Archive for March, 2011

Just read this on Dr. Brian Price’s (of In The Game fame) blog:

PROUD AS A PEACOCK

I think the title of my post today says it all.

I have accomplished something that I am very, very proud of. It has taken close to a year but I got it done. Can’t wait any longer to hear what it is? OK!

Mark Wells has just signed his Decades cards and that means that we will have hard signed autographs for every player on the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team – The Miracle On Ice team.

Bill Baker, Bob Suter, Buzz Schneider, Dave Christian, Dave Silk, Eric Strobel, Jack O’Callahan, Jim Craig, John Harrington, Ken Morrow, Mark Johnson, Mark Pavelich, Mike Eruzione, Mike Ramsey, Neal Broten, Phil Verchota, Rob McClanahan, Steve Christoff, Steve Janaszak and now Mark Wells.

All twenty players have signed hard-signed autographs and they will be inserted into packs of Decades-The 80s hockey. This product will be released in early June 2011.

I couldn’t settle for getting 19 of the 20. The collector in me took over, I just had to complete the set and did.

The 80s was a great decade for hockey and hockey cards and our product will pay tribute to that decade.

More information on the product will follow, if you have not subscribed to our Newsletter, you should.

But for now, I just wanted to bang on my chest and say “I gott’em all”  the Miracle On Ice Team.

Brian Price

I’d like to see what they look like and the print-run, but I am already giddy with excitement.

At first, I tried to build the ’04-’05 Upper Deck Miracle Men set, but with two players missing and three others super duper short-printed, I bailed. It’s unfortunate, too, because the cards looked beautiful.

Then I moved onto the 1995 Signature Series Miracle on Ice set. Overall, the set isn’t the prettiest and suffers from quality control issues, BUT it will always be the only 100% complete Miracle on Ice set because it features an on-card autograph of Herb Brooks. The cards are relatively cheap and I’ve been fortunate enough get each player and Craig Patrick; still on the hunt for Brooks.

I am hoping the ITG Miracle on Ice set will combine the best of the two previous sets: nicely designed cards at an affordable price featuring all of the players.

We shall see…

Before I show off my latest white whale acquisition, I am going to share a couple cards I snagged at a local card show this past Sunday. I viewed the show as a sort of Spring Training game for the big Shriner’s Show this Sunday.

I actually only spent $3.50 but did manage to grab three O-Pee-Chee cards of HOFers:

1977-78 O-Pee-Chee #55 Phil Esposito

I like those old Ranger jerseys!

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #81 Clark Gillies

Gillies is the reason I am revamping the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

1987-88 O-Pee-Chee #228 Bob Gainey

Boooo, Canadiens!

Sure, all of these cards feature players from the tail-end of their careers, but they are still OPC and still HOFers.

Next, I picked up this nice little autograph:

2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics #CS16 Paul Henderson

Gotta have a Paul Henderson in your collection. Obviously more famous in Canada than in the States (I’d venture that many US hockey fans don’t really know him). Beautiful signature and an important figure in Canadian hockey history.

And finally, a giant white whale has been speared off the coast of eBay Ocean. I present to you:

2004-05 Red Horner In The Game Franchises #A-RHO Red Horner

Old time hockey bruiser, Red Horner! The seller had this card initially listed with a $200 starting bid. I emailed him and said that if it didn’t sell, I’d give him $125 for it because that’s what I usually see them going for. He agreed and I snagged it (along with the Henderson). I’m done with seeing hard to find cards listed on eBay and losing out at the last minute. I will pay the price if it crosses the name off of my list. Could I have gotten this card for cheaper if I had waited and waited? Probably. But it’s not like Horner is signing more cards.

This is my advice to everyone: If you see a card you like and it rarely pops up on eBay, put your foot down, open the waller, and snag it.

In fact, that is what I plan to do Sunday at the Shriner’s Show. Still looking for suggestions on cards to look for.