The Brodeur was a card that I bought in a lot for resale, but when it arrived in hand I could tell the card was in great shape. It's junk-era, but those 1990 Score cards have solid color top and bottom borders are are a pain in higher grade. Happy to get a 9 on it. It's also got an earlier/fuller autograph on it, so it'll make a nice piece to keep.
The Keith Allen was a surprise, as I thought 3-4 on it. That's part of the HOF Builders signed rookies set.
N0: AUTHENTIC 1970 O-Pee-Chee 218 Darryl Sittler PSA/DNA Certified N0: AUTHENTIC 1981 O-Pee-Chee 148 Larry Murphy Card MINT 9 1990 Score 439 Martin Brodeur PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 21 Teemu Selanne PSA/DNA Certified EXCELLENT 5 1954 Parkhurst 47 Keith Allen PSA/DNA Certified GOOD 2 1961 Parkhurst 19 Howie Glover PSA/DNA Certified
Couple of nice purchases to show today. Neither of these are huge names, but both are tough signatures of members of the HHOF!
1955 Parkhurst Ken Reardon HOF RC - defenseman for the Montreal Canadians, d. 2008 - purchased on Facebook (a surprisingly good way to find some deals, though my feed is now full of hockey stuff) 1985-97 HHOF Cartophilium - Hartland Molson, "Rookie" according to the PSA Registry. Member of the HHOF Builders category. Yes, of the Molson Beer family/fortune! d. 2002
I also was lucky enough to grab a monster at auction yesterday, but I am going to PSA it before posting here... stay tuned!
<< <i>Those HHOF postcards in the registry drive me crazy, there is something like 150 in the HHOF RC set. I refuse to do them, but auto'd is pretty cool. >>
I agree with you. It's a massive set of meh 80s material in an otherwise epic collection of the signature cards from the hobby. It's also a little weird to consider them rookies because they were produced so far after the years of many of these guys. But, for the builders especially, most were never on any other card. It's a bit more manageable with autographs because a huge percentage of the builders had died before the set was made. I haven't checked to see what percentage can be completed yet, but I chip away at them when I can.
<< <i>Those HHOF postcards in the registry drive me crazy, there is something like 150 in the HHOF RC set. I refuse to do them, but auto'd is pretty cool. >>
I agree with you. It's a massive set of meh 80s material in an otherwise epic collection of the signature cards from the hobby. It's also a little weird to consider them rookies because they were produced so far after the years of many of these guys. But, for the builders especially, most were never on any other card. It's a bit more manageable with autographs because a huge percentage of the builders had died before the set was made. I haven't checked to see what percentage can be completed yet, but I chip away at them when I can. >>
I think the builders/old timers cards with ink are really cool, it's the non auto set I collect and I think it's a joke to have 1/4 of the composite made up of cards no one will ever care about.
1984 Islander News Bill Torrey HOF RC - TTM. Bill was the architect of the 80s Islanders dynasty and then moved to Florida and helped start the Panthers expansion. HOFer in the Builders category. Bill was quick TTM, but finding the card was the tough part. It's part of a team-issued set commemorating the team's 4th consecutive Cup win and is fairly scarce. Bill signed the front and back of the card - which I think is awesome!
1984 Islander News Bill Torrey HOF RC - TTM. Bill was the architect of the 80s Islanders dynasty and then moved to Florida and helped start the Panthers expansion. HOFer in the Builders category. Bill was quick TTM, but finding the card was the tough part. It's part of a team-issued set commemorating the team's 4th consecutive Cup win and is fairly scarce. Bill signed the front and back of the card - which I think is awesome! >>
Love that card. I have some experience with this issue and I agree, have to be patient finding them, especially in decent grade.
Earlier this week, I made a deal to pick up this card for my regular graded 1961 Parkhurst set. Wasn't expecting it this quickly, but Canada Post was on it's game (for once).
1961 Parkhurst #9 Red Kelly. HOF. I am not sure why, but this seems to be one of the tougher cards in the set to find in high grade. Relatively low PSA population and this card was the first one graded Mint 9 that I have seen since I began working on the set.
So far, this year, I have added one PSA 10 (Langlois) and two PSA 9s (Plante and Kelly). Brings me down to 4 cards remaining to complete the set in PSA 9 or better: #2 Frank Mahovlich #5 Dave Keon #8 Bob Pulford #20 Gordie Howe
Only Pulford will be "cheap" when it comes available. Lots of progress, but still a ways to go... Enjoy!
You have some monsters left. Canceled my VCP, guessing that the Big M is a 3-4K card? Keon must be 2K and the Howe I'm guessing around 2K was well? The good news...I think the strength of the American dollar should really make the next few years a good buying opportunity for Americans. Buy those Leafs cards before the dollar (and the Leafs) recover!
Should be a pretty amazing set when complete, I can't even imagine putting together a high grade early 60s set like that.
A little more progress on the HOF Builders set. These are not big names, but they are a little bit tougher as both are deceased. Today, we have the tag-team of Dilio and Butterfield. Couldn't have written it any better.
I happen to like those postcards... Butterfield was super easy TTM back in the early 90's when I was mailing. I honestly wished I had sent those cards instead of indexes..
1973 OPC Larry Robinson HOF RC - private signing. This one is did not have any copy of, so it will be an addition and improvement however it grades. 1990 OPC Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - maybe an upgrade? PSA 10 crackout 1990 UD Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - hoping to persuade PSA to allow this in the signed rookie set, as it's optional (OPC or UD allowed) in the unsigned HOF rookie set
All were done through Sportauthentix, which continues to crush it ....
