ExpZo 2011: Part 4 -- The Player Collections

This is the fourth and final part of a four-part series of posts I've composed to detail my experience at the Fall 2011 Toronto Sportcard and Memorabilia Expo. This post focuses exclusively on my player collections, which remain the item of highest priority for my collecting hobby. Only three players are represented here, with the reigning Vezina winner stealing most of the spotlight.

Quite a few of these cards were received from Hobby Insider members. Credit is given where it's due, and I sincerely apologize if I missed anybody.

Post #26 for 2011
ExpZo 2011: Part 1 -- The Breaks
ExpZo 2011: Part 2 -- The Traders
ExpZo 2011: Part 3 -- The Rookies

-------------------------------------------------------
PART 4A -- ALEC MARTINEZ
-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 O-Pee-Chee Alec Martinez
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Retro Alec Martinez
I'll begin with two (and only two) cards for my Alec Martinez collection. I have now completed all five of his cards from O-Pee-Chee, Martinez's first (and so far, only) card appearance of the 2011-12 season.

-------------------------------------------------------
PART 4B -- SERGEI SAMSONOV
-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 O-Pee-Chee Sergei Samsonov
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Retro Sergei Samsonov
I'm still working on finishing Samsonov's O-Pee-Chee cards, which may be the last he earns as an NHL player. With these two cards in hand, I need only the rainbow parallel to finish the set of five. I looked through every O-Pee-Chee showcase, box, and binder at the expo, but was never able to find one.

-------------------------------------------------------


98-99 O-Pee-Chee Chrome Season's Best Refractor Sergei Samsonov
01-02 BAP Memorabilia Fall Expo Ruby Sergei Samsonov (02/10)
The first card here is an extra for my collection, but it's a Samsonov card I consider one of my favorites. I received the card from Norm (trekrun) as part of a bigger transaction. There's something about the way the refractor appearance works with that particular design that I really enjoy.

I found a dealer with a small box full of old Fall Expo stamped cards, and was hoping to find one or two of my obscure players inside. I didn't -- instead, I found only Samsonov. It was an inexpensive addition to my collection.

I fully realize that Samsonov very nearly counts as an "obscure player" himself.

-------------------------------------------------------


99-00 Hasbro Starting Lineup Sergei Samsonov
Despite collecting Samsonov cards for the past 13 years, I somehow never managed to pick up his one and only action figure. I found a dealer who was setting up an entire table full of SLU figures, and asked about Samsonov. Sure enough -- there was one available, and for the cost of a toonie.

I do already own a "broken free" copy of the inserted hockey card (a foil-less derivation of Samsonov's 98-99 Upper Deck base card) -- so I plan to keep this one in the packaging.

-------------------------------------------------------


03-04 SP Game Used Double Threads Joe Thornton / Sergei Samsonov (20/60)
I was expecting only to pick up a few low-end Samsonov cards at the expo, but Greg (g-force) had other plans for me. Greg had numerous cards from 03-04 SP Game Used on hand, and was quick to offer me this awesome Samsonov/Thornton patch card at a very reasonable price. I recall the popularity experienced by the patch sets in 03-04 SPGU when the product was released, so I'm happy to finally get one for myself. I realize that these sets didn't skimp on quality swatches too often, but even with that said, I'm not sure how much better could possibly be done on a Bruins card like this. The Thornton patch has three layers -- white jersey / black patch / yellow patch. The Samsonov swatch has six layers -- black stitching / white stitching / yellow patch / white stitching / black stitching / white patch.

Thanks very much for the deal, Greg!

-------------------------------------------------------
PART 4C -- TIM THOMAS
-------------------------------------------------------

Obviously, Tim Thomas was the primary focus for my expo trip. It was hard to know what to expect in terms of demand and prices for Thomas items, but I heard the same stories from every dealer I talked to: Thomas cards were moving well. Rare cards were hard to come by, and I suspect that I got beat out for quite a few of them -- simply based on who happened to get to a given dealer's table first. On two occasions, I went back to a dealer's table a day after my first visit, with intentions to make an offer that would have assuredly been accepted -- only to find the card had already been sold.

