Thoughts: 2019-20 Upper Deck MVP

So I just read Upper Deck's facebook post about 2019-20 MVP and there is one thing that has me really excited for this when it comes out. Normally MVP hasn't been on my collecting radar much the past few years because I've never really been thrilled by the design. I do however really like the original MVP designs from back in the late 90's.

I bet you can figure out where I'm going with this based on this year's MVP release. The 2018-19 version has some awesome tribute cards to the original 1998-99 MVP set. While I haven't chased those at all, I have thought about trying to get just a few. 

Those original MVP sets were some of the first hobby boxes I bought for myself as a young collector. Seeing those designs always brings back good memories. On a side note, its pretty cool that they have Filip Zadina of the Wings as the cover athlete for this set.

Now for where I was going with this. Upper Deck is in fact bringing back the tribute cards, this time for the MVP Stanley Cup Edition set as shown by the second page of the sell sheet below. The 1999-00 set was the original reason for me even starting this blog. 

While I'm still actively working on the original SCE set, it has kind of stalled out on me lately. They are just not as easy to come by now for whatever reason. 

I feel like this new 100 card set would be a good way to jump start some new interest in the project. I do wonder though how this will affect the original set. Would they become more or less desirable with another version floating around like this?

The thing I like most about the original MVP SCE set is that it was unique. There was also a regular MVP release the same season. 1999-00 was the only time they've ever done the specific Stanley Cup Edition. It is still my favorite Upper Deck set to this day.

I just hope the finished product looks better than this mock up with Patrick Kane. 

As of right now, I'm thinking that I will want to go after both the Silver Script and Super Script tribute sets as they would go perfectly with the original set I'm working on. 

Anyone else excited for 2019-20 MVP?

Thoughts: Fixing Up The Place

While I've been busy with life and my model railroading over the last year or so, I still have not forgotten about collecting cards or this blog. I will occasionally visit this site just to check out other sites from my blogroll. Sometimes when I'm doing that I will even take a look back at my older posts just for fun. 

Well, I happen to be doing that other day and realized that something was up with all of the older posts that link back to my Photobucket account for the scans. Turns out they eliminated free 3rd party hosting for the type of account I have there. Now they want $399 a year for 3rd party hosting, so I am in the process of going back and replacing all of my Photobucket links with pictures from my Google account.

This is going to be a real pain, but I guess that's what I get for using a free service for this long. On the plus side, it has me going back and reading a lot of my posts from years ago, which is actually kind of fun. I've even found a few spelling and formatting errors which are also in the process of being fixed.

I believe all of the broken links are for scans from my old scanner so the pictures aren't even the best quality. Maybe I'll pull out as many of the cards as I can from those old posts and just re-scan them for better quality pictures.

Anyone else dealing with this Photobucket issue right now? If you are using 3rd party hosting for your blog pictures, what are some good sites for that?

Thoughts: Upper Deck e-Pack

A recent post over at My Hockey Card Obsession about digital cards is part of the reason I'm writing this post today. Digital cards are something that I never really gave much thought about until reading that and seeing posts about Upper Deck e-Packs on Twitter.

I went ahead and signed up for the e-Pack site and am not completely sure what to think of it just yet. They let you open one free pack of cards each day, so that's cool, but what does it really get me? From what I can tell so far, I have to collect ten digital copies of any given base card before I can 'combine' them and redeem them for an actual physical card.

After signing up I went ahead and 'opened' my first free pack of cards. It had three base cards in it including Zemgus Gergensons, Cody Ceci and Lars Eller. Once you receive the cards they end up stored in 'My Collection" on the website. Its nice because you get to see a front and back scan of each card in your collection. 

In addition to the free packs, you can purchase digital packs, boxes, and cases of UD Series 1 and MVP. Since I'm still not completely sure how I feel about this whole digital card thing, I'm going to hold off on actually spending money on these 'cards' for now. I think its a really neat idea and works well with how technology driven everything is nowadays, however there is just something a little off about not getting to hold the cards in your own hands.

