richie.rocket.cards’ RIDONCULOUS update 2024: MORE Customs, Autos, Buybacks, Meet-ups, & TOP 10!! (++scans)

[richie.rocket.cards]

HI friends, hello! Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again! 2024 was another amazing year for me—my Canucks were back in the playoffs, we saw a stellar summer Olympic Games, I traveled to the Expo, cleared out my PWCC vault, and added some MAJOR pieces to the collection along the way

While there are many social media channels to post cards and share hobby adventurers, coming back to HI to post this mega thread each year is still my favorite avenue. When I run into fellow HI members at various times, this annual post often comes up and the fact that it makes people happy motivates me to keep writing!

Update on the Canucks autograph collection: lots of new faces this past year with the playoff push, and also over the off-season…which translates to more customs made to be signed! We’ll go over all this new stuff down below, but at a glance, I am currently sitting at 693 autographs of 697 players to ever suit up for the Canucks (and they have to be pictured in Canucks uniform on the cards). The hunt continues!

Anyhow, on to the SHOW!

For those of you who are new, this Show-and-Tell will be seriously EXTRA: go grab your beer, salty snack, and I also suggest some Safeway black forest cake =D

(Once again, hockey items will be sandwiching entertainment/non-hockey adds in an intermission section. Top 10 at the bottom!)

To start, here was last year’s Christmas present (technically from my wife to me, but I got to choose it) =p
Although UD Ice has lost some in popularity over the last few years, these top hits are still some of the best cards in the hobby:
16-17 UD Ice Premieres Rookies Thatcher Demko auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

First Act here, some mini player PC additions, and also a random assortment of legends. With so many releases crammed into the last few years, the variety has been stellar!

Mike Vernon 21-22 UD Cup Limited Logos /10: this guy literally has nearly zero licensed memorabilia cards since his playing days, so check this beauty that I had to have:
21-22 UD Cup Limited Logos Mike Vernon patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Peter Stastny: another Limited Logos card; love the Nordiques colors:
08-09 UD Cup Limited Logos Peter Stastny patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Rare Pierre Turgeon picture in an Avs jersey, strange but cool
15-16 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Pierre Turgeon patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Brendan Shanahan: another guy who signs rarely for UD. Surprised he made it into Chronology even:
18-19 UD Chronology Brendan Shanahan auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Zigmund Palffy
01-02 UD Top Shelf Signatures Zigmund Palffy auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Brian Bellows: the green and yellow just pops off the page on these North Stars jerseys
13-14 UD Cup Emblems of Endorsement Brian Bellows patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Peter Forsberg
21-22 UD Artifacts Aurum Signatures Peter Forsberg auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Evgeni Nabokov
07-08 UD Black Diamond Gemography Evgeni Nabokov auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
05-06 Ultimate Collection Signatures Evgeni Nabokov auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few new Vanbiesbrouck (Beezer):
21-22 UD Clear Cut Ionix John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Cup Scripted Sticks John Vanbiesbrouck auto stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Clear Cut Exclusives John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Artifacts Aurum Signatures John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Ultimate Collection Signatures John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 UD Cup Scripted Sticks John Vanbiesbrouck auto stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Sp Signature Edition Legends Base Black John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Rod ‘the Bod’ Brind’Amour Top 10 Picks
21-22 UD Cup Top 10 Picks Rod Brind'Amour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Marek Svatos (RIP): always wanted a nice Svatos auto, found this for a deal at the Expo:
07-08 UD Sweet Shot Signature Stickes Marek Svatos auto stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Eric Staal PC
11-12 UD Cup Dual Honorable Numbers Eric Staal Adam Oates auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 Sp Authentic Limited Eric Staal auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Stan Mikita (RIP): this was an update card, apparently Group A, released in 14-15:
13-14 Sp Authentic Limited Stan Mikita auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Clark Gillies
13-14 UD Cup Brilliance Clark Gillies auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
02-03 Fleer Throwbacks Clark Gillies auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
10-11 UD Cup Stanley Cup Signatures Clark Gillies auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Bernie Nicholls: love seeing in Sharks uniform
20-21 Sp Signature Edition Legends Bernie Nicholls base auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Artifacts Retro Auto-Facts Bernie Nicholls auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Gold Base Bernie Nicholls auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Stature (Photo variant) Bernie Nicholls auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Panini Dominion Peerless Patches Bernie Nicholls auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
How about another legend King: Rob Blake
22-23 UD Clear Cut Rob Blake auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Claude Lemieux on PoE
13-14 UD Cup Program of Excellence Claude Lemieux auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Starting to slowly build a Jose Theodore PC, anyone have any cool auto-mem?
02-03 UD All-Star Performers Jose Theodore jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