First, some mail piled up over the long weekend. Came super late today, but had a couple of things that I didn't expect...
1967 Topps Rogie Vachon - HOF darkhorse, TTM 2008 UD Young Guns - Claude Giroux - possible future HOFer, eBay 1980 Topps Brian Propp - HOF super darkhorse, private signing @ Carl's Cards
Then, some grades. These were on day 19 of 20, so about par.
MINT 9 2005 SP Authentic 257 Corey Crawford PSA/DNA Certified EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1984 O-Pee-Chee 129 Pat LaFontaine PSA/DNA Certified MINT 9 2008 Upper Deck 220 Drew Doughty PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 21 Teemu Selanne PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1987 O-Pee-Chee 42 Luc Robitaille PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1987 O-Pee-Chee 42 Luc Robitaille PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 26 Niklas Lidstrom PSA/DNA Certified NEAR MINT 7 1990 Upper Deck 77 Vladimir Krutov PSA/DNA Certified EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1970 Topps 131 Gil Perreault PSA/DNA Certified MINT 9 1981 O-Pee-Chee 161 Dino Ciccarelli PSA/DNA Certified
Overall, disappointing. The up-notes were the Robitailles (one was an inexpensive raw buy) and the Ciccarelli (I now have both signed PSA 9s. Was not expecting the earlier card to grade that highly). The down-notes were Lafontaine (I think was an 8 crackout - I have TTM'ed him 3x and returned a 6, a 5, and a 3...), Selanne (pictured above, no flaws that I could see), and the Perreault (8 crackout, returned as a 6). Win some and lose some, this was a mixed bag, but at least 4 cards from the bunch are upgrades to my set.
1973 OPC Larry Robinson HOF RC - private signing. This one is did not have any copy of, so it will be an addition and improvement however it grades. 1990 OPC Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - maybe an upgrade? PSA 10 crackout 1990 UD Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - hoping to persuade PSA to allow this in the signed rookie set, as it's optional (OPC or UD allowed) in the unsigned HOF rookie set
All were done through Sportauthentix, which continues to crush it ....
>>
Nice Igors, but maybe time to add some pre-NHL signing to the collection? Earliest Larionov I own is the 1989 Swedish Semic, but I think there are others too.
I've been working the angles, making deals in a variety of venues (eBay, private, Facebook, etc.) and recently bought my first lot from a live auction (via web proxy). Pretty fun, but I've just now got to sorting through some of it to decide what to keep or sell. Nothing especially earthshattering here, but a couple of new cards and a few that will potentially be upgrades for the HOF signed rookie set.
2005 UD Young Guns - Brent Seabrook RC - private signing @ Sideline Memorabilia 1994 SP - Jarome Iginla RC - this is his registry card and he is a sure-fire HOFer in the future - eBay 1981 Topps - Denis Savard HOF RC - purchased as part of a lot in a live auction 1990 Score - Slava Fetisov HOF RC - also in the same live auction lot 1953 Parkhurst Harry Howell HOF RC - TTM. Currently have a PSA 3, looking to upgrade. I think this should beat it.
These were logged on 9/9, making this business day 5 out of 20. The odd thing is that package also had a 5 business day super express service level card that is not done yet (and now overdue). Some things make no sense.
Felt like this sub went a little better than my last two and ended up with more cards that exceeded expectations than those that fell short. Breakdown below.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1963 Parkhurst 26 Red Berenson PSA/DNA Certified -- good, this was an 8.5 crackout but had sustained minor damage, thought it could be as low as a 6. First signed card graded, a little surprising.
MINT 9 2003 Upper Deck 204 Patrice Bergeron PSA/DNA Certified -- very surprised it graded this high, condition sensitive YG card with colored borders
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2009 Upper Deck 212 Jamie Benn PSA/DNA Certified -- expected. micro-spot of chipping on left border visible from the front
MINT 9 1997 Upper Deck 326 Marian Hossa PSA/DNA Certified -- did not see this coming ... was planning already to re-do it at the next Sideline signing.... scratch that!
VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT 4 1951 Parkhurst 96 Edgar Laprade PSA/DNA Certified -- best of the bunch! upgrade from current "auth" card, deceased, pop 2, none higher, quite unlikely I'll ever find a nicer example
MINT 9 2007 Upper Deck 227 Carey Price PSA/DNA Certified -- good, but has a meh signature. He's so expensive to sign these days that I'm just going to live with it
NEAR MINT 7 1975 O-Pee-Chee 199 Clark Gillies PSA/DNA Certified -- 7 crackout, hoping for an 8. About right.
NEAR MINT 7 1973 O-Pee-Chee 237 Larry Robinson PSA/DNA Certified -- only disappointment, as I was hoping for an 8. Still a monster card that looks beautiful. Can't complain. Pop 1, none higher.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1990 Upper Deck 128 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- this is why you do duplicates
GEM MINT 10 1990 Upper Deck 128 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- yep!
GEM MINT 10 1990 O-Pee-Chee 359 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- tough call on which to keep, as the registry will allow either OPC or UD. UD is definitely the more "premier" set, if there is such a thing during the junk era. I am leaning toward this one for the sake of diversity alone - the set already has a ton of 1990 and 1990 UD, thinking that the OPC is a nice way to mix things up and showcase more different company sets in the HOF collection. Pop 1.
Nice job as always, Casey! I have that Berensen signed as well for whenever that group sub price comes around. They've just made it too expensive to sub on your own for Red Flips.