What do you think about the e-Packs from Upper Deck? Have you tried them out yet?

Thoughts: What to do About a Damaged Card from eBay

After the last Super Script I posted, I had been waiting for one other card from eBay and it happened to arrive today. I was excited to see the bubble mailer in the mailbox and of course ripped right into it. I slid the card out and the front was exactly what I remember seeing in the auction listing. The back was a different story though. I turned it over looking for the serial number and found a bunch of orange stains in the middle and along on edge. Here's a look. Click on the image to see it full size.

Here is what the seller had listed in the description:

- Up for auction is a pack fresh 2013 - 2014 Panini Prizm Hockey Exclusive Cracked Ice Jimmy Howard #30 SSP
- This card is very rare and only available at the 2013 Toronto Fall Card Expo via the wrapper redemption program.
- This card is extremely limited with only 25 produced.
- C ard went from pack to sleeve and top loader.

Then there was this listed under the "condition" section:

- Like New: An item that looks as if it was just taken out of shrink wrap. No visible wear, and all facets of the item are flawless and intact. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

I don't see anything written about the condition of the back of the card, so I'm wondering what the best course of action is in this case. My first thought it to see if I can get a refund, but at the same time I really want to keep this card for my Howard collection as there aren't exactly that many of them to go around.

I guess my first step is going to be letting the seller know that there was some damage to the back of the card and see where it takes me from there. Any thoughts or advice on the situation would be appreciated.

Thoughts: Consistency

Not sure if anyone even noticed, but I went the entire month of April averaging at least a post a day. I did this on purpose to see if I could stick to my goal of maintaining a post per day pace for at least one month. While I managed to achieve that goal, it was not the easiest thing to do given how little time I have for this hobby sometimes. 

Now that April has come and gone, I've gone almost a week without posting now and I have to say its actually kind of nice. It's good to get a break once in a while, isn't it? There's no scrambling to throw something together just to meet an arbitrary goal. 

Part of the reason for the lack of posts has been watching playoff hockey at night. he other part of it is that I ended up traveling this past weekend to see family instead of heading up to the spring expo like I had hoped. It actually ended up being a pretty nice weekend away and has got me refreshed and ready to get back into the hobby the best I can this month. 

Our vacation spot of choice: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

I don't know if I will be able to keep that one post per day pace going, but I will definitely try. Blogging about hockey cards and my collection is actually one of the more relaxing things I get to do, so why shouldn't I try to do as much as I can?

Thoughts: Lost Cards

Before you read any further, know that this post has nothing to do with the TV show Lost, I just thought the picture made sense here. Anyway, have you ever made a trade or bought something on eBay only to never have it show up? I can say this has happened to me for the first time, for now anyway. I've got one trade in progress where I sent my end of the deal and haven't received any cards or communications for a few months now. Then I have one card I bought on one of the hobby message boards that seems to be lost in the mail.

Both are from Canada, so I kind of expect things to get held up at the border once in a while, and I have no problem with that as long as they show up eventually. Hopefully these two packages will just appear out of nowhere now that I said something about them...

How often does thing kind of thing happen to you? Also, what are your experiences with something taking a bit longer than expected to cross the border? I'm not sure if waiting a month is long enough to get worried or not.

Thoughts: 2013 Toronto Sports Card Spring Expo

I've seen a few mentions of the upcoming spring expo in Toronto lately and it's got me thinking that I might finally make the trip up there this time. I've been wanting to get to one of these since I got back into collecting, but it just never worked out with my schedule. This year I think I will try to set aside at least one entire day to head up there. 

I think I could make a day trip out of it as the drive would only be around four hours each way for me. I figure I could leave first thing in the morning, spend the entire day at the expo, and make it back home before midnight.

I do have a few questions for anyone that's been to this thing in the past:

     1) How was it? 

     2) What did you like or dislike about it?

     3) Is the expo a good place to find singles for my various PC's?

     4) Is a single day enough time to check out everything?

