News & Views

I’m Selling at a Card Show this Sunday

So, for the first time in 15 years, I plunked down some money to rent a table at a sports card show.

Yes, I’ll be at a card show…but to SELL, not to BUY. What a twist!

The show happens this Sunday, October 24.

Everyone near Chicago who reads this blog should come to the show and buy my hockey cards and memorabilia. Here are the details:

Sports Card & More Show
Sunday, October 24, 2010
9 AM to 2 PM
Orland Park Civic Center
1 blk. W. of La Grange Rd at 147th St.
Admission: $1

I’ll even provide this map to make your journey easier….

Click on the map to see larger

Still not sure? Well, you can follow this link to get driving directions from your place to the show.

So, why am I selling at card show? Although I am in this hobby for the enjoyment it gives me, I’ve got too much stuff and need to clear out some space. And hopefully make enough cash to buy some of the upcoming products like Certified and Score.

Plus, hockey is (relatively) huge in Chicago right now, so I can’t think of a better time to sell hockey cards and collectibles. At a garage sale in June, I sold quite a few Blackhawks items. And during an “Art & Collectibles Show” in September, I actually did quite well selling hockey cards. Thus, selling at a card show seems like a no-brainer.

Still, there are risks involved–time and money. Cost of the table, gas, food, hiring a dog walker…and cost of placating my girlfriend who will be helping me at the show.

Plus, I’ll probably feel like a fool if I don’t at least break even on my expenses.

I used to sell at card shows in the 1990s, when I was an ambitious teenager. Some days I made a killing, and others I did just OK. But I always had fun. Hopefully, I will have fun this Sunday.

If you read this blog and decide to go to this show, drop by my table and say “hi”.

Starting a New Set

Last week on a whim, I decided to pick up some cards from the 1957-58 Topps Hockey Set. I purchased 7 fair grade cards, only paying about $2 or $3 per card…

Getting these cards makes me want to try and complete the 1957-58 Topps Set. Sure, some of the cards are really expensive, like Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk (RC), Terry Sawchuk and Glenn Hall (RC).

But there are only 66 cards in the set, so while some cards are in the $100-$300 range, most of them are not.

The cards you see here don’t look the greatest–some have rounded corners and small creases. They do look a lot better once put in a card page. (Except for the back of that Dean Prentice card–whoa!).

I’ve lowered my standards a bit when it comes to really old cards and condition. Sure, we all want a near-mint card that is 50 years old…but then you have to pay the price. For most of these old cards, I’ll settle for lesser quality if it means picking them up on the cheap.

How Many Licks Does It Take?

Remember that old commercial where the boy asks Mr. Owl “how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”

Well, getting my new issue of Beckett Hockey Magazine, I wondered how many minutes it would take me to read this magazine.

In the past, I’ve complained that Beckett is 80% price guide, 8% advertisements and only 12% content that you actually read–and yet I subscribed to it because I got it for $3 an issue.

Is it worth it? I guess that depends on how long it entertains me.

Thus, I decided to time myself reading the new issue of Beckett Hockey. I read all the articles and even the advertisements–those are of interest to hockey card collectors. And though I flipped through the price guide, I didn’t read that part page-by-page–that’s pretty unrealistic, as no one would read the price guide page-by-page, line-by line like they would a book or mag.

So, how long does it take to get to the end of a Beckett Hockey Magazine?

For me, 22 minutes, 34 seconds…and 57 one-hundredths of a second (if you want to get all “Olympic Time Trials” about it). I made sure not to just skim the pages, but actually read them.