The prices on some of his RCs were a sight to behold, and I was really enjoying getting to tell the dealers that I already had every Thomas card from his rookie year. The prices on his newer items (when I could find them) were generally within negotiable ranges, although there were a few exceptions. Some dealers respectably price their cards at values that indicate they are happy to continue ownership, while a very few simply price their cards at values that indicate their heads are in the clouds.

Even with those challenges, I am very happy with how things ended up. I brought home an incredible total of 39 new items for my Tim Thomas collection. 38 of them are in this post (the 39th is referenced), and of those 39, 38 are new additions.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 Upper Deck Tim Thomas
11-12 Upper Deck Milan Lucic / Tim Thomas / Zdeno Chara
I'll start off with two base cards from the new Upper Deck Series 1 product. I may have pulled one or both of these cards in my box, but I specifically wanted to acquire them on the side, just to make sure. While the first card was found in a commons box, the second was given to me by a dealer (perhaps a Hobby Insider member, though I cannot recall). After I had asked about Tim Thomas, the dealer was in the process of sorting through a UD break, and handed me the checklist card for free.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 Upper Deck All-World Team Tim Thomas (SP)
Tim Thomas was slated for inclusion in a bunch of Series 1 insert sets, although most of them appear that they will be exclusively in retail packaging configurations. The All-World Team insert is the only "regular" insert to feature Thomas in the hobby release. I only saw two of these at the show, and got a good deal on the first copy I found. Thomas was included in the set's short-printed tier, although I do not believe that this card is especially scarce.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 O-Pee-Chee Tim Thomas
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Playoff Beard Variation Tim Thomas
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Retro Tim Thomas
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Rainbow Tim Thomas
Unlike Martinez and Samsonov, I had more work to do in my search for Tim Thomas OPC cards. Because he was included in the Playoff Beard set, Thomas ended up with six base set parallels. I do already own the Blank Back card, but the Black Rainbow version is still on the wantlist. A few copies have sold on ebay, and went for far higher than a Tim Thomas parallel /100 should sell for. I'll have to be patient.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 O-Pee-Chee League Leaders Tim Thomas / Roberto Luongo / Pekka Rinne (GAA)
11-12 O-Pee-Chee League Leaders Tim Thomas / Pekka Rinne / Roberto Luongo (Save Pct.)
11-12 O-Pee-Chee League Leaders Henrik Lundqvist / Tim Thomas / Carey Price (Shutouts)
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Trophy Winners Tim Thomas (Vezina)
11-12 O-Pee-Chee Trophy Winners Tim Thomas (Conn Smythe)
Thomas was also included on five year-in-review insert cards. Thankfully, these were not very difficult to locate. I find it somewhat amusing that the first two cards use the same three players, but Luongo and Rinne are switched (because of how the stats worked out). I also like that the Conn Smythe trophy makes a cameo appearance on the Vezina winner card.

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Zenith Crease is the Word Tim Thomas
10-11 Donruss Threads Tim Thomas (243/499)
10-11 Between The Pipes Deep in the Crease
-- Tim Thomas / Tuukka Rask / Matt Dalton / Michael Hutchinson
The Crease is the Word insert is shiny. So shiny, it slightly threw off the picture's exposure (and the appearance of the other two cards). This is the only extra card for my Thomas collection in this post. It was offered up to me for free at the HI booth by one of our fine members, and I certainly couldn't turn it down. I apologize for not making a note of who it was, because I'd love to give proper credit for it. Thanks, if it was you!

The Donruss Threads card is an easy jersey insert. It's a card I wasn't anxious to pay shipping for on ebay, and thus, it made a lot of sense to buy in person.

