Hockey Cards

[danielpalfredsson]

Hockey card collecting go ruined by the introduction/flooding of the market by companies like Score, Pro-set, etc. What a waste of money all those cards were. I yearn for the days of the 25 cent OPC pack.

You can still find unopened wax packs on ebay - I wonder how many of them are actually unopened, and not repasted after being checked for RCs?

There is still loads of dead stock from that era but I doubt people would even bother searching it because there's nothing worth while. Searching is apparently a big problem though with sealed packs from valuable years of sports cards like the year Jordan had his RC in NBA Fleer. The issue I mentioned with the Tim Hortons cards is that you don't even need to open them, a seller can buy a large chunk, weigh them out, take out the rare packs, sell the remainder on eBay to US buyers to recoup their money spent on the less valuable packs.

As far as the days of 25 cent packs being over, I don't really like the approach to the hobby where it is just about spending as much and buying as much of a PC as possible and then throwing it in storage or whatever. I don't really think it is productive. That's not exclusive to hockey card collecting, people can be that way with any sort of object that doesn't have a tangible use other than being displayed or shown off. Personally, I like the history of hockey cards and the aesthetic of them. I've only been collecting for a relatively short period of time, but I intend to keep my collection small. Instead of completing each set, I'd rather get one of each insert or base card that I like in a Senator or other player I am a fan of.

I think that the hobby will be rejuvenated if UD or Panini get the virtual portion of it right. The concept with Tim Hortons that every pack comes with a redeemable e-pack seems like a step in the right direction but the e-pack function in Tim Hortons is very basic and there isn't much to do once you get the 100 cards. There's apparently an augmented reality game but I haven't checked that out. A big problem with hockey cards is that unlike trading card games, the cards don't have a tangible use, an e-card portion that involves some sort of online game as well as collecting/trading/combining and all that sort of stuff might solve that and make collecting more relevant.

Ultimately though, card collecting will probably stay niche because almost every brand new sealed product is way too expensive for anybody other than hardcores.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

Hockey card collecting go ruined by the introduction/flooding of the market by companies like Score, Pro-set, etc. What a waste of money all those cards were. I yearn for the days of the 25 cent OPC pack.

You can still find unopened wax packs on ebay - I wonder how many of them are actually unopened, and not repasted after being checked for RCs?

A lot, I am sure.

90s junk wax is still plentiful but it would be cheaper going to a show and buying cards.

Even Fleabay and Comc gets pricey from the sellers who do the whole crazy price or best offer gimmick. Most cards Gretzky year and back are good buys while forward outside of key rookies can be had for less then ten bucks ungraded nor are they worth more then that.

I picked up five Lemieux rookies for fifty bucks at a show. Ten bucks apiece from somebody just blowing out his hockey. Card shows are getting rare, but that's where the good deals are.

 

[blankall]

Those prices are ridiculous.

Last year's UD series one blasters are being blown out at Wal-Mart for 13 bucks with tins at 15.

The presses rolled as UD capitalized on McDavid with rumors of pallets of cases unopened still warehoused. Anybody paying huge amounts for McDavid YGs should just wait. Unopened isn't drying up at all.

As for redemptions, just got my Champs McDavid autograph in the mail. For once UD came thru quick.

I dunno... In S1 Canada retail is far and few between. That London Drugs sale is nice, but there's no stock here. I found one Walmart with some stock, but they wanted 29.99/blaster.

 

[OilTastic]

Hockey card collecting go ruined by the introduction/flooding of the market by companies like Score, Pro-set, etc. What a waste of money all those cards were. I yearn for the days of the 25 cent OPC pack.

You can still find unopened wax packs on ebay - I wonder how many of them are actually unopened, and not repasted after being checked for RCs?

^Pro Set from the early 90's has to be the worst hockey cards ever made!

 

[Hyack57]

Depends what you mean by "worth" collecting.

If you're referring to can you make money off of them.....If you're a card dealer on eBay and you really want to hustle and flip cards, because the Tim Hortons sets are exclusive to Canada, the return on packs when they first come out, even at 2 dollars a piece can be pretty good. If you somehow have a hookup to get them in large amounts at $1 a piece, it would be like printing money. Values are peaking right now because like most cards, these will be at the highest value when they first come out. Even the limited edition binders are easy enough money. They are apparently $15 bucks at Tim Hortons, selling for $40+shipping on eBay. Even after eBay fees, that is an easy 10 bucks.