More importantly, are you planning on going next month? If so, who knows, maybe we will run into one another. That's of course if I decide to finally get off my butt and go there.

Thoughts: The New eBay Feed

Since I started this blog and even before that, eBay has always been the one of the primary sources of new cards for my collection. Like most every site on the internet, it has gone through various changes over the years, some good and some not so good. That said, one of their new homepage features, the feed, is pretty neat if you ask me.

Here's a snap shot of my "feed" from earlier today:

I get the feeling that they saw what was going on over at Pinterest and decided to emulate it. I'm not into that site at all, but I've seen how it looks and doing it this way is actually a pretty nice way of scrolling through new listings. Especially because it looks for all of your saved searches at the same time.

I'm one who only likes to see eBay listings with pictures, so this is perfect as it seems like there has to be a picture for it to appear in this format.

If you are an eBay user, what do you think about this new feature?

Thoughts: Oops, Already Had That One

One of the things I like about having this blog is the want list page that I try to keep as up to date as possible. It allows me to take a quick look at what I need for my sets and player collections no matter where I am. It's so much easier than trying to keep an updated spreadsheet, let alone a hand written list. Anyway, all of that being said, it's only a useful tool if you actually use it. 

Last night I was on eBay waiting for several auctions to end, well eight of them to be specific. These were all from the same seller and all were cards for one of my PC projects, so I was trying to save on shipping by getting all eight of them in one package deal. I won all eight auctions for $0.99 each and was excited to have them, until I realized I accidently bought one that I already had. 

Now, I know this isn't the biggest deal in the world at $0.99 and all, but it's still frustrating that I could've avoided this just by checking my want list before blindly placing bids on eight cards at once. Live and learn I guess. I have no need for duplicate copies of these cards so it looks like I just added to my traders list by mistake.

Have you ever done this? If so, was it something relatively inexpensive like these $0.99 cards, or was it something more significant?

Thoughts: Competition

Once in a while I will get on the computer and attempt a thorough search of the internet for singles for my MVP Stanley Cup Edition Super Script set. Occasionally this involves doing a general search through Photobucket, which surprisingly actually brings up quite a few of them. The only problem with doing this is that most of these cards are just part of someone's PC album. There is however a slight chance one may be in a traders folder, so I really have nothing to lose by doing a search. 

Anyway, one of the albums I found today led me to a fellow SCF member that appears to also be going after the same Super Script set. They have a few less than me according to their inventory, but most of them are different than the ones I have. This probably explains some of the bidding wars I get into over these cards on eBay now. 

What do you think here, is it a good thing to have a little competition for a set like this? I know from dealing with my Howard collection that competition for a single player is a given and you have to choose your battles. In this case, I'm after one specific thing and now I have at least one other person getting in my way of completing the set. 

Have any of you run into a situation like this? I'm not really sure if I should try to reach out and work together given the scarcity of this set, or if I should keep to myself and just keep doing what I've been doing. I mean I do have almost 50 of these things now, so I have to be doing something right.

Thoughts: Full Disclosure

I'm sitting here on my lunch break at the office and its got me thinking about the fact that nobody here really even knows that I collect hockey cards or have this blog for that matter. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, its just an observation. I guess I haven't fully disclosed my main hobby and interest with my coworkers. Everyone here knows I am the hockey nut in the office, but only when it comes to watching the Red Wings or playing roller hockey. 

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it difficult to work hockey cards into a conversation at work. There are plenty of sports fans among us, but I'm the only one that I know of that collects any kind of sports cards. All that ever gets talked about here sports wise is how bad the Lions are, the Tigers when they're doing good or bad, and the Wings if they're in the middle of another playoff run.  

Don't get me wrong, I wish there were more people around me that were into collecting, but that's just not the case. At least for me at the moment anyway. I'm guessing it's a bit more common north of the border to have fellow hockey collectors around more often, but correct me if I'm wrong on that. 

My question for you is to what extent have you disclosed your hobby interests among co-workers? Are you the only collector in your workplace, or do you have others around you to discuss and debate this great hobby with?

