Trade Night - All Horizontal Edition

Slowly the gears turn as I get caught up on some long delayed posts. Multiple reasons why I'm behind.... and for the most part, they don't matter. You're not here for the story, you're here for the cards, am I right?

You know I am.

Quite often at trade night I find myself acquiring cards that don't necessarily fit into my prime collection. Most of the time, people who have cards I want, aren't interested in anything I have.

Such is life.

So I adapt. It's what humans do, right? Evolution... survival of the species and all that.

If I can't acquire the main pieces I'm after, then I go for other cards that round out my collection. Cards that while may not be of my favourite players or teams, still can find a home and valued place in my pc.

Like this card... a hard signed Niklas Lidstrom. One of the greatest defencemen to ever play my game. A 100% lock for the Hall of Fame the year he's eligible.

Speaking of one of the greatest defencemen of all time, Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.

This is my second Potvin auto, but my first that isn't slabbed in one of those nasty graded plastic cage thingies.

Adding two autos of these greats was a no brainer for me.

From my wantlists, I snagged this SP heroes card of Marty Brodeur. It was the last card I needed for that set.

It's not a 17 colour game used sweat stained patch auto like what most people get excited about, but I was very happy to cross it off of my list.

The last (hockey) card I got was not a trade, but a gift.

Aaron Palushaj 2012 Panini Prime Patch rookie # 24/25

I appreciate the gift.

But let's talk about something that someone else said to me when they saw what took place.
We'll call him 'Bubba'.
Bubba comes over and says 'Wow! I can't believe someone would just give away a card like that without getting anything back!'
I asked him if he had every given any cards away before... he said 'yeah, a couple of times... but just worthless base cards.'
To which I said, and you think this card is valuble????
See, to me.... this card is maybe a $2 card. It's of a player that has no shot at playing for my team this year, is in the walk year of his contract, and will not be re-signed.
I very much doubt if his NHL career lasts much longer.
Is it out of /25? Yes.
Is it a big two colour jersey swatch? Yes.
But so what? Look who's it of.

This is what Bubba goes on about... how it's a rare patch card etc.. etc... if you'll forgive my poetic licence, This is a guy who can't see the trees in the forest.
He's blinded by the 'internet forum' SICK MOJO PATCHEZ!!!! ideal that so many people fall into.
He's convinced that by opening high end packs and finding low numbered patch cards, it's his ticket to retirement.
Wake up son.

These are the same guys complaining that they can't sell cards on ebay anymore because they are selling for too little $$$....

Thanks for reading my rant to the end... here's a reward.

Goalie Fight!

Few things said can turn a crowd of grown men into giddy twelve year old boys faster than the phrase, "Goalie Fight!"

And that's just what we have here. Last night in an AHL matchup, the St John's Icecaps visit the Syracuse Crunch.

2nd period, Syracuse down 3-2 when all heck breaks loose. As all 10 skaters on the ice break out their dance partners, Dustin Tokarski leaves his crease, skates to center ice to call out Icecaps 'tender Eddie Pasquale.



Turns out it was just the spark the Crunch needed as after the melee they came back with 4 unanswered goals to win, 6-3.

TTM Success! Jonathan Bernier

Let's knock off another success due to the lockout. Kings goalie, Jonathan Bernier,  who after 485 days, decided to return my request.

I see a few other returns from him posted around the interwebs, so he must've got bored during the lockout and cleaned house. Or rather, cleaned beachfront condo.

Either way, I'm not complaining because LOOK!!!!!!!!

One of the best damn uniforms in all of sport. The Awesomeness knows no bounds.

Jonathan also signed two cards for me, although they got smunched in the post.

Thanks for the return Jonathan. Glad you found the time.

Card Shop Hockey Pool

One of my local card shops has a pool going for the upcoming "season".

Buy 5 packs of 2012-13 Score Hockey for $5.

From the base cards pulled from your packs (no inserts allowed) choose a goalie, 2 defencemen, and 3 forwards.