A big issue is that packs with franchise force cards which are the most valuable regular hits in the set are extremely easy to feel out, or if you buy a huge set of packs weigh. There's a market for people to sell sealed packs on eBay because these aren't available in the US. I would not be surprised if some of the people selling sealed packs on eBay are buying huge amounts of packs, weighing out the FF cards, and then pawning the rest off on eBay to get back what they spent on them and in turn getting $10-$20 FF hits for $2. So if you're from the US and thinking about buying packs off of eBay, I'd be very apprehensive.

This time next year, the cards won't be worth nearly as much and outside of a few big hits, you probably won't be able to get back what you spent on them.

If you mean "is it worth it" to collect them out of enjoyment. I like the idea of the set a lot. It is cheap enough for kids to enjoy. It is priced like a low end product despite having a realistic chance at some mid end type inserts in the FF and the acetate cards. The base set is a challenge to collect at 100 cards and 2 cards per pack, but it isn't overbearing like an OPC base set that has 500 cards. If you only buy the cards when you legitimately were going to go to Tim Hortons any way, or via a friend or family member going and picking you up a pack for a buck with their drink it can be a fun kick to get a pack of 2 base cards and an insert. I probably will have more fun spending $20 on these over a few weeks than I would if I went and spent $20 on a discounted blaster at Wal-Mart.

I think I've gone through 4 packs in the last few days. I had some awful luck on my first pack. Pulled a Hab and a Leaf. What could be worse than that? You'd think they'd split those up. Since then, I've been on a decent hot streak. In three packs I've gotten a MacKinnon base card, a Zetterberg FF, and a Kucherov acetate. I might stop while I'm ahead.

It is a great set for kids to get into collecting because it is dirt cheap, the base cards are shiny, and there is one insert per pack. It's also a good set for adult hockey fans who want something simple and cheap once a year to get into that won't break the bank financially. Although for me, I think going all in and buying a bunch at once would ruin the fun of seeing what can be pulled out of infrequent packs. If you're a hardcore collector who needs a $700 box of cards with a possibility at a game used Gretzky jock strap it might not be all that fun. Obviously the set is heavily subsidized because it is a marketing gimmick, but I enjoy the fact that it is a throwback to cheap carefree collecting that apparently existed before the 90s.

I'm a sucker and have bought 30 packs thus far. Two fresh phenoms (Fabbri and Ghost) and now have duplicate Toews Franchise Future.

96/100 ECards via redemption codes and 5-6 ballots each for the prize draws. Just need Malkin, Paciretty, Luongo, and Mackinnon base.

At $0.67 per card (3 per pack for $1.99) and needing 100 cards for the base set. Excluding any doubles that's $67. I don't think it's really worth it for the complete set and I must let my OCD subside so I don't break the bank. I think I'd rather buy a box of cards for $50-$60 and hope for an auto or something that route.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

I'm a sucker and have bought 30 packs thus far. Two fresh phenoms (Fabbri and Ghost) and now have duplicate Toews Franchise Future.

96/100 ECards via redemption codes and 5-6 ballots each for the prize draws. Just need Malkin, Paciretty, Luongo, and Mackinnon base.

At $0.67 per card (3 per pack for $1.99) and needing 100 cards for the base set. Excluding any doubles that's $67. I don't think it's really worth it for the complete set and I must let my OCD subside so I don't break the bank. I think I'd rather buy a box of cards for $50-$60 and hope for an auto or something that route.

From the perspective of "Is it worth it", at least initially Tim Hortons cards have a very good return compared to most other UD products. The price will plummet soon, but if you turned around and sold those two FF and two phenoms cards you'd be able to get back a huge chunk of that 60 dollars spent on 30 packs. On a good day, maybe 40 bucks on eBay with those 4 cards.

I think at 2 dollars, it is a good value and a fun buy if you like the aesthetic of the base+inserts. If you can find a hardcore Tim Hortons user to hook you up with packs consistently at 1 dollar with their drink, it is a great value.

