Kick Up Your Feet

Here's another look inside my recent collecting habits.

I've found that there has been a fair share of hockey cards featuring guys warming up on the bench over the years - especially stretching out on their skates along the boards.

I really only started this collection a few months ago a la the half dozen cards that I currently have.

I think I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts about how I wanted to start a routine of doing some actual stretching out in the morning. Update: That never did happen! I've never been to a chiropractor or even a masseuse in my life, but being "shifted" in some professional way seems like a dream. I really don't know what's stopping me.

Anyway I still want to do it - I just need actually to DO IT. It can't be that hard, right. Can it be just a YouTube video away and we start from there maybe.

I love arena shots - here's one of BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Alright, just Googled a little about it; apparently the 6th biggest arena, capacity wise, in the NHL. 2nd lowest attendance last season!

The BBT&T Center can hold 19,250 people, the largest arena I've attended to see a professional hockey game - 6,287! Haha I need to get out of this place more to see hockey games. Chicago's arena has an average attendance of 22,734 fans! Montreal with an average of 21,046! My head would probably explode if I walked into either of those places.

I had to Google if Dion Phaneuf was still playing. Looks like he is an unrestricted free agent.

Keep an eye out for me?

Giving A Hand To Lifting Lord Stanley

I was checking out the scheduled hockey card set releases for the 2019-20 season and noticed that Panini has yet to come out and announce production of their lone annual contribution to the hockey market with their sticker set and album. In the past, the release has dropped around mid-September so time is ticking and my expectations are beginning to dwindle.

I haven't attended any card shows lately but here are a few I picked up at local markets for my Lifting Lord Stanley personal collection. Scouring through binders and monster boxes for cards that fit the bill has made collecting a little more exciting.

Lemieux's first Cup. One of my favorite cards from 1991-92 Pro Set; the team photo card that follows this card in the set is also a memorable one.

Lemieux's second Cup.

It's tough to find anyone selling off their 90s cards... I figure most dealers don't feel like it's worth the weight, hauling boxes of junk wax around and all. And those who are selling their abandoned childhood hockey card collections via the online marketplace are delusional when it comes to value. I'm just trying to collect for the fun of it!

I Bought A Card!

I bought a card today and it felt great.

Love this set! Just a few more to pick up and I’ll finally have them all, it’s only taken 22 years and counting.

Honeycomb and Hockey

It's rare that I walk into a flea market and come across something that falls into a set or pc that I'm actively collecting. The card tables at my flea market seem to focus more on the newest products and Tim Hortons cards.

One of the sets from my childhood that I’ve always wanted to complete has been the 1997 Pinnacle Post All-World All-Stars. I had an early addiction to sugary breakfast cereals as evident by the amount of these cards I owned in my hockey card collection. I actually still have the 'original’ cards from ‘97 and have picked up another few since I began collecting again several years ago.

They’re a tough card to cross paths with in the wild so I was really excited to find 3 additions to the set at the most recent flea market that I attended.

Finishing off this set will be high on my collecting priority list heading into the New Year.

Thank You For Being A Frenemy

It's been a busy week to say the least. Since the beginning of summer, I've been creating and promoting my own brand of trading cards - totally unrelated to hockey, think Garbage Pail Kids meet Newfoundland & Labrador culture and notable people. I've been spending most of my spare time over the past several months focusing on it and just yesterday I had my second public exhibit so things were a little crazy attempting to get everything together for the showing. Maybe I'll throw it up in a blog post in the future.

But for now it's hockey - Back again to present the contents of the second and final mega box of 2018-19 Upper Deck Series 1 that I snatched up over the Black Friday madness. I promise that I'll get to something more - thought provoking content after I clear the plate.

Going to kick it off with Connor and follow through with favorite players and photos from the break.

I've really taken a liking to Jamie Benn. He is a strong all-around player - able to score, lead, hit and willing to drop the gloves when he bell rings. I've always had a soft spot for the power forward role and Benn fits the bill.

I wasn't familiar with any of the three Young Guns that this blaster yielded but Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway is the only player currently 'lacing them up' in the show at the moment.

This is the first game used Rangers card of Shattenkirk in my collection.

And there we have it folks - two mega boxes of 2018-19 Upper Deck Series 1 from Black Friday past.