One of my favorite low cost adds from the Expo:
05-06 UD Notable Numbers Jose Theodore auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Andy Moog
12-13 UD Cup Brilliance Andy Moog auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Authentic Pageantry Andy Moog auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A cool Cujo in the 90s Blues jersey:
00-01 BAP Memorabilia Heritage Curtis Joseph jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few awesome Winnipeg Jets cards too:
98-99 UD Game Jersey Alexei Zhamnov jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
05-06 Sp Game Used Auto Draft Nikolai Khabibulin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Joe Mullen
06-07 Sp Authentic SOTT Joe Mullen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Fa-la-la-la-la, la, LaFontaineee
21-22 UD Clear Cut Canvas Pat LaFontaine auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few dollar bin adds of Vincent Damphousse:
02-03 UD All-Star Game Jersey Vincent Damphousse jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
02-03 UD All-Star Performers Vincent Damphousse jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Martin Brodeur with the Stanley Cup
07-08 UD Cup Stanley Cup Signatures Martin Brodeur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Phil Esposito from the same set
07-08 UD Cup Stanley Cup Signatures Phil Esposito auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Dave Taylor: can’t get over his penmanship
21-22 UD Clear Cut (update) base Dave Taylor auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Engrained Dave Taylor stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 UD Ice Glacial Graphs Dave Taylor auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Clear Cut Spx Vintage Views Dave Taylor auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Clear Cut NHL Legends Signatures Dave Taylor auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Cup All-Time Alum Dave Taylor auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A monster from gomaz (thanks Jeremy!): Steve Y on an underrated Ultimate Nicknames set
09-10 Ultimate Collection Nicknames Steve Yzerman auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And a sick Saku Koivu Honorable Numbers card /11
20-21 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Saku Koivu auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Some new Buyback autos, love these old signed base cards:
Zigmund Palffy in the old school Islanders gear:
03-04 Upper Deck Buybacks (94-95 UD) Zigmund Palffy auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
More Isles, featuring Pierre Turgeon on a 1/1 (from GP Sports Cards)
15-16 UD Buybacks (92-93 UD) Pierre Turgeon auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Saw this 1/1 buyback a few years now at the Expo, finally pulled the trigger
19-20 Upper Deck 30th Anniversary Buybacks (93-94 UD) Bernie Nicholls auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A couple from Score Recollection:
Joe Nieuwendyk!
11-12 Score Recollection Joe Nieuwendyk auto /10 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Joe Mullen, who surprisingly doesn’t have a lot of autographed cards when in Penguins uniform
13-14 Score Recollection Joe Mullen (90-91 R&T) auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Sergei Fedorov: will he ever sign for a licensed company again? Got to snare these whenever they show up! Thanks Jonas (fedorovcollector)
03-04 Upper Deck Buybacks (99-00 UD) Sergei Fedorov auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Some new Doug Gilmour, love the old Blues gear
21-22 UD Cup NHL Glory Doug Gilmour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
19-20 UD Engrained Flexures Doug Gilmour auto stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr

How about Team Canada:
17-18 UD Team Canada Signatures Doug Gilmour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

But probably he’s best remembered as a Leaf:
08-09 UD Cup Limited Logos Doug Gilmour auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A nice 1/1 from Matt (902 Sports Cards)
19-20 UD Buybacks (91-92 UD) Doug Gilmour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Luc Robitaille: this is now my second largest player PC, and he still actively signs for UD so there is no shortage of cool stuff to come out of his. I especially like the cards when he is pictured in the 80s or 90s Kings uniforms:

First, is a hard to find auto patch from 13-14 Sp Authentic. I remember seeing this on the checklist when 13-14 first came out, and for some reason, decided to pass on it. Could not locate one again until 10 years later:
13-14 Sp Authentic Limited Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
The base limited variant:
13-14 Sp Authentic Limited Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Stature Green Variant Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Stature Green Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Stature Dignified Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Limited Logos
10-11 UD Cup Limited Logo Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cup POE dual with Claude Lemieux
13-14 UD Cup Dual Program of Excellence Luc Robitaille Claude Lemieux auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used A Piece of History 100 Point Club Luc Robitaille jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

One from Exquisite:
22-23 UD Exquisite Collection Autograph Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Rare auto with Robitaille on the NY Rangers
96-97 BAP Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And the Red Wings
12-13 Panini Dominion Peerless Patches Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Gold Base Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

These Black Diamond cards /10: scans just don’t do it justice, as the green is actually a rainbow green foil
12-13 Black Diamond Emerald Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Legend Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
18-19 UD Chronology 1 in 100 Luc Robitaille jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Clear Cut 1991-92 Retro Tribute Luc Robitaille auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Calder Trophy winners jerseys: underrated and oft-forgotten set. Any one have the Nieuwendyk??
01-02 BAP Ultimate Calder Trophy Luc Robitaille jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Several rare Honorable Numbers /20
07-08 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
13-14 UD Cup Dual Honorable Numbers Ed Belfour Luc Robitaille patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And the best of the bunch: 08-09 Emblems of Endorsement
08-09 UD Cup Emblems of Endorsement Luc Robitaille auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

To finish this segment, here’s one of the greatest insert sets in my opinion: 05-06 Ultimate Collection Endorsed Emblems. These pre-dated the ever popular Cup Emblems of Endorsements counterparts, but I think this set from Ultimate still has the edge with that rainbow foil:

Patrick Roy
05-06 Ultimate Collection Endorsed Emblems Patrick Roy auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Larry Murphy
05-06 Ultimate Collection Endorsed Emblems Larry Murphy auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Grant Fuhr
05-06 Ultimate Collection Endorsed Emblems Grant Fuhr patch autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Now onto the updates from the 23-24 Canucks. Certainly the most fun we as Canucks fans have had in quite some time, with a return to the playoffs, so big acquisitions through the season, and then coming within 1 win of the conference finals. Here are some of the guys who made it happen:

J.T. Miller, with his first 100 point season
2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Comeback Signatures (NFL) J.T. Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Here’s a cool one, with the famous Hugo boss pink paisley shirt!!
17-18 UD Game Dated Moments J.T. Miller auto 1 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Casey DeSmith
14-15 Trilogy Signature Pucks Casey DeSmith auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ilya Mikheyev
16-17 UD Tim Horton's NHL Signatures Ilya Mikheyev auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Casey DeSmith and Ilya Mikheyev by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Brock Boeser with the First Nations warm-up jersey
2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Comeback Signatures (NFL) J.T. Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Also FIN, does he have the coolest mascot autograph or what
22-23 Sp Authentic SOTT Gold Fin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Akito Hirose
22-23 Sp Authentic SOTT Rookies Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Future Watch Retro (02-03 SpA) Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Matt Irwin: he technically never played for the Canucks, but would play his last season of pro hockey with the Abbotsford Canucks
18-19 Parkhurst View from the Ice Matt Irwin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Max Sasson: who actually made his NHL debut in the 24-25 season
1999 Sp Authentic SOTT (Nascar) Max Sasson auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few TTM returns from former Canucks:

