1963-64 Parkhurst #47 - Robert Dillabough

Time for a quick blog update before I teach class this morning. Here is another card that brings me one step closer to completing the Set of My Dreams.

I'm not quite sure why Robert (Bob) Dillabough was included in the 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey set. He only played 1 playoff game for the Red Wings in '62-63. The year this card came out, Dillabough only played 1 game for the Wings, again in the playoffs. So, he was not a regular on the team. Dillabough would go on to be an original member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1967-68, and an original member of the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders in 1972-73.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 44% Complete

1963-64 Parkhurst #41 - Bruce MacGregor

Today is another long day in what is going to be a week of long days. I still have stacks of cool cards from the National to scan and show, but my time and energy is in short supply. So in the meantime, here's another 1963-64 Parkie, this one of Bruce MacGregor.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 43% Complete

2010-11 SP Authentic Box Break #1

When I attended The National Sports Collectors' Convention earlier this month, I participated quite a bit in Upper Deck's wrapper redemption program.

Buying 5 packs of 2010-11SP Authentic earned me one voucher for a redemption pack. In total, I bought 50 packs of SP Autentic (two 24-pack boxes plus 2 additional packs).

Here are the results from my first box:

109 Base Cards - I like the simple design of the base set. The player cutouts have a gloss varnish on what is otherwise a matte coat card. Unfortunately, Upper Deck chose to mainly use photos of players in their white road uniforms. The result is a set that feels lifeless and devoid of color.

4 SP Essentials - Speaking of lifeless and devoid of color, these numbered SP Essentials use a black and white photo and a blue tinted photo of the same player. So I guess you can add depressing to the list of adjectives used to describe this set. Besides Bobby Clarke (shown above), I also pulled cards of Guillaume Latendresse, Patrice Bergeron and Mike Green. Each is numbered out of 1999.

1 Future Watch rookie card- Brandon McMillan? Never heard of him. I think it is time for Upper Deck to cut back on the number of rookies they issue cards of each year.

2 HOLO FX insert cards - I actually like these hologram-type cards. They evoke a certain nostalgia of 1990s hockey cards, when pulling a colorful hologram felt epic. I think I am going to build this insert set.

Sign of the Times Logan Couture - This was the first autograph that I pulled. Not bad. Couture is a rising star, and the autograph is on-card and in blue.

Sign of the Times Colin Wilson - Another player who is potentially on the up and up. So far, so good.

Autographed Future Watch Dana Tyrell 772 / 999 - Never heard of him, but he played 72 games for the Lightning (I refuse to call them the "Bolts") last year.

Autographed Future Watch Zac Dalpe 492 / 999 - They should call these signed rookie cards "Sigh of the Times," because you hope it's a signature of someone good, but then sigh in disbelief when you realize who is on the card. Dalpe spent most of last season in the AHL; maybe he'll crack the Hurricanes' lineup this year.

Despite my complaints about some of the autographs pulled, I am happy to say that I beat the odds. Supposedly you get 3 autographs per box, but I pulled 4.

I actually enjoyed this product enough to buy a second box, which--believe it or not-- I still haven't opened yet. Maybe I will open it this Friday as a reward for surviving what is set to be a grueling week, consisting of teaching, freelance web design work and a job interview / teaching presentation (wish me luck). I won't have much free time for hobbies over the next 5 days.

1963-64 Parkhurst #46 - Marcel Pronovost

Today's 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey card is of Hall of Fame player Marcel Pronovost. I still got a few more of these Parkies to show off over the next few days, so stay tuned.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 42% Complete

Card of the Week: Whitewashed Capital

During the summer of 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers traded center Bill Clement to the Washington Capitals. This transaction was apparently important enough to prompt Topps' art department to revise their photo of Clement for their 1975-76 set. Unfortunately, his trade wasn't quite worthy enough to merit revision to the entire photograph. Only Clement's jersey had been altered to reflect the trade. His torso screams "Capitals," while his legs (and heart, probably) still say "Flyers." (Full story)

1963-64 Parkhurst #48 - Lawrence Jeffrey

A freelance web design project is keeping me busy this week, so here's a quick update. This 1963-64 Parkhurst card of Lawrence Jeffrey brings my set to 41 cards. Like the card of Doug Barkley, this card is damn near perfect.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 41% Complete

Decades 1980s: National Edition - Box Break #2

I enjoyed my first box of In The Game's Decades 1980s enough that I decided to buy a second box a day later. I actually did a "pack wars" type break with Justin G. (Hopeful Chase) and Tim (DFG). Those guys each got a Mario Lemieux game-used card. And me? I did OK...

