Snow Day with Coast to Posts

The snow is coming down hard here in Rhode Island.  Yesterday it was 54 degrees and sunny, today we're in the midst of about a foot and a half of snow.  Seems like a good day to show some hockey cards!

Today's loot comes courtesy of Brad over at Coast to Posts.  Brad sent an awesome bubble mailer stuffed with hockey goods, starting with a pair of Bruins from the new Upper Deck flagship release.

I didn't pull either of these in the lone blaster of this stuff that I picked up, so it was nice getting them here.  Brad also included the instantly infamous Bobby Ryan card, but since I already had a copy of that one I re-routed it to Joe Shlabotnik.

Here's another, even nicer, David Krejci card.  From what I remember these 2009-10 OPC Stat Leaders inserts weren't the easiest pulls.  A nice shiny card featuring a row of Ottawa Senators in the background.

Here's one of those cards Upper Deck issued on National Hockey Card Day in Canada a couple of years ago.  I believe this is the first one of these that I've ended up with.  A very Canadian design for sure.

I was really happy to find this one in the envelope.  There are a million cards of Martin Brodeur out there from his time with New Jersey, but very few from his brief, late-career stint with the Blues.  This is just my second.

Nice!  Torey Krug has become a mainstay in the Boston defensive corps over the past few seasons, it's exciting to add another of his rookies to my collection.  A very thoughtful inclusion from Brad here.

Brad even managed to add a few new Whalers to my collection, something that is becoming increasingly harder to do as the years roll by.

These are from the 1988-89 O-Pee-Chee stickers set.  Most of these are smaller stickers that come two to a card like Carey Wilson and Bob Sweeney here.

I didn't have any of these previously, so all of the ones that Brad sent were new to me.

I like this one in particular, as it pairs fan favorite Kevin Dineen with a Pierre Turgeon rookie sticker!

Here's the last of the multi-player stickers, but there were two Whalers in the package that got their own full-size stickers:

Goaltender Mike Liut...

...and team captain and greatest Whaler of all-time, Ron Francis!

The Bruins were not to be left out when it comes to stickers though, as I received half a dozen from the 2012-13 Panini Stickers set.

Third new Krejci of this post!

There were actually two Tuukkas (hah!), so I shipped one of those off to Joe Shlabotnik as well.

I like this one even better though, nice shot of Rask coming down the tunnel at the TD Garden.

I don't think I've ever seen these Panini Titanium cards available at a store, and the only times I've gotten any in trade have been from folks who live up in Canada.  Maybe they're Canadian exclusive cards?  Either way, a nice Bergeron.  I'm wondering how Patrice and the rest of the guys are going to respond to a new coach...

The First Goal inserts in the Panini Score product were a great idea if you ask me.  I'm a big fan of "moment in time" cards like these, sort of like a Topps Now concept.  I can't believe I hadn't picked this one up myself on COMC at some point, and I'm very grateful that Brad decided to include it.

Here's one I was not familiar with at all, a Flash of Excellence insert from Upper Deck Overtime.  This card is every bit as shiny and full of foil as it seems in the scan.

I really like what Panini did with this Donruss Boys of Winter insert.  Sure, the name is a little cheesy, but I think the bright photo of Tim Thomas against a mostly-white background works.  It doesn't hurt either that around the time this card was printed up Thomas was regularly displaying some of the best goaltending I've ever seen.

I'm definitely not going to complain about receiving a surprise serial-numbered Bobby Orr!

I also found a new trio of Sergei Fedorov cards inside the package.  As I explained when I showed off my newest Fedorov acquisition the other day, Sergei was one of my favorites as a kid.  Brad really covered his career quite nicely too with a classic Red Wings Upper Deck flagship card...

...a late-career Columbus Blue Jackets card...

...and a "forgot he played for them" Mighty Ducks card!  This one is particularly awesome, coming from the days before the team got serious, dropped the Mighty from their name, and changed their logo.  I have around 150 unique Fedorov cards now, maybe more, and this is just my second from his time with Anaheim.  Great stuff.

We'll wrap it up here with a trio of hard-signed autographs.  I'm guessing that Brad may have obtained these with TTM requests as I know he has some experience in that realm.  Either way, this card represents my first autograph of the guy who's now the captain of the Winnipeg Jets!

My favorites though, not surprisingly, were the two Hartford Whalers autos.  From the 1990-91 Panini Stickers release we have Brad Shaw...

...and Kevin Dineen!  What an awesome tandem for my Whalers collection, two guys who were on the team when I was a rabid kid fan.  These really brought a smile to my face.

Brad, this was a fantastic trade package, thank you for taking the time to put it together.  I know I've got some Score cards for you, and will see what else I can find to ship back your way.  Thanks for reading everyone, and to those of you in New England happy shoveling!

