Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
As I mentioned last month, I have been reorganizing my hockey card collection. One task that has thrown me for a bit of a loop is what to do with “small sets” that don’t fill up an entire three-ring binder.
The past two years, I boldly gave my Collecting Resolutions as editorials for this newsletter. In 2024, I said I was going to organize my hockey action figure collection. And for 2025, I claimed that I was going to try to finish as many sets as possible.
So, how did I do on those resolutions? Continue reading “Is 2026 the Year I Finally Get Organized?”
Last week, I wrote about how vintage cards usually look better in 9-pocket pages because pages tend to hide some of the flaws that would otherwise be visible. But this also brought back to light something that has always bothered me: how should I store my unused card pages?
I know this sounds like a silly question, but for over 20 years, I never knew what to do with the pages I wasn’t using. Like, you buy a box of 100 pages and only use 50 of them, you could stash the rest almost anywhere because they won’t take up much space. And a normal collector could do just that.
But what if you are a freak like me who has ALL the different sizes of card pages?
In addition to several hundred 9-pocket pages, I also have: Continue reading “Taming the Card Closet of Chaos”
Last November, I purchased a complete 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee hockey card set at the Fall 2024 Sport Card Expo in Toronto. I then proceeded to ignore this set for over a year.
Why?
Because it was another “project” that was going to take time. Many of the cards in this complete set had flaws, and I already had about 80 or so cards from the 1970-71 OPC set.
So, I would need to compare the cards that I already had with the cards in the complete set, keep the better cards, and note any cards that I felt needed upgrading.
And many – many! – of the cards need upgrading.
Or do they?
Continue reading “Does Condition Really Matter for Old Hockey Cards?”
Earlier this month, I was writing an article about goalie-themed hockey card sets and mentioned the Between the Pipes sets that came out in the 2000s and 2010s. I went into my closet and found my 2013-14 Between the Pipes set so I could scan a few of its cards.
Or, rather, I should say I found my near-complete set of 2013-14 Between the Pipes, as it is missing 14 cards. That means that, in over 10 years, I’ve never bothered to finish the set. I opened one box, put the cards in order, then promptly forgot about it for a decade.
I was then reminded that I made a Collecting Resolution for 2025 that I was going to try and complete as many sets as possible this year. Heck, I even wrote about it back in January, thinking that by making this proclamation public, I would follow through on it.
Do you care to guess how many sets I’ve finished in 2025 so far? Continue reading “Completing Your Sets is a Lot of Work!”
About six weeks ago, I was disappointed to learn that my usual booth space at the National Sports Collectors Convention would no longer be available. With the show only weeks away, there was zero chance for me to get a booth for the 2025 convention.
So, once I got over the initial disappointment, I decided that I would go to the National as a fan. I purchased a 5-Day VIP pass and updated my want list.
And boy, did I have fun!
This year, I had time to hang out with friends at the show, including Puck Junk Podcast co-hosts Tim Parish and Clemente Lisi, who have a knack for helping me find things I am looking for. I got to talk with many listeners of the podcast, as well as readers of the Puck Junk newsletter and blog.
I also had tons of time to look around and find new treasures for my personal collection. This is pretty much impossible to do when I am tied (figuratively speaking) to a booth at the National. Instead, I got to roam freely around, get a few autographs, and buy some great hockey cards.
Here are some of my best pickups from the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention. Continue reading “I Had a Blast at the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention”
Earlier this week, I was a guest on the XM Radio talk show NHL Morning Skate LIVE, talking about hockey cards, as well as the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention. Host Mick Kern asked me an interesting question – one that I do not get asked too often.
He asked what I would tell someone if they asked how they can get started investing in trading cards. Continue reading “How Should You Invest in Cards?”
Another NHL season has come to an end, some players won awards – and some players who should have won awards were overlooked.
Hence, the foundation of the annual Puck Junk Awards in 2018. Now in its 8th year, the Puck Junk Awards honor the unsung heroes – such as the best scorer who can fight, the player who came out of nowhere and wowed everyone, and the least-likely goalie to tend the twine.
So, without further delay, here are the Puck Junk Award Winners for 2025.
Like pretty much every other hockey fan, I was excited about the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament that the NHL held instead of its usual NHL All-Star Game Weekend.
I watched as many games live as I could, and even recorded games that conflicted with my night classes so I could watch them on “tape delay” when I got home that night. (I took extra care to NOT go on social media while on break from class, on my commute home, or while I was watching a game that was about over by the time I started watching it. No spoilers for this guy.)
So exciting was the tournament that even non-hockey fans were talking about it. Continue reading “4 Nations Face-Off Delivered What it Promised”
After a three-year-plus hiatus, I’m back. After watching the entirety of the NHL’s 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, I had to share my thoughts on the tournament with the hockey community.
First off, it’s great to be back. I’m always grateful for Sal and the opportunity to write for Puck Junk.
Second, what a freaking tournament! Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: 4 Nations Face-Off Proves Hockey is Better than Hoops”