Thanks, Mike! Means a lot from the person with the best signed hockey card collection that I am aware of.
On the pricing question, I do wish it was a bit more affordable for regular service. What really gets me is the $100 max limit before it escalates to mandatory express service. Seems pretty restrictive to me - especially because it forces subs to be split with additional shipping costs. As red flip PSA/DNA cards get more popular (and it sure seems like they are), I wonder if PSA might to better at a $20 price point with a $300 max, or something in that range. Of course, I'm sure they have a team who calculates such matters.... so who am I to say.
Definitely looking forward to the group sub too. Hoping to round out the rest of my signed 61 Parkhurst set in that, at least.
Thanks guys. I was definitely happy with the LaPrade because it's one of those cards that is just going to be naturally scarce. Not a ton out there, fewer that would be upgrades. I think a 4 is a nice grade on the card, too, can't complain.
Small update today, but a cool one. A side, side project of mine has been working on a signed set of 2008 Champs cards of key Red Wings players. I have (and have posted earlier) cards for Lidstrom, Osgood, and Datsyuk. I think the Champs look great signed, with all the white space and the retro look. Today, I added the Zetterberg. This was obtained IP by a friend of mine at the Red Wings training camp in Traverse City, MI. Thanks to Jeff for that!
Slower going here. Been mailing out cards fairly regularly for signings and getting ready for the Expo in November, but haven't made too many major purchases, so there hasn't been reason to post. I did get a card back today from a signing that is share-worthy.
1990 OPC Premier Curtis Joseph signed RC - borderline HOFer (this could be his year - would be less surprising than Housley!) - public signing at St. Louis Sports Collectors. I've seen a few mention negative things about this promoter, but this was my 2nd time going through Dave without issue. Show was on 10/4, card sent mail order arrived back to me on 10/10. Pretty hard to beat that. Looks to be undamaged and with an decent autograph. I have a few more with him for a Tarasenko signing and will probably send a couple for Brodeur, both before the end of the year, but so far, so good.
1983 OPC Guy Carbonneau RC - private signing @ Sportauthentix. Probably not a HOFer, but did win the Selke (best defensive forward) 3x. Perhaps a future project.
I have nothing at PSA currently, but will probably put together another batch of autos over the weekend. They've built up and I would like to get something there before the Expo.
Got a few cards back from the CSA/Chantilly show that was held last weekend. They seem to do a really good job of bringing in signers for the event and it was nice to see quite a few hockey players and several HOFers. I sent cards in for Coffey and Patrick, as I am already happy with the Fuhr card that I have.
1981 OPC Paul Coffey HOF RC - hopefully an upgrade. This is one of the nicer examples of the OPC rough cut that I have seen.
1971 OPC Craig Patrick HOF RC - builders category
I did end up getting a sub together over the weekend that is now on its way to Newport Beach. 10 autos for red flips. Will post when I get results, hopefully before Thanksgiving.
Love the hockey pickups. I just picked up a 1969 OPC Walter Tkaczuk PSA/DNA Auto. Nothing beats vintage hockey.
Joe
IG: goatcollectibles23
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
Thanks guys. Obviously I am partial to hockey, but one of the things that I enjoy most about the boards is seeing the wide range of items that people collect. All sports, plus rare issues, tickets, autographs, photos--it's all good. Everyone has a focus and the combination of our collections really demonstrates the breadth of the hobby.
One card today:
1951 Parkhurst Howie Meeker RC - HOF in the Builder's category. TTM.
Howie was supposed to sign at the Expo in 2 weeks, but cancelled late. I was bummed about that. Happy to get this card back (sent in early August). He signed it in a unique way--first name on the left, last name on the right--but I don't mind it! Class act all the way. Sent some extras and returned my (attempted) donation. I will put that Canadian $20 to good use, Mr. Meeker, in Toronto soon!
I like the way Meeker signed the card - another gem buddy.
BTW, there was an Edward Meeker - baritone - the first person recorded by Edison - singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game in 1908 - also the last time the Cubs won the WS.
A couple more cards back from private signings today. Both were done by Sportauthentix, which is my favorite/most recommended place for autographs.
1971 OPC Marcel Dionne HOF RC - hopefully an upgrade over my current 5. Beautiful signature. Marcel has the best looking 'graph going these days, IMO.
1990 OPC Premier Alexander Mogilny RC - potential future HOFer. This was sent off in May. Tons of delays, but finally got done in Russia early this month. He is a tough signer: rarely does signings, no TTM. Glad to check it off when I could.
Ended up putting together one more sub for PSA. Figured I'd get a couple in the pipeline going. Going to be busy after the Expo and with all the Fall signings that took place. Sure seemed extra busy.
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
2013 UD YG Vladimir Tarasenko signed RC - private signing @ St. Louis Sports Collectors. Wayy to early to put him in the "potential HOFers" category, but this guy is off to a great start in his career and has been putting up monster numbers. The price was reasonable, so I thought I'd get one done while I had the opportunity.
One card back from a signing. I sent this off in July, so was excited to get it back. The package also arrived with no shipping notification - so complete surprise.
2009 UD YG John Tavares signed RC - future HOFer - private signing @ Frameworth.
Think this turned out as well as I could have hoped for. Autographs on glossy modern cards are always iffy, but this one looks close to perfect.
Quite unexpected, as (1) they were on business day 5 of 20 and (2) I have a very similar order in terms of number and composition that is waiting on business day 10. No real rhyme or reason to it. Just the way it goes, I guess.