Jay Mazur
2005 SpX Superscripts (NFL) Jay Mazur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Chirography Jay Mazur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Carson Soucy
06-07 Sp Authentic SOTT Carson Soucy auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
1998 Sp Authentic Players Ink Silver (NFL) Carson Soucy auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Teddy Blueger: check those chrome blue helmets!
19-20 Panini Noir Freeze Frame Signatures (NBA) Teddy Blueger auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Teddy Blueger and Nils Aman by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Aidan McDonough
22-23 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Red Aidan McDonough auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Linus Karlsson: who appeared in the playoffs
02-03 UD Premier Super Rookie Linus Karlsson auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Sheldon Dries
19-20 UD MVP Sheldon Dries auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jett Woo
17-18 UD CHL Star Rookies Jett Woo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Chase Wouters
2022 UD Top Shelf NSCC Chase Wouters auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Speaking of Abbotsford Canucks, I also met Phil the Thrill Kessel when he was training out there:
Phil Kessel by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Filip Hronek
22-23 Sp Authentic Telemetry Filip Hronek auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ian Cole
22-23 Sp Authentic Curated Signatures Ian Cole auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Ovation Lauded Signatures Ian Cole auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
18-19 Sp Authentic SOTT Rookies Ian Cole auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Ian Cole by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cole McWard
15-16 Ultimate Rookies Cole McWard auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Tristen Neilsen
14-15 Spx Rookies Spectrum Autograph Tristen Neilsen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Aatu Raty from the Horvat trade
22-23 Sp Authentic Future Watch Aatu Raty auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Panini Immaculate Collection Splendid Signatures (Soccer) Aatu Raty auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Big Z: Nikita Zadorov who was a menace in the playoffs
15-16 Panini Flawless Then & Now Nikita Zadorov auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Elias Lindholm: sad to see him go, but he outpriced himself with strong play when it mattered
10-11 Ultimate Collection Auto Jerseys Elias Lindholm by Richard Ho, on Flickr
09-10 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Elias Lindholm jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Elias Lindholm by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another playoff standout Arturs Silovs!!
22-23 Sp Authentic Future Watch Arturs Silovs auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few TTM returns from Kevin Bieksa “Juice”
20-21 Sp Signature Edition Legends Base Black Kevin Bieksa auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Telemetry Autographs Kevin Bieksa auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Cup The Show White Kevin Bieksa auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And also some TTM returns from Sami Salo, all the way from Finland!
20-21 Sp Authentic SOTT 2010s Sami Salo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Ultimate Collection Signatures Sami Salo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A future star winger for us: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who came to NA to play some AHL games at the tail end of last season
16-17 UD Top Shelf Rookies Jonathan Lekkerimaki auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Super trio, the best third line in the NHL last year possibly?! Here’s Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, and Dakota Joshua
2006 Ultimate Collection Ensemble Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua triple auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Dakota Joshua by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Always good to see a few Vancouver legends as well:

John Garrett (Cheech): congratulations on the retirement!
21-22 Sp Game Used Inked Sweaters John Garrett auto jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
05-06 Sp Authentic Chirography John Garrett auto (blue) by Richard Ho, on Flickr
John Garrett (Cheech) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Petr Nedved TTM return from Czech Republic
22-23 Sp Authentic SOTT Petr Nedved auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Trevor Linden
This card design was one of the very first I attempted when starting out, but here is an upgraded version:
04-05 Sp Authentic Rookie Review Trevor Linden jersey auto (upgrade) by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Trevor Linden 2023 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Part III: Rookie Updates (should they bring back that set?)
I’m quite selective nowadays with true RCs, but some cards came on the table that I had always wanted growing up, and could not pass up:

First, a major upgrade on one of my favorite cards of all time: 03-04 UD Premier Marc-Andre Fleury. When I was a kid, this was the card that we all wanted, but was out of reach. The classic design (which has been reused to no end by UD), the upgraded patch, and still very sharp auto make this glorious:
03-04 UD Premier Collection Marc-Andre Fleury patch auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

I also finally got around to recreating this design, and of course, had to put a Canuck on it as there were non in the original 03-04 set:
Here’s Ryan Kesler, IP auto
03-04 UD Premier Collection Ryan Kesler auto patch RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Here’s a big card of a big guy: at the time of this writing, he was scoring at a 1.58 P/GP pace, which is insane. He’s taken his game to another level the last few years, and was so deserving of that Hart
13-14 Sp Authentic FW Nathan MacKinnon RC auto BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

J.T. Miller: surprisingly underrated overall both in the NHL and also in the hobby
13-14 Panini National Treasures Rookie JT Miller auto patch RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Pavel Datsyuk: too bad he has no autographed RCs
01-02 Sp Authentic FW Pavel Datsyuk RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

The King:
05-06 Ultimate Collection Henrik Lundqvist auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Duncan Keith, destined for the HHOF?
05-06 Sp Authentic FW Duncan Keith auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A cool custom card in the 05-06 FWA design: Colby ‘Armdog’ Armstrong!
This guy was a monster when he first came on the scene, but probably it was because he was on a line with Crosby. Still I always wished he had a FWA so here it is
05-06 Sp Authentic FW Colby Armstrong auto RC upgrade by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Colby Armstrong by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Bob: thought he was gonna win the Conn Smythe, but either way, what a season for this guy had
10-11 Sp Authentic FW Sergei Bobrovsky auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Barkov: Another guy who could have taken the Conn Smythe; I also got to meet him when he visited Vancouver
13-14 Sp Authentic FW Aleksander Barkov auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Aleksander Barkov by Richard Ho, on Flickr

2 old school Canucks:
Igor Larionov: although there were tonnes of these cards, the BGS 9.5 is only a pop 6
90-91 UD Igor Larionov RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Trevor Linden
89-90 OPC Trevor Linden BGS 9.5 RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jakub Voracek: quietly great career, I remember the immense hype when he was first drafted
08-09 Sp Authentic FW Jakub Voracek auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Top card in the same set: Steven Stamkos
08-09 Sp Authentic FW Steven Stamkos auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Leon Draisaitl: this guy keeps amazing me with those goals from the lateral goal line
14-15 UD Cup Rookie Auto Patch Leon Draisaitl RC BGS 9 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

2 monsters from 2006-07 Cup:

Shea Weber: congratulations on the HHOF induction
06-07 UD Cup Shea Weber patch auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Anze Kopitar: this guy will be a first-ballot HHOFer; hopefully he’ll hit the 500 goal mark too
06-07 UD Cup Rookie Anze Kopitar patch auto RC BGS 8.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

2 more future first-ballot HHOFers:
Kane
07-08 Ultimate Collection Rookies Patrick Kane RC auto BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Malkin
06-07 Sp Authentic FW Evgeni Malkin auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

1 Petey:
18-19 Sp Authentic FW Elias Pettersson auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Biggest Quinn Hughes rookie pick-up this year: 19-20 UD Cup RPA /99! For some reason, many of the patches for this card are 1-2 color only, so I was very happy to pay extra for this crazy one:
19-20 UD Cup Rookies Quinn Hughes patch auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And last but not least, there’s Ovechkin, who just keeps finding ways to score, and inch his way closer to Gretzky’s amazing scoring record. If there were no lockouts, Ovi may be there already

05-06 Ultimate Collection: the best year in my opinion
05-06 Ultimate Collection Rookies Alexander Ovechkin auto RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Part IIIb: can’t forget the vintage!!