I guess 22-plus minutes isn’t a bad read. However, it was the content itself that was lacking:

  • The lead-off article “Behind the Scenes at the NHL Rookie Showcase” was a lot of boring photos of the players just standing around, off ice. The photos were also small and dark, as if taken with a camera phone. Actual action shots would be, you know, more interesting.
  • “10 Reasons  to Collect P.K. Subban” was stretching things a bit. Is the fact that a promo card featuring Subban sold for $25 a “reason” to collect his cards?
  • Short articles about the upcoming Score and ITG Ultimate Memorabilia cards, and the already-out WHA Hall of Fame set. Although many bloggers, including myself, have already talked about these sets, you can’t fault a print publicaton for being slow when compared to the internet.
  • “Readers Write” is usually an interesting part of the mag, because it answers hockey card-related questions. This time, only one question…plus a reader telling us what he got in a break of 2009-10 SP Game Used, and how much he sold each card for. Yawn.
  • And there are other short articles, like “Super Collector”–where a guy talks about his Anze Kopitar collection–and the “Top 20 Hot Singles.” A few other “blurbs” here and there.

Twenty-two minutes well spent? I’m not so sure. I wish there was just more interesting stuff to read besides box breakdowns, previews of products we already know about and being told why I should collect a player that everyone is going to collect. Talk about a set from 30 years ago, or some obscure small release we might have missed from 2000. Anything is better than “What We Got in a Box of Premier.”

Puck Junk is 3 today…

Today is this website’s 3rd Birthday...or Anniversary…or whatever websites celebrate.

Though I wanted to launch Puck Junk much sooner–I got the idea in fall 2006 and started designing it in spring of 2007–I didn’t actually get around to launch it until October 5, 2007.

I like hockey cards, writing and making websites. This site seemed like a good combination of the three. And I’m glad I followed through with it.

I won’t beat myself up on how I wish I was writing more. We bloggers do the best we can, given that this is a hobby and not a full-time job.

But I am proud to say that I’ve written more during the past year than in either of the previous 2.

In 3 relatively short years, I went from a site that got maybe a dozen visits a month to a site that gets around 2,000. Not quite Amazon.com-level traffic, but I appreciate that anyone would want to read what I write.

And I’ve become “online friends” with other bloggers who also share my passion of collecting and reminiscing.

Some readers have sent me cards to help out my collection–not because they want anything in exchange, but because they enjoy this site.

A few people have told me how they’ve dug out their “old” cards from the 1990s, and have started collecting again. One guy mentioned that he was going try and finish his 1990-91 Pro Set hockey set with his 6-year old son.

So this site has done more than just help me blab about my collection. In some small way, I’ve been able to contribute to the hobby.

But enough about me…and this site. October 5 is an important day for 2 very good reasons…

Both Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy were born on October 5, 1965.

For those bad at math, that makes them 45 years old. A crazy coincidence that two of the greatest hockey players ever would be born in Quebec on the exact same date.

Why hasn’t Quebec made October 5 a holiday? If not for Puck Junk, then for Mario and Patrick.

What the…?

I got a package in the mail on Friday, but I wasn’t expecting anything. No recent trades, no eBay purchases. What could this be? Waitaminute….

..the postmark reads Nov. 05, ’09. This was sent out almost a year ago.

Quickly opening the package, I found this:

A 1990-91 Boston Bruins team-issue set. That’s strange…I already have one.

And then I remembered. I bought this on eBay a year ago. A month after paying for it, I still hadn’t received it so the seller sent me a second set, which I did receive. I guess the eBay seller’s first attempt finally made it through, 11 months later.

Gotta love the post office.

Anyway, I reviewed this set last year. If anyone is interested in trading for this one, it is available.

I Like Big Cards (I Cannot Lie…)

I picked up some BIG CARDS over the past weekend. No, not big as in expensive. Big as in physically big, like this 8″ x 10″ Be A Player Portrait card of Cam Ward. Yes, it is a sticker autograph, but Ward is hard to get an autograph from through-the-mail.

I might have to find more of these 8″ x 10″ autographed cards.

I also picked up a lot of 50–count ’em 50–2005-06 Beehive Jumbo cards. These measure in at 5″ x 7″. Here are a few of my favorite cards from the stack:

Luc Robitaille
Martin Brodeur
Bobby Clarke
Phil Esposito
Grant Fuhr
Jaromir Jagr
Roberto Luongo
Corey Perry

I’m not sure if I’m actually going to build out this Beehive set. The jumbos were issued one per pack, and there’s like 150 of them. And a few of these were doubles, which I’ve put up on my  Singes for Trade page.

