Tonight I've got a very special batch of cards that crossed the Atlantic Ocean before getting posted on the blog. Towards the end of last week I found a bubble mailer from my friend Oscar in Sweden waiting for me in the mailbox after work. Oscar has sent me cards
once before, and like last time he certainly didn't disappoint with this package!
For starters, my first Jimmy Garoppolo card. I don't really collect football per se, but it's not because I don't enjoy the sport (I do!), or like the cards (I do!). It's just that I already have enough clutter from collecting baseball and hockey alone, and don't need a third sport to chase. With that being said, I do like getting cards like this one of current day Patriots. Luckily we didn't have to see Jimmy in weeks 1-4...
Here's the other football card from the package, safety/cornerback Devin McCourty. Two very nice additions to my small football collection.
The majority of the package, not surprisingly, was hockey cards. There was a nice variety to be found...
...like
four Whalers I was missing from 1993-94 Donruss!
Though the foil is nearly impossible to read in the scans, I otherwise like the '93-94 Donruss design.
Like last time, I scored a few Swedish hockey cards in this delivery. William Nylander is the son of former Whaler Michael Nylander, which I'm sure is why Oscar included this one. William is actually a bright prospect in the Maple Leafs' organization.
I got my first look at the 2014-15 Upper Deck AHL set, in the form of Ulf Samuelsson's sons...
I really like that Upper Deck produced an AHL set, I'll be looking to pick up a pack of this stuff next time I stop by my local hobby shop.
Here's one I'm having a tough time identifying. It looks like maybe "1994-95 Leaf Elitset"? Whatever set it's from, this card of Christer Abrahamsson is fantastic. Never heard of Christer? He played three years with the New England Whalers of the WHA in the mid-'70s. He's also the first guy on the list if you sort the all-time Whalers roster alphabetically by last name.
If anyone knows for sure what set this is from, please leave a comment!
A couple more from the 1995-96 Swedish Globe set. This is probably the card I wanted more than any other on the checklist, featuring Fedorov in his team Russia gear.
To go along with Sergei I also got Kevin Hatcher, playing for team USA.
Here's a Terry O'Reilly Marquee Legend SP from last year's O-Pee-Chee set. I'm guessing this photograph was taken in Toronto, as this was during the time when road teams wore dark sweaters, and the guy in the stands to the right is sporting a Leafs hat.
Last one for tonight, the Player's Club Platinum parallel of Chris Pronger's '95-96 Upper Deck Collector's Choice card.
This is just a sampling of the great cardboard that Oscar sent my way. He clearly spent time hand selecting cards that would have meaning to me as a New England sports fan, and Whalers fan specifically. Oscar also included a very kind note about the blog along with the cards.
Oscar, I really appreciate everything you sent. All of the cards are right at home in my collection. I'm working on a return package for you now, and hope to have it in the mail by the end of the week...
1 comment:
It doesn't look like a Leafs hat - that's a red leaf on the card, and I don't think that was ever a colour on merchandise then. Plus, the rinkside seats at the Gardens were golds, and the paint job reflected that. I think that's actually the Forum in Montreal.
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