Thanks For A Great Year!

I know it's been over two weeks (almost three) since my last post, but with time off from school I've been taking advantage of the busy holiday season and working till my feet bleed. With that being said, between work, family and stuffing my face with food every night, blogging has slowly found itself at the bottom of the to-do list.

I don't have anything to report hockey card wise today, but I would like to thank all those who have read my blog over the past year. I've gained a lot of new followers in 2012 and I'm happy to meet so many new and kind collectors. I'd also like to thank my readers that have been with me since the very beginning, without your support and feedback, I probably wouldn't be writing today.

I hope to expand but be more precise in my collecting in 2013 with my Canucks and Dan Cloutier. Hopefully I can bring some entertainment and interest along the way!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see more of everybody in 2013!

GO NUCKS GO!

CRAZY CARDS - The King of NYC

You don't have to know me for long to understand I'm a huge Canucks fan. But every once in awhile I notice another team or player that catches my fancy.

It seems that maybe the New York Rangers have sparked an interest in me. That may just be the lockout talking; but, as of right now, they hold a spot as my second favourite team. I mean you look at their line-up and it's just full of superstars up and down. Don't get me wrong, I hate the '94 Rangers (Messier) just as much as the next guy. They (Messier) took our first Cup right out of our hands and I will aways have resentment toward them (Messier) for that.

Basically, I'm a fan of one player in specific that started this whole roller coaster of appreciation - Henrik Lundqvist. This guy is a beast of a keeper and I grew to like the man behind the mask in the series 24/7 from the Winter Classic a year ago (boy I'll miss that this year).

So when I saw the card below up for a 10er, I had to have it:

This was the main point I ever bought random packs of Donruss Elite last season. I think these die-cut game used cards are really cool! They all have specific numbers in which they are limited to, in this case 213. That number is dependant on the record or stat the player is featured with.

In this case the number is related to his 213 career wins up until the 2011-12 season.

Love this card, love the player...just a whole lot of love.

But even with all this appreciation, the Canucks are ALWAYS my number one.

GO NUCK GO!

DAN CLOUTIER PC - THANK YOU MIKE!

About a month ago, I got an e-mail from a fellow collector who had a couple of really nice Cloutier cards he was willing to part with. His website, The Potvin Collection, showcases some very nice Potvin and Gagner pieces. Unfortunately, with free time at a minimum (evident by my weekly posts) I had to put our potential trade on the back burner.

A little over a week ago though, Mike contacted me again and said he was sending the two Cloutier's for nothing in return! Wow, I can't believe the kindness of hockey card collectors, it truly is a tight community!

Well Mike, before I even show off the two beauties, I have to thank you greatly! And don't think this will go unnoticed, the kindness will be returned!

Anyways, like I mentioned, the cards are some really nice pieces.

I've seen this card on the Bay for awhile but haven't been happy enough with the prices to jump. Thankfully, I can cross this off the want list. The GU window is a little different and the colour swatch the dark Canucks navy blue.

What really pops out at me on this card is the photo choice. The card comes from the ITG Action set so it's appropriate that ITG used an actual action photo, not just a shot of Cloutier in his ready position. Thumbs up ITG!

WOWEEEEE! That's a nice looking piece of GU goodness! That's a piece of his pad by the by. The scanner didn't really show it vert well, but the pad is a white (not so crystal white though) tone with a nice grey seem running straight across the patch. 

Hands down the coolest piece of Cloutier on card memorabilia yet! I'm looking to trying to get one piece from each set of equipment. So far I have: jersey, stick and pad; just need the glove and blocker!

Thanks again Mike! I'm really excited in getting these new Clouts!

As always, check out the website on the right hand side to see my entire Dan Cloutier PC!

GO NUCKS GO!

SWEET (AND SOUR) SIGS - Marty McSorley

I recently discovered that my LCS has a bunch of IP AUTO's for five dollars a piece. A little pricey for non-certified AUTO's that are sometimes of players that got 30 seconds on NHL ice, but, I digress. I'm reassured of their authenticity (about 99.9%) because with each player in his big binder, he has either a photo with him, his wife or his close friend alongside the card(s) kinda like a personal certification with every card.

They have three packed binders full of these bad boys. With such a wide variety you really get a great range of signatures; some are "SWEET" and some "SOUR." That is why this new segment is called "SWEET (AND SOUR) SIGS," no it's not because I really like Chinese cuisine (although I do).

Today, we have just one AUTO from that bunch of binders and it is...

 

Marty McSorley, a man who really needs no introduction. There are a couple of things that really attracted me to this card. First, it's not quite sized like a regular card; it's the same thickness and about a half an inch shorter. Of course you'll notice that the card itself is quite unique as it was issued by the USDA which is "A Public Service in Fire Prevention." It has one kick ass cartoon on the back ta boot!

Second and most obvious is the actual signature, which was the main reason for the purchase. It's signed in a sweet blue sharpie, yet, unfortunately pretty unclear. There was a much clearer AUTO in the binder but this card was too priceless to give up.

Here's a clearer look at his AUTO I pulled off the interweb...

This is courtesy of "My Hockey Card Obsession" actually (first one that showed up on Google images...hope you don't mind Brett). 

This card really gives a better look at his signature. Mine, unfortunately doesn't include his number 33 though.

Here's the thing, I don't really have a clear cut definition of a good or bad AUTO. I just see one and know. So with this whole "SWEET AND SOUR" thing, it's my straight up opinion.

For this AUTO the long straight lines from the "TY" in Marty and the "MSLY" in McSorley really puts him in the good books. It looks like he took time and pride in his signature which I think is missing from the current stars. 

For me Marty McSorley is certified:

SWEET

How's about you?

SWEET or SOUR?

GO NUCKS GO!