Outside the Box: Model Railroading

As I did once before for my collection of Dry Cell memorabilia, I'm borrowing the "outside the box" idea from My Hockey Card Obsession. This time its all about my new favorite hobby: model railroading, something a bit more hands-on than card collecting.

It was sometime last summer that I decided for whatever reason that I really liked trains again and wanted to start modeling again. I had been really into it when I was younger and even built a large 4' x 8' HO scale layout with my dad in our basement. I remember it being a ton of fun just getting to build basically whatever you want and being able to watch your creation come to life with when the trains started running.

Fast forward to late last year and I already had my first layout completed. It's just a simple display piece (no running trains) to put on one of our bedroom walls. It also served as a practice layout to help me learn some of the ways to do things that were not around back in the early 90's. Here's a look at the finished layout on the wall.

Just like in card collecting, I've got several different projects going on at the same time. For example, I am working on learning how to repaint some locomotives and rolling stock with my new airbrush. That is something I've never done, but am having a great time learning about. In addition to that I'm working on designing my own freelance fictional railroad with custom paint schemes and everything. I've actually started using Inkscape (the software I used to design my custom card designs) to do this. Beyond that I am working on a second shelf type display layout to practice a few more things.

While hockey and cards will likely remain my main hobby, I've gone through stretches lately where I feel that model railroading is so much more enjoyable just because of its hands-on nature. There is something really satisfying about coming up with a design and actually building it. There are so many things you can customize about a model railroad. Everything from the time period you're modeling to the type of scenery you use to the types of locomotives and rolling stock you have running around the layout.

I've been at this modelling thing for about 9 months now and have really enjoyed what I've been doing so far. So much so that I even started another entire blog dedicated to it, called Michigan Model Railroader. Click here to check it out if you are interested. I also have it linked at the bottom of the sidebar on the Card Boarded main page. Below is a look at one of my recent posts and the main page of the blog.

For now I plan on maintaining both hobbies as time permits. Some days I get really into looking for new cards and others I just don't really have the motivation to even look at them. Trains are the same way, some days I get so into a modeling project I lose track of time. Then there are days when I get frustrated with it and decide to take a break.

My Picks #94: Mike Richter

Showing off the Patrick Roy Power Deck card got me wanting to do a few more of these since I already had all of the cards scanned and saved into my computer. This one is just another plain old base card, but sometimes that what these posts are all about. This one is from 1995-96 Topps Stadium Club and features former Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. 

It's not the first base card I've shown off from this set either. There was one featuring Arturs Irbe  (click here) and one featuring Bill Ranford (click here). All three are great examples of excellent base set photography. 

As far as the specific photo on this card of Richter, I'm not sure if we are looking at a save or an attempted save that led to a goal for the other team. I'm going to guess that we are looking at a save, but who knows? Either way, it's another great looking base card I'm glad to have in my collection. 

My Picks #93: Patrick Roy

Lately I've been going back and reading through some of my older posts here on the blog. In doing that I noticed that I haven't done one of these posts since February of 2013. That's way too long between posts for such a simple thing to write about. The only real criteria for this series is that it's actually a hockey card and there's something I can write about it. 

That being said, I thought I would jump back into things with something a bit unique, at least at the time it came out. I've had this card for almost 15 years now and saw that I had already scanned it at some point for one of these posts so I figured, why not? Here is a Patrick Roy from 1999-00 Upper Deck Power Deck. 

While it's not a card in the traditional sense, it came in a pack of cards and is part of a set, so I think it qualifies just fine for use here. In case you didn't know, these are actually mini CD's that when loaded into a computer will have some video highlights and interactive stats for the player pictured on the front. I don't know where this thing is at the moment, or I would pop it in and get some screenshots. 

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 Select Emerald Prizm

Here's another one to add to my list of $0.99 experiment results. I didn't think this one would end at only that much, but eBay proved me wrong once again and I now have another awesome parallel for my Jimmy Howard collection. 

This one is the emerald version of the red Prizm parallel I posted a little while back. It is numbered 10/25, although that is on the back so you won't see it in the scan. What you will see however is an amazing looking card. I love the way the red of the Wings uniform pops out of the green. It's much better than having red on red like the other one I posted. 

So this gives me two cards of a possible six for the complete rainbow. I still need the base version, the regular Prizm parallel, the gold Prizm numbered to 10 and the 1/1 black Prizm. I'll probably never see the black, so I will just focus on the others and go for a nice looking partial rainbow. Besides, does anyone really count 1/1's a absolutely 100% necessary for a rainbow? I guess some people would, and that's fine, but really what are the odds of landing a card like that? I've only got one such card in four years. 

Super Script Update

Time for another update on one of my favorite sets: 1999-00 Upper Deck MVP Stanley Cup Edition. It's actually be a few months now since I've had anything to show for this set, so its nice to cross another one off the want list. Like I said in my last post for these, no matter the card, I always get excited when I come across one of these rare gems. That tells me I'm doing something right by collecting this set. 