Bobby Orr: this is my 3rd copy of this card to pass through my hands over the last 3 years. I first traded a Howe for my first Orr in PSA 4, which was quite a nice copy. I then decided to upgrade to a 5 but upon receiving that card, did not like the eye appeal so much as it appeared a bit washed out. Fast forward a few more months, I upgraded again to this copy, which is certainly the nicest copy I have owned! It’s definitely staying for a while:
66-67 Topps Bobby Orr RC PSA 5 upgrade by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A 69-70 OPC Serge Savard RC: this is a surprisingly popular card, and actually quite difficulty to find in good shape:
69-70 OPC Serge Savard RC PSA 7 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Brett Hull: I know BGS is free-falling for sure, but presentation-wise, I still think it has all the other big 4 grading companies beat.
88-89 OPC Brett Hull RC BGS 9.5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And to close the first half, here’s another MAMMOTH: Maurice “Rocket” Richard: a card on my wantlist for many years, I finally did find one via PWCC with pretty good eye appeal and at a reasonable hammer price
51-52 Parkhurst Maurice Richard RC PSA 4 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

INTERMISSION
Yeeep, that was only Part I. Lots more hockey to come

This next section will take a break from the hockey goodness and I’ll provide an update on my non-hockey acquisitions—definitely some crazy stuff coming in this year to the ever-growing autograph collection!

First, a few big Hollywood adds:

Megan Fox 11x14, nothing more to say
Megan Fox - Transformers 11x14 autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Dune 2 was my favorite movie of the year, here’s Zendaya (JSA authenticated)
Zendaya 8x10 auto (Dune) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another A-lister Ana de Armas (also JSA): looking forward to her starring in the upcoming Ballerina! She also has a very nice autograph, with nearly every letter evident, and as far as I know, she still signs that way today =)
Ana de Armas 8x10.5 autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

In the summer, we were treated to a fantastic Olympic summer games in Paris; it’s always fun to watch legendary Canadian names compete, and also see others rise to become new household names:

Here’s Christa Deguchi, Judo. 4 years ago, she did not even get to compete at the Olympics as they only allow 1 rep per country (we have 2 top judoka in Canada and unfortunately, one always has to be chosen over the other). This year, she edged Klimkait for an Olympic spot, and then went on to take home Olympic gold:
17-18 Sp Authentic Moments Christa Deguchi auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2021 UD Artifacts Golf Course of a Champion Christa Deguchi auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Christa Deguchi by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Paralympian Julia Hanes: yes that’s right, she is a medical doctor and also a paralympic athlete!
21-22 Spx Shadow Box Rookies Julia Hanes auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Eleanor Harvey: I rarely ever watched fencing until her story surfaced this summer, en route to Olympic bronze:
19-20 UD Buybacks (05-06 Sp Authentic Notables) Eleanor Harvey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2008 UD Goodwin Champions Sport Royalty Eleanor Harvey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Same with Rugby 7s: I knew very little of this sport, but this Olympics, started watching our Canadian women, who took home the silver medal. I then subsequently went to my first live rugby event when they were playing in the WXV1 at BC Place:
2015 UD CFL Asia Hogan-Rochester auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Shalaya Valenzuela auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Alysha Corrigan auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Caroline Crossley by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Fancy Bermudez auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Piper Logan auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Charity Williams auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Florence Symonds auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2015 UD CFL Olivia Apps auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Team Canada Rugby 7s 2024 (Olympic silver medalists) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

On the track side of things, met Sarah Mitton this year at the Harry Jerome Classic
2023 Panini Donruss Rated Rookie auto (UFC) Sarah Mitton auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2020 Panini National Treasures Field Pass (NFL) Sarah Mitton auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Sarah Mitton - Team Canada shot put by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And the legendary Maggie Mac Neil at Mel Zajac International Swim Meet at UBC
19-20 Ultimate Collection Rookie Accents Maggie Mac Neil auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
18-19 Sp Authentic Marks of Distinction Maggie Mac Neil auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Maggie Mac Neil (Team Canada Swimming) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Here is Phil ‘the Wizard’ Kim: he took gold in the new category of Breaking
Unfortunately, it looks like it will not be renewed moving forward in future Olympics, so he may go down in history as the only gold medalist in this discipline period:
2023 Panini Immaculate Moments (WWE) Philip Kim auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2022 UD Goodwin Champions Future Watch Philip Kim auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Phil “Wizard” Kim by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And this card, I was hanging onto for a while before finally sitting down one afternoon to finish constructing: as you may recall, I met Genie Bouchard a few years back at the VanOpen:
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear Eugenie Bouchard by Richard Ho, on Flickr
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear Eugenie Bouchard auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Next, a few music adds:
Avril Lavigne: I have never bought a signed record, but looking at some inspiration photos, they can display quite nicely
Avril Lavigne autographed vinyl by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another Canadian star: Tate McRae, who was an All-Star team celebrity captain! She does appear to love her hockey
22-23 Panini Immaculate Signature Moves Tate McRae cut autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Then in the summer, I went for a 3rd time to Pasadena’s Power Morphicon event, which is a convention dedicated to everything Power Rangers!

