TheBoxBreaker
New Member, Must Send First!
Hello everyone here at Hobby Insider,
I'm Ethan, a 17-year-old custom card creator and Mask card collector from Denmark, Europe. In this thread I'll show you guys my perhaps favourite custom set I've done, 2012-13 Signature Masks.
The story: I wanted to do a set of Danish masks. The problem was, there's almost no good pictures available of any goalie's headwear in the best Danish league. So with no pictures to edit, the project was on a stand-still when I first had the idea.
In the summer of 2012 I had an idea that revolutionized customs for me. In order of getting a good picture of a mask, why not meet up with the goalie when he was in town? My city has a local hockey team and away teams frequently travel to our arena.
By meeting the goalie, I would not only ensure the best possible quality for the pictures (lighting, angle, colours) but I would also have the memories of meeting with the goalie after I had made the cards. Surely a nice added bonus to a special one of a kind creation.
Then I figured: "Now that I am talking to him, why not ask him for an autograph?" I couldn't ask him to sign the actual card for the obvious reason that it hadn't been made yet, but I could ask him to sign a measured sticker. Then, I did not have to worry about him getting injured and not coming to town in the future, refusing to sign another day, or getting traded. I would have all the material needed to create my custom trading card product.
Although I always try to be realistic (but optimistic at the same time), I could not have predicted how many amazing experiences I would have with these goalies. I am truly grateful that these goalies signed, posed with their mask, chatted and did it all with smiles on their faces.
It has been said before and it will be said again: Hockey players are the friendliest and most devoted pro athletes of all sports. End of story.
Lubos Pisar - Herning Blue Fox
Pisar is one of those players you always look forward to meeting; friendly, open, good for a nice chat and he seems happy to be around the fans. I met Pisar on two different occasions, the first time he asked me to come meet him again later for him to show me his new mask. He brought the new one along next time and I was able to snag some good pictures of it. I gave him a copy of a Masks Across Europe card of him, and he seemed very happy about it and thanked me a lot. Pisar is simply a class act!
Sebastian Dahm - Rødovre Mighty Bulls
It was nice meeting Dahm. He didn't really say much but had no problem signing nor letting me take some pictures. His new mask is pretty cool and I'm very glad to have been able to add it to my set. Thanks, Sebastian!
Michael Madsen - SønderjyskE
One of the nicest guys you'll meet. Madsen chatted with me about his new mask and about the designer, John Pepe, who has also designed masks for Craig Anderson, Curtis Joseph, Ron Hextall, Robert Esche, Grant Fuhr, Jeff Hackett, Rick DiPietro and Andrew Raycroft. His mask features a lot of cool details when you see it up-close, and I tried to capture that in the pictures.
Alfie Michaud - SønderjyskE
It was good to get Michaud's signature as well as the pics. He's a former Vancouver Canuck who nows plays in the Danish league and frequently ranks among the top goalies in our league when it comes to wins, minutes played, GAA and save percentage.
Alex Petizian - Odense Bulldogs
What a great experience it was meeting Petizian! We chatted for 25 minutes - yes, you read that right. He wasn't practicing with the team because of a minor injury, which allowed me to talk to him on the bench. We talked about everything from hockey, hobbies, the NHL and education. He told me that one of his best friends, NHL'er Marc-Edourd Vlasic, once earned a couple of thousand dollars signing cards for a card company (I was curios how much the players make when signing for UD/ITG/Panini). He even said that he attended Vlasic's wedding a few years ago and spent the summer training with Jhonas Enroth of the Sabres! It's cool how those hockey players all seem to know each other, eh?
Magnus Åkerlund - Aalborg Pirates
It was a pleasure meeting Magnus Åkerlund. He was very friendly, smiling and open. Very Swedish! He had no problems signing and also didn't mind me taking the pictures of his mask. He even asked how I wanted him to hold or wear the mask before taking the picture, allowing me to get the best possible shots. As I was exiting the arena I bumped into him again during some warm up stretches, and thanked him once more for his kindness.
Nikolaj Nørbak - Aalborg Pirates
I was happy to be able to snag Nørbak's autograph as well as a bunch of pictures of his mask. He was patient while I took the pictures, and I think he enjoyed the fan attention. He seems like the kind of guy who come off as someone who's a bit quiet, but also interesting and friendly at the same time. I really appreciate his time signing the autograph and allowing me to take some snapshots of his gargoyle-themed Turco-like mask.
Jens Holmström - Odense Bulldogs
Jens was a class act. We chatted for a good 15 minutes after practice and we talked about his mask for the upcoming season. He has signed with Odense for 2013-14 and I'm very excited about that! He was amazing in the playoffs and a great person off the ice as well.
Mathias Israelsson - Odense Bulldogs
I approached Israelsson before a practice. He was more than happy to help me out with my custom card set and said he thought the idea was very cool. His mask features the text: "Look Good - Feel Good - Play Good", and that's pretty much what he's like. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the fan attention and smiled throughout much of our conversation. After having seen him practice with the team, I'm sure he's got a bright hockey career ahead of him, but the fact that he's also capable of pleasing the fans also goes a long way. Thanks a lot, Mathias!
And in all its glory:
This has been the most personal custom set I've ever done and I'm so happy, proud, and delighted to have finished it with 9 unique 1/1's. To interact with these professional athletes and have them sign, chat, pose for pictures and in general just take some time out of their busy lives to make a young collector happy, well, that's just one of the many reasons why I love hockey.
Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you!
-Ethan
I'm Ethan, a 17-year-old custom card creator and Mask card collector from Denmark, Europe. In this thread I'll show you guys my perhaps favourite custom set I've done, 2012-13 Signature Masks.
The story: I wanted to do a set of Danish masks. The problem was, there's almost no good pictures available of any goalie's headwear in the best Danish league. So with no pictures to edit, the project was on a stand-still when I first had the idea.
In the summer of 2012 I had an idea that revolutionized customs for me. In order of getting a good picture of a mask, why not meet up with the goalie when he was in town? My city has a local hockey team and away teams frequently travel to our arena.
By meeting the goalie, I would not only ensure the best possible quality for the pictures (lighting, angle, colours) but I would also have the memories of meeting with the goalie after I had made the cards. Surely a nice added bonus to a special one of a kind creation.
Then I figured: "Now that I am talking to him, why not ask him for an autograph?" I couldn't ask him to sign the actual card for the obvious reason that it hadn't been made yet, but I could ask him to sign a measured sticker. Then, I did not have to worry about him getting injured and not coming to town in the future, refusing to sign another day, or getting traded. I would have all the material needed to create my custom trading card product.
Although I always try to be realistic (but optimistic at the same time), I could not have predicted how many amazing experiences I would have with these goalies. I am truly grateful that these goalies signed, posed with their mask, chatted and did it all with smiles on their faces.
It has been said before and it will be said again: Hockey players are the friendliest and most devoted pro athletes of all sports. End of story.
Lubos Pisar - Herning Blue Fox
Pisar is one of those players you always look forward to meeting; friendly, open, good for a nice chat and he seems happy to be around the fans. I met Pisar on two different occasions, the first time he asked me to come meet him again later for him to show me his new mask. He brought the new one along next time and I was able to snag some good pictures of it. I gave him a copy of a Masks Across Europe card of him, and he seemed very happy about it and thanked me a lot. Pisar is simply a class act!
Sebastian Dahm - Rødovre Mighty Bulls
It was nice meeting Dahm. He didn't really say much but had no problem signing nor letting me take some pictures. His new mask is pretty cool and I'm very glad to have been able to add it to my set. Thanks, Sebastian!
Michael Madsen - SønderjyskE
One of the nicest guys you'll meet. Madsen chatted with me about his new mask and about the designer, John Pepe, who has also designed masks for Craig Anderson, Curtis Joseph, Ron Hextall, Robert Esche, Grant Fuhr, Jeff Hackett, Rick DiPietro and Andrew Raycroft. His mask features a lot of cool details when you see it up-close, and I tried to capture that in the pictures.
Alfie Michaud - SønderjyskE
It was good to get Michaud's signature as well as the pics. He's a former Vancouver Canuck who nows plays in the Danish league and frequently ranks among the top goalies in our league when it comes to wins, minutes played, GAA and save percentage.
Alex Petizian - Odense Bulldogs
What a great experience it was meeting Petizian! We chatted for 25 minutes - yes, you read that right. He wasn't practicing with the team because of a minor injury, which allowed me to talk to him on the bench. We talked about everything from hockey, hobbies, the NHL and education. He told me that one of his best friends, NHL'er Marc-Edourd Vlasic, once earned a couple of thousand dollars signing cards for a card company (I was curios how much the players make when signing for UD/ITG/Panini). He even said that he attended Vlasic's wedding a few years ago and spent the summer training with Jhonas Enroth of the Sabres! It's cool how those hockey players all seem to know each other, eh?
Magnus Åkerlund - Aalborg Pirates
It was a pleasure meeting Magnus Åkerlund. He was very friendly, smiling and open. Very Swedish! He had no problems signing and also didn't mind me taking the pictures of his mask. He even asked how I wanted him to hold or wear the mask before taking the picture, allowing me to get the best possible shots. As I was exiting the arena I bumped into him again during some warm up stretches, and thanked him once more for his kindness.
Nikolaj Nørbak - Aalborg Pirates
I was happy to be able to snag Nørbak's autograph as well as a bunch of pictures of his mask. He was patient while I took the pictures, and I think he enjoyed the fan attention. He seems like the kind of guy who come off as someone who's a bit quiet, but also interesting and friendly at the same time. I really appreciate his time signing the autograph and allowing me to take some snapshots of his gargoyle-themed Turco-like mask.
Jens Holmström - Odense Bulldogs
Jens was a class act. We chatted for a good 15 minutes after practice and we talked about his mask for the upcoming season. He has signed with Odense for 2013-14 and I'm very excited about that! He was amazing in the playoffs and a great person off the ice as well.
Mathias Israelsson - Odense Bulldogs
I approached Israelsson before a practice. He was more than happy to help me out with my custom card set and said he thought the idea was very cool. His mask features the text: "Look Good - Feel Good - Play Good", and that's pretty much what he's like. He seemed genuinely appreciative of the fan attention and smiled throughout much of our conversation. After having seen him practice with the team, I'm sure he's got a bright hockey career ahead of him, but the fact that he's also capable of pleasing the fans also goes a long way. Thanks a lot, Mathias!
And in all its glory:
This has been the most personal custom set I've ever done and I'm so happy, proud, and delighted to have finished it with 9 unique 1/1's. To interact with these professional athletes and have them sign, chat, pose for pictures and in general just take some time out of their busy lives to make a young collector happy, well, that's just one of the many reasons why I love hockey.
Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you!
-Ethan
sad..