Breaking it down, more good than bad. 3 were disappointing, with 8 being as good or better than I had hoped. I will take that ratio!
EXCELLENT 5 1971 O-Pee-Chee 133 Marcel Dionne PSA/DNA Certified -- biggest disappointment, by far. Was an 8. Looks great (see above). Must be small wrinkle. Will inspect when returned and decide what to do.
GEM MINT 10 1990 O-Pee-Chee Premier 75 Alexander Mogilny PSA/DNA Certified -- moderate win! Inexpensive card, but he rarely does signings, so it would not have been easy to correct if something had gone awry. He is not yet a HOFer but has a shot in 2016.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1981 O-Pee-Chee 111 Paul Coffey PSA/DNA Certified -- would be the highest graded, but ...
MINT 9 1981 O-Pee-Chee 111 Paul Coffey PSA/DNA Certified -- best of the bunch. I cracked a 9, but you never know. Very tough to keep these in high grade with all the handling involved in signings. Will post a scan when it's back.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2002 USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team 108 Angela Ruggiero PSA/DNA Certified -- first graded, this was actually in the "plus" column, as I felt it could have graded a 6 or 7
MINT 9 2005 Upper Deck 209 Brent Seabrook PSA/DNA Certified -- fair. It is clear that it is going to be very touch to get a signed 10 of any card from this key set (Crosby/Ovechkin year with tons of other key players. Wear on the back corners seems common.
MINT 9 2014 Upper Deck 211 Johnny Gaudreau PSA/DNA Certified -- this was an eBay purchase a year ago that is looking better by the day. I knew it didn't have a shot at a 10, so this was the best that could have been expected
GOOD 2 1951 Parkhurst 72 Howie Meeker PSA/DNA Certified -- reasonable. A 1 or 1.5 could have also been fairly assigned.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1980 O-Pee-Chee 344 Rod Langway PSA/DNA Certified -- yesss. I have had 5 Rod Langway rookies signed. All were PSA 8s or better before being cracked out. This is my one and only PSA 8, the highest graded example, and was the my personal goal for this card. It is funny how sometimes you do battle with some of the more "irrelevant" cards in sets - for whatever reason, this one was a real pain and I am pumped to have it and, maybe even more importantly, to be done with it
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1980 O-Pee-Chee 344 Rod Langway PSA/DNA Certified -- more like par for the course on Langway. Don't really care, given the card above. Still, counting it in the "negative" column as it was an 8.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2008 Upper Deck 235 Claude Giroux PSA/DNA Certified -- one of the 3 disappointments. Thought it could be a 9.
That's the wrap! Some good, some bad. All in all, 2 cards that are upgrades for the set (Coffey and Langway), 1 card that is a new addition (Ruggiero), a Dionne that will be re-inspected, an a couple others for future projects. Cards should be back on Weds or Thurs and I'll try to update with scans of the highlights.
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
Thanks. I realized that I can't edit to add scans (or fix my typos) without jacking up the formatting. So, I will have to post those separately later.
Just got back from the Toronto Expo. It’s a semi-annual show and the biggest event for hockey collectors. The fall show is especially significant because it is opposite the hockey HOF induction weekend, so many old-timers are in town. Had a total blast.
Things I like about the Expo:
-- the hunt: huge show, lots of material, endless items to look through. Everything from autographs, to vintage, modern, other sports, non-sports, low end, ultra-high end—it’s all there
-- the deals: I did manage to pick up a low grade 67 OPC Mickey Mantle for $2 CAD (so, about 1.50). Check. That one stood out as a find, but I thought I did well on a number of other items as well. Of course, there’s overhead in hotel and gas, as with all shows—but I made wise use of my Marriott Point and probably made it out of the weekend spending under $100 on “extras”
-- the autographs: the signing line-up was insane: more on that later
-- hockey focused, so I didn’t have to dodge all that baseball (sorry, baseball guys)
-- Montreal Smoked Meat sandwiches: the vendor on-site was not there, which was tragic, but I did find a reliable hook-up for delivery. #noregrets
-- good people: had a lot of fun talking to other folks in the booths and while waiting in line for autographs. And got to connect with a couple of people who do hockey autos
OK, the cards....
First, I did a bunch of signings at the show:
1983 OPC Phil Housley HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1992 UD Chris Pronger HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1983 OPC Steve Larmer RC
1991 UD Nick Lidstrom HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1984 OPC Chris Chelios HOF RC
1971 OPC Guy LaFleur HOF RC
1958 Topps Bobby Hull HOF RC
There was a lot of modern box breaking going on, as that did seem to be the item of choice for most at the show. The new hot product is 2015-16 UD Series 1, which has the primary rookie card (Young Guns) of golden boy Connor McDavid. I am not a big box opener, but did decide to get a couple while I was there to open at night. No McD sighting, but I did get my personal favorite rookie:
Some other pick-ups are too numerous to specifically list, but I did take a picture of them, which you can see here. The Mantle is included. I spent $100CAD (so about $75 USD) on everything pictured, so lots of low-dollar purchases. Not bad, but not too notable. BTW - if anyone wants the Mantle, let me know - I am just going to sell it as I do no baseball whatsoever. Not looking to gouge anyone on it either.
Last, and biggest item of the show (other than perhaps the Hull--we'll see how that turns out) was this one: 1971 OPC Ken Dryden HOF RC. Low grade, good eye appeal, JSA authenticated auto. For those who don't know, Dryden is among the toughest living signers in hockey. Just does NOT do it. When he does sign, it is almost always personalized. These do not come up very often at all. I was surprised to run into this card within the first couple of hours at the show. It busted my bankroll for the weekend, but I was thrilled to grab it. Will be sending it to PSA sometime in the near future.