Buyback Franken-set: Sportlots 4-pack

Quick quartet of buybacks today, that I picked up from a seller on Sportlots just because they were dirt cheap, and because the cost to ship four cards was the same as the cost to ship one...

1969 Topps #89 - Russ Gibson

Yes, this Russ Gibson is completely beat to hell.  It's probably one of the worst-conditioned buybacks I've encountered over the course of this project so far.  The thing is, it's a Red Sox buyback, it's a number that was previously missing from the franken-set, and it was listed for the bare minimum price of 18 cents.  It's hard for me to turn down any buyback for less than a quarter, so here we are.

1975 Topps #639 - Steve Kline

As I expected, the higher numbered portion of the franken-set has been the toughest to complete so far, so any buyback numbered 600 or above carries a little extra weight for me.  That's why, despite the mystery stain/mark all over the front of this one, I just couldn't resist.  In fact, this part of the set is so sparsely populated that Steve has a page of his own in the binder at this point.

1975 Topps #657

Along those same lines here's another, this one just about as high a number '75 as you can get.  A late-season trade in 1974 sent Bob Oliver to Baltimore from the Angels, thus the terrible airbrush job we are treated to here.  After just 9 games in Baltimore to finish out the '74 season the Yankees picked up his contract.  Pretty cool to get a short term stop card into the set.

1962 Topps #112 - Hank Foiles

Last one for today, journeyman backup catcher Hank Foiles.  I picked this one up because I love the photo (especially that shoulder patch!), because I don't have many '62s in the binder yet, and because it set me back just 48 cents.

Four previously empty slots now filled in the binder for just a couple bucks, I'll take that!

Franken-set Progress:  311/792 (39%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  83
Total Buybacks in Collection:  394

My Favorite Fedorov

I'm still in shock over how the Super Bowl ended last night.  I'm finding it difficult to think/post about much else quite frankly, but since I'm not a football card collector I'm gonna give it a shot here...

Late last year I picked up a significant new Sergei Fedorov card via eBay.  May not seem like much to some, but I love it.  In fact, I would have to say it's now my favorite Sergei Fedorov card in my collection.  Check it out:

This buyback is from the 2014-15 Upper Deck release, and pays homage to the 25th Anniversary of their inaugural '90-91 set.  I had just begun collecting hockey cards in the winter of 1989, and was playing ice hockey in a league with my two brothers at the time as well.  So, when the hockey card landscape exploded in 1990 with the introduction of brands like Upper Deck, Score and Pro Set I was in my childhood collecting glory.

Among the thousands of cards that came into our household that year, Sergei Fedorov's Young Guns Upper Deck rookie was always one of my absolute favorites.  I'm not even sure why to be totally honest, he had only just begun his NHL career and living in New England it's not like I had access to Detroit Red Wings game footage and highlights back then like we do now in the internet age.  I think it was a combination of the times, with the influx of Russian stars joining the league, and my impressionable age and new-found fandom.

Either way, the result was that I spent many an afternoon with my street hockey stick and net pretending that I was Sergei Fedorov.  I prized his Upper Deck rookie, and the copy I pulled from a pack sat in a top loader in my shoebox among my other most prized pieces of cardboard.  I know it might be kind of gimmicky to say the least, but I'm ecstatic to be one of the 25 individuals to own a copy of the buyback version of this one.

This card also pairs quite nicely with the Wayne Gretzky All-Star that I snagged from this same buyback set a while back.  I actually paid slightly more for the Fedorov than I did for the Gretzky if you can believe that, but that's because the Gretzky was a real steal.

I didn't mind shelling out a few bucks more for this card either, given that it was one of the more significant hockey cards of my collecting youth, and thus comes bundled with a whole heap of nostalgia for me.  Even if I were to sell off the bulk of my collection for some reason, this is probably one I'd hang onto.  At around the price of a blaster it's easily one of my favorite hobby pick-ups from 2016.

For the other hockey card collectors out there, have any of you picked up any of these Upper Deck buybacks at all?  What do you think, unique collectibles or a cheesy gimmick?  I say the former, though I know some will say the latter...

Signature Sundays - Marty Barrett

Just a quick one today, featuring a cheap autograph that I couldn't resist when I stumbled across it on eBay a couple of weeks back...

Just in case you're not sick of the 1987 Topps design yet!

I have very little memory of seeing Marty Barrett play, as he was moving on from the Red Sox and winding down his MLB career just as I was getting old enough to begin loving sports.  He was an under-appreciated contact hitter, and an above average arm at second base for Boston throughout much of the 1980s.