I think buying a bunch of packs of Tim Hortons at once would ruin the fun for me. I almost certainly won't complete the collection, but part of the fun of Tim Hortons cards for me is getting a kick out of getting an infrequent 1 dollar pack and seeing what I get lucky enough to pull. I also am apparently in the minority and like the base card design.

On a side note, has anybody noticed that Tim Hortons cards are usually warped at the top? Of all the packs I've gotten, 3/4 have been warped slightly.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

I dunno... In S1 Canada retail is far and few between. That London Drugs sale is nice, but there's no stock here. I found one Walmart with some stock, but they wanted 29.99/blaster.

You gotta take a trip to Illinois then.

S1 blasters and tins just get passed aside for baseball and football. I've pulled so many McD YGs I have no desire to spend one more dollar on UD. I have been giving them away for free on my YT channel that's how many I have.

You should check and see if Wal-Mart has then online.

 

[blankall]

You gotta take a trip to Illinois then.

S1 blasters and tins just get passed aside for baseball and football. I've pulled so many McD YGs I have no desire to spend one more dollar on UD. I have been giving them away for free on my YT channel that's how many I have.

You should check and see if Wal-Mart has then online.

Walmart Canada sold out a long time ago. The biggest thing this year is the Canadian dollar. Makes it all more expensive, which means less retail purchased in and produced for Canada. Retail also seemed to hit the market late. Overall not that much retail was produced. Maybe sightly more than normal, but it definitely wasn't flooded here. I'd say less than in 2013/14 with the double rookie class.

The biggest rip off was the hobby boxes. They took out half the hits for those e packs.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Yeah not a great year thanks to the Upper Deck monopoly/laziness, UD Black and Ultimate were a rip-off, Premier is decent, and The Cup will likely be a rip-off considering the price point this year has been increased to around $650 USD which is almost $900 CDN.

Bit disappointed in the Tims base cards as well, thought Upper Deck would improve the design.

Did manage to pick up a few nice booklets for cheap though thanks to the low product value, more of a buyers market I guess. What I'd love to get is one of these Mega Trios patches from Upper Deck Premier. Probably not gonna be this year as these look like they cost $50+ but here's a nice example (definetely wouldn't want the Anaheim one though):

Also wanna give props to this set, was able to snag some base cards for it from cheap, it has a vintage look like OPC but fairly nicely done with HDR applied, 2015 Upper Deck Champ's:

 

[danielpalfredsson]

I love Champs. I was hyped to see it brought back. I don't think it'll stick around because for whatever reason the Allen and Ginter type look doesn't resonate with hockey fans. My only disappointment was that there wasn't as many mini cards.

It is definitely a buyers market for singles. As a Sens fan, I can grab almost any hit I want for a few bucks. Sens auto cards from Black rarely peak past 5-10 CAD on ebay. Picked up a Dzingel /25 SP RC for 2 bucks. I can't see myself ever buying current year sealed product because it just makes no sense. The amount of hits I can buy of players I like with $150 instead of buying a hobby box of whatever mid level product UD puts out is staggering.

I wish Panini still was able to make cards. For the most part, I enjoy Panini's aesthetic more than UDs. I wonder how McDavid's rookie year would have played out in cards if UD had competition.

 

[Beansy*]

There is still loads of dead stock from that era but I doubt people would even bother searching it because there's nothing worth while. Searching is apparently a big problem though with sealed packs from valuable years of sports cards like the year Jordan had his RC in NBA Fleer. The issue I mentioned with the Tim Hortons cards is that you don't even need to open them, a seller can buy a large chunk, weigh them out, take out the rare packs, sell the remainder on eBay to US buyers to recoup their money spent on the less valuable packs.

As far as the days of 25 cent packs being over, I don't really like the approach to the hobby where it is just about spending as much and buying as much of a PC as possible and then throwing it in storage or whatever. I don't really think it is productive. That's not exclusive to hockey card collecting, people can be that way with any sort of object that doesn't have a tangible use other than being displayed or shown off. Personally, I like the history of hockey cards and the aesthetic of them. I've only been collecting for a relatively short period of time, but I intend to keep my collection small. Instead of completing each set, I'd rather get one of each insert or base card that I like in a Senator or other player I am a fan of.