Blackhawks Training Camp Fest 2010

On Saturday, September 18, I attended the Chicago Blackhawks Training Camp Festival. For five bucks, we could watch the first day of training camp. My friend Heather had an extra ticket for the 100 level section. Though I was initially lukewarm to the idea of getting up early on a Saturday morning, I let curiosity get the better of me;  I’ve never seen an NHL practice before.

Surprisingly, I had a good time. I got to see some new ‘Hawks–and ‘Hawk hopefuls. Several former Blackhawks were signing autographs, and some memorabilia dealers were there too.

I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking… Continue reading “Blackhawks Training Camp Fest 2010”

Sports Card Girl Strikes Back

Three weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled Sports Card Girl is a Scam. In it, I raised some questions about  new card blogger SportsCardGirl–real name allegedly Brandy Ruth–and the legitimacy of “her” online business.

Some bloggers agreed with the points I raised, others disagreed, and most didn’t really care. But Sports Card Girl…well, “she” tried to bully me. Which is ironic given this August 25th exchange on Twitter:

captainbohica: wow. care to respond to this accusation @SportsCardGirl ?
http://tinyurl.com/255bep8 #collect

SportsCardGirl: @captainbohica wow I appreciate someone taking the time to write about me!!! So much of that is wrong it’s not even funny.

SportsCardGirl: @captainbohica that guy can think what he wants. Shame on him for trying to make it even harder for a girl collector, no wonder there’s few

So, Sports Card Girl said that “she” appreciated the free publicity, that I was wrong and that I could think what I want.

But later that same day, “she” sent me this email, accusing me of defamation and threatening to take legal action…

From: Brandy Ruth
Date: August 25, 2010 at 11:39 PM
Subject: your blogI just wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I am kind of shocked you never even tried to talk to me in person before trying to slam me online. You are WAYYYYYY not even close to the truth with this post.Either way, you are entitled to your opinion and I won’t bother trying to justify anything I do to you. I am just a simple girl collector who has my own viewpoint on things and don’t expect you to feel the same way about things as I do.

I wanted to contact you and ask politely to remove that post since it is dangerously close to Defamation.

You are also in violation of Copyright Infringement law. I will give you 24 hours to remove the infringing images/properties. If you do not comply then I will have my lawyers proceed with the appropriate legal course.

I feel that bloggers should have the right to their thoughts, however trying to hurt someone is not cool. I am not trying to push you around, but you if we can’t just be civil then I will be forced to take the legal route.

B

(Bold added by me for emphasis)

This is all wrong for three reasons:

1. Viewpoint. I did not attack any of “her” viewpoints. I just raised questions about the legitimacy of her business and the security of her website.

2. Defamation–with a capital D, no less–is being libelous. Calling Joe Schmoe is a liar without proof is defamation. Saying that Joe Schmoe–or Brandy Ruth–writes grammatically poor English and has an unsecured website is not libel because they are proven facts.

3. Copyright Infringement: “Her” images that I used in my previous post are not Copyright Infringement (again, capitalized for some reason) because they fall under fair use, which means that you are allowed to use copyrighted works for purposes of review, criticism or news reporting…or even parody.

Since I had done nothing wrong–and she had done nothing to address any of the issues I raised in my article–I decided to ignore her email. But 5 days later, I was threatened again:

From: Brandy Ruth
Date: August 30, 2010 at 9:10 AM
Subject: 72 hour noticeThis is to advise you that you are using copyrighted and protected material on your website/blog. Your illegal use of My Logo, Images and Likeness at http://puckjunk.blogspot.com/2010/08/sports-card-girl-is-scam.html is originally from my website/blog called SportsCardGirl.com at http://blog.sportscardgirl.com. This is original content and I am the author and copyright holder. Use of copyright protected material without permission is illegal under copyright laws.Please take the following actions immediately:

* Remove the copyrighted material immediately.

I expect a response within 72 days to this issue. Thank you for your immediate action on this matter. If no action has been done within 72 hours, this matter will be forwarded to my copyright lawyer who will then take the needed action.