Three Regular Cards

A retro-themed card of my hero, Chris Chelios! This box started off on the right foot.

A "rookie card" of Dino Ciccarelli. Make that Hall of Fame winger Dino Ciccarelli. My first-ever hockey card was a 1984-85 Topps card of Dino.

Battle of Aberta Joe Mullen vs. Glenn Anderson. Flames vs. Oilers? Wow, talk about combustion! Those must have been some explosive battles.

Three Autographed Cards
Also known as Reason #1 why I bought a second box of Decades

Mark Hunter - OK, he's definitely an eighties player, having started his NHL career in 1981 and retiring in 1993.

Eldon "Pokey" Reddick - Jets Represent!!!! I'm glad that this card "shows" Reddick from his days with the Winnipeg Jets. You know Reddick didn't get any cards during his 3 seasons in Winnipeg? He was featured in a few sticker sets though. This guy didn't have half the career that Mark Hunter had, and yet I'm thrice as enthralled to get this card.

Dino Ciccarelli - Two cards of Dino in a 9-card box? That's 22.222% Ciccarelli.

Three Jersey Cards

Andy Moog Game Used Jersey Card - Moog was a big game goalie for the Bruins in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Guy Lafleur Game Used Jersey Card - Guuuuuuyyyyyy LaaaaaaFleeeeuuuurrrrr! Unleash the awesome!!! This is definitely going into the "keeper" pile. Lafleur only played one season with the New York Rangers, so there can't be too many Rangers jersey swatch cards for him out there.

And Reason #2 why I bought a second box of Decades:

Chicago Blackhawks Quadruple Swatch card - Stan Mikita, Bill White, Denis Savard and Darren Pang. Three of these players had accomplished NHL careers. And then there's Darren Pang. All kidding aside--Panger's career ended after back-to-back knee injuries--this is a pretty awesome card for a 'Hawks fan like me. Savard and Mikita are in the Hall of Fame and White played 7 seasons in Chicago. Considering that Pang played only 81 games in Chicago in an era where players didn't change jerseys every shift, a swatch from his sweater seems like it would be pretty rare. Plus he's a damn good broadcaster.

One 1/1 Jersey Card
...or Reason #3 for buying a second box of Decades:

Rookie Game-Used Jersey Joe Nieuwendyk - I'm not sure if this is from his 1987-88 rookie season. The back of the card says it is "...a Rookie Game-Used Jersey card from the Decades - 1980s Series..." so I assume that to mean it is from his first year. It is also stamped 1/1 THE NATIONAL CHICAGO in gold ink on the front.

One In-Person Autograph
Yes, this was Reason #4 for me buying a second box of Decades.

I was able to get a second item autographed by U.S. Olympian Mark Wells. This card is from the 1994-95 Signature Rookies "Miracle on Ice" set.

Overall, I enjoyed opening this box of cards. Sure, I would have liked bigger hits, and I can do without the Battle of Alberta-type cards. I do like the 100 Years of Hockey (tobacco-style) cards. In the Game did a great job of giving fans enough incentive to buy these cards--from the 1/1 show-only jersey card to the quad Blackhawks jersey card to the opportunity to get something signed by Mark Wells. I will definitely participate in In The Game's wrapper redemption programs at future shows.

1963-64 Parkhurst #60 - Douglas Barkley

Forty! The Big Four-Oh. I now have 40 cards for my 1963-64 Parkhurst set. Douglas Barkley here (card #60 in the set) is the 40th card towards completing my set.  I started putting it together just over 3 years ago.

