hckycdn93
Verified Trader,
Hello everyone,
The year 2020 was certainly a year neither of us will surely soon forget. Between all of the global events and uncertainty, it was a major year of change personally for myself. I moved to a new province, began my post graduate employment and achieved some important personal hobby milestones along the way. In writing this thread, I tried to narrow down the best of 2020 to just ten cards, which was extremely difficult, so here is the resulting list.
#10. 2005-06 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Complete Jersey Silver Mario Lemieux (1/10)
In previous years, I was reluctant to buy cards from this product because it was unlicensed, but I have had a change of heart. I have done more research on ITG, watched the interview with Dr. Price on Sports Cards Live and I've been intrigued by ITG's history ever since. Ultimate Memorabilia's 6th edition is the perfect combo of my love for history, hockey and my hobby focus of 2005-06 cards. This Lemieux stands out for obvious reasons: Rarity, HOF and consensus top 4 player of all time, and that Stanley Cup insignia patch!
#9. 2005-06 UD Victory Black Cam Ward RC (2/5)
Conn Smyth Winner of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals and retired the all-time wins leader for the Hurricanes franchise, this rookie card was on my wishlist for some time. This is the only copy I have been able to track down to date and I'm pleased it sits in my victory black set.
#8. ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Jacques Plante trio
At number 8 of the count features a trio of Jacques Plante cards from ITG Ultimate. What makes these cards particularly important is that they are all gold versions numbered 1 of 1. The first is from the Gloves are off series, featuring a nice piece of leather. Its crazy to see the tiny gloves which goaltenders used in those days to guard their goals, and maskless at that! Well, not until this guy came along anyway. The second is a stunning stick and jersey dual of Jake the Snake. The photography featuring one of the earlier renditions of his mask really accompanies the eye popping 2-colour jersey well. The last card might be my favourite of the three. From the Ultimate Triple Threads set, depicting Hall of Famers Johnny Bower, Glenn Hall, and Jacques Plante. The vibrant range of colours, especially on the Hall, brings those famous black and white photographs we have seen over the years to life!
#7. 2005-06 SP Authentic Rarefied Rookies Brayden Coburn and Al Montoya (1/1)
These two cards were both acquired via player PC purchases, and both were the cornerstones of their respective collections. A very clean design meant to accentuate the vibrancy of the autograph, I really can't get enough of this set. I look forward to adding more in the future should they cross my path again.
#6. 2005-06 UD High Glossy Corey Perry RC (8/10)
With my 05/06 HG set growing at the rate it has been, there number of high profile rookies I am missing is starting to dwindle. One of the top players on that list was Corey Perry. I had inquired about this particular card a few years ago but the owner was not looking to sell at the time. Fast forward to early 2020 and after some time at the negotiation table, we were able to come to an agreement. I'm glad I purchased when I did, as he seemed to have rejuvenated his career in Dallas and has now signed in hockey crazy Montreal!
#5. 2005-06 UD Victory Black Martin Brodeur (5/5)
This Brodeur came to my almost out of nowhere. It was not on my radar whatsoever but I'm very glad when presented the opportunity to buy it. When people ask me how it is that I find rare cards for my sets, I tell them to cast a wide net and eventually opportunities such as this will come. This particular card came via Facebook, along with a plethora of other rare cards not on this countdown. I began the year with 59 cards from this set, and ended the year with 66 for a total of 7 new additions over 12 months. A relatively high success rate for this set in 2020.
#4. 2005-06 Fleer Hot Prospects En Fuego Shields Coburn, Steen and Whitney (1/1)
It was an incredible year for adding to my Hot Prospect Shield set. Quite a few of these shields surfaced this year and I actually missed out on two listings this year by chance of timing. I am however very happy with the three I was able to purchase. The player selection is also pretty nice; with Coburn being an active member of the Ottawa Senators, Whitney the co-host of Spittin' Chicklets, and newly retired Stanley Cup Champion Alexander Steen!
And finally we have arrived to the top three!
#3. ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Emblem Attic Silver and Golds
This is by far my favorite set from the Ultimate 6th edition. So many incredible patches from hockey sweaters of long ago. The vintage patch pieces literally pop out of the cards!
