Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
This week’s main headline is Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild’s contractual stalemate. Will the Russian phenom really return to the KHL? I’ll add my two cents this week on the matter.
I’ll also continue catching up on a few of the major trades and acquisitions from the last few weeks.
Have a great Tuesday!
I was excited when I learned that 2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series — a.k.a. “Series 3” — was coming out this summer. The Upper Deck flagship set has been my favorite hockey card set to collect over the past 30 years, and I think that expanding the set from its usual 500 cards to 730 cards makes a great thing even better.
Upper Deck Extended Series consists of 200 base cards and 30 Young Guns rookie cards — instead of the usual 50 Young Guns per series like there are in Series One and Series Two. A lot of the cards in the 200-card base set picture players from the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, which took place about six weeks before the league shut down in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Like Series One and Series Two, there are eight cards in a foil pack and 24 packs in a box.
Making Extended Series really appealing to myself and other old school hockey collectors is the inclusion of numerous insert sets based on popular sets from the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as HoloGr-FX and Ultimate Victory.
I recently purchased a hobby box of 2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series. Here is what I got.
Continue reading “2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series Hobby Box Break”
Puck Junk Podcast hosts Sal Barry and Tim Parish are joined by Tim’s wife Jessica. The three of them share their perspectives on the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention. Sal talks about being a dealer at the world’s biggest card show, while Tim and Jessica recap their experience trying to find hockey cards. The episode is one hour and thirty-five minutes, so get comfy before pushing that play button.
Show Notes, Links and Images:
Dictionary.com entry for ubiquitous
Info about the Chicago Sports Spectacular in September (show website)
A few pictures of the Puck Junk booth at the 2021 National:
Shout Outs to…
Justin Zang of Zang A Pang Cards on Instagram
Arthur a.k.a. “Polish Warrior 79” on Twitter
Zackary Soof of Zack’s Hockey Box on YouTube
Mark Petree of Tree’s Collectibles
Greg McLaughlin from the Rebel Base Card Podcast
Jeff Baker from the TTMCast podcast
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Follow Jessica on Twitter @WifeOfDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube.
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
The second wave of offseason craziness was just as hectic as the first. Massive contracts were signed across the league. There were also a few blockbuster trades that involved the games’ best players.
In this week’s column, I’ll give my two cents on some of my favorite transactions from the last week or so. I’ll also talk about some of my favorite puck junk I acquired over the last week.
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Offseason Madness Continues”
Puck Junk will have a presence at the 2021 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago this weekend, July 28 to August 1. I’ll be splitting space with AU Sports at booth number 1011, right next to Memory Lane, and very close to the Main Entrance and the VIP Entrance.
I will be selling hockey t-shirts at 20% off the regular price.
And I’ll also be selling some complete hockey sets — from the late 1960s all the way to the modern era, as well as a bunch of single hockey cards from all years.
Drop by Booth 1011, say hi, talk hockey with me, and grab one of my new “business trading cards,” which would look great in a nine-pocket page or top loader. (Speaking of which, I’ll have packs of top loaders for sale at the show, too.)
I will also be giving away a limited number of these sweet-looking face masks with the Puck Junk logo printed on them.
These machine-washable masks are two-layered, have adjustable ear loops and an adjustable nose piece, which is essential for guys like me who wear glasses.
If you can’t remember my booth number, just keep an eye out for my banner.
The National Sports Collectors Convention starts Wednesday, July 28 and runs until Sunday, August 1. Click here for more information about the NSCC and to buy tickets.
And if you do make it to the National, be sure to drop by Booth 1011, check out what I’ve got for sale, and talk some hockey!
Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, subscribe to Puck Junk on Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and support this site at the Puck Junk Online Shop.
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk. ■
The 1988-89 Topps Hockey Card set has a fun-looking design, some notable rookie cards, and a historically significant card, too. This was the third year in a row that Topps released a hockey set with 198 cards. In addition to the 198 cards, there are 33 insert stickers and 16 “box bottom” cards that were found in four-card panels on the bottom of display boxes.
This set features bright colors and a quirky design elements. Notable rookie cards include Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Bob Probert. The Wayne Gretzky card is significant because it is the first hockey card to use a press conference photo, as Gretzky was traded from the Oilers to the Kings that summer, and a photo of Gretzky suited up with the Kings was not yet available.
Continue reading “1988-89 Topps Hockey Cards Set Checklist, Details & Review”
What a week in the NHL! Just in the past week, the Kraken solidified their roster during the expansion draft, the NHL Entry Draft took place, and there was a bevy of trades and free-agent signings. There’s no way I’ll be able to cover everything this time, so I’ll make sure I cover everything that happened this week over the next few weeks.
Happy Monday!
Saturday, July 24 is National Hockey Card Day in the United States and in Canada — and, for the first time, several European countries as well! Card shops in the United States will give away packs of cards exclusive to the U.S. Several card stores in Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and France will also give out the same packs given out in the U.S. Card shops in Canada, as well as Toys R Us and London Drugs, will give cards exclusive to the Canadian market.
Continue reading “National Hockey Card Day 2021 is Saturday, July 24”
Each year, the NHL gives out awards to celebrate the best goalie, defenseman, coach, and all-around player, among others. But I’ve always found their awards lacking. Yes, scoring more goals — or allowing less goals — than your competitor wins the game, but hockey is about much more than that.
So, back in 2018 I created the Puck Junk Awards to give props to the NHL’s biggest surprise player, toughest son-of-a-gun, and the guy that everyone hates, among others. And this year, Puck Junk Podcast cohost Tim Parish chipped in his two cents on who should win these awards that we wish were real.
So, without further ado, here are your winners of the 2021 Puck Junk Awards!
Barely a week after the Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup, the offseason has entered full swing. The expansion draft is on Wednesday, and the Kraken have an exclusive negotiating window with all UFAs until then.
In this week’s column, I’ll share my thoughts on who could suit up for the Kraken this fall, a number of high-profile offseason moves, and one notable retirement.