Upper Deck finally gets an O-Pee-Chee design right

I know these have been around for around a month now, but I recently saw images of the new 2012-13 O-Pee-Chee hockey set.

It took Upper Deck seven tries, but they finally made an O-Pee-Chee design that I actually like. 

OK, that’s not entirely true. I loved the 2009-10 design. But my biggest complaint has always been the gi-normous O-Pee-Chee logo that has dominated the design every year since 2006-07–when Upper Deck started making OPC-brand cards. Upper Deck always felt the need to hit us over the head with an OPC logo that was unnecessarily large.

But not this year. Instead, more important details–like the player’s name and team–take precedence over the brand logo. The design isn’t too shabby either–it looks modern enough, but feels kind of old school.

The inserts really have me excited about this set, though.

The Retro Parallel cards will be seeded 1-per pack, and have a 1950s vibe to them. I am currently building the 2011-12 OPC Retro Parallel set (want list here), and might actually go after these too.

STICKERS?!?! How freaking cool is this? As an American, I fondly remember getting a sticker in almost every Topps card set I bought back in the day, be it Hockey or a movie set like Star Wars. You’ll get one sticker in every 3 packs of the upcoming OPC set.This sticker’s design feels like a 1970s baseball card–simple, but colorful. Frankly, I’d rather get a sticker than a retro rainbow black die cut parallel.

And don’t worry–there will be 8 rainbow parallels per box, too. And harder-to-find black rainbow parallels. This is Upper Deck we’re talking about.

You’ll also get 2 pop-ups per box. While I’m not exactly a fan of the idea, I do like the fact that we are getting some variety in this year’s OPC product. Plus, I’m kind of tired of inserts like Trophy Winners and Team Checklists.

One idea I really like are these manufactured Team Logo Patch cards.

I guess these are going to feature different incarnations of team logos, or a team’s supporting logo, like the Red Wings’ cartoon octopus. Unfortunately, these will be hard to get–1 in every 96 packs–so I won’t hold my breath. I like the idea of collecting team logos, past and present. That would have made a cool insert set itself, even without patches. Oh well.

The 2012-13 O-Pee-Chee set will be released August 14. I’m definitely going to collect it. Now my only debate is, do I buy a complete set (like I did this year) or do I buy some boxes. One way is more effective, but the other way is more fun–and expensive.

Is anyone else planning on collecting the 2012-13 O-Pee-Chee set/

Being patient (and stubborn) pays off

1974-75 OPC WHA #30 - Gerry CheeversThis past week has kept me away from updating my illustrious blog. I’m getting over a back injury I sustained a few weeks ago, have been fighting a cough/cold/sore throat AND I started a new teaching schedule for summer that puts me back on mornings again.

But enough of my whining. Yesterday, I added another one of my Holy Grails to my hockey card collection: The 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee World Hockey Association set.

Now I know this set is not that hard to find. The problem is, I don’t want to pay a lot for it. In fact, I don’t want to pay a lot for a lot of things. Wait long enough, and I always find what I want at a price I want to pay for it. I’ve managed to nab a complete 1985-86 Topps Hockey set for $50 and a complete 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee set for $180.I could list many other examples, but I don’t want to sound like Scrooge McDuck.

Maybe it’s patience, but it is also stubbornness. I could have had the 1974-75 OPC WHA set for $200 at a show last year. Somehow I got it stuck in my mind that I would find this set for under $100. Usually when I  look for a set, I get it in my fool head that I can find it for less than “low book value.”

I’ve been outbid on this particular WHA set numerous times. I always bow out when the price hits $100.

1974-75 OPC WHA #50 - Bobby HullThen late last week, I won this set in EXMT condition – missing 1 common – for $59.50, shipped. The common I needed cost me $4, shipped. So, for $63.50. I’ve had a set I’ve wanted since 1989.

This set has a lot of great cards: Bobby Hull, Frank Mahovolich, the Howe Family. But it was this card that first drew me to the set:

1974-75 OPC WHA #29 - Al HamiltonI first saw this card of Al Hamilton on the cover of a book about sports cards from the 1970s. My local library had this book, but it has since been discarded. I haven’t seen this book since I was a kid, but it was called something like Sports Cards or Collecting Sports Cards. It was written in the late 1970s–before the collecting boom– and had pictures of various sports cards on the cover, including this one.