I like the Deep in the Crease set, and I hope ITG brings it back again next year. It's interesting to see a team's entire goaltending depth chart on one card.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 Score #17 Tim Thomas (Season Highlight)
11-12 Score #30 Tim Thomas (Season Highlight)
11-12 Score #64 Tim Thomas
11-12 Score #17 Glossy Tim Thomas (Season Highlight)
11-12 Score #30 Glossy Tim Thomas (Season Highlight)
11-12 Score #64 Glossy Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas was featured on quite a few cards in Score, including three cards in the base set. He earned two Season Highlight subset cards -- one for winning three consecutive All-Star Games, and one for setting the single-season save percentage record.

Although it's impossible to tell from the picture, the bottom row features the glossy parallels. The first two are marked as "glossy" on the back, but the final card (as one of the standard Bruins team cards) does not carry the extra specification.

I do not believe that Gold Line or Black Ice parallels exist for the Season Highlight cards, so I will continue to search for both parallels of the #64 Thomas card.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 Score The Franchise Tim Thomas
11-12 Panini Stickers Tim Thomas
11-12 Score Net Cam Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas was checklisted for three insert sets in Score. The only one not included here is the Supreme Team insert, which is only available in retail packs.

The Franchise insert card was traded to me by Wes (PenaltyMan) after our Score breaks on Friday. Thank you!

The 11-12 Panini Sticker set features one foil sticker for each team. Thomas was chosen to be on the foil sticker for the Bruins. I purchased the sticker from Game Breakers. I want to note -- despite the foil, this is actually the regular version of the Thomas sticker. This contrasts with the promotional, non-foil version I received in the Panini Sticker Album.

-------------------------------------------------------


2011 Panini Fall Expo #3 Tim Thomas
Thomas was also included in the base set of Panini's Fall Expo "Silver Pack" redemption program. Although no hard numbers were given, I would infer a print run somewhere in the middle-hundreds range (say, 400-700).

Having not seen the expo set in advance, I was a little bit surprised when I first saw this card. I was at a dealer's table, and another collector nearby was holding this card while sorting through a Panini box break. Explaining that I was a Thomas collector, I asked if I could see the card, and inquired as to what set it was from. The collector did more than just answer the question -- he offered me the card for free.

There is goodwill at the expo.

11-12 UD Artifacts Tim Thomas (Star) (381/999)
11-12 UD Artifacts Tundra Trios Jersey Zdeno Chara / Tyler Seguin / Tim Thomas (011/149)
I made some small progress on the large Artifacts wantlist. These two cards would have to be considered to be on the lower end of the Artifacts spectrum, and both were easy purchases with little in the way of an interesting story to tell.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 UD Artifacts Green Jersey/Patch Tim Thomas (55/65)
This card, on the other hand, gets an important distinction -- it was the first Tim Thomas card I purchased at the expo on Friday.

While the swatches aren't outstanding (the jersey piece is all white, and the patch piece is all yellow), the price made for a very easy deal.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 UD Artifacts Spectrum Tim Thomas (01/25)
This card was also an easy sale -- it's the first copy printed of a parallel limited to only 25, and I picked it up for a below-ebay price. The holographic gold foil didn't show up very well in this picture, but it's a pretty good looking card in person.

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Between The Pipes Countrymen Silver (/50)
-- Rick DiPietro / John Vanbiesbrouck / Tim Thomas / Jonathan Quick
This card is sort of the inverse to the Artifacts jersey/patch two images up -- it's the final Tim Thomas card I received on my way out on Sunday. I purchased this card from the same dealer who was running a 50-cent sale on his dollar bin, providing me with numerous tradelist bargains I showed in an earlier post. I picked up two ITG H&P Autographs from the same seller. Just before I was ready to cash out, I found this card sitting in plain view in the dealer's showcase. I'm really not sure how I missed it at first. Fitting the seller's pricing theme, I was quoted a number that required no negotiation -- just an easy addition to the current transaction.

