid at Grey Flannel Auctions. Either of these pieces would make a fantastic centerpiece of a game-used hockey collection.

Continue reading “Gretzky Gloves and Sittler Sweater Up for Bid”

Can Ovechkin Save Extended Series?

Will Hype and Hope Help the Often-Overlooked Set?

Upper Deck announced that Alexander Ovechkin has autographed eight copies of this 2005-06 Young Guns rookie cards, which will be randomly found in packs of 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series. Each card will bear Ovie’s autograph in bright blue ink and be hand numbered out of 8. These are original Young Guns cards that Upper Deck purchased to get signed (a.k.a. “buybacks.”)

Will the hype and hope of pulling an autographed Ovechkin Young Guns rookie card give Extended Series that push it needs?

Continue reading “Can Ovechkin Save Extended Series?”

Will Tariffs Affect the Price of Hockey Cards?

And You Thought Cards Already Cost Too Much

Recently, a Puck Junk Podcast listener asked me if the “Trade War” tariffs that are being imposed on goods imported into the United States and in Canada will affect the price of hockey cards.

Continue reading “Will Tariffs Affect the Price of Hockey Cards?”

PWHL Cards are Hot!

That’s Great! But How Long Will It Last?

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) finally has a set of trading cards – and those cards have been well-received by The Hobby.

Since it was released on January 22, the new Upper Deck “2024 PWHL First Edition” cards have been a hot commodity. In just two short weeks, box prices have more than doubled – going from around $80 and now selling for between $180 and $200 at hobby shops…that is, if you can even FIND a box. 

Big online retailers like Steel City Collectibles, Blowout Cards, and D.A. “No Bounty to See Here” Card World are currently sold out of PWHL cards.

Continue reading “PWHL Cards are Hot!”

Topps Gives Stickers the “Fanatics” Treatment with Serial-Numbered Parallels

The 2024-25 Topps NHL Sticker Collection was released last week. Full 50-pack boxes are available on eBay and Amazon. Unlike the print-on-demand Topps Now NHL stickers, the Topps NHL Sticker Collection stickers are available in stores and are made to be put into an album. 

What is really interesting this year is that Topps is giving its NHL album sticker set the full “Fanatics” treatment by including serial-numbered parallel stickers. 

Continue reading “Topps Gives Stickers the “Fanatics” Treatment with Serial-Numbered Parallels”