Busy time.... got a batch of cards back from the Philly Fanatics show. A couple that I will hopefully show later, but for now this one:
1973 O-Pee-Chee Billy Smith HOF RC
I had picked up one in a blue flip a bit back, but it wasn't in particularly great condition. Fanatics was the first show I had seen him at in a while, so I jumped at the chance and sent some cards in. Turned out well, I think. Good enough!
Comments
<< <i>Of course, there should also be a verb, "I eagleeyekided that sub", as well. Lots of potential. >>
I like that way better haha!
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
I spec'ed "authentic only" on the first two.
The Brodeur was a card that I bought in a lot for resale, but when it arrived in hand I could tell the card was in great shape. It's junk-era, but those 1990 Score cards have solid color top and bottom borders are are a pain in higher grade. Happy to get a 9 on it. It's also got an earlier/fuller autograph on it, so it'll make a nice piece to keep.
The Keith Allen was a surprise, as I thought 3-4 on it. That's part of the HOF Builders signed rookies set.
N0: AUTHENTIC 1970 O-Pee-Chee 218 Darryl Sittler PSA/DNA Certified
N0: AUTHENTIC 1981 O-Pee-Chee 148 Larry Murphy Card
MINT 9 1990 Score 439 Martin Brodeur PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 21 Teemu Selanne PSA/DNA Certified
EXCELLENT 5 1954 Parkhurst 47 Keith Allen PSA/DNA Certified
GOOD 2 1961 Parkhurst 19 Howie Glover PSA/DNA Certified
EDIT:
Scan of Brodeur.
1955 Parkhurst Ken Reardon HOF RC - defenseman for the Montreal Canadians, d. 2008 - purchased on Facebook (a surprisingly good way to find some deals, though my feed is now full of hockey stuff)
1985-97 HHOF Cartophilium - Hartland Molson, "Rookie" according to the PSA Registry. Member of the HHOF Builders category. Yes, of the Molson Beer family/fortune! d. 2002
I also was lucky enough to grab a monster at auction yesterday, but I am going to PSA it before posting here... stay tuned!
<< <i>Those HHOF postcards in the registry drive me crazy, there is something like 150 in the HHOF RC set. I refuse to do them, but auto'd is pretty cool. >>
I agree with you. It's a massive set of meh 80s material in an otherwise epic collection of the signature cards from the hobby. It's also a little weird to consider them rookies because they were produced so far after the years of many of these guys. But, for the builders especially, most were never on any other card. It's a bit more manageable with autographs because a huge percentage of the builders had died before the set was made. I haven't checked to see what percentage can be completed yet, but I chip away at them when I can.
<< <i>
<< <i>Those HHOF postcards in the registry drive me crazy, there is something like 150 in the HHOF RC set. I refuse to do them, but auto'd is pretty cool. >>
I agree with you. It's a massive set of meh 80s material in an otherwise epic collection of the signature cards from the hobby. It's also a little weird to consider them rookies because they were produced so far after the years of many of these guys. But, for the builders especially, most were never on any other card. It's a bit more manageable with autographs because a huge percentage of the builders had died before the set was made. I haven't checked to see what percentage can be completed yet, but I chip away at them when I can. >>
I think the builders/old timers cards with ink are really cool, it's the non auto set I collect and I think it's a joke to have 1/4 of the composite made up of cards no one will ever care about.
1984 Islander News Bill Torrey HOF RC - TTM. Bill was the architect of the 80s Islanders dynasty and then moved to Florida and helped start the Panthers expansion. HOFer in the Builders category. Bill was quick TTM, but finding the card was the tough part. It's part of a team-issued set commemorating the team's 4th consecutive Cup win and is fairly scarce. Bill signed the front and back of the card - which I think is awesome!
<< <i>Fun one came in yesterday!
1984 Islander News Bill Torrey HOF RC - TTM. Bill was the architect of the 80s Islanders dynasty and then moved to Florida and helped start the Panthers expansion. HOFer in the Builders category. Bill was quick TTM, but finding the card was the tough part. It's part of a team-issued set commemorating the team's 4th consecutive Cup win and is fairly scarce. Bill signed the front and back of the card - which I think is awesome! >>
Love that card. I have some experience with this issue and I agree, have to be patient finding them, especially in decent grade.
1961 Parkhurst #9 Red Kelly. HOF. I am not sure why, but this seems to be one of the tougher cards in the set to find in high grade. Relatively low PSA population and this card was the first one graded Mint 9 that I have seen since I began working on the set.
So far, this year, I have added one PSA 10 (Langlois) and two PSA 9s (Plante and Kelly). Brings me down to 4 cards remaining to complete the set in PSA 9 or better:
#2 Frank Mahovlich
#5 Dave Keon
#8 Bob Pulford
#20 Gordie Howe
Only Pulford will be "cheap" when it comes available. Lots of progress, but still a ways to go... Enjoy!
Should be a pretty amazing set when complete, I can't even imagine putting together a high grade early 60s set like that.
I honestly wished I had sent those cards instead of indexes..
ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
All returns from private signings
1973 OPC Larry Robinson HOF RC - private signing. This one is did not have any copy of, so it will be an addition and improvement however it grades.