I think that the hobby will be rejuvenated if UD or Panini get the virtual portion of it right. The concept with Tim Hortons that every pack comes with a redeemable e-pack seems like a step in the right direction but the e-pack function in Tim Hortons is very basic and there isn't much to do once you get the 100 cards. There's apparently an augmented reality game but I haven't checked that out. A big problem with hockey cards is that unlike trading card games, the cards don't have a tangible use, an e-card portion that involves some sort of online game as well as collecting/trading/combining and all that sort of stuff might solve that and make collecting more relevant.

Ultimately though, card collecting will probably stay niche because almost every brand new sealed product is way too expensive for anybody other than hardcores.

I don't get what you mean when you say there is nothing worthwhile? An unopened wax pack from '84? '79-80? These are not worth searching?

I just doubt any pack you buy from that era is really unopened.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

I don't get what you mean when you say there is nothing worthwhile? An unopened wax pack from '84? '79-80? These are not worth searching?

I just doubt any pack you buy from that era is really unopened.

"Searching is apparently a big problem though with sealed packs from valuable years of sports cards"


I think we just miscommunicated. I agree with you that there is an obvious incentive for people to search big years. I was referring to there being a lot of unopened wax packs from the late 80s. Such as http://www.ebay.ca/itm/191220235296 which are not really worth the hassle of searching since rookie cards from the late 80s are mostly worthless. A Sakic rookie goes for a buck.

 

[blankall]

Yeah not a great year thanks to the Upper Deck monopoly/laziness, UD Black and Ultimate were a rip-off, Premier is decent, and The Cup will likely be a rip-off considering the price point this year has been increased to around $650 USD which is almost $900 CDN.

Bit disappointed in the Tims base cards as well, thought Upper Deck would improve the design.

Did manage to pick up a few nice booklets for cheap though thanks to the low product value, more of a buyers market I guess. What I'd love to get is one of these Mega Trios patches from Upper Deck Premier. Probably not gonna be this year as these look like they cost $50+ but here's a nice example (definetely wouldn't want the Anaheim one though):

Also wanna give props to this set, was able to snag some base cards for it from cheap, it has a vintage look like OPC but fairly nicely done with HDR applied, 2015 Upper Deck Champ's:

Breakaway sports has their initial cup price at under $700 cad. Still expensive, but less than the $900 everyone was expecting. It's such a hit or miss year at this point. Only McDavid has value.

I have 4 McDavid YGs and one Eichel.... Probably done for the year.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Anyone ever designed a custom booklet card? I need to make one for Team North America if I find the right images. It won't have any patches or whatever obviously but a nice black colour scheme with some orange. Hard to pick 8 players but I'm thinking these :

McDavid-Matthews-MacKinnon-RNH for page 1
Gaudreau-Rielly-Ekblad-Murray for page 2

I can't decide whether to include RNH/Rielly or to include Drouin/Eichel. RNH/Rielly both played better on NA but Drouin/Eichel are the more prestigious players right now.

Also yeah it sucks that hockey cards don't use that elegant Allan & Ginter type, I've seen some customs of it and it looks great. I even made a couple for Bathgate and Lafleur which came out well (though red looks better than blue as the background and obviously it's a cheap printer). The Lafleur one is on the right side below:

 

[Hyack57]

Snagged a Jonathan Bernier Tim Hortons Jersey Relic redemption card today. What's it worth you guys think? Excited to hit it with the odds of 1:1800 but looking at who else is available for jersey relics I sort of got the 18th most popular player of the 18 possibilities. LOL

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Snagged a Jonathan Bernier Tim Hortons Jersey Relic redemption card today. What's it worth you guys think? Excited to hit it with the odds of 1:1800 but looking at who else is available for jersey relics I sort of got the 18th most popular player of the 18 possibilities. LOL

One sold for $150 last week on eBay, but you've gotta keep in mind that prices will drop quickly as time goes on.

 

[Paradoc]

Bought my first pack from Timmies today. Got a gold Kopitar, Wheeler and Tavares. Not sure how good that is compared to what others get, but I'm happy with what I have.

 

[Sniper99]

^Pro Set from the early 90's has to be the worst hockey cards ever made!