This card is actually higher grade than most of the other Parkies in my set build. I found a dealer who has a lot of Red Wings that were in great shape. He was willing to cut me a deal if I bought several of them. Most of the Parkies I get are in the $5 to $10 range and have one or more defects. It seemed like a good idea to get commons and semi-stars in EXMT shape for $15 each, like this one here.  Other than the yellowing, which is common for these cards, I really don't see any flaws.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 40% Complete

A Mega Wrapper Gallery Update

Thirteen new images have been added to the Wrapper Gallery:

• 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee - variant wrapper with an offer for a "hockey locker"
• 1976-77 Topps -  variant wrapper with an offer for a "sports card locker"
• 1979-80 Topps - variant wrapper with an advertisement for chewing gum
• 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee - wrapper
• 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee - variant wrapper with an offer for a sports wallet and a picture of a wax box
• 1985-86 Topps - wrapper
• 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee - wrapper
• 2010-11 Donruss - retail version of the wrapper
• 2010-11 Victory - images of the wrapper, rack pack wrapper, 11-pack blaster box and 36-pack box

The Wrapper Gallery now features a total of 142 images across 90 different sets.

Decades 1980s: National Edition - Box Break #1

While at The National, I bought not one but two boxes of In The Game's Decades 1980s hockey cards. These boxes were the so-called "National Edition," which cost about $10 more than a regular box of Decades, but here's what made the "National Edition" more enticing to buy:

• It entitled you to an autograph from U.S. Olympian Mark Wells
• It entitled you to a special 1/1 jersey card only available at The National
• One of the jersey cards was swapped out for a special Chicago Blackhawks quad-jersey card
• It was possible to get a Dominik Hasek autograph in a National Edition box

Here is what I got in my first box.

Three Regular Cards

A retro-themed card of Ray Bourque, done in the same style as the 1910-11 Imperial Tobacco Set.

Long Island Dynasty - Bryan Trottier

Decades Rookie - John Vanbeisbrouck

Three Autographed Cards

Steve Christoff, Team USA

Craig Hartsburg, Minnesota North Stars

Denis Potvin, New York Islanders - Whoo Hoo! Autograph from a Hall of Famer!

Three Jersey Cards

Paul Coffey, Game-Used Jersey Black - Not bad, considering how awesome Coffey was during his years in Edmonton.

Cup Classes - Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Richard Brodeur and Dave "Tiger" Williams. Nice! A quad-jersey card. This card commemorates the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the New York Islanders and the Vancouver Canucks.

Decades Franchises - Ed Belfour, Nikolai Khabibulin, Antti Niemi and Jeremy Roenick. One of these kids is doing his own thing...one of these kids does not belong...now it's time to play our game....

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah. Freakin' awesome. This is the first time I've pulled a quad jersey card of my favorite team. Of course, it was guaranteed in the "National Edition," but no matter. This will be one of the few jersey cards I actually KEEP in my collection.

One 1/1 Jersey Card

After opening my box--which you had to do at the In The Game booth at The National in the presence of one of their employees--I was told to reach into a bag and pull out a raffle ticket. I handed the ticket to the employee, who then presented me with this 1/1 Bernie Federko number swatch card. In gold ink, it is stamped 1/1 THE NATIONAL CHICAGO.

One In-Person Autograph

When I bought the box of Decades 1980s: National Edition, it entitled me to an autograph from 1980 Team USA Olympian Mark Wells, who was signing on Saturday at the show. In The Game provided these large, 5" x 7" oversize cards (complete with the National Logo) for Wells to autograph.

In conclusion, I liked this product-enough to buy a second box. I got a quad Blackhawks jersey card, an in-person autograph and a 1/1 jersey card. Not to mention that the box had a cool retro-themed card AND three autographs. Even the jersey cards weren't too bad, either.

My second box break of Decades 1980s can be seen here.

1963-64 Parkhurst #58 - Vic Stasuik

As you have probably guessed by now, I made a lot of headway towards completing my 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey set.  Get ready to see lots of Red Wings in my next few Parkie posts, as I met a dealer at The National from Michigan who happened to have a bunch of 'Wings cards from this set--all in surprisingly great shape.

Other than the stain on the back, which actually looks worse in the scan than in real life, this card of Vic Stasuik is in great shape. Four sharp corners, good gloss on the front and no creases.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 39% Complete

1963-64 Parkhurst #32 - Terry Harper

This Terry Harper rookie card brings me another step closer to completing my 1963-64 Parkhurst hockey set. I now have 37 out of 99 cards.

Parkhurst Percent Counter: 38% Complete