One Card Challenge - Thanks Sal!

I'm sure most of you have read about the concept of the "one card challenge" that's been floating around. I've read plenty of posts in recent weeks where one collector has helped another with that final card they needed for a set. In my most recent trade with Sal of Puck Junk, he helped me with a one card challenge:

Brian here was the last card I needed to complete my 2009-10 Upper Deck Champ's hockey set. Well, the 100 card set of full-sized cards anyway, which is all I care about. Champ's is going in the books as my first completed set of 2012. I'm hoping to complete at least 10 hockey sets this year, so this is a start.

Here's the card that was the impetus for the trade:

Not bad, huh? This '74-75 Topps Orr is off-center, but other than that in really great condition. Certainly good enough to look right at home in my '74-75 Topps binder. This has to be among the coolest cards I've ever gotten in a trade package.

Love the write-up on the back too, "destined to become perhaps the greatest player in hockey history". Damn straight. I am getting painfully close to killing this set off, and Orr was far and away the toughest card I had left to go. Just nine cards left now...

I'm fairly sure that this is my first 1982-83 Topps Sticker. Topps may not have released a flagship hockey set in '82-83, but they did put out this shiny sticker of Bourque in a Wales Conference All-Star sweater.



These three might not look like much, but they were all on the want list, and they put me within nine cards of completing my 1988-89 Topps hockey set. My biggest collecting goal, completing the pre-1990 Topps hockey sets, has really been picking up steam lately.

Also included were seven cards I needed from the 2010-11 Score set. I was excited about this when it first came out, bought a bunch because it was cheap and fun to open, and then kind of soured on it as time went by. I guess I've come so far that I feel obligated to finish it. I'm about 43 cards shy of the 550 card set after this package.



The Blackhawks cards in this set do look good I guess, as the border colors really mesh with the 'Hawks' jerseys. The Cup logo is a nice little touch on the cards of the reigning champs at the time.

Jack Skille does not get the Stanley Cup logo on his card, given that he played in only six games with the 'Hawks in 2009-10, and none in the playoffs.

The Highlight cards are the best looking in the set, because they have the red and blue side stripes on the border like the original set had. I really wish they had done this with all the cards in this set...


Pretty good pair of Blackhawks right there.

Finally, Sal included some Panini hockey photos. I had never seen these before, but they're roughly 5x7 (I didn't measure) and are simple, border-less, glossy color photos of NHL players. I can tell they're from the mid-90's and I could probably find out exactly when based on the 75th Anniversary patch the Bruins players are wearing, but I just don't have time. Can anyone identify these?

Ron Francis with the Lady Byng Trophy. Since he's not in a jersey I can pretend he's still with the Whalers. Francis won this three times in his career...

As you can see, the backs are very basic and the photos aren't numbered or anything...

Also included were Jason Allison...

...Sergei Samsonov...

...Samsonov with the Calder Trophy (ok, I guess these are from 1998 then?)...

...Ray Bourque...

...Ray Bourque's questionable haircut...

...and a very young Joe Thornton, the only Horizontal photo in the bunch.

Thanks for the great package Sal!