1990 OPC Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - maybe an upgrade? PSA 10 crackout
1990 UD Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - hoping to persuade PSA to allow this in the signed rookie set, as it's optional (OPC or UD allowed) in the unsigned HOF rookie set
All were done through Sportauthentix, which continues to crush it ....
First, some mail piled up over the long weekend. Came super late today, but had a couple of things that I didn't expect...
1967 Topps Rogie Vachon - HOF darkhorse, TTM
2008 UD Young Guns - Claude Giroux - possible future HOFer, eBay
1980 Topps Brian Propp - HOF super darkhorse, private signing @ Carl's Cards
Then, some grades. These were on day 19 of 20, so about par.
MINT 9 2005 SP Authentic 257 Corey Crawford PSA/DNA Certified
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1984 O-Pee-Chee 129 Pat LaFontaine PSA/DNA Certified
MINT 9 2008 Upper Deck 220 Drew Doughty PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 21 Teemu Selanne PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1987 O-Pee-Chee 42 Luc Robitaille PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1987 O-Pee-Chee 42 Luc Robitaille PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1991 Upper Deck 26 Niklas Lidstrom PSA/DNA Certified
NEAR MINT 7 1990 Upper Deck 77 Vladimir Krutov PSA/DNA Certified
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1970 Topps 131 Gil Perreault PSA/DNA Certified
MINT 9 1981 O-Pee-Chee 161 Dino Ciccarelli PSA/DNA Certified
Overall, disappointing. The up-notes were the Robitailles (one was an inexpensive raw buy) and the Ciccarelli (I now have both signed PSA 9s. Was not expecting the earlier card to grade that highly). The down-notes were Lafontaine (I think was an 8 crackout - I have TTM'ed him 3x and returned a 6, a 5, and a 3...), Selanne (pictured above, no flaws that I could see), and the Perreault (8 crackout, returned as a 6). Win some and lose some, this was a mixed bag, but at least 4 cards from the bunch are upgrades to my set.
SCANS:
<< <i>Big day. Love these.
All returns from private signings
1973 OPC Larry Robinson HOF RC - private signing. This one is did not have any copy of, so it will be an addition and improvement however it grades.
1990 OPC Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - maybe an upgrade? PSA 10 crackout
1990 UD Igor Larionov HOF RC - private signing - hoping to persuade PSA to allow this in the signed rookie set, as it's optional (OPC or UD allowed) in the unsigned HOF rookie set
All were done through Sportauthentix, which continues to crush it ....
Nice Igors, but maybe time to add some pre-NHL signing to the collection? Earliest Larionov I own is the 1989 Swedish Semic, but I think there are others too.
2005 UD Young Guns - Brent Seabrook RC - private signing @ Sideline Memorabilia
1994 SP - Jarome Iginla RC - this is his registry card and he is a sure-fire HOFer in the future - eBay
1981 Topps - Denis Savard HOF RC - purchased as part of a lot in a live auction
1990 Score - Slava Fetisov HOF RC - also in the same live auction lot
1953 Parkhurst Harry Howell HOF RC - TTM. Currently have a PSA 3, looking to upgrade. I think this should beat it.
These were logged on 9/9, making this business day 5 out of 20. The odd thing is that package also had a 5 business day super express service level card that is not done yet (and now overdue). Some things make no sense.
Felt like this sub went a little better than my last two and ended up with more cards that exceeded expectations than those that fell short. Breakdown below.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1963 Parkhurst 26 Red Berenson PSA/DNA Certified -- good, this was an 8.5 crackout but had sustained minor damage, thought it could be as low as a 6. First signed card graded, a little surprising.
MINT 9 2003 Upper Deck 204 Patrice Bergeron PSA/DNA Certified -- very surprised it graded this high, condition sensitive YG card with colored borders
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2009 Upper Deck 212 Jamie Benn PSA/DNA Certified -- expected. micro-spot of chipping on left border visible from the front
MINT 9 1997 Upper Deck 326 Marian Hossa PSA/DNA Certified -- did not see this coming ... was planning already to re-do it at the next Sideline signing.... scratch that!
VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT 4 1951 Parkhurst 96 Edgar Laprade PSA/DNA Certified -- best of the bunch! upgrade from current "auth" card, deceased, pop 2, none higher, quite unlikely I'll ever find a nicer example
MINT 9 2007 Upper Deck 227 Carey Price PSA/DNA Certified -- good, but has a meh signature. He's so expensive to sign these days that I'm just going to live with it
NEAR MINT 7 1975 O-Pee-Chee 199 Clark Gillies PSA/DNA Certified -- 7 crackout, hoping for an 8. About right.
NEAR MINT 7 1973 O-Pee-Chee 237 Larry Robinson PSA/DNA Certified -- only disappointment, as I was hoping for an 8. Still a monster card that looks beautiful. Can't complain. Pop 1, none higher.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1990 Upper Deck 128 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- this is why you do duplicates
GEM MINT 10 1990 Upper Deck 128 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- yep!
GEM MINT 10 1990 O-Pee-Chee 359 Igor Larionov PSA/DNA Certified -- tough call on which to keep, as the registry will allow either OPC or UD. UD is definitely the more "premier" set, if there is such a thing during the junk era. I am leaning toward this one for the sake of diversity alone - the set already has a ton of 1990 and 1990 UD, thinking that the OPC is a nice way to mix things up and showcase more different company sets in the HOF collection. Pop 1.
