25 Rookie Cards for the Collection

With all the vintage cards I've been showing on Puck Junk lately, you probably think I've turned my back on newer cards.

That is so not true.

Over the past month, I've picked up 25 different rookie cards. Some were quarter bin fodder too good to pass up, while others were cards of awesome players at great prices. One was even given to me by a 'Hawk-hatin' Penguins fan. Which brings me to the first card, actually...

2010-11 O-Pee-Chee #541 - Nick Leddy (Marquee Rookies). At last month's card show, fellow blogger Tim (The Real DFG) flat out gave me this card--and didn't want anything in return. I guess Tim doesn't like offensively-minded, puck-moving defensemen :)

2009-10 Upper Deck #203 - Matt Duchene (Young Guns). This one cost me the most out of all of these. I think I got it for less than "half book" if memory serves me correctly. Now, only 26 more Young Guns, and my 2009-10 Upper Deck set will be complete.

2008-09 Champ's #137 - Darren Helm. Only 5 more cards and I'll have all 100 of the Champ's Rookies from this set.

2007-08 O-Pee-Chee #596 - Mayson Raymond (Marquee Rookies). I like Raymond, and couldn't pass this up for a quarter.

2007-08 MVP #208 - David Krejci. Totally worth the buck I paid for it.

2007-08 Black Diamond #158 - David Krejci (Rookie Gems). I am slowly putting together the 2007-08 Black Diamond set, including all short prints. I think I got a sizable stack of the short prints for next to nothing (including a Quadruple Diamond Wayne Gretzky), so I pick away at this set when I find a card. This cost me only $2.

2006-07 Upper Deck Ovation #178 - Shea Weber. I've been a fan of Weber since his rookie season. Hie is an awesome defenseman, and I always try to pick up his various rookie cards when I find them.

2005-06 MVP #431 - Brent Seabrook. When I see a rookie card of a decent Blackhawk for a quarter, of course I'm going to pick it up. You all may know Seabrook as Duncan Keith's defensive partner. The two are effective together - in fact, Seabrook was on the 2010 Canadian Olympic team so that Keith could be paired with him at the Olympics.

2005-06 Fleer Ultra #201 - Braydon Coburn. Coburn spent a season with the Chicago Wolves (2005-06) and has since developed into a reliable defenseman who always comes back. (If you don't get the reference, watch this 30-second video).

2005-06 Fleer Ultra #220 - George Parros. This was Parros before his mustache phase.

2005-06 Fleer Ultra #241 - Ryan Clowe. I got all 3 RCs from this set for a quarter each. I bought the Coburn and Parros cards because I like those players, but this one I actually needed for my set. I'm 34 cards away from finishing it, including Sid and Ovie, so it's gonna take a while.

2005-06 Victory #298 - Braydon Coburn. Glad they didn't use the same photo as the Fleer Ultra card pictured above.

2005-06 Victory #280 - Ryan Getzlaf. I couldn't belive that I found this card for only a quarter. Two of them, in fact.

2005-06 Victory #277 - George Parros. Another RC of the Ducks' enforcer. 

2005-06 Victory #253 - Brent Seabrook. Another RC of "Seabs".

2005-06 Beehive #103 - Jeff Carter. I like the portrait style, head-and-shoulder photographs used for the rookie cards in this set. 

2005-06 Beehive #126 - Henrik Lundqvist. A rookie card of "King Henrik". Worth every cent of the one dollar I paid it for.

2005-06 Beehive #104 - Corey Perry. His bright blue eyes make Perry look like one of the Fremen in Dune.

2005-06 Beehive #122 - Brent Seabrook. Yes, another Seabrook RC that I couldn't pass up.

2005-06 Beehive #134 - R.J. Umberger. This guy has been a solid player for the Columbus Blue Jackets the past 3 seasons.

2005-06 Upper Deck #216 - Henrik Lundqvist (Young Guns). This card has a "book value" of $12 to $30, so I thought it was an absolute steal for $10.

2005-06 Upper Deck #215 - Jimmy Howard (Young Guns). This photo of Howard stepping out onto the ice is pretty cool. Also note that he's wearing his mask from his days with the University of Maine.

2005-06 Upper Deck #203 - Dion Phaneuf (Young Guns). Did you know that Phaneuf came in third in voting for the 2006 Calder Trophy? At one time, Phaneuf was considered a better prospect (and defenseman) than Duncan Keith. How times have changed.

2005-06 Upper Deck #230 - Duncan Keith (Young Guns). Speaking of Keith, I got this Duncan Keith rookie card from AU Sports, which is one of my favorite card shops. Now I am only 23 Young Guns away (including Crosby and Ovechkin) from having the entire set.

2002-03 Upper Deck #204 - Sean Avery (Young Guns). I also got this Sean Avery card from AU Sports. This reminds me of my favorite Sean Avery video of all time. (It's 39 seconds well-spent).

Audio: "Oilers Now" Radio Appearance

Yesterday, I was on a radio show called Oilers Now (630 CHED in Edmonton). I spoke with guest host Reid Wilkins about hockey cards and collectibles. Some of the things we discussed included the old Red Rooster trading card sets, the god-awful Wayne Gretzky doll (pictures below), how Mark Messier destroyed the Blackhawks in the 1990 Western Conference finals, cards of this year's rookies and the World Junior Championships.

Broadcast Date: December 28, 2011

Time: 16 minutes 5 seconds


Player not working? Click here to download an MP3 of the audio file.

The Wayne Gretzky doll made by Mattel in/around 1983.

Thanks to Reid Wilkins and CHED 630 for providing me the audio clip. You can check out the Oilers Now website here.