Silvers /5:
Starting off is a 3-colour Canadiens patch pieces of Mahovlich and Henri Richard, which are no easy finds. Followed by a wonderfully stitched Red Wings patch of Ullman and finally a 2-colour Roy Worters New York Americans patch! I can't say I've ever added a New York Americans patch prior to this year!
Gold (1/1):
What could be better than the Emblem Attic Silver Patches /5? Well the Gold Patches 1/1 of course! Two incredible Vintage Red Wings pieces round out the number three spot of the countdown.
#2. 2005-06 High Glossy Ovechkin/Carter RC Checklist (xx/10) BGS 9
I am overjoyed to have added the last giant card for my HG set. This is the highest grade version of this card that I have seen to date and feel quite fortunate to have bought it when I did. With the huge spike in Ovechkin rookie prices this year, I was worried this card could become out of reach. With this addition, I now have all four HG cards featuring Ovechkin or Crosby and makes completing this HG set that much more realistic. I began the year with 185 hg cards and ended the year with an incredible 221/487 or 45% completion. That totals an astounding 36 new additions, a truly remarkable year of progression and success regarding this set.
And #1....
#1. 2007-08 Alexander Ovechkin Game Used Stick
I still cannot believe I own this unique piece of NHL history. This stick was used during his best statistical season to date, 2007-08, where he potted 65 goals, 47 assists for a total of 112 points in 82 games. Some of the more notable features of the stick are the marked "8" at the top of the shaft, the insane "banana" curve on the blade and how surprising short it is for a 6'3 player to use. This is what has surprised me the most in both the Ovechkin and Crosby sticks I own, is how small the sticks seem. Its only as of recent that Ovechkin has gotten the long overdue respect he has always deserved, and I'm happy to see the hobby community shift their opinions of this once-in-a-lifetime player.
Though I have not photo matched the stick to a particular game, I have included some photos of Ovechkin during that season using this exact model of stick, the CCM Vector OPS 10, for reference.
Well if you have made it this far, thank you for the time and please do not hesitate to contact me with information on cards I need or those you are looking to sell. Looking forward to what 2021 will bring, comments/feedback are welcome and have a great weekend everyone!
The year 2020 was certainly a year neither of us will surely soon forget. Between all of the global events and uncertainty, it was a major year of change personally for myself. I moved to a new province, began my post graduate employment and achieved some important personal hobby milestones along the way. In writing this thread, I tried to narrow down the best of 2020 to just ten cards, which was extremely difficult, so here is the resulting list.
#10. 2005-06 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Complete Jersey Silver Mario Lemieux (1/10)
In previous years, I was reluctant to buy cards from this product because it was unlicensed, but I have had a change of heart. I have done more research on ITG, watched the interview with Dr. Price on Sports Cards Live and I've been intrigued by ITG's history ever since. Ultimate Memorabilia's 6th edition is the perfect combo of my love for history, hockey and my hobby focus of 2005-06 cards. This Lemieux stands out for obvious reasons: Rarity, HOF and consensus top 4 player of all time, and that Stanley Cup insignia patch!
#9. 2005-06 UD Victory Black Cam Ward RC (2/5)
Conn Smyth Winner of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals and retired the all-time wins leader for the Hurricanes franchise, this rookie card was on my wishlist for some time. This is the only copy I have been able to track down to date and I'm pleased it sits in my victory black set.
#8. ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Jacques Plante trio
At number 8 of the count features a trio of Jacques Plante cards from ITG Ultimate. What makes these cards particularly important is that they are all gold versions numbered 1 of 1. The first is from the Gloves are off series, featuring a nice piece of leather. Its crazy to see the tiny gloves which goaltenders used in those days to guard their goals, and maskless at that! Well, not until this guy came along anyway. The second is a stunning stick and jersey dual of Jake the Snake. The photography featuring one of the earlier renditions of his mask really accompanies the eye popping 2-colour jersey well. The last card might be my favourite of the three. From the Ultimate Triple Threads set, depicting Hall of Famers Johnny Bower, Glenn Hall, and Jacques Plante. The vibrant range of colours, especially on the Hall, brings those famous black and white photographs we have seen over the years to life!