EDIT: SCANS
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On the pricing question, I do wish it was a bit more affordable for regular service. What really gets me is the $100 max limit before it escalates to mandatory express service. Seems pretty restrictive to me - especially because it forces subs to be split with additional shipping costs. As red flip PSA/DNA cards get more popular (and it sure seems like they are), I wonder if PSA might to better at a $20 price point with a $300 max, or something in that range. Of course, I'm sure they have a team who calculates such matters.... so who am I to say.
Definitely looking forward to the group sub too. Hoping to round out the rest of my signed 61 Parkhurst set in that, at least.
And your hockey collection is way better than mine at this point. Just look at the registry!
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Small update today, but a cool one. A side, side project of mine has been working on a signed set of 2008 Champs cards of key Red Wings players. I have (and have posted earlier) cards for Lidstrom, Osgood, and Datsyuk. I think the Champs look great signed, with all the white space and the retro look. Today, I added the Zetterberg. This was obtained IP by a friend of mine at the Red Wings training camp in Traverse City, MI. Thanks to Jeff for that!
1990 OPC Premier Curtis Joseph signed RC - borderline HOFer (this could be his year - would be less surprising than Housley!) - public signing at St. Louis Sports Collectors. I've seen a few mention negative things about this promoter, but this was my 2nd time going through Dave without issue. Show was on 10/4, card sent mail order arrived back to me on 10/10. Pretty hard to beat that. Looks to be undamaged and with an decent autograph. I have a few more with him for a Tarasenko signing and will probably send a couple for Brodeur, both before the end of the year, but so far, so good.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
One more back from a signing to share.
1983 OPC Guy Carbonneau RC - private signing @ Sportauthentix. Probably not a HOFer, but did win the Selke (best defensive forward) 3x. Perhaps a future project.
I have nothing at PSA currently, but will probably put together another batch of autos over the weekend. They've built up and I would like to get something there before the Expo.
Got a few cards back from the CSA/Chantilly show that was held last weekend. They seem to do a really good job of bringing in signers for the event and it was nice to see quite a few hockey players and several HOFers. I sent cards in for Coffey and Patrick, as I am already happy with the Fuhr card that I have.
1981 OPC Paul Coffey HOF RC - hopefully an upgrade. This is one of the nicer examples of the OPC rough cut that I have seen.
1971 OPC Craig Patrick HOF RC - builders category
I did end up getting a sub together over the weekend that is now on its way to Newport Beach. 10 autos for red flips. Will post when I get results, hopefully before Thanksgiving.
NIce additions! I'm diggin the Coffey. Rough cuts used to bother me but since starting my Cowboys project, they have really grown on me.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
Love the hockey pickups. I just picked up a 1969 OPC Walter Tkaczuk PSA/DNA Auto. Nothing beats vintage hockey.
IG: goatcollectibles23
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
One card today:
1951 Parkhurst Howie Meeker RC - HOF in the Builder's category. TTM.
Howie was supposed to sign at the Expo in 2 weeks, but cancelled late. I was bummed about that. Happy to get this card back (sent in early August). He signed it in a unique way--first name on the left, last name on the right--but I don't mind it! Class act all the way. Sent some extras and returned my (attempted) donation. I will put that Canadian $20 to good use, Mr. Meeker, in Toronto soon!
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
Your collection is incredible.
I like the way Meeker signed the card - another gem buddy.
BTW, there was an Edward Meeker - baritone - the first person recorded by Edison - singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game in 1908 - also the last time the Cubs won the WS.
I agree, Patrick
A couple more cards back from private signings today. Both were done by Sportauthentix, which is my favorite/most recommended place for autographs.
1971 OPC Marcel Dionne HOF RC - hopefully an upgrade over my current 5. Beautiful signature. Marcel has the best looking 'graph going these days, IMO.
1990 OPC Premier Alexander Mogilny RC - potential future HOFer. This was sent off in May. Tons of delays, but finally got done in Russia early this month. He is a tough signer: rarely does signings, no TTM. Glad to check it off when I could.
Ended up putting together one more sub for PSA. Figured I'd get a couple in the pipeline going. Going to be busy after the Expo and with all the Fall signings that took place. Sure seemed extra busy.
IG: goatcollectibles23
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
2013 UD YG Vladimir Tarasenko signed RC - private signing @ St. Louis Sports Collectors. Wayy to early to put him in the "potential HOFers" category, but this guy is off to a great start in his career and has been putting up monster numbers. The price was reasonable, so I thought I'd get one done while I had the opportunity.
One card back from a signing. I sent this off in July, so was excited to get it back. The package also arrived with no shipping notification - so complete surprise.
2009 UD YG John Tavares signed RC - future HOFer - private signing @ Frameworth.
Think this turned out as well as I could have hoped for. Autographs on glossy modern cards are always iffy, but this one looks close to perfect.
Quite unexpected, as (1) they were on business day 5 of 20 and (2) I have a very similar order in terms of number and composition that is waiting on business day 10. No real rhyme or reason to it. Just the way it goes, I guess.
Breaking it down, more good than bad. 3 were disappointing, with 8 being as good or better than I had hoped. I will take that ratio!
EXCELLENT 5 1971 O-Pee-Chee 133 Marcel Dionne PSA/DNA Certified -- biggest disappointment, by far. Was an 8. Looks great (see above). Must be small wrinkle. Will inspect when returned and decide what to do.
GEM MINT 10 1990 O-Pee-Chee Premier 75 Alexander Mogilny PSA/DNA Certified -- moderate win! Inexpensive card, but he rarely does signings, so it would not have been easy to correct if something had gone awry. He is not yet a HOFer but has a shot in 2016.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1981 O-Pee-Chee 111 Paul Coffey PSA/DNA Certified -- would be the highest graded, but ...