Preparing all the cards for this event is quite a daunting task, worse than a thesis deadline, but worth it. And as I’ve mentioned before, it is really nice attending a smaller sized convention as most of the actors will take extra time when signing, write inscriptions, and post multiple ways for photos:

Dan Ewing, one of the big draws for me this year, as he has never done Power Morphicon, and played a real cool character with a pretty dark backstory (for a Disney character anyway) in his Ranger days
13-14 UD Cup Dual Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Dan Ewing auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
13-14 UD Cup Dual Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Dan Ewing front by Richard Ho, on Flickr

This is a custom I’m particularly proud of…a dual with the lovely Adelaide Kane
2022 UD Marvel Dual Auto Film Cels Adelaide Kane & Dan Ewing auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Dan Ewing - RPM by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Also met Eka Darville, who is the red ranger from the RPM season
Eka Darville by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ryan Carter
14-15 UD Cup Dual Auto Rookie Bookmarks Ryan Carter auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Cup Dual Auto Rookie Bookmarks Ryan Carter front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Ryan Carter by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Ryan Carter 8x10 auto (Power Rangers Dino Charge) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

James Davies who visited from Australia
16-17 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear James Davies auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear James Davies front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
James Davies - Dino Charge by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Gareth Yuen, also visiting from Australis
2010 UD IRon Man 2 Autographs Gareth Yuen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Gareth Yuen by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Deborah Estelle Philips
14-15 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Gear Deborah Estelle Philips auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Gear Deborah Estelle Philips front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Deborah Estelle Philips by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Nakia Burrise
2021 Panini Immaculate Collection Soccer booklet Nakia Burrise auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Voice of the original Scorpina: Wendee Lee
2003 Inkworks Alias Wendee Lee (Voice of Scorpina) auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Kevin Kleinberg
18-19 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear Kevin Kleinberg auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
18-19 UD Cup Autographed Pro Gear Kevin Kleinberg front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Kevin Kleinberg by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ever popular Milo Cawthorne, who made it down to the con even though he had a tight schedule filming Deathgasm 2
22-23 UD Parkhurst Champions Mem-orable Booklet Milo Cawthorne auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Parkhurst Champions Mem-orable Booklet Milo Cawthorne front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Milo Cawthorne RPM by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Milo Cawthorne by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Double trouble: Mike Ginn and Li-Ming Hu who play twins in Power Rangers RPM
2015 Panini National Treasures Multi-Sport Mike Ginn & Li-Ming Hu auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Mike Ginn & Li-Ming Hu by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Sasha Craig, who I didn’t know lives in my very own city!
2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Signature Moves Sasha Craig auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Sasha Craig by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Charlie Kersch: the newest MMPR who plays the OG yellow ranger’s daughter in “Once and Always”
11-12 UD Cup Dual Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Charlie Kersch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 UD Cup Dual Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Charlie Kersch front by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Charlie Kersh by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And lastly, the OG red ranger, pictured in one of my favorite Ranger uniforms as the Gold Zeo Ranger!
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Gear Austin St. John auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Gear Austin St. John front by Richard Ho, on Flickr

The next two were not obtained at Power Morphicon, but were received shortly after TTM!

As you may know, the TTM scene in general has really slowed down the last few years, so it was a pleasant surprise to get these back!

Brittany Pirtle: she is now in real estate
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Brittany Anne Pirtle auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
17-18 UD Cup Autographed Rookie Bookmarks Brittany Anne Pirtle back by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Kim Crossman: she is still pretty active in the industry and traveling all over the planet it seems. It was cool to have caught her just in time when she was filming in Saskatchewan for a few days:
15-16 UD Cup Dual Rookie Bookmarks Kim Crossman by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 UD Cup Dual Rookie Bookmarks Kim Crossman auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And a few more TV adds:

Erin Moriarty from The Boys
2019 Cryptozoic DC CZX Authentic Autograph Erin Moriarty auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And Peyton List, from Cobra Kai
2012 Topps Archives Baseball 80s Icon Peyton List auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Peyton List 8x12 autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A few other licensed autograph card pick-ups this year came in also:
Jordyn Huitema
2023 Donruss FIFA Women's World Cup Jordyn Huitema auto (bronze) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Christine Sinclair: happy retirement to this Canadian legend
2023 Donruss FIFA Women's World Cup Christine Sinclair auto (silver) by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Love these old school Grizzlies jerseys!
Greg Anthony
22-23 Panini Contenders Legendary Bronze Greg Anthony auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Mike Bibby
1999-00 Topps Mike Bibby auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And some tennis stars:
2024 Topps Chrome Tennis Denis Shapovalov auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
2024 Topps Chrome Tennis Maria Sharapova auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Finally, UD managed to get Brooke Henderson to sign for their products!
2024 UD Porfolio Golf Sp Authentic Rookies Brooke Henderson auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And last but not least, a big check off the celebrity wantlist: Pierce Brosnan on a Bond poster!

There are lots of Brosnan autographs out there, but not a lot on one of these 007 movie posters. This thing will display nicely and I love his loopy auto:
Pierce Brosnan 12x18 The World Is Not Enough autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Act II
Phew! Hopefully you got your drink refilled, because we still have a COLOSSAL finish to this thing. On to more hockey cards, then the Top 10 as the finale at the bottom!

First a look at some hockey autograph successes, some IP, some TTM, some via consignment, and some via private signing:

Here’s a crazy thing that I got from Framesworth; I hope Sid will one day do a private signing but it doesn’t look like it will happen soon. Either way, I love this career retrospective look at his international participation!
Sidney Crosby Team Canada 16x35 auto frame by Richard Ho, on Flickr

I once again was fortunate to attend the Fall Expo in Toronto; it was good to see many fellow collectors, many of who I first met through this Hobby Insider forum. There are too many guys to name, but you know who you are =)

At the Expo, they have always brought in good signers, but the last few years, they have really stepped up their game! This year I met:

