10 for 10

You know the story. We've all been there. There's a card show. You want to go. But. You have little time, and even less cash.

So you go for it. In and out. Not the burger joint. And not what she said.

Hit up a couple of tables with lotsa boxes and even more sale signs.

 

The results? 10 cards for $10.

 

Here we go.

 

 

I've been after this card since I found out it existed about a year after it came out in '08.

 

 It's a SP. I found it in a binder of Habs cards that he wanted $50 for. The only card I needed was this one, and a deal was struck for a dollar.
Yay me.

The same guy supplied these next three cards for the sum of one dollar.

 I'm chasing the 06/07 OPC set, and finding this card brings me one closer. A rookie / sophomore showdown. I don't think the rookie did too well in this one. Advantage Getzlaf.

He had probably 30 or so 08/09 OPC SP hi numbers..... but only one that I needed.

 Voracek was leading the league in scoring at the All Star break, causing a lot of dealers to go scrambling into their quarter and commons boxes to pull this card out and price it at $5 -$10... I'm glad I found a guy who was lazy.

And the immortal Aaron Palushaj.

 Turns out I already had it.
Whoops.


Onto the next table, and I grabbed 6 cards for $5. All from the same set. All numbered parallels.

I think I already have this one too..... but I haven't found it yet.

This one was new to me though. Now he just needs another call up.

Boo yeah. Mr Hart trophy himself.

 By the by... did you see the video of Carey Price photobombing a kid taking a selfie during the game? He's as cool as the other side of the pillow. Forget about Billy Dee...

Why did I buy a Predator? Meh. He'll go in the trade box.

But I've wanted this card since it came out. This is just an awesome shot of Bernie.

 And it's number 69 (giggity) of 85! For .84 cents!


The final card at the final table as I was leaving....
It was new.
It was sooooo shiny.
It was Carey.
It was $3.
It was (and is) mine.

and just like that, there I was, gone. Heading back home in time to pick up my wife and take her to all the places she had planned for us.
Ten dollars lighter.
Ten cards happier.

Killing them slowly...

or is that softly? Whatever.

This past weekend saw Calgary host their version of a huge card show. It's not really that big. But everything's relative. And around here, we'll take what we can get.

It's always good to see new sellers. After seeing the same group lug around the same stuff for a year, anything different is extremely appreciated.

I managed to spend a little bit of cash with almost all the sellers. I try to support them for coming out, some of them a long way.

One of the nice surprises was being able to jump on some cards that have been on my want list for quite some time. In the age of the latest and greatest 17 colour autographed game used patch mojo sickz L@@K! cards that are all the rage with the kids nowadays,  I was really pleased to knock off some older set needs.

My NRMT 1979-80 OPC set is almost complete.

 

 I have a couple of EX condition sets, but now after adding this Flames TC, I only need the Winnipeg Jets TC and my nice one is done. Finished. So close and yet.....

Speaking of upgrading.... I found a stack of NRMT-MT 1977-78 OPC glossy inserts (rounded corners). I've been needing to upgrade two of them and now I have.

Mr Dionne

 and Mr MacLeish.

 These are pack fresh. Really sweet. You can get complete sets of these online cheap, but I enjoy the chase, and was happy to finally cross these off my list.

And talk about the chase... after what seems like years, I found someone selling 2010-11 OPC black bordered retro inserts /100.
He had about 40 of them in a binder on his table. I didn't need any of those, but I asked if he had any more. He said he had a bunch more, but not with him. He'd bring them in on Sunday. So back on Sunday I went, and snagged five more cards towards completion.

 Not exactly big names....

 but to a set collector, one is as important as another.

I was thrilled with finding these.

All cards seen here cost a total of $15. A very cheap high to be able to cross off so many cards off of my old, worn out list.

Last card show booty. Yes, I said booty.

The last monthly card show of the season was last weekend. And for good reason. Nice weather and a general malaise over what's out there to buy resulted in  not many sellers attending, and even fewer customers.

However it was a good chance to wish everyone a "Have a good summer" and pick up some last minute deals.

I had hoped to leave there not spending any cash at all... but a few cards forced their way home with me.

There were some outstanding deals in the $2 and $1 boxes. I could've bought all of the boxes... but restrained myself into just thirteen hockey cards. (and three baseball)

Here we go. A lot of scans, not a lot of chatter.

2013-14 SP Game Used dual $1

2013-14 SP Game Used Rookie Gallagher jersey $2

2013-14 SP Game Used Nathan Beaulieu Rookie jersey $1

2013-14 Totally Certified Nathan Beaulieu Rookie jersey $1

2013-14 Totally Certified Max Pacioretty Clear Cloth /100  $2  (the space around Max's head is clear acetate.)

2013-14 Totally Certified Brendan Gallagher rookie card. $2

2013-14 Titanium some sort of metallic parallel  /76  PK Subban  $2

2013-14 UD Oilers Devan Dubnyk auto  $1 (since he's minding the cage in Hamilton, I had to)

2013 ITG BTP Damien Rhodes auto.  $1 (my first Rhodes auto..... I think....)

2012-13 ITG Forever Rivals Jim Dorey auto   $1  (slowly building this set... s.l.o.w.l.y.)