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Dominion Tim Thomas (029/199)
This is another perfect expo pickup -- $2 delivered, rather than $2 plus shipping online. It is probably noteworthy, however, that I acquired the emerald and sapphire parallels well before purchasing the base card.

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Dominion Jersey Prime Nameplate Tim Thomas (10/25)
In the Dominion set, many of the players received six "blue border" prime jersey cards. For Tim Thomas, four of those cards were limited to 25 copies.

I purchased the Prime (seam), Jersey Number, and Patch cards shortly after Dominion was released. I was thankful to find the fourth and final of the #/25 cards at the expo. I purchased this one from Steve Singer. The nameplate swatch appears to be from the top-left corner of the letter "M" in Thomas' last name. The swatch features six layers -- black / white / black / yellow / black / white.

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Panini Luxury Suite Stick / Jersey Number Tim Thomas (05/50)
After saying hello on Friday, I know Jeremy (Gomaz) was happy to have a Thomas card to offer up on Saturday. I was glad to check my wantlist and find it was one I was still in need of!

Of Thomas' five "base" Luxury Suite variations, this is the second most difficult to find. Only the Prime/Patch version is more rare (20 copies), and I don't have that one yet. Even still, I think I'd prefer this card anyway. I am a huge fan of game-used stick cards, and this one has one of the nicest swatches I've seen on a Thomas card. The swatch has yellow lettering on a white background, and I believe it to be the letters "au" from the word Bauer. The patch piece makes the most of its small window, containing four layers -- black / white / black / yellow.

Thanks for the easy sale, Jeremy!

-------------------------------------------------------


10-11 Donruss Boys of Winter Autograph Tim Thomas (08/25)
This card was first mentioned at the HI dinner on Thursday, and then nearly lost before a transaction could be attempted on Saturday! Thankfully, the card was located safely, and a deal was struck.

With this card, I have completed the four Boys of Winter variations for Thomas. At half the print run of the prime jersey version, it's the toughest of the four.

I received the card from Greg (gspell), who was a pleasure to chat with all weekend. Thanks for the deal, and for helping me complete the Boys of Winter assortment.

-------------------------------------------------------


11-12 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 11th Edition
-- Lord Stanley's Mug Auto/Memorabilia Silver Tim Thomas (12/14)
This card can certainly be described as a fresh pull. When Brett (bamlinden) retrieved the card to show it to me, it came alongside its original ITG Ultimate packaging. Receiving the card in one of his breaks, Brett wanted it to end up in my collection. I thank Brett for trusting me enough to let me take the card without finalizing the deal. We have since finished it up, and now I feel like I can really claim ownership of the card.

I'm very glad to do so, because it's one of the nicest cards in this post! The jersey swatch is outstanding, with three colors (white / black / yellow), and the middle layer being a huge seam. The print run is one of Thomas' lower "silver version" print runs in Ultimate. I'll make one complaint -- the set name is clumsy. That's pretty easily forgivable, when the card is as nice as it is. I think it's one of the better designs in this year's Ultimate.

Thanks once again, Brett!

Sadly, despite Thomas earning at least a dozen and a half cards in 11-12 ITG Ultimate, this would be one of only two I'd take home. If there is one negative I can report on my own performance at the expo, it's that I missed the chance to pick up a few other ITG Ultimate Tim Thomas cards for less expensive prices than they are now selling for on ebay. I'll chalk it up to the difficulty in gauging the changing Tim Thomas market, and move on from there.

-------------------------------------------------------




10-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 10th Edition
-- Goalie Auto/Memorabilia Gold Tim Thomas (1/1)
My first Tim Thomas 1/1 didn't actually come from the 2011 Fall Expo -- its roundabout path to my collection started at last year's event. The card was originally pulled in a HI-sponsored break for a non-attendee, and I even got a chance to hold and look at the card last year. It went to its owner after the 2010 expo, and through another transaction, it ended up with Norm (trekrun).