Best Grab Bag Gift Ever

About 10 days before Christmas, my department at Columbia College had a faculty and staff Christmas party. I ended up with this Air Jet Hockey game, which was totally the most appropriate gift for me to get in the "Yankee Swap" gift exchange.

This game is pretty sweet. It measures 20" inches long by 13" inches wide. It includes 2 sets of paddles so up to 4 people can play. It also comes with 4 pucks--two round and two triangular. And best of all, it actually does have little holes that shoot air, making the puck glide quite nicely.

I put a hockey card on it so you can get an idea of the size.

This will go down in history as the best "grab bag" gift I ever got.

Where were you 20 years ago?

Twenty years ago to this day - December 27, 1991 - I was probably at this game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets.

I say probably because I have no recollection of going to this game.

And yet, I have this ticket stub.

My Aunt had season tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks from 1989-90 to 1991-92. I was a lucky kid who got to go to a lot of games during that 3-year span.

I guess when you go to enough games, you are bound to forget a few.

There are so many hockey games that I'll never forget: my first game (Hawks vs. Islanders) and second game (Hawks vs. Flames) are permanently etched in my memory.

I'll never forget the standing ovation that Denis Savard got when he played his first game at Chicago Stadium as a member of the Canadiens.

I still remember the shockwaves that went through me when I witnessed a Doug Wilson slapshot rip the stick out of Darren Puppa's hand.

I still hear those two drunk guys bellowing "GUYYYYY LAFLEURRRRRR" every time Lafleur took to the ice in a game against the Nordiques.

But this game against Winnipeg? I got nothing.

Apparently, Brian Noonan of the Blackhawks got a hat trick. Hat tricks are pretty memorable events, so why don't I recall this one?

Mike Peluso fought Mike Hartman. I loved hockey fights as a kid, but it probably wasn't the fight to end all fights.

Oh, and the game ended in a 3-3 tie.

That's probably why I forgot going to this game. Ties suck.

Merry Puckmas 2011

To the many friends and followers of this blog...to all of those who have traded little pieces of cardboard to me over the past 4 years...to those who love the great game of hockey and the great hobby of collecting hockey cards...I want to wish you all a Merry Puckmas!

Pro Set Holiday Card

It's no secret that, even 20 years later, I still love Pro Set trading cards. So when I found this holiday greeting card at The National back in August, I eagerly bought it. It was sent out by Pro Set in 1990--most likely to companies and suppliers who dealt with them, but it may have been sent out to Pro Set Gazette subscribers (though I cannot confirm that).

You might recognize the illustration on the front--it was used on the "Santa Claus" card inserted into packs of 1990 Pro Set Football cards. A card of Santa didn't make it into hockey packs in 1990, though we hockey collectors did get a Santa card in the 1991-92 Parkhurst set. 

The inside of this holiday card reads:

HAPPY HOLIDAY

from

All the Cards

at 

PRO SET

Here, card has two meanings. We all know that "card" implies trading cards. But a lesser known definiton of card means "a witty, entertaining or eccentric person." (Dictionary.com),

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who reads this blog!

Card of the Week: Puck-Stopping Pooch

During the 1992 holiday season, Upper Deck released a 10-card Christmas themed set that is every bit as stupid as it sounds. Each card features Santa, or one of his friends, playing sports. Two of the 10 cars focus on hockey: one shows Santa driving a Zamboni while this one has a cross-eyed Dalamation/Beagle mutt named Spot Gardien de Pooch.
(Full Story)

Eric Lindros Holiday Card

This was one of the many oddball items I purchased at The National Sports Collectors' Convention, way back in August: a holiday greeting card featuring then-future top prospect and soon-to-be first overall pick Eric Lindros.

I've kept this card under my proverbial hat until the time was right to show the rest of the hockey card-collecting world. That time being the holidays, of course. 

The card was sent out by the Score Trading Card Company in 1990. Most of you old enough to remember Lindros as an impact player probably also remember that he was a spokesman for the company, and could only be featured on Score Trading Cards until he actually played in the NHL. At that time, Lindros' "Future Superstar" card in the 1990-91 Score set was selling for $15 to $20. How the times have changed.

Though the inside of the card is in Christmas colors--red and green--it non-denominationally states "Peace on Earth" and is signed by Major League Marketing Inc.

23 cards from 1960-61 Topps Hockey

On a whim, I decided to start building the 1960-61 Topps Hockey set. This was at a card show last month. While I've been prioritizing other sets, like 1963-64 Parkhurst, I came across a dealer who had 21 cards in decent shape--most priced at $5 to $6 each. Another dealer had 2 more cards from the set at $3.75 each. Take a look at what I got:

4 - Ernie Johnson (All-Time Greats)

6 - Bill Hay

9 - Jimmy Morrison

12 - Murray Balfour

13 - Leo Labine

18 - George Sullivan

24 - Charlie Burns - Note that he's wearing a helmet. 

Quite an oddity for 1960.

30 - Jack Evans

31 - Guy Gendron

33 - Ab McDonald

37 - Dean Prentice

40 - Don McKenny

41 - Ron Murphy

42 - Andy Hebenton

43 - Don Simmons

49 - Harry Howell

51 - Tod Sloan

53 - Camille Henry

56 - Bob Armstrong

57 - Ferny Flaman

61 - Lou Fontinato - This one has writing on it,

but was only $3 so I couldn't pass it up.

62 - Leo Boivin

66 - Vic Stasiuk - Always nice to get the last card in the set.

This haul brings my count to 25 cards--or roughly 37% of the set. Of course, I need the biggest two cards: Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, the latter being his rookie card.  Otherwise, the majority of the set seems pretty attainable.