Something about this card–really, the set–struck me as cool. It just felt, well…classy for a hockey card set. It uses a horizontal layout instead of the traditional vertical layout. It uses a portrait photo, doesn’t try to cram in 5 different logos and has a facsimile autograph.

I am psyched to have this set. I’d do a back flip if I knew how to do one (and if it wouldn’t re-injure my back). Twenty-three years, and I can finally put this one on the shelf.

Now, I have to find another set to obsess over.

Speaking of the World Hockey Association, you may remember my review of the 2010 WHA Hall of Fame set. Well, the price has been reduced from $20 to $9.95. Visit here to buy a set and help support an independent volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the history of this league.

3 more 1963-64 Parkhurst cards

I’ve been stretching out my 1963-64 Parkhurst acquisitions long enough. Time to get to something else.It also seems a bit pointless since this guy posted the entire set. So without further ado, here are cards 57, 58 and 59 in my Parkhurst set build.

1963-64 Parkhurst #64 - Dick Duff#64 – Dick Duff – This one is in awesome shape for its age.

1963-64 Parkhurst #64 - Dick Duff (back)Even the back looks great.

1963-64 Parkhurst #67 - Kent Douglas#67 – Kent Douglas – Probably one of the few “commons’ I still needed.

1963-64 Parkhurst #67 - Kent Douglas (back)The back has a “mark” above the card number, but I think I paid only $9 for it.

1963-64 Parkhurst #88 - Bernie Geoffrion#88 – Bernard (Boom Boom) Geoffrion. Last week, I posted the other Geoffrion card from the set. This card is in awesome condition – nice corners, great centering, no creases.

1963-64 Parkhurst #88 - Bernie Geoffrion (back)Fifty-nine cards down, 40 cards to go.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 59%

1963-64 Parkhurst #63 – Red Kelly

1963-64 Parkhurst #63 - Red KellyHall of Fame center Leonard “Red” Kelly is my 55th card in the 1963-64 Parkhurst hockey set. I still got a few more of these to show off over the next few days. Plus, there is a show in Chicago coming up at the end of the month–hopefully I will be able to nab a couple of these and keep my set build going.

1963-64 Parkhurst #63 - Red Kelly (back)The back of this card is just as nice as the front–just a bit off-center and the usual discoloring.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 55%

Hockey Cube Break


I was at my local Target yesterday and I have been pretty good about staying away from blaster boxes. But I always look for hockey card “repacks” that contain an autographed card. I found this–something called a “Hockey Cube.” For $19.99 plus tax, you get 2 autographed cards and a bunch of other cards you probably don’t want. So, I weighed the pros and cons of buying it:

Pro:: It has 2 autographed cards. I like autographed cards

Con: It probably has tons of Pro Set.

Pro: It has a Score Rookie and Traded Set that is still sealed.

Con: I already have two Score Rookie and Traded Sets (one for TTM purposes)

Pro: I want another Jeff Skinner from that set. Plus, I might get some good Gold Parallels.

So, the Pros narrowly outweighed the Cons. Here is what was inside the Hockey Cube: Continue reading “Hockey Cube Break”

1963-64 Parkhurst #39 – Lorne (Gump) Worsley

1963-64 Parkhurst #39 - Lorne (Gump) WorsleyAnyone who has followed this blog for a while knows that Lorne “Gump” Worsley is my favorite player from the Original Six era. I was not alive during that era, and Gump retired before I was even born. But I’ve read his autobiography so many times (I actually own TWO copies of that book) that I feel like I would have been a big fan of his if I was alive and following hockey back then.

That said, I was extremely thrilled to finally get my hands on this 1963-64 Parkhurst card of Worsley. It’s got a bit of dirt on the front–nothing that would offend a rough-and-tumble goalie like the Gumper (may he rest in peace).

1963-64 Parkhurst #39 - Lorne (Gump) Worsley (back)Parkhurst Percent Counter: 54%

2011-12 SPx box break & Contest update

2011-12 SPx boxIt seems that whenever I buy a box of cards for $100 or more, I am left with:

  • a stack of base cards
  • a limited rookie card of a nobody
  • jersey cards that no one wants
  • a large dose of buyer’s remorse

Of course, I remembered none of that when I bought this box of 2011-12 SPx. I have never purchased this product before, and was itching to give something new a try.

Each box has 18 packs (4 cards per pack) –plus a “Bonus Pack”. Here is what I got: Continue reading “2011-12 SPx box break & Contest update”