Thoughts: 2012-13 Metal Universe

After reading the latest article post over at My Hockey Card Obsession about Upper Deck's plan for the remainder of the 2012-13 collecting season, there is one set in particular that I am definitely looking forward to: 2012-13 Metal Universe. This will supposedly be part of Upper Deck's Fleer Retro set due out in April. 

Here is a look at one of the initial mock-ups featuring Wayne Gretzky:

I've been hoping that someone would bring this set back from the dead and it looks like that has finally happened. Even though this is a quick mock-up, I love the look of these cards as the are basically the same as the original 1996-97 version.

Here is another one of Jarome Iginla:

Now there are not many details about this out yet, so I'm not even sure if its going to be something along the lines of an insert set or subset, so we'll just have to wait and see. I can't wait to see what they actually come up with. If these two are any indication of the final product, it will be awesome.

Thoughts: ITG Motown Madness

I can't remember the last time I was actually excited about an upcoming product release, but a new set due out next month has me thinking about actually going out and buying a brand new box of cards. That product would be ITG Motown Madness. Not only does this product celebrate my favorite hockey team, it features two of my main PC guys: Jimmy Howard and Dominik Hasek. Click here for a link to a post on the ITG site about this set.

Here's a look at Howard's base card from the set:

I love the look of the base set, other than the obvious fact that the real Red Wings logo is absent. While they get as close as possible without using the actual logo, it's the only downside to this set. Otherwise it's just awesome. I love the Detroit skyline in the background and the way the players picture pops out of the circular window.

As far as the rest of what's been shown in the set so far, I have to say I really like the Goaltenders and Tough Materials jersey cards. 

I know not everyone is going to be into this set as a lot of people can't stand the Wings. Me on the other hand, I can't wait for this set to come out. Even if I don't end up getting a box right away, I'm definitely looking forward to grabbing some singles. 

Anyone else a fan of this set? Anyone not care for it at all? After all this is a thoughts post and I've given mine, so what are yours?

Thoughts: The History of Hockey Cards

Haven't done one of these posts in a while, so I thought why not when I stumbled upon the topic for this post. The other day I was surfing around the internet and came across a neat video over at Cardboard Connection. It's a nice look at the history of hockey cards.

Pretty neat, eh? You've got everything from the tobacco cards all the way through The Cup and Dominion. Cards have definitely changed over the years haven't they? Most of the stuff in this video is far before my time, but I can still appreciate it as a collector.

What are your favorite sets highlighted in the video?

Thoughts: Scans/Pictures for eBay Listings

Am I the only one who finds it annoying when you do an eBay search and a bunch of results come up with a generic picture and not an exact picture of what is being listed? The other day when I did some quick searches for Stefan and Hasek cards I noticed a lot of the following, all from the same seller:

Here is a listing for a Patrik Stefan from 1999-00 Ovation:

Here is a listing for a Dominik Hasek from 1999-00 Ovation:

I understand that someone like this seller probably lists a ton of stuff at the same time and just uses the generic picture in the interest of saving time. That's all well and good, but I tend to just skip right over these listings because it's more of a hassle to have to go and ask for a scan of the card. Personally, I would like to see a scan of what I'm bidding on.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you skip right on by listings with these kind of generic pictures for those that actually show what is being listed? Or do you just take the sellers word for it and hope you're getting the right card in decent condition?

Thoughts: Base Cards

How many people these days even care about base cards? I bring this up because my last Super Script pickup from eBay got me thinking about it. I was surprised to see the following as the "dunnage" surrounding the top loader that held the card I purchased:

Normally people will put things like HSHS points or any other kind of decoy/giveaway card in packages to help protect the purchased goods. That's fairly common and not out of the ordinary. This was a bit more unexpected if you ask me.

As far as how I feel about base cards, I think they're an important part of collecting and I will always have a place for them in my collection. Especially as a player collector, they give me something relatively cheap and easy to find across a broad range of products each and every year. That can't be said for the "hits" that a lot of the time get out of my price range. 