Ed Belfour
07-08 UD Cup All-Star Royalty Ed Belfour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Ed Belfour by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Andrew Raycroft: pretty sure I’m the only one with Canucks stuff for him to sign
22-23 UD Credentials Ticket Access Andrew Raycroft auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Andrew Raycroft by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Also got to meet Peter and Paul Stastny for a private photo; thanks Kieran (kariyakid) for setting that up
Peter Stastny by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Paul Stastny by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Then there was Martin Biron
Martin Biron by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Shea Weber
I decided to start creating a set of custom cards for the 2010 Team Canada Olympic team; the main design element I wanted to incorporate was the blue and green thematic material from those Vancouver games:
24-25 Sp Home Edition Olympic Champion Signatures Shea Weber auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Shea Weber by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Chris Pronger
2 down, many to go:
24-25 Sp Home Edition Olympic Champion Signatures Chris Pronger auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Chris Pronger by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Here are a few of us at Jeremy’s framed pre-Expo dinner at Jack Astor’s:
Hobby Insider crew by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Most of the Expo card pick-ups are already scattered throughout the post, but my top pick-up that weekend, negotiating down to the final few hours, was this guy:
15-16 Upper Deck (13-14 UD YG) Buyback Nikita Kucherov RC auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
The seller had 5 or 6 of these, and I knew I couldn’t leave Toronto without one. Kucherov doesn’t get too much hobby love in general, but his YG cards do sell well. This buyback YG auto is the closest thing we have to an autographed RC, as he had none in any other sets

Onto some hockey private signing returns:

Thanks to Tim (TurcoCollector3) for a 3rd year in a row for helping me with some IP autos. This year, he got these two cards signed by Canadian Olympian Kristen Campbell!
18-19 Sp Authentic SOTT 70s Kristen Campbell auto (blue ink) by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 UD Canvas POE Kristen Campbell auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

More Team Canada Women, TTM returns from Ashton Bell:
20-21 Sp Authentic Celebrated Moments Ashton Bell auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 Black Diamond Gemography Ashton Bell auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Then a few returns from Morphan Collectibles. He always manages to find some rare signers, and organize private signings for fairly low costs!

Bob Manno: this was a signing I was particularly excited for because up to this point, I had only had a cut auto for Manno in my collection. Check these:
20-21 Sp Signature Edition Legends Dominant Digits Bob Manno auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
04-05 ITG Franchises Bob Manno auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Also via Morphan: Sergio Momesso
15-16 UD Ice Superb Script Sergio Momesso auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

An 8x10 return from Cojo’s private signing for Conor Garland:
Conor Garland 8x10 auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another 8x10, bought from AJs: Pat Verbeek
Pat Verbeek 8x10 auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

One for Pavel Bure (via JLB Sport Rarities) in the style of The Show:
21-22 UD Cup The Show Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

In the fall 2024, I once again went out to the Canucks Pro Am tournament, where many NHL alumni were invited to play:

Speaking of The Show, how about the inverse black version, featuring Kirk McLean
21-22 UD Cup The Show Black Kirk McLean auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

I met Matt Cooke in person for the first time

Cooke was actually on the checklist for the original 05-06 UD Notable Numbers set, but never came to fruition. So I had to make one myself:
05-06 UD Notable Numbers Matt Cooke auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
19-20 Sp Game Used New Style Matt Cooke auto by Richard Ho, on FlickrGood to see
22-23 Panini Immaculate Collection Splendid Signatures (soccer) Matt Cooke auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Matt Cooke by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cliff Ronning
04-05 ITG Franchises Cliff Ronning auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Good to see Cody Hodgson again; last season he made a big comeback, and suited up in the AHL, scoring 8 points in 13 games after a long hiatus from pro hockey (since 15-16)
Cody Hodgson by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Derek Dorsett on the ice again, since retiring due to spine issues
18-19 UD Exquisite Collection Signatures Derek Dorsett auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Derek Dorsett by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And then there was Eddie Lack, who still appears to give his two cents on Canucks radio. Super nice fella:
21-22 UD Black Diamond Futures Eddie Lack auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Eddie Lack by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Final one from Chris Higgins
2016 Panini Immaculate Collection (NFL) Chris Higgins patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Then, of course, with many new signings by the Canucks in the off-season, here are more custom cards, signed IP!

Jake DeBrusk: could he have been the best signing of the off season? Hopefully he keeps up his current torrid scoring pace
22-23 Panini Flawless patch auto (NBA) Jake DeBrusk auto jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 Sp Authentic Retro (01-02 SpA base) Jake DeBrusk auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another very nice signing, who is playing well beyond his contract value: Kiefer Sherwood
19-20 Panini National Treasures Penmanship (NBA) Kiefer Sherwood auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Material Signatures Kiefer Sherwood jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Derek Forbort
22-23 UD Premier Slapshots Gold Derek Forbort auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Erik Brannstrom
21-22 UD Ovation Signatures Erik Brannstrom auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Danton Heinen
19-20 Panini National Treasures Peerless Signatures (NBA) Danton Heinen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Signatures Danton Heinen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And Kevin Lankinen: guy’s been a HUGE surprise for us this year in goal. He’s a super nice guy in person too
22-23 Ultimate Collection base Kevin Lankinen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 OPC Signatures Kevin Lankinen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cant’ forget some baby Canucks (in Abbotsford):

Kirill Kudryavtsev: 7th round pick who is turning heads in these parts
03-04 Sp Authentic Future Watch Kirill Kudryavtsev auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ty Young
20-21 UD Star Rookies Ty Young auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Nate Smith
19-20 Sp Authentic Limited Nathan Smith auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ty Mueller
04-05 Ultimate Collection Rookies (NBA) Ty Mueller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Nikita Tolopilo: he actually backed up a PLAYOFF game for the Canucks last year, as all the guys ahead of his were dropping like flies one by one
23-24 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Nikita Tolopilo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And to finish, here are the Canucks PC adds this year. Just when I think I have enough Canucks cards, more cool cards pop up, and I just can’t stop…I think I have a problem =p

Let’s start with more Pavel Bure, my main player PC guy: this year for some reason, some collectors with big Bure PCs began moving some of their big pieces, some which I didn’t think would ever see the light of day again.