Norm and I worked out an easy sale ahead of time, and the card was delivered to me (along with the Samsonov refractor from earlier in the post) at the HI dinner on Thursday night. A full year after first seeing the card, it was finally in my ownership.

The jersey swatch on this card features a thick white seam at the top, with black jersey making up the rest of the memorabilia piece.

Thank you for the sale, Norm!

This is Tim Thomas 1/1 #49 for my collection. After my last "standard" mail post (in which I received #48), I speculated that the expo might have a role in getting me to my goal of 50 by the end of the year. I knew in advance I'd be getting this one from Norm, so I really only had to find one at the show.

-------------------------------------------------------




11-12 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 11th Edition
-- Double Auto / Double Memorabilia Gold (1/1)
-- Tim Thomas / Roberto Luongo

The mission was a success!

I was only able to locate two Tim Thomas 1/1 cards at the expo. The other one was the 10-11 The Cup dual shield with Tuukka Rask, and its asking price was $1000 -- nothing I could go anywhere near. So, my efforts were focused on this card. I found it fairly early on Friday, in the possession of the large contingent from CloutsnChara. The price I was quoted was definitely fair, but for me personally, it was on the high side for what I was feeling like spending early in the weekend.

So, I kept an eye on things over the next couple days, planning to see how my expo experience was going, and possibly make an offer on the card on Sunday. That opportunity presented itself late in the show, and we were able to work out a deal. It ended up being a very fair price for both sides. I also own the Ultimate Memorabilia 9th Edition version of the same card, featuring the same two players. I paid just a little more for this year's rendition. Both players have two-color memorabilia pieces on the card. The Luongo swatch has a large white seam with a bit of green jersey, and the Thomas swatch has black and yellow jersey with a seam underneath the middle.

Thanks to everyone at CloutsnChara -- I know I asked about the card a few times, so I'm glad we got the deal complete! This is Tim Thomas 1/1 #50 for my collection.

However, this is not the end of the expo post.

-------------------------------------------------------

While perusing the displays set up by the three card companies on Friday, I took special note of a Tim Thomas card in Panini's big showcase. While I was taking pictures at the expo early on Saturday (some of which were included in Part 1), I asked Scott Prusha if I could get a closer look at the card and take a picture of it. Since I figured I might not see the card again later (if it was given out as a box war prize, for example), I wanted to at least have a good-quality image of the card for my records.



The card is based on Thomas' 10-11 Luxury Suite Stick and Jersey Number Gold card, a parallel of the one I received from Jeremy (as pictured earlier in this post). The gold version is normally limited to 10 copies each, but this "Expo 11" stamped card is a 1/1. In addition to the stick and jersey number swatches, it also features a sticker autograph -- something completely unique for the expo! There were no autographed parallels to the Luxury Suite base set at all, although there were some hard-signed base set autographs of retired and rookie players.

I mentioned in Part 1 that I enjoyed being able to chat with Scott, as well as Karvin Cheung. While talking with them late in the day on Saturday, we had some good discussions on Panini's internet marketing strategies and, for lack of a better way to put it, collector outreach. There was a situation that came up during this conversation, in which a Panini card I had been expecting from one of these initiatives was unable to be delivered. It was great to get to talk to Scott and Karvin about it, and I think we all came away with a better understanding of the situation.

I didn't ask for what happened next, and can only thank Scott for his willingness to go beyond expectations -- more than making up for the little issue, and placing in my hands what would end up as my favorite acquisition for the 2011 Fall Expo.

Since no expo acquisition is official until it's pictured on the dark wood desk...

-------------------------------------------------------




2011 Panini Fall Expo Luxury Suite Stick / Jersey Number Gold Autograph Tim Thomas (1/1)

...here it is!

This is one of the most well-adorned Tim Thomas cards in existence, and that's not an exaggeration. Up until this card was produced, Thomas had only ever appeared solo on four cards that featured an autograph and two memorabilia swatches -- all of them in 06-07 Between The Pipes, and all of them with a print run of ten. This is the first and only card since to match the auto/memorabilia/memorabilia feat, and it's the lone copy available. The stick piece is black and white painted wood, and the number patch has four layers -- yellow / black / white / black.