On to the card itself. This one comes from the CHL Prospects portion of the set and features former Oshawa Generals left winger Brad Ralph. While spending almost his entire carreer in the minors, Ralph did get into a single game with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000-01. This card is #207 in the set and is serial numbered 15/25. 

This one set me back just under $10 including shipping, which is a bit high if you ask me, but I'll take it to help complete the set. I now have 54 out of a possible 220 or 24.5% of the entire set. I've still got a ways to go, but that's what I like about this set, there will always be something for me to go after.  

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 Totally Certified Gold

This is the last of three Jimmy Howard cards I won on eBay recently. While it wasn't as cheap as the other two, it only set me back $2 plus shipping, so again not a bad deal. I may seem cheap going after these 'low-end' cards, but I'm all about finding bargains in this hobby right now. I have another hobby now (model railroading) that requires a good amount of money, so there is only so much to go around when it comes to buying cards.

Anyway, enough about that and more about the card itself. It comes from Panini's 2013-14 Totally Certified set and is one of the Platinum Gold parallels, serial numbered 21/25. Speaking of Panini, it's too bad that they will not be in the hockey card game any more. I was really liking some of their designs. They tend to stand out when I am sorting through my stack of Howard inserts and parallels. 

Its actually a cool looking card, at least when you hold it up to the light, not so much in the scan. The whole card is has a foil texture other than the picture, the team name, and the TC logo in the center. It makes it hard to read the player name at the bottom doesn't it? 

That's all I have for now, I'm hoping to get some more Howard stuff in the near future, but we'll see. I've got a ton of 2013-14 stuff to chase so there's definitely no shortage of cards out there. I just need to be a little more aggressive with my bidding if I want to land them. 

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 MVP Gold Script

In my last post I showed off one of my new 2013-14 Jimmy Howard cards. Well, I actually went on a small winning streak at the time I was bidding on that one and came away with three of them all together. The second one I have is one that actually only cost me $0.49 plus shipping, so I can't really call it part of my $0.99 experiment. 

This one is also from Upper Deck and comes from 2013-14 MVP. It is one of the Gold Script parallels and is serial numbered 004/100. Like most of the gold scripts from Upper Deck, this one is just a gold version of the foil from the regular base card along with a facsimile signature, also in gold, hence the gold script. 

While this isn't one of the nicest looking MVP sets, I like the overall look. The red on the sides and bottom really help make the card stand out. Also, it helps that Jimmy has a nice signature, I just wish they would've used a version of it that has his number added. 

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 Upper Deck Exclusives

I've haven't had much time for cards this year so far, but I have still managed to bid on a few eBay items. Most of them have been for my Howard collection and today I have one of them to show off. It is another example of a card for which I just placed a starter bid at $0.99 and ended up winning. Add $2 for shipping and I'd say this one was a great deal. 

It comes from 2013-14 Upper Deck and is one of the UD Exclusives parallels numbered 053/100. Its pretty much the base version of the card with gold foil instead of silver along with the added serial number and "UD Exclusives" stamp at the bottom. 

Not a bad looking card if you ask me. I really like the action shot they used for this one, although its hard to tell if the puck is actually in his glove on that one or if it sailed by and into the back of the net. Now I just need to find the regular base version and the high gloss numbered to 10 so I can complete another rainbow. 

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 Panini Select Red Prizm

Two posts in the same week, that's actually a lot for me so far this year. As much as I wish I was posting on here more frequently, its been nice spending some time on my other hobby. I still am on the lookout for cards for my collection daily, I just tend to pass on more of them nowadays unless I can get a great deal. This one is another case in which I saw a card I really liked, put up a starting bid of $0.99 and just waited. Well, I was lucky enough to win the auction and get myself a shiny new, very limited, parallel for my Howard collection.

This one comes from 2013-14 Panini Select and is actually a red Prizm parallel. According to what I've read online, these were not inserted into regular packs, but were part of the Panini Black Friday promotion. Either way, it's an amazng looking card in person. It's even serial numbered 25/35 on the back. 

I really like the look of this set, especially this red parallel. The overall look is pretty simple, which is nice for a change. What's hard to see in the scan is how shiny this thing is. Its even got a kind of chrome rainbow tint to it when you hold it in the right light. 

Jimmy Howard: Four New Base and Inserts

It's been a little while now since I bought anything for my Jimmy Howard collection, mostly because I've been preoccupied with several model railroading projects, one of which is actually an entirely new blog. It's definitely nice having two hobbies at the same time, especially when it comes to blogging. If I ever get bored with one, or into one more than the other at any given time, there is always something to enjoy and continue working on. 

Anyway, on to the reason for this post, the cards. A while back I came across a lot of six cards on eBay for a few bucks and noticed that four of the cards I still needed for my collection. I thought it was more than worth it for just the four cards, so I placed my bid and ended up winning the lot. Here's a look at what I got.

