Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
Hockey cards have changed significantly since their inception and even more so since the “modern era of collecting” which began in 1990. Despite all of these changes, not every set issued was a hit from a collector’s standpoint. In that vein, there have been a ton of flat-out weird cards produced, especially towards the end … Continue reading “The 1990’s Weirdest Hockey Cards”
With the NHL and NHLPA recently electing to forgo the 2020 World Cup of Hockey Tournament, I figured now would be a good time to revisit Upper Deck’s 2016 WCH set.
On the surface, the 2018 calendar year may have seemed a bit slow when it came to hockey cards and collectibles. Only one company makes licensed NHL hockey cards, so there is no real head-to-head competition. Still, that didn’t stop one card company from foiling the plans of another. Plus, there was plenty of competition … Continue reading “Top 10 Hockey Collectible Stories of 2018”
1991-92 Upper Deck #47: White House Welcome George H.W. Bush, who was the 41st President of the United States, passed away Friday night. He was 94 years old. Prior to his term as President (1989-1993), Bush was, among other things, a pilot for the navy during World War II, the head of the CIA for … Continue reading “The George H.W. Bush Hockey Card”
While we all loosen our belts and pass on the leftover green bean casserole, like every NHL team that passed on Jaromir Jagr’s contract last season, let’s take a deep dive into the Upper Deck’s latest offering of fresh, hot hockey photography from the 2018-19 Series One flagship set.
This week, we finally saw Erik Karlsson score his first goal as a San Jose Shark. I also show my spiteful side and root for the downfall of some people’s favorite team.
With the NHL hockey season back in full swing, we take a look at five hockey books from the 2017-18 season that are well worth the read. And if you aren’t a hockey fan, don’t worry; these books will still appeal to anyone who loves reading about sports. “Gratoony the Loony” by Gilles Gratton … Continue reading “The Five Best Hockey Books of 2017-18”
Former National Hockey League President John Ziegler Jr. passed away last Thursday. The NHL and two teams that Ziegler worked for — the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks — all issued whitewashed statements about how great Ziegler was for the NHL during his 15-year tenure as president. Various media outlets also issued brief … Continue reading “John Ziegler Did More Harm Than Good for Hockey”
Longtime collectors will remember when Upper Deck used to make hockey cards written in French for fans in Quebec in the early 1990s. Taking that idea to a whole new level, in 2017 Upper Deck issued hockey cards written in Chinese, and gave them to attendees of the NHL’s “China Games” — a two-game preseason … Continue reading “2017-18 Upper Deck China Games Chinese Hockey Cards”
Recently, I saw a brief write up on “success” of Upper Deck’s 2017-18 SP Authentic, in part because collectors are chasing Upper Deck’s buyback of Connor McHockeyJesus’ Young Guns rookie card. Not just because it’s his rookie card, but because they have also been autographed and numbered only to 97. Aren’t we lucky that McDavid … Continue reading “Speculating on Athletes is a Bad Idea”