Anyhow, there is such a large market for Bure Canucks stuff, that you really have to pounce on these early:

Upgraded my 17-18 Spx base auto to this base patch auto /10
17-18 Spx Base Pavel Bure patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

UD Cup Brilliance
12-13 UD Cup Brilliance Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Rare UD Canvas signatures /10
16-17 UD Canvas Signatures Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

2 Black Diamond emeralds /10
13-14 UD Black Diamond Emerald Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

One pick-up from the Expo
16-17 SpX Ice Shredders Pavel Bure jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

SOTT Group A auto
13-14 Sp Authentic SOTT Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 Fleer Ultra Retro Pavel Bure auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

UD Cup Foundations: a few variations
12-13 UD Cup Foundations Pavel Bure quad jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 UD Cup Foundations Pavel Bure jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And here’s one huge pick-up with an insane patch: 15-16 UD Exquisite Collection Endorsement Relics…I believe this is Bure’s only auto-patch card from Exquisite!
15-16 UD Exquisite Collection Endorsement Relics Pavel Bure patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Next, as always, there are some Canucks names who will make you go “who dat?” or "he played for the Canucks?"; but actually, some of these autos are way harder to find than the better known stars and semi-stars:

Jordan Schroeder: these Dominion cards, I have overlooked these for too long
13-14 Panini Dominion Peerless Patches Jordan Schroeder auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Matthew HIGHMORE: yes, who?
2022 UD Spring Expo Parkhurst Priority Signings Matthew Highmore auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Libor Polasek: another who? But to be fair, he never actually cracked the Canucks NHL line-up
1994 Classic Games Libor Polasek autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Nils Aman
22-23 UD Clear Cut Rookies Nils Aman auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic FW Nils Aman auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Credentials Highly Anticipated Nils Aman auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Blue Nils Aman auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used New Grooves Aidan McDonough auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Stature Rookie Nils Aman RC auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Nils Aman auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Introductions Nils Aman auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Anthony Beauvillier: yes he did play for the Cancuks and they made him some Canucks cards!
23-24 Sp Game Used Anthony Beauvillier jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Anthony Beauvillier jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And a Green PMG /10: found this in a random box at the Expo and glad the seller was reasonable working out a deal for a group of cards
23-24 UD Metal Universe Base Green Anthony Beauvillier auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Aidan McDonough
23-24 UD Artifacts Aurum Signatures Aidan McDonough auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Aidan McDonough auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Authentic Retro FW (03-04) Aidan McDonough auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Adam Clendening
14-15 UD Cup Rookie Gold Adam Clendening auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Zack MacEwen
19-20 Ultimate Collection Rookies Zack MacEwen auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jake Virtanen: now plays in German DEL
15-16 UD Exquisite Collection Endorsement Relics Rookie Jake Virtanen auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 Flair Showcase Rookies Jake Virtanen jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 Sp Authentic SOTT Rookies Jake Virtanen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Love these 05-06 Sp Authentic FW retro patch auto
15-16 Sp Authentic FW Limited (05-06 Retro) Jake Virtanen auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Vasily Podkolzin
21-22 UD Premier Collection Retro Rookie Vasily Podkolzin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Credentials Debut Ticket Access Vasily Podkolzin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Premier Rookie Gold Vasily Podkolzin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Bill Muckalt Bowman Refractor
98-99 Bowman's Best Refractor Bill Muckalt auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Adam Gaudette
18-19 Sp Authentic FW Adam Gaudette RC auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Troy Stecher
16-17 UD Premier Rookie Silver Spectrum Troy Stecher auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
17-18 UD Parkhurst Priority Signings Troy Stecher auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Loui Eriksson
17-18 Sp Game Used Loui Eriksson patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Drew MacIntyre: an awesome find in some dollar boxes at the Expo
08-09 UD Signature Sensations Drew MacIntyre auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Joe Cannata
13-14 Panini Select Rookie Joe Cannata auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Yann Sauve
11-12 Sp Game Used Rookie Exclusives Yann Sauve auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

More patch autos!

Nicklas Jensen
13-14 Fleer Showcase Hot Prospects Nicklas Jensen auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ben Hutton
15-16 UD Cup Ben Hutton auto patch RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 Sp Authentic FW Ben Hutton auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ronalds Kenins
15-16 UD Cup Rookie Ronalds Kenins auto patch RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another Kenins, slowly working on the rainbow (maybe)
15-16 OPC Platinum Blue Cubes Ronalds Kenins auto /35 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cody Hodgson: at one time this was a super hot card /99, now bought this year for $10
11-12 UD Cup Rookie Cody Hodgson auto patch RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Ultimate Collection Rookies Cody Hodgson Autographed Patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And…Emblems of Endorsement Sergei SHIROKOV: how this guy made this checklist is a head-scratcher, but yay, more cool Canucks stuff
09-10 UD Cup Emblems of Endorsement Sergei Shirokov auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And here are more Canucks legends:

Kirk McLean, aka Captain Kirk
21-22 UD Cup Enshrinements Kirk McLean auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
18-19 UD Chronology Kirk McLean auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

80s legend King Richard Brodeur
11-12 UD Black Diamond Richard Brodeur jersey auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
06-07 Parkhurst Richard Brodeur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 UD Sweet Shot Signature Saves Puck Signings Richard Brodeur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
04-05 ITG Franchises Richard Brodeur auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

A triple with Linden and also Dave TIGER Williams
10-11 Panini Dominion Pen Pals Trevor Linden Richard Brodeur Tiger Williams auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And another Tiger Williams
04-05 ITG Franchises Dave Tiger Williams auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jannik Hansen:
07-08 OPC Premier Silver Spectrum Jannik Hansen patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
08-09 UD Black Diamond Gemography Jannik Hansen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 UD Cup Rookie Gold Jannik Hansen auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Mason Raymond
07-08 Fleer Hot Prospects Prized Prospects Mason Raymond auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
10-11 Panini Luxury Suite Ryan Kesler Mason Raymond jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 Sp Authentic FW Mason Raymond patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Dan Hamhuis: very few Canucks autos overall
10-11 Donruss Die Cut Gems Dan Hamhuis auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Chris Tanev
13-14 Panini Totally Certified Chris Tanev jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jovanovski
06-07 UD MVP One on One Scott Niedermayer Ed Jovanovski dual jersey back by Richard Ho, on Flickr