#7. 2005-06 SP Authentic Rarefied Rookies Brayden Coburn and Al Montoya (1/1)
These two cards were both acquired via player PC purchases, and both were the cornerstones of their respective collections. A very clean design meant to accentuate the vibrancy of the autograph, I really can't get enough of this set. I look forward to adding more in the future should they cross my path again.
#6. 2005-06 UD High Glossy Corey Perry RC (8/10)
With my 05/06 HG set growing at the rate it has been, there number of high profile rookies I am missing is starting to dwindle. One of the top players on that list was Corey Perry. I had inquired about this particular card a few years ago but the owner was not looking to sell at the time. Fast forward to early 2020 and after some time at the negotiation table, we were able to come to an agreement. I'm glad I purchased when I did, as he seemed to have rejuvenated his career in Dallas and has now signed in hockey crazy Montreal!
#5. 2005-06 UD Victory Black Martin Brodeur (5/5)
This Brodeur came to my almost out of nowhere. It was not on my radar whatsoever but I'm very glad when presented the opportunity to buy it. When people ask me how it is that I find rare cards for my sets, I tell them to cast a wide net and eventually opportunities such as this will come. This particular card came via Facebook, along with a plethora of other rare cards not on this countdown. I began the year with 59 cards from this set, and ended the year with 66 for a total of 7 new additions over 12 months. A relatively high success rate for this set in 2020.
#4. 2005-06 Fleer Hot Prospects En Fuego Shields Coburn, Steen and Whitney (1/1)
It was an incredible year for adding to my Hot Prospect Shield set. Quite a few of these shields surfaced this year and I actually missed out on two listings this year by chance of timing. I am however very happy with the three I was able to purchase. The player selection is also pretty nice; with Coburn being an active member of the Ottawa Senators, Whitney the co-host of Spittin' Chicklets, and newly retired Stanley Cup Champion Alexander Steen!
And finally we have arrived to the top three!
#3. ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 6th Edition Emblem Attic Silver and Golds
This is by far my favorite set from the Ultimate 6th edition. So many incredible patches from hockey sweaters of long ago. The vintage patch pieces literally pop out of the cards!
Silvers /5:
Starting off is a 3-colour Canadiens patch pieces of Mahovlich and Henri Richard, which are no easy finds. Followed by a wonderfully stitched Red Wings patch of Ullman and finally a 2-colour Roy Worters New York Americans patch! I can't say I've ever added a New York Americans patch prior to this year!
Gold (1/1):
What could be better than the Emblem Attic Silver Patches /5? Well the Gold Patches 1/1 of course! Two incredible Vintage Red Wings pieces round out the number three spot of the countdown.
#2. 2005-06 High Glossy Ovechkin/Carter RC Checklist (xx/10) BGS 9
I am overjoyed to have added the last giant card for my HG set. This is the highest grade version of this card that I have seen to date and feel quite fortunate to have bought it when I did. With the huge spike in Ovechkin rookie prices this year, I was worried this card could become out of reach. With this addition, I now have all four HG cards featuring Ovechkin or Crosby and makes completing this HG set that much more realistic. I began the year with 185 hg cards and ended the year with an incredible 221/487 or 45% completion. That totals an astounding 36 new additions, a truly remarkable year of progression and success regarding this set.
And #1....
#1. 2007-08 Alexander Ovechkin Game Used Stick
I still cannot believe I own this unique piece of NHL history. This stick was used during his best statistical season to date, 2007-08, where he potted 65 goals, 47 assists for a total of 112 points in 82 games. Some of the more notable features of the stick are the marked "8" at the top of the shaft, the insane "banana" curve on the blade and how surprising short it is for a 6'3 player to use. This is what has surprised me the most in both the Ovechkin and Crosby sticks I own, is how small the sticks seem. Its only as of recent that Ovechkin has gotten the long overdue respect he has always deserved, and I'm happy to see the hobby community shift their opinions of this once-in-a-lifetime player.
Though I have not photo matched the stick to a particular game, I have included some photos of Ovechkin during that season using this exact model of stick, the CCM Vector OPS 10, for reference.
Well if you have made it this far, thank you for the time and please do not hesitate to contact me with information on cards I need or those you are looking to sell. Looking forward to what 2021 will bring, comments/feedback are welcome and have a great weekend everyone!