This is an outstanding card that I've been very anxious to share with the HI community, and I give my thanks to Scott and the rest of the Panini representation for making it possible. I'm thrilled to give it a home in my collection, and can't think of a better way to close down my final 2011 Expo post.

-------------------------------------------------------

A final thanks to those I was able to spend time with in Toronto, including but certainly not limited to:

Bruce (meatmancgy) for setting up the HI booth and giving us all a place to congregate.
Wes (PenaltyMan) for the fun breaking Score at the Panini table, and appreciation of shiny cards in general. I give you my best wishes to show up healthy for next year's expo.
Norm (trekrun) gets bonus credit for the first deal of the weekend, before the weekend had even begun.
Chris (DogfoodSoup) for providing my box of Score, and for general expo omnipresence.
Brett (bamlinden), who already easily ranked in my top-10 for all-time most completed card deals, but added one at the show for good measure.

Plenty of others who I chatted with, transacted with, and showed off cards with, including Dean (bto3105), Ameet (99goals), Jeremy (gomaz), Dan (27leafs27), Greg (g-force), Eli (LSOH), Darren (Bulk-Buyer), Julian (juliangen), Danny (great8), Chris (vegaspuck), everyone else at the C&C booth, Steve (quincy), the other Steve (No No No...), and the trio from NS -- Gary (bluewhitey), Greg (gspell), and Cyril (cmcdonald1).

To those who may be attempting to convince themselves to make the trip in 2012, I hope my series of posts has been a push in the right direction. Sure, the experience is about cards, but interaction is perhaps even more important. It humanizes what can sometimes be a rather two-dimensional hobby, and turns it into an event. A celebration, even.

Of course, in terms of furthering a collection, you'll have to be prepared to put in your best effort. If you're digging up a huge wantlist, you'd better be ready to work for it. Even when you find a needed card, you can't expect to complete 100% of the deals you attempt. However, as long as your negotiations are friendly and professional, there's no harm done. Sometimes, well-meaning dealers and buyers simply have different ideas of a card's value. Remembering that such a difference in opinion is not grounds for a lashing is a key to enjoying the show. Who knows -- you might even be able to revisit it late on Sunday! Although they are few, there will be dealers whose prices are multiple steps above reality, or whose attitudes do not help construct a conductive business environment. The best way to handle them is to leave their cards on their table, and force them to pack them up at the close of the show. Getting worked up won't help at all -- when you're digging through a hundred boxes trying to find an 01-02 SP Authentic Radek Martinek RC, you'll need all the focus and energy you've got.

For both the collecting and social aspects of the show, the best thing you can do is to get to know the other hobbyists (especially HI members), and get to know what they're looking for. Keep an eye out for their players or sets, along with your own, and let them know if you see anything on the floor they may need. They'll do the same for you. When that reciprocation is working, the hobby grows -- collections, business, and camaraderie.

From one hobbyist to all the rest -- see you next year!

-------------------------------------------------------

News and notes:

** The post-expo blues apparently comes equipped with slack-brained ebay sellers, shipping jersey cards in white envelopes and asking (in all caps, and with eleven question marks) how the card could have possibly been damaged. What a frustration. At least at the expo, if you buy a bent up card, it's your own darn fault.

** That said, I'm pretty proud of some of my recent and upcoming mail, and I should have some really key cards coming in to help me close out 2012.

** My website will probably not be fully updated for another week or two. I have about 100 new Tim Thomas cards to add to my database (including 55 from Certified) before I can even think about marking off what I picked up.

** Yes, I said 55.

That'll be it. Thanks everyone!

--Andy
http://www.thegreatzo.com/cards/

-------------------------------------------------------

Great read and great final chapter for this 2011 Fall Expo series Andy.

