Pre-Christmas card show...

You all know what it's like... scanner problems, computer problems... the cards pile up on your desk because "you'll just leave them there until you get the scanner fixed and then you'll put them away." Promise.

Yeah.

Eventually, the piles get so big it's like you've built a fort for the cat.

In an effort to catch up, and perhaps more importantly, clean up, I give you these cards from the last card show of 2010........ at least I think that's where they are from....

Nine cards, the first seven out of various dollar boxes.

2008-09 Fleer Ultra Franchise Player Carey Price

 an '07-08 ITG Calder Cup Champion Carey Price

 a lot of these dollar cards I could get for 18 cents on Sportlots... but I'm there, so I cave in. Besides, it's more fun, right?

2011-12 Score Frnachis Player Carey Price.

at the rate my team is going, Carey Price may be the only player featured as their "Franchise Player" for the next 10 years.

 2008-09 Fleer Ultra Difference Maker Carey Price

ditto what I said about Franchise applies to these Difference Makers as well.

 Enogh Carey for now... here we have a card celebrating PK Subban's first goal in the NHL.
Scored against Boston. In Boston. Good times.

 2011-12 Certified Throwback Threads Charlie Simmer before his more famous Kings days.

 Normally I skip right past the autos in the dollar box. 98% of them are of guys who never made it or I've never heard of or both. This one I stopped at, and bought. Chris is a part time D-Man for Montreal right now, so why not. On card for a buck.

 The final two cards cost more then the previous seven combined. But I had to. The first is from ITG's 1972 set.
One of my favourite goalies of all time. Sticker price $5, paid $4. On card Denis Herron auto.

 The last card I bought on a whim. There was a new seller at the show. I always like to buy from new sellers. Hopefully they'll keep coming back. Sticker price $10, paid $8.

It became my first Subban relic card.

There you have it, thanks for reading, and now I can put these cards away.One less turret for the cat.

Mid '70's Topps and OPC... what the hell were they doing?

Since the dawn of time, card manufacturers have been cheap and lazy. You know it. I know it. They know it. Back in the day, film was expensive. not to mention paying the dude taking the shots. So they decided to be pro-active and recycle. You had no idea card manufacturers were so pro environment, did you? (Let's not mention renting barges to carry out thousands of unwanted cards to be dumped in the ocean. We'll consider that a man-made reef)
Anyways, Topps and OPC have been re-using images for ages. Even when the image in question no longer had anything to do with the subject.
Case in point. The year is 1976. The NHL is in minor disarray as a few teams change cities, names, players, etc...

The Topps version on the left shows us that there is nothing to see here, everything is A-Okay. Denis Herron still plays for the Kansas City Scouts. OPC, Topps' Canadian brother, knows that will never fly for the all knowing hockey connoisseur that we all are right out of the womb. So OPC gives us his new team name, logo, and a small blurb explaining why the uniform does not match the information given. They do not, however, give us a new picture of Denis. Nor do they alter the old one. Sometimes simple is best.

While helpful, this does not tell us the whole truth. There is no team in Kansas City anymore. The Scouts have relocated to Colorado and become the Rockies. Again, the Topps card on the left makes no mention of this. They would have you believe everything is kosher in the land of ice and rubber.

OPC gives  you the lowdown. Yes, Virginia, there are no more Scouts. See? Everything you need to know right there on the front of the card. 'Team transferred to Colorado' and they are the Rockies. Sometimes simple is best.                                                                                                                                 

But just when you think you know what's going on... just when you think you've seen it all, they go and do something like this.

Take a look at what Topps has done to Steve on the left here. Now the Scouts are no more, but they want to continue the charade as long as possible. So they airbrush him (rather badly, I might say) into a Scouts road uniform. Even though Steve has played for Kansas City for the last two years. Where did they dig up this photo??? Recycle they say.

So what does OPC do? Well they put him with a Rockies name and logo, but do not tell you that the team transfered there, and airbrush him into a..... a..... well, I have no idea what uniform that is supposed to be, but it sure ain't Colorado.

There be strange goings on in the card world. Tune in next time for the 76/77 version of the Oakland Seals. California Seals. California Golden Seals. Cleveland Barons.

Yeah, it gets a wee complicated.