2012-13 ITG Forever Rivals Lanny McDonald jersey SP  /20  $1  (see above)

2013-14 Select Gold parallel /10 Guy Carbonneau   $2

2013-14 Select Gold parallel /10 Thomas Vanek  $2

oddly enough, both of those are numbered 10/10...

There you have it... quick and easy.  All for $20. Or I could've bought a blaster for between $25 - $30.

Nope.

Caving In at the Card Show

The monthly card show was last weekend. It wasn't a great show to be sure. Being just before Xmas, I wasn't even going to go because I wasn't going to spend any $$$, saving that because of being Santa's proxy.

But I decided to go and wish a Merry Ho Ho to a few people that I don't see a lot of the time other than at card centric functions.

 

Got that? Go, say hi, do NOT spend money.

 

You're snickering right now.... I can hear it....

 

Okay, you're right, I did spend a little, but it's NOT MY FAULT!.

 

Let me explain.

 

A new product came out last week, Upper Deck's Team Canada. It's a sweet product. Right in my wheelhouse as it were. If it's Team Canada, it's me. I am Captain Canuck after all....

But, it is also Xmas. So no wax cracking for me. This will continue into January because, well Boxing week shopping is almost as bad.

 

But as I walk into the show, a buddy of mine that sets up there every month pulls out a small stack of cards and hands them to me.

He had busted a bunch of Team Canada, and had pulled some cards for me.

 

Now how can I tell him to pack sand when he went through all that trouble??? How rude!

 

So I flip through the cards and ask him how much? He explains them to me so I know what I'm purchasing... I call this "softening me up for the big hit", but it wasn't that bad.

 

The first few base cards (5 in all) he gave to me free if I bought the other three cards. Done. He always gives me a good deal.

 

The base are really nice. My only issue is there are no stats, only a write up on the back.

 

 Love this Team Canada uni....  classic.

 Now the cards I had to actually pay for. I spent $5 for these three. (see? Not so bad?)

Apparently this Gallagher Program of Excellence is a super duper ultra rare Snuffleupagus short print. Nabbed it for $3.

 Then two inserts from the Special Edition set.
Carey Price

 and Brendan Gallagher again. Each for $1.

 I also grabbed the P.K. Subban from this insert set from one of the local card shops for another $1.


So okay. Spending $5 wasn't that bad. But then I found out that another seller had updated his dollar box.

Crap.

Okay, a quick look, no harm in that, right?

More snickering. Yeah.... another $5 disappeared.

First up, a black bordered Lars Eller from Victory. Again, apparently these are hard to pull. For a buck he goes in my Lars Eller binder.

Yes, I have a Lars Eller binder. Don't judge me.

A rookie jersey card of Raffy Diaz.

 I couldn't leave Raffy behind. He looks so sad....

An on card auto of then Leafs 'tender, Jonas Gustavsson. I really like that particular year's Private Signings. Panini doesn't do much of anything right, so when they do, I have to give them props.

Jonas is looking into your soul........

A rookie double swatch of Louis Leblanc. Last year this was around $40. Now, a buck.

I tried to explain to people last year, but no one listens.... Anyways, for a card out of /125 and he's in his Team Canada gear, I'll take it.

And finally a card that is just flat out awesome.

Josh Gorges from Limited. The seam is so thick it's busting out of the card. It's like an ITG product, except for the Limited logo in the corner. And it's /49 too. A really clean design and a great swatch.


So fine. I caved and spent $10. What are you going to do? Kick me out of the union? Ha! You've all done it. You were hoping I did it too... that's why you're here reading this drivel.

Thanks for that, by the way....

I went to a card show and what did I buy?

if you've been following along on Waxaholic, (and if not, what the hell man?) you've seen the true vintage baseball that I picked up at the last show. A 1940 Play Ball and two 1956 Topps... so the question is, did I grab any vintage hockey as well?

 

And the answer is..... no.

 

I could've. But the player selection vs the cost ratio was imbalanced. So I satisfied myself with baseball, and went new on the hockey.

 

At the time is was very unsatisfying to look through all the shiny multi coloured patch autos fresh from their bright wrappers after being around real baseball cards.

But looking back on it now, I like what I got. So I'm pleased with the overall experience.

 

Here's what I grabbed. No real rhyme or reason to it... just cards of players from my team. I don't know why I brought my want lists to this show... no one had any boxes to dig through.

 

An oversized box topper rookie MVP of Alex Galchenyuk. $3.

 

And his regular sized friend. $2.

My first Young Gun of the brand new Upper Deck offering. This one of defenceman Nathan Beaulieu. $2

And a freebie! I got all four of these cards from the same guy, this Alex was thrown in for free. Yay free!

Another freebie! Blogger put these out of order, but this auto was thrown in for free with the purchase of the next card which is....

A cool insert of Carey Price for $3.

I don't normally go for the patch auto stuff.... but for $4 I'll take a chance on Mr Dumont. By the way... nice sig. Is that french, English, or douche? But for $4, what do you expect?

My most expensive card of the lot, a $5 insert of Jarred Tinordi. It's shiny, it's purple.

My wife really likes that one.


So not exactly the same provenance as the baseball, but I had fun with it. And they look good in my player binders.
I just wish I knew if that purple one was rare or not so I know if I got stiffed.

I think I got stiffed.