Just A Bit Offside: the last card show of the year....

now some of you may be saying 'What the hell is Canuck talking about? The year is just starting...' And you would be right. But around here, the third biggest city in Canada, the card season is over. Anyone notice that the hockey season is about over? Coincidence?

It sucks. The summer is the best time to have a card show. But I am in the minority in this apparently.

Although there is a travelling show that is coming in May, bringing autograph signers and everything.... this is the last show of the year for all the local "dealers" such as they are.

as a plus, with it being the last show until October, they were more than willing to ~~dump~~, ~~unload~~, sell off their treasures at a reduced price.

Speaking of Price, how about a Carey Price game used Authentic Fabrics card from 09/10 UD SPGU.

I bought it from a friend for $5. Too much? Of course it was. Way too much. But Carey is my current collecting weakness, plus the guy I bought it from is a cool guy with fabulous cards that I can't afford. He's the only one at these shows with baseball and football. Peyton Manning auto 1/1? Yeah, he's got one, or two...

I moved on... there were a couple of guys with $1 boxes and $2 boxes. I still want to go to a show like everyone else and find dime and quarter boxes. One day. But not here in Calgary. Anyways.... I found these in a dollar box to go along with my Carey...

Mike Cammalleri

and Roman "I've played since they used tube skates" Hamrlik

The next four cards were from one guy. All were found in a dollar box, although I paid more than a dollar for this one...
Carey Price /799 Frozen In Time. This card is super thick and clear so you can see through it. This guy, who spent the entire time while I was looking through his boxes making fun of his customers with a friend of his. Total ass. Then he preceeds to accuse me of cheating him because the Price wasn't in his dollar box. Which it was. Whatever. I gave him $7 for the next four cards and wished him a nice day as only I can.

a 73/74 Reggie Leach in his Golden Seals sweater. I wish you could see the white skates...

An Alex Auld retro rainbow insert for my never ending team set chase....

and a Young Gun of Jhonas Enroth, the Sabres heir apparent for Ryan Miller.

Onto another seller... this guy is at every show and his thing is gambling. He always has around 75 or so empty wax boxes. You buy one for $10 or $20 bucks, and inside it will tell you what you've won. The prizes are listed on a board.... kind of like the guy on ebay who sells 'grab bags' where you could get a '52 mantle.

Anyways.. the next 5 cards cost me a buck.
Tomas Plekanec

Scott Gomez

Carey Price

Jimmy Howard

and Semyon Varlamov.

Now to my final table. This guy always has autos cheap. At the last show, I got all those Team Canada autos from him if you've been following along.
All of these came from a dollar box.
(For you Bruin fans, that means they cost a dollar apiece)

Young phenom goalie for the St Louis Blues, Big Ben Bishop

a rookie auto of All Star and Gold Medal winning defenceman Shea Weber

Brian Gionta

Martin Biron

future Hall of Famer? Rob Blake

Mike Fisher... who is more famous for....

bagging one of Tony Romo's ex girlfriends. I think Carrie appreciates the lifestyle of marrying a hockey player more than the QB for the Dallas Cowboys.

instead of being Tony Romo's girlfriend, Mike Fisher is Carrie Underwoods husband.

Cristobal Huet. Huet is playing in Switzerland right now so the Hawks can circumvent the salary cap.