Marty's best season by far was 1986, though it ultimately ended in heartbreak for the Sox.  Barrett played in nearly every game that season and ended up with career highs in hits (179), doubles (39) and RBI (60).  In the playoffs he was even hotter, with 24 hits including 13 in the World Series alone.  He was the ALCS MVP that year, and had Boston been able to hold on against the Mets would have been a likely World Series MVP candidate as well given that he swatted .433 in the Fall Classic that year.

I wasn't aware that this nice, bold, on-card autograph existed since I wasn't collecting in 2005, but when I stumbled upon it during a late-night eBay search I was happy to bring it home with a bid of $5.06 with free shipping!

Maybe not the most impressive autograph you'll ever see featured here, but for the price of a fast food value meal I was excited to add this All-Time Fan Favorite to the collection!

I've got a few autographs backed up in queue, so you'll be seeing some more Signature Sundays posts here on Shoebox Legends in 2017...

Buyback Franken-set: Offf the Wall Part VI - The Finale!

At long last I've come to the final grouping of buybacks that Shane of Off the Wall so kindly sent me a while back.  I had 11 left in the stack, but then I received a PWE from Shane last week that contained one more, so it'll be a nice tidy dozen to cover here today...

1959 Topps #391 - Milt Pappas

Milt Pappas seems to be one of the more prevalent subjects when it comes to buybacks, at least in my experience so far.  His '73 Topps issue is in the "rejected" box, and now this one joins his '71 release in the actual franken-set.  A really nice entry to lead off today's post, though I'm ashamed to admit I still don't have a standard version for my '59 Topps set yet.

1965 Topps #48 - Claude Raymond

Next up is the second card of longtime french-language broadcaster for the Expos, Claude Raymond, to make the franken-set.  I like this one even better than the first, since we get a closer look at not only his unique glasses, but also that Houston Colt .45s cap!  I hope this one sticks around in slot 48 for some time.

1965 Topps #144 - Ed Kranepool

Next up, a beautiful '65 Topps Ed Kranepool courtesy of 2014 Topps.  Kranepool has some solid representation in the binder now, as Shane included both his '75 Topps buyback as well as this one in the stack he sent.  I was pleased to find that slot 144 was empty, which means this card is in without contest.  If I'm being picky the one thing I would have liked to see done differently here would have been to place the buyback stamp in the dark upper left corner instead of over the bat/cap in the upper right.

1967 Topps #92 - Ray Washburn

Here's the one-off that Shane sent me in a PWE last week, and with this one I'd say the folks at Topps put the buyback stamp in the perfect place.  This card makes the franken-set as well, and is significant given that Ray won 10 games for St. Louis in 1967, en route to a World Series Championship!

1960 Topps #297 - Reno Bertoia

This Reno Bertoia is significant in that it's just the 7th 1960 Topps card to make the set so far.  Out of that subset, it's only the second one of the 2009 Topps Heritage variety with the larger 50th Anniversary foil stamp.  Bertoia was actually born in Italy, but moved with his family to Ontario to an early age.  He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.  This one makes the set as well, and I'm glad that it does.

1961 Topps #163 - Ed Sadowski

Ed Sadowski carved out a brief MLB career as a backup catcher in the early to mid '60s.  He was briefly a member of the Boston Red Sox, seeing action in 38 games with the team during his rookie season of 1960.  After that it was three seasons with the LA Angels, a two-year absence from the Majors, then 3 games with the Braves in 1966 to finish off his career.  This hat-less photo doesn't make for the world's most exciting card, but without another #163 buyback Ed is in for now.

1962 Topps #66 - Cuno Barragon

Though he didn't have the most notable career, this buyback of catcher Cuno Barragan (misspelled Baragon) is among my favorites from the group Shane sent.  I love that you can see the outlines of where baseballs hit against the backstop behind him.

Random baseball trivia time!  What do Cuno and the infamous Hoyt Wilhelm have in common?  They each hit a home run in their first MLB at-bat, and neither of them ever hit another!

1963 Topps #98 - George Thomas

George Thomas was an extremely versatile player over the course of his career, eventually playing every position on the diamond besides pitcher.  I always think of him as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement on the roster of the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Red Sox team.  His 1963 Topps buyback here is actually the only one in today's post that has any competition when it comes to franken-set induction.

Milt May's 1977 card was already in slot 98 of the binder.

That was an easy decision!

1963 Topps #55 - Bill Virdon

Here's another nice '63, featuring Bill Virdon.  Virdon had just captured the lone Gold Glove of his career the season prior, and had won a World Series with Pittsburgh two seasons before that.  What a nice little run of '60s buybacks there.