What are your thoughts on base cards? And have you ever seen them used like this?

Thoughts: The Cup Runneth Me Over Too!

Lately my focus has been fading away from my Jimmy Howard collection. Maybe it's because of the increased competition or the sheer number of cards he has out there now, either way I haven't been really excited for any new release featuring him until now.

After reading Bamlinden's post over at My Hockey Card Obsession, I decided to check the checklist for the upcoming 2011-12 edition of The Cup from Upper Deck. What I found was both exciting and worrisome, even if it is only 9 cards, not including plates.   

1. Base #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (xxx/249)
2. Gold Spectrum  #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (xx/25)
3. Black #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (1/1)
4. Silver Jersey #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (xx/25)
5. Gold Patch #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (xx/10)
6. Black Tag #31 Jim Howard Detroit Red Wings (1/1)
7. Cup Trios Jersey #C3-WINGS Howard/Kronwall/Franzen (xx/25)
8. Cup Trios Patch #C3-WINGS Howard/Kronwall/Franzen (xx/10)
9. Dual NHL Shields #DS-HC Howard/Crawford (1/1)

At this point I would be happy if I could just track down a base card, because I have yet to get a single one of any player since The Cup first came out in 2005-06. Beyond that, I know it would really hurt my wallet to go after any of the others, but sometimes you have to go for things like this, right?

The Dual Shield would be the one I want most. I'm not normally a fan of cards that feature multiple players, but in that case I could make an exception.

Thoughts: Becoming and eBay Seller

Lately I've been thinking about venturing into selling things on eBay, mainly stuff other than cards from my hockey collection (i.e. jerseys, action figures, etc). I've already got myself setup with a seller profile and have nearly 100 positive feedback as a buyer. 

I just have to take the next step and actually get something listed. 

My question for you guys is do you have any advice on getting started as a seller? Anything to watch out for or any tips and tricks you're willing to share? I don't want to do this as a means to make money, just get rid of some stuff I don't care for anymore and fund my seemingly constant card purchasing.

Thoughts: Sharing the Spotlight

Before I get into today's post, I just wanted to say thanks to anyone that has stopped by the blog, helping me get to the 100,000 view mark that I'm about to cross any day now. I can't believe I've gotten that many, but I guess that shows you this hobby is still very much alive.

Now that I have that out of the way, I've got another question for you player collectors out there and that is: do you mind when your PC guys shares cardboard with other players? Here's a look at what I'm talking about, at least in regards to my Howard collection:

When I come across these kinds of cards during my eBay searches, I tend to skip over them because there is just something about them that makes me not want to chase them as much as any other Howard card. Don't get me wrong, I do still want these cards as they do feature my main PC guy and I'll always welcome new cards, but for some reason I would always put a preference on cards of just Howard. 

What do you guys think about this? Am I in the minority here? I'm sure most of your player collections have plenty of cards that would fall into this category and I guess I'm just curious if I'm the only one out there that thinks like this.

Thoughts: Beckett Raw Card Review

Has anyone else heard of these? I came across one when I was doing one of my daily Jimmy Howard searches on eBay the other day. I've never heard of or seen one before, so it just kind of stuck out to me. Click here to see the auction for yourself. 

Here's a screenshot just in case:

Here's some of the description: "You are bidding on a 2005-06 fleer ultra rookie Beckett raw card review pristine BGS 10 of Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings. Card #270. Beckett raw card review serial number 221614. This is an extremely rare card of this NHL superstar!!! So don't miss the opportunity to add this to your collection today!"

The other thing that jumped out at me was the BIN price of $129.99. That's kind of ridiculous if you ask me, as I've seen plenty of slabbed BGS 9.5's and 10's for far less than half of that for this very card. What gives?

I did a little research and found out that these are in fact legitimate. It's a service that Beckett offers at card shows/expos where they give a raw card and onsite grade, then seal it with a tamper-proof label, like shown above. These can then be sent to be slabbed at a later date for something like $5. Click here to see what I'm talking about.