SportsCardGirl.com

(Bold added by me for emphasis)

Again, I don’t know why words like My Logo are capitalized. And how much time do I have-72 hours or 72 days? I don’t think Sports Card Girl knows for sure, either. In “her” first email, “she” threatened to send “her” lawyers (plural) after me; now it’s just one copyright lawyer. If “she” really did have one or more lawyers, then they’d probably draft a better letter than this one.

It gets better. A few minutes later, “she” also emailed the company that hosts my website:

From: Brandy Ruth
Date: August 30, 2010 at 9:25 AM
Subject: Copyright InfringementThe site hosted by your company: puckjunk.com is infringing on my copyrighted materials and needs to be removed.The post is on blogger, however his main domain is promoting this copyright infringements.

Puckjunk.com points to:
http://puckjunk.blogspot.com/2010/08/sports-card-girl-is-scam.html

The owner is the same and he will not release his data for us to send him a cease order.

The articles he is infringing on are:

SportsCardGirl.com Custom Logo (not stock)
My photos, and graphics
My video stills
My site screen-shot with graphics.

All of these are the offenders and need to be dealt with by the owner. Let us know if you need me to have my legal team contact you.

SportsCardGirl

“All of these are the offenders…” Wow, I guess her lawyers / copyright lawyer / legal team didn’t proofread this message too well either.

Obviously, my web host took no action, because no law was transgressed. And the emails stopped after that. But like I said before, I have to call people on their bullshit. I am not vindictive, but I don’t take kindly to threats, either.

In closing, I would like to reiterate a few important points to my fellow legitimate bloggers:

1. Using an image for purpose of review, criticism, news reporting–and even parody–is not copyright infringement, as those are protected by fair use.

2. If you are going to threaten someone with legal action, make sure you know the law first.

3. Defamation is when you write/say hurtful or incorrect statements about someone–not when you write/say something factual that they disagree with or don’t like.

4. When someone gets mad at what you said or wrote, but does not address the issues you raise, then you are probably right.

 

Put Away 10 Cards per Day

“An empty table can be a card collectors best friend. A full table, his worst enemy.”

– Sun Tzu, The Art of War*

That said, in a moment of clarity, I decided to take all of the cards that were cluttering my designated “card table” in my Room Of Hockey, and throw them in a two-column shoebox.

Now, I have a clear table–limitless potential!

But I also have a box of stuff that needs to be sorted and put away. A box…of CHAOS!

I wonder how these things happen. A year ago, I used to sit at this same table and open packs, or put cards into pages. I had the space to do that.

Then the table became overrun with hockey cards…

  • Numerous cards pulled for trades that never happened
  • Unopened packs of Stadium Club from 1999
  • A stack of Classic Hockey cards I picked up last summer at a small card shop downtown
  • Cards that were meant to be sent out for TTM autographs, but never were
  • Old, used top loaders that can be used for trades or as card dividers
  • An insert set of Upper Deck Scoring Predictors from the mid-1990s
  • Some 1990s promo cards
  • A Ryan Kesler Young Guns rookie card
  • Numerous odds and ends 

Behold, this Box of Chaos: 

So, I am going to attempt a new collecting habit. 

Instead of putting things on this table and never dealing with them, I am going to put them in this box.

And each day, I am going to put away at least 10 cards. Maybe more if they are all from the same set.

Sure, that sounds like a chore–but it still beats “real” chores like taking out the garbage, washing dishes, walking the dogs, doing laundry or making the bed.

* – Just kidding…Sun Tzu never said that. 

In other news, I rented a space at a neighborhood Art, Craft and Collectibles Fair over the weekend. I was hoping to cash in on what is left of Blackhawks Mania, but not too many people were interested–even those wearing ‘Hawks apparel. I did manage to unload a few 2010-11 Victory base sets, and a few low-end ‘Hawks cards. But my biggest seller over the weekend was Star Wars action figures. I guess in Chicago, Darth Vader is still more popular than Patrick Kane.