I am honored to see the card I sold you in the post and am very happy that it is such a great card for your Thomas collection. Some really nice pickups in there in particular the Panini 1/1 piece that is based on the card you git from me. Great story!

See you next year!

Great story and very sweet cards there! Congrats!

awesome read as always Andy, I *HAVE* to make it to expo one of these centuries

Andy, these series of posts has been a blast to read! Awesome cards and a great story. I really hope I can make it to the Expo again next year.

Oh and good luck with all those new Timmys!

Tatu

Andy,
As always it's a pleasure to read and view one of your posts. Some very, very cool pick-ups for your PC. The Thomas cards are especially nice. :beer:

Andy I always enjoy reading your posts, well organized and detailed. Oh and the cards are always nice too. :beer:

Just finished reading through all four threads, Andy, and thanks for the great read! I'm not sure when I'll be able to attend another Expo, but hopefully it'll be soon! Thanks for sharing!

Andy!

Sweet work my man. You certainly know how to rock those Thomas singles! :giggity:

I had fun chatting and perusing the floor with ya too man.

Hope to see you again next year bro.
-
Wes

Andy,

Reading your posts is like reading a novel. Well put together and always telling a great story.

Sorry I wasn't at Expo to see you again. I hope you got your honey mustard sauce from Zet's this time (without Chris stashing it out of your field of vision).

Great cards!!! Congrats on the Tim Thomas acquisitions! :beer:

--Curt

great post

really enjoy reading them

congrats on all your PC pick ups

To those who may be attempting to convince themselves to make the trip in 2012, I hope my series of posts has been a push in the right direction. Sure, the experience is about cards, but interaction is perhaps even more important. It humanizes what can sometimes be a rather two-dimensional hobby, and turns it into an event. A celebration, even.

Thanks for posts Andy, a pleasure to read ! 2012, 2013, 2014 sooner or later I will come to THE expo !
Olivier

Amazing pickups Andy. Great read.

Great stuff Andy. I hope I can make it back out to the expo next year.

Hey Andy,

Your summary of the Expo experience is bang on! It's something I hope every passionate collector/hobbyist gets a chance to partake in.

As always, your show and tell is thoroughly enjoyable, and I'm happy to have been a part of it. Thank YOU!

It's nice knowing there are good, honest, fair, passionate people who share the same interest in this hobby as I do. And that goes to a gret number of HI members!

55!..............that's nasty. (I got a whopping ZERO this year).

Andy, as always a great read through and through. Great to see you were able to knock off a good number of items for all of your PC's at the expo. Too bad I wasn't able to make this one... Hopefully I can make one in the near future...

Tim

Thanks for the posts -- I admit I'm relieved to finally be caught up on all this stuff!

I'll be trying to answer PMs I got regarding some of the expo pickups within the next couple days. I apologize to those it has taken me a long time to get back to.

gomaz said:

I am honored to see the card I sold you in the post and am very happy that it is such a great card for your Thomas collection. Some really nice pickups in there in particular the Panini 1/1 piece that is based on the card you git from me. Great story!

Click to expand...

Thanks, and very glad to have one of your cards in the post!

GabbyGuy said:

Sorry I wasn't at Expo to see you again. I hope you got your honey mustard sauce from Zet's this time (without Chris stashing it out of your field of vision).

Click to expand...

Ha! I didn't make it there this time, unfortunately. Hopefully you'll be able to join us next year again.

bamlinden said:

55!..............that's nasty. (I got a whopping ZERO this year).

Click to expand...

Not fair.

TurcoCollector3 said:

Andy, as always a great read through and through. Great to see you were able to knock off a good number of items for all of your PC's at the expo. Too bad I wasn't able to make this one... Hopefully I can make one in the near future...

Tim

Click to expand...

Thanks, and I hope you make it next year. Was definitely nice to meet up last time.

Killer pickups.. I always enjoy your well-organized and entertaining show/mailday threads.