Whomever wins at the end gets a box of Upper Deck Series 2.

Sweet. I'm in.

Let's see who I got.

In goal, #32 Jonathan Quick - Can't complain on this one. Plus it was either him or Brian Boucher.

Manning the blue line we have Dustin Byfuglien......

and Ryan Callahan. Meh. Could be worse.

Speaking of worse, we have my forwards....

Marian Gaborik

SKINNER!

and Milan Lucic. No, you are not see things. My packs were desolate.

maybe if I'm lucky, 'Cheap Shots' will be a scoring catagory in which case Lucic will carry me to victory!

But probably not.

I don't think you'll be witnessing me opening my prize with that lineup. But for $5, it's a fun effort.

Glorious. For it is, The Subban

If the lockout was good for anything, I'll admit it was a lot easier tracking down bigger name players for ttm attempts.
Since they didn't have a lot of playing/practicing/travelling to do, they tended to stay in one spot long enough to receive mail.

Which brings me to the reason for that epic post title.

I sent a couple of 8x10's to P.K. Subban. And being the great guy that he is, he signed them and returned them to me in only a week.

P.K. spent the entire lockout playing in and organizing charity games with other unemployed NHL'ers.

This one with Carey Price has already been sent off to Carey in hopes of a dual auto.

*fingers crossed*

No one worked harder or did more to try and keep the fans morale up during the lockout. Thanks for that P.K.

 

Now sign a damn contract and get back on the ice. Games start Saturday. We need you.

King of Trivia

In November, Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains decided to have a contest. And he was giving away cards! I know!

Vintage cards!

AND!!!!

It was a trivia contest!

I know!

Okay. Enough exclamation points. But I get excited when I have a chance to use this vast wealth of completely useless sports knowledge I have in my cranium.

Onto the contest. Which I won on the first clue. What can I say?

But in the end, joke's on me, I won a Bruin. Say hello to a '62/63 OPC Murray Oliver.

Cool sweater though.

So Diamonds and Wax Stains decided to have another trivia contest. For more vintage. (It was really hard not to use exclamtion points there)

This time I won on the second clue.

I won a rookie card of a defenceman named Robert from the '66/67 OPC set!!!

Wrong Robert. This one played for Detroit.

Also in the prize pack was this beauty.

a '61/62 Norm Ullman. I hope Norm did toothpaste commercials.

That was the end of the trivia contests.

*sigh*

But.

In the prize envelope, I also found a 71/72 OPC Harper,

and a pair of Marc Tardiffs. Or is plural of Tardiff, Tardives? I never did understand French.

These are perfect as I was scouring my collection for Tardiff cards in a Habs sweater for a ttm request. Now I don't have to use my WHA cards of him.

 

Lastly, we have a '70/71 of the Little 'M', Peter Mahovlich.

Thanks for the cards! and the trivia contests!!!!


oh. One last thing. Awhile ago I posted on Waxaholic about some baseball cards that $30 a Week sent me. Well in that package was one hockey card....

 

Thanks for Pernell Robert!

Fantasy Hockey Anyone?

It's the unofficial official blogger fantasy hockey league. We're going into our 4th year. 3rd year? 4th?
I dunno. And it doesn't matter.

So far we have 10 teams, but it looks like 3-4 teams from last year are out. So if you want in, now's your chance.

Just think, one email and you can be part of the cool kids club.



Past members have gone on to great things... here's one with his trophy. Because he kept it and won't give it back, this year's winner will receive a picture of a trophy emailed to them!


little known fact, the infamous Kessel trade was actually supposed to be a swap done here in the league, but he got his laptops mixed up ..... the rest is NHL history.

Which leads me to tip #7,


never drink and trade in fantasy hockey. Seriously.


So who's in? Leave a comment with a way for me to get a hold of you. (ie: email)
The draft is Sunday, late afternoon so you can watch football and do this at the same time.