The first one is a base card from 2011-12 Upper Deck SP Game Used

The second was another base card, this time from 2012-13 Panini Rookie Anthology.

The first insert was a sticker from 2013-14 Upper Deck OPC.

The other insert was a Chasing the Cup from 2010-11 Panini Zenith:

The other two that I already had were a 2005-06 Parkhurst rookie and a 2012-13 OPC Retro. I ended up winning the auction for just $3.26 including shipping, which works out to only $0.54 per card, not bad if you ask me. Now that I've gotten these and had a chance to scan and catalog them, it's got me wanting to get out and put some of my model railroading efforts back into cards, so maybe I'll have some more to show off soon. 

Jimmy Howard: 2014 Olympic Mask

While I haven't had much to post about here lately card wise, I did want to make sure I got around to sharing Jimmy Howard's latest mask design, this time for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. This is the first time Howard has represented Team USA in the Olympics and of he has another awesome mask from Bishop Designs for the occasion. 

This mask is definitely different than anything I've shown here of his in the past, and for obvious reasons. I love the overall look of the mask and the level of detail used for the eagle, which is front and center on the top of the mask. What do you guys think? Any other favorite Olympic masks you've seen so far? 

This may be all I get around to posting for the entire month as I've only made one card related purchase and have been too busy to get around to scanning them. I've also been spending most of my free time working on my current model railroading project, which leaves little time for hockey cards. Anyway, just one more thing, GO USA!

Silver Script Update

If the time between Gold Script posts was long, then the last post for this one seems like an eternity ago. Now that I look back I realized I never even got any of these during 2013. The last time I added any Silver Scripts to my set was back in September of 2012. 

Along with the Elias Gold Script I posted yesterday, there were four Silver Scripts included that will help make a nice dent in the want list for this part of the set. The first one is card #31 in the set and features Cory Stillman of the Calgary Flames. 

Up next is card #160 in the set featuring Pavol Demitra of the St. Louis Blues.

Then there was card #180 featuring Alexander Karpotsev of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last but not least is card #184 in the set featuring Adrian Aucoin of the Vancouver Canucks.

These four bring the Silver Script total to 135 out of a possible 220. That's 61.3% for anyone that doesn't feel like getting the calculator out.

Like I said in my last post, there is nothing better than getting something you need for your collection from someone just looking to help without necessarily requiring something in return. So if the person responsible for sending these my way is reading this post, thanks again, I really appreciate the help with this set. 

This is the kind of thing that make me glad to be back and more active in this hobby. I don't think there is a better group of collectors out there than those of us in the hockey world, but that's just my opinion because hockey is the only sport I deal with. 

Gold Script Update

It's been a while since I've had any kind of update on this set. The last time I got one of these was all the way back in March of 2013. For whatever reason, I seem to find more of the Super Scripts than these. Maybe it's because I tend to wait for a better deal on these since they are four times more common than the Supers. 

Anyway, this one came for the best price possible, free. It is from a fellow SCF member who was working on the same set and saw I could use it for my set. It features Patrik Elias of the New Jersey Devils, is card #108 in the set and is serial numbered 053/100. 

This brings my Gold Script total to 61 out of 220. I'd like to add a few more of these this year so I will definitely be on the lookout for them on eBay and anywhere else I can think of. I did manage 12 of them last year somehow, so I'll have to see if I can top that for 2014.

Gold Script Total: 061/220

Jimmy Howard: 2005-06 Black Diamond RC

This is one of the Howard cards that had been on the radar since I started collecting him back in 2010. I've seen it available plenty of times since then, but never for a price that I was comfortable paying. That was until a few weeks ago when I came across this one.

I placed an opening bid of $0.99 like usual and just waited to see what happened. I figured there was an outside chance at it for that price, but that it would likely go higher. Surprisingly it ended at that initial bid and I came away with a great RC for $2.31 delivered. Not bad considering this card is listed here on COMC for no less than $12 before shipping. 

Like most Black Diamond cards, this one doesn't scan well. It looks so much better in person. Another cool thing about this one is that it would fit right in with my Goaltending Gallimaufry project. Now that is something I want to get back to work on this year. 

Jimmy Howard: 2013-14 Dominion Base

It's been what seems like forever since I picked up anything for my Jimmy Howard collection. Actually, the last time I did get something was way back in April of 2013. Talk about a long gap between cards. Anyway, I'm happy to this project off to a good start in 2014 with one of the better base cards you can get. 

This one is from Panini's 2013-14 Dominion. It is card number 35 in the set and is serial numbered 069/299. It's printed on a super thick card stock and just has a "high-end" feel to it. The design is simple yet complex with all the intricate details on the silver foil. 

This is another auction win that falls into the $0.99 experiment. I wasn't sure if this one would stay at the initial bid, but it did and I'm glad to say I have this one as part of my collection now. Now I just need to work on getting some of the other Dominion base and all The Cup base cards Howard has.