1959 Topps #203 - Ozzie Virgil

To close out this post, and this large lot of buybacks from Shane, I've got three more from the 1959 Topps set!  Ozzie Virgil was born and raised in the Dominican, but moved to the Bronx with his family as a young teenager.  When he was called up in September of the 1956 season he became the first Dominican-born player to appear in a Major League Baseball game.  As such, he's obviously well-known on the island, and even has an airport named after him!

1959 Topps #293 - Ray Moore

Ray Moore was a flame-throwing righty who wasn't exactly known for his control.  He debuted in the early '50s with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but by 1959 found himself with the White Sox (who made it to the World Series that year).  I'm excited to add just about any buyback from the '50s to the binder, glad this one made the cut at 293.

1959 Topps #466 - Pierce All-Star Starter

Finally, here's my favorite buyback of the entire lot, from the 1959 Topps Baseball Thrills subset.  Working on the '59 set myself these days I'm a huge fan of this subset (in fact my last post was the Ernie Banks), and I never imagined I'd be fortunate enough to be the owner of a buyback version.  This is hands down one of my favorites to date, and brought a smile to my face for sure.

At more than 60 total buybacks, this lot from Shane was by far the largest I've ever received in trade to date.  It has pushed me past the 300 card threshold in my franken-set, and has me at close to 400 total buybacks in my collection at this point.  I'm really starting to think that I might be able to complete this project someday after all, especially after seeing the smattering of high-numbered '80s and '90s buybacks in the 2017 Topps flagship release.

Thanks so much Shane!  I really appreciate you thinking of my collection as a home for these.  I managed to get another package in the mail yesterday headed your way!

Franken-set Progress:  307/792 (39%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  83
Total Buybacks in Collection:  390

One Card Post - Hustler Banks

What:  1959 Topps #469 - Hustler Banks Wins MVP Award
Where:  COMC (Black Friday)
How Much?:  $3.98

Why?:  I'm really trying to step up my efforts towards completing the '59 Topps baseball set, and on Black Friday weekend I made a nice step forward with this Ernie Banks card.  The corners aren't exactly sharp but with good centering and solid overall visual appeal this one felt like a steal at less than $4.

This has to be one of the earliest play-at-the-plate cards in existence, right?  I've always enjoyed cards that depict a specific moment, season, championship or award so this is one I would have gravitated towards even had I not been chasing this set.

Three from the Random Box

Next to my desk in my office/card room I have a small two-row shoebox that I use for cards in transit.  One row contains cards that I've set aside for outgoing trade packages, broken out by destination, the other contains incoming cards from a variety of sources that I've yet to scan/inventory/post about.

The "incoming" side is getting a bit tight so I grabbed three top-loaded cards out of there to free up some space, and to provide a quick post here at the same time.  Let's see what I got...

First up is a really nice insert from 1997 Upper Deck; Amazing Greats.  I was drawn to this card because it has a texture and feel that is meant to resemble the wood grain of a bat.  Not only that, but the portrait photo that's inset within the baseball diamond is actually printed on an acetate material.  All in all it's a fine looking insert, and though it came from Upper Deck's flagship release it has the feel of a higher end card if you ask me.

I am fairly certain this came from the dollar box at my LCS, which seems like a good grab as these were relatively tough pulls at roughly 1 in 3 hobby boxes.  Certainly one of the nicer cheap Mo Vaughns in my collection to date.

Next up is one of my better Xander Bogaerts cards.  2012 Bowman contained some of the first Bogaerts cards to hit the market, and this Blue Wave Refractor was some kind of mail-in redemption if I'm not mistaken.

I'm a total sucker for Bowman Wave Refractors, and given that Xander Bogaerts has been my favorite player on the BoSox roster for a while now I was of course drawn to this one.  I paid $12.25 for this card on COMC over a year ago now (no wonder I'm out of room in this box!), which seems fair given that the cheapest copy up there today is going for $18.00.

Last but certainly not least, a beautiful Harry Howell from Topps' very first hockey effort in 1954-55.  I inherited this one from my Dad actually, which makes it extra special.  I believe this is the oldest piece of cardboard that he's passed down to me over the years.

For those who have never seen one in hand, these are slightly larger than a modern-day card, and in line with the oversized Topps baseball releases that were coming out in the mid-'50s.  This is either the third or fourth card I've managed to get my hands on from this release.  With just 60 cards in this set it's tempting to chase, but the Gordie Howe alone will set you back hundreds of dollars.

My favorite thing about this set is actually the card backs, Topps did a wonderful job with the layout here if you ask me.  I love the cartoon.  While I don't have time to research it right now, I wonder how modern goaltender equipment stacks up against stuff from the '50s as far as overall weight goes?

Alright, that's all I have time for today.  Thanks for reading!