Wasn't Pro Set one of the top card companies next to Upper Deck back in the late 80's-early 90's? I didnt care much for The Score and Parkhurst as a kid the only set I have is my 89-90 or 90-91 Pro Set (yeah yeah worthless I know Now)

 

[Rorschach]

Wasn't Pro Set one of the top card companies next to Upper Deck back in the late 80's-early 90's? I didnt care much for The Score and Parkhurst as a kid the only set I have is my 89-90 or 90-91 Pro Set (yeah yeah worthless I know Now)

Pro Set was the first modern set to be introduced to hockey. They came from making a landmark football set and all of the other companies like Upper Deck and Amurol followed.


They greatly raised the quality of hockey cards...ironically their inaugural set had the most quality control issues of any card set ever.

 

[pezcore]

after a 2 year hiatus, Im getting back into the hobby. Damn Tim Horton cards!!!

When is Artifacts due?

 

[Nalens Oga]

Anyone have ideas of some pictures/links I can look at to get ideas of displays, especially and creative ways for cards? Preferably stuff that isn't all covered by glass/plastic.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Anyone have ideas of some pictures/links I can look at to get ideas of displays, especially and creative ways for cards? Preferably stuff that isn't all covered by glass/plastic.

Not sure exactly what you're aiming for, but you can buy stands for top loaders that are quite cheap. If you can find a book shelf that isn't too deep, that might work. Probably a "book shelf" meant for CDs or DVDs would be best since it'd only be a few inches deep.

(not sure if this would be the cheapest place to buy them: http://www.ebay.com/itm/391251937529)

Something I want to look into when my collection gets a bit bigger would be Ikea picture rails. I'm not sure if they'd work for cards in top loaders or one touches, but depending on how deep they are they might be an efficient way to display multiple cards at once.

 

[Lgfuad85]

Anyone have ideas of some pictures/links I can look at to get ideas of displays, especially and creative ways for cards? Preferably stuff that isn't all covered by glass/plastic.

I just found these at a local craft store. It came with the hard plastics. I haven't hung them up yet.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91939&stc=1&d=1475168858

 

[danielpalfredsson]

I just found these at a local craft store. It came with the hard plastics. I haven't hung them up yet.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=91939&stc=1&d=1475168858

If you're referring to Michaels, they have all kinds of framing options for jerseys, memorabilia, and cards.

The way they price their stuff is really stupid. A lot of their advertised items are overpriced, and you have to print off a 40-50 percent coupon on their web site to get the "real" price. I collect jerseys, so I have sort of kept an eye on their shadow box prices, and if you're trying to be frugal it seems like once a year (maybe boxing day) their frames actually go on what would be a real sale. When this happens they usually are half off in store, and then they have a 25 percent off an already discount item coupon. That isn't actually 75 percent off because of how they price their items, it is closer to 25 percent off.....

A shelf whether it be a book shelf, picture rail, or wall shelf along with either top loaders or if you don't mind the extra expense 1 touches with stands is probably the way I'd go. My on hand collection isn't very big yet, and most of my pick ups are still tied up in my Comc account so it isn't something I've worried about quite yet but I have put a bit of thought into it.

For Tim Hortons cards, I've just used a binder. I've been buying them at a pretty slow pace, so the thrill of completing a 9 card page is great.

 

[Hyack57]

If you're referring to Michaels, they have all kinds of framing options for jerseys, memorabilia, and cards.

The way they price their stuff is really stupid. A lot of their advertised items are overpriced, and you have to print off a 40-50 percent coupon on their web site to get the "real" price. I collect jerseys
(....deleted rest....)

For Tim Hortons cards, I've just used a binder. I've been buying them at a pretty slow pace, so the thrill of completing a 9 card page is great.

I have the official binder.
Base set complete 1-100
Local Leaders complete 1-7
Game Day Action complete 1-15
Just need three cards for Pure Gold completion
Have 4 Platinum (Iginla, Jagr, JVR, Wheeler)
3 Clear Cut Phenoms (Eichel, Ghost, and Fabbri)
Franchise Force - Miller and Toews
And a redeemed instant winner Relic jersey Jonathan Bernier (in the mail)
All in all it was fun. Don't see me buying any more packs. Felt great to make 9 card full pages.