MINT 9 1981 O-Pee-Chee 111 Paul Coffey PSA/DNA Certified -- best of the bunch. I cracked a 9, but you never know. Very tough to keep these in high grade with all the handling involved in signings. Will post a scan when it's back.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2002 USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team 108 Angela Ruggiero PSA/DNA Certified -- first graded, this was actually in the "plus" column, as I felt it could have graded a 6 or 7
MINT 9 2005 Upper Deck 209 Brent Seabrook PSA/DNA Certified -- fair. It is clear that it is going to be very touch to get a signed 10 of any card from this key set (Crosby/Ovechkin year with tons of other key players. Wear on the back corners seems common.
MINT 9 2014 Upper Deck 211 Johnny Gaudreau PSA/DNA Certified -- this was an eBay purchase a year ago that is looking better by the day. I knew it didn't have a shot at a 10, so this was the best that could have been expected
GOOD 2 1951 Parkhurst 72 Howie Meeker PSA/DNA Certified -- reasonable. A 1 or 1.5 could have also been fairly assigned.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1980 O-Pee-Chee 344 Rod Langway PSA/DNA Certified -- yesss. I have had 5 Rod Langway rookies signed. All were PSA 8s or better before being cracked out. This is my one and only PSA 8, the highest graded example, and was the my personal goal for this card. It is funny how sometimes you do battle with some of the more "irrelevant" cards in sets - for whatever reason, this one was a real pain and I am pumped to have it and, maybe even more importantly, to be done with it
EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1980 O-Pee-Chee 344 Rod Langway PSA/DNA Certified -- more like par for the course on Langway. Don't really care, given the card above. Still, counting it in the "negative" column as it was an 8.
NEAR MINT-MINT 8 2008 Upper Deck 235 Claude Giroux PSA/DNA Certified -- one of the 3 disappointments. Thought it could be a 9.
That's the wrap! Some good, some bad. All in all, 2 cards that are upgrades for the set (Coffey and Langway), 1 card that is a new addition (Ruggiero), a Dionne that will be re-inspected, an a couple others for future projects. Cards should be back on Weds or Thurs and I'll try to update with scans of the highlights.
IG: goatcollectibles23
The biggest lesson I've learned in this hobby, and in life, is that if you have a strong conviction, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Don't sell yourself, or your investments, short. Unless the facts change. Then sell it all.
Just got back from the Toronto Expo. It’s a semi-annual show and the biggest event for hockey collectors. The fall show is especially significant because it is opposite the hockey HOF induction weekend, so many old-timers are in town. Had a total blast.
Things I like about the Expo:
-- the hunt: huge show, lots of material, endless items to look through. Everything from autographs, to vintage, modern, other sports, non-sports, low end, ultra-high end—it’s all there
-- the deals: I did manage to pick up a low grade 67 OPC Mickey Mantle for $2 CAD (so, about 1.50). Check. That one stood out as a find, but I thought I did well on a number of other items as well. Of course, there’s overhead in hotel and gas, as with all shows—but I made wise use of my Marriott Point and probably made it out of the weekend spending under $100 on “extras”
-- the autographs: the signing line-up was insane: more on that later
-- hockey focused, so I didn’t have to dodge all that baseball (sorry, baseball guys)
-- Montreal Smoked Meat sandwiches: the vendor on-site was not there, which was tragic, but I did find a reliable hook-up for delivery. #noregrets
-- good people: had a lot of fun talking to other folks in the booths and while waiting in line for autographs. And got to connect with a couple of people who do hockey autos
OK, the cards....
First, I did a bunch of signings at the show:
1983 OPC Phil Housley HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1992 UD Chris Pronger HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1983 OPC Steve Larmer RC
1991 UD Nick Lidstrom HOF RC - 2015 inductee
1984 OPC Chris Chelios HOF RC
1971 OPC Guy LaFleur HOF RC
1958 Topps Bobby Hull HOF RC
There was a lot of modern box breaking going on, as that did seem to be the item of choice for most at the show. The new hot product is 2015-16 UD Series 1, which has the primary rookie card (Young Guns) of golden boy Connor McDavid. I am not a big box opener, but did decide to get a couple while I was there to open at night. No McD sighting, but I did get my personal favorite rookie:
Some other pick-ups are too numerous to specifically list, but I did take a picture of them, which you can see here. The Mantle is included. I spent $100CAD (so about $75 USD) on everything pictured, so lots of low-dollar purchases. Not bad, but not too notable. BTW - if anyone wants the Mantle, let me know - I am just going to sell it as I do no baseball whatsoever. Not looking to gouge anyone on it either.
Last, and biggest item of the show (other than perhaps the Hull--we'll see how that turns out) was this one: 1971 OPC Ken Dryden HOF RC. Low grade, good eye appeal, JSA authenticated auto. For those who don't know, Dryden is among the toughest living signers in hockey. Just does NOT do it. When he does sign, it is almost always personalized. These do not come up very often at all. I was surprised to run into this card within the first couple of hours at the show. It busted my bankroll for the weekend, but I was thrilled to grab it. Will be sending it to PSA sometime in the near future.
1973 O-Pee-Chee Billy Smith HOF RC
I had picked up one in a blue flip a bit back, but it wasn't in particularly great condition. Fanatics was the first show I had seen him at in a while, so I jumped at the chance and sent some cards in. Turned out well, I think. Good enough!