More Juice:
07-08 Sp Game Used Inked Sweaters Kevin Bieksa patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
05-06 Spx Rookie Jerseys Kevin Bieksa jersey auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 OPC Premier Pairings Ryan Kesler & Kevin Bieksa patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Alex Edler
12-13 Panini Certified Red Fabric of the Game Alexander Edler jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Mattias Ohlund
06-07 Fleer Fabricology Mattias Ohlund jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Markus Naslund: similar to the Bure situation, a big Nazzy collector began listing a lot Naslund stuff on ebay and FB, and it was good to grab some of these:
12-13 Sp Authentic Limited Markus Naslund auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 UD Cup All Star Royalty Markus Naslund auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

West Coast Express
03-04 SpX Fantasy Franchise Markus Naslund Todd Bertuzzi Brendan Morrison jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
02-03 UD Classic Portraits Starring Cast Markus Naslund jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

This card, although 35 copies exist, is surprisingly hard to find. This is one of the few sets where, as an autograph collector, I actually prefer the way it looks without an auto:
05-06 Ultimate Collection Premium Patches Markus Naslund by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Cup Signature Patches Markus Naslund auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

More Eddie Lack
11-12 Panini Dominion Eddie Lack auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Premier Collection Emblems Eddie Lack patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Tyler Motte: thanks swidddy91 for this gift at the Expo
19-20 UD Artifacts Autofacts Tyler Motte auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ryan Kesler
12-13 Sp Authentic Limited Ryan Kesler patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 Sp Game Used Authentic Fabrics Naslund Morrison Kesler patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Panini Dominion Peerless Patches Ryan Kesler auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Andrei Kuzmenko: yea yea, this guy is not playing very well right now in Calgary. But he was such a popular player and had such an exciting first season when on our team, I’ll give him legend status
22-23 Ultimate Collection Rookie Premium Materials Andrei Kuzmenko path auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Limited Future Watch Retro Andrei Kuzmenko auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Clear Cut Rookie Andrei Kuzmenko auto RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Clear Cut Top Shelf Cellys Andrei Kuzmenko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Retro gold 1/1
22-23 UD Clear Cut Spx Retro Gold Andrei Kuzmenko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic FW Retro Andrei Kuzmenko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Rookies Emblems Andrei Kuzmenko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Spx Holographs Rookies Gold Andrei Kuzmenko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used Retro Renovations Andrei Kuzmenko patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

One of the best Kuzmenko cards to date from…you guessed it, Ultimate Collection. These Jumbo patches, and the rainbow foil, rival the Cup Limited Logos in my opinion
22-23 Ultimate Rookies Jumbo Patch Andrei Kuzmenko auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Sami Salo black parallel
20-21 Sp Signature Edition Base Black Sami Salo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Dan Cloutier
05-06 UD BeeHive Matted Materials Dan Cloutier jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Garth Snow
12-13 ITG BTP GoalieGraph Garth Snow auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Alex Burrows AWESOME Mega Patch
14-15 UD Premier Collection Mega Patch Alexandre Burrows chest logos by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And here’s an awesome Cam Neely card, pictured in Canucks uniform!
12-13 Panini Dominion Cam Neely patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jyrki Lumme
18-19 UD Chronology Jyrki Lumme auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Rich Sutter
18-19 UD Chronology Rich Sutter auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Jared McCann
15-16 UD Ice Superb Script Jared McCann auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Bobby Schmautz
09-10 ITG 1972 Bobby Schmautz auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Ryan Miller: he has way more Canucks cards than I recall, picked up some big ones this year, including 4 from one seller
15-16 UD Cup Foundations Ryan Miller auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 UD Artifacts Ryan Miller Dual Jersey Auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 UD Cup Gold Ryan Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 Sp Game Used Ryan Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 UD Cup Foundations Ryan Miller auto jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
15-16 UD Exquisite Collection Ryan Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
14-15 UD Cup Gold Ryan Miller patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another legend goalie Cory Schneider
08-09 UD Cup Limited Logos Cory Schneider auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
08-09 BAP Rookie Jerseys Cory Schneider jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And his counterpart Roberto Luongo: for some reason, I did not follow Luongo cards very much during his playing days. I am slowly discovering (surprisingly), more and more Canucks autos as time goes on:
19-20 UD Chronology Diamond Relic Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Sp Game Used /10
06-07 Sp Game Used Base Auto Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

SP /10
06-07 BAP Signatures Gold Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 Upper Deck McDonalds Autographs Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
07-08 BAP Signatures Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 Panini Prime Showcase Swatches Roberto Luongo jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Panini Prime Signatures Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Panini Crown Royale Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 Panini Titanium Metallic Marks Silver Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
11-12 Panini Limited Monikers Roberto Luongo auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Look at this patch with the teeth:
11-12 Ultimate Collection Premium Swatches Roberto Luongo patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Marek Malik! Anyone have the HG?
03-04 Upper Deck Exclusives Marek Malik by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Henrik Sedin Ultimate Collection ’97, to complete the pairing
20-21 Ultimate Collection 97 Legends Henrik Sedin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Ultimate Collection 97 Legends Daniel Sedin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 Sp Game Used Henrik Sedin jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another Expo find:
16-17 U Exquisite Collection Material Combos Henrik Sedin patch Trevor Linden stick by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Always good to add more Trevor Lindens: I think his market has dropped a bit for some reason over the last few years, but I won’t complain
21-22 UD Cup Exquisite Collection Autograph Trevor Linden autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Clear Cut Exclusives Trevor Linden auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
12-13 Panini Classics Social Signatures Trevor Linden auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Ultimate Collection Signature Masterpieces Trevor Linden auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Emblems of Endorsement: one of Linden’s bigger cards, thank you
13-14 UD Cup Emblems of Endorsement Trevor Linden auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And now onto the current Canucks!

Here’s a cool one to transition from legend, to modern Canucks: an EIGHT way SOTT (I wish it were hard-signed like they did back in the day, but hey, we’ll take this!)
20-21 Sp Authentic SOTT 8 Linden, Burrows, H. Sedin, D. Sedin, Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes auto 1 by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Sp Authentic SOTT 8 Linden, Burrows, H. Sedin, D. Sedin, Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes auto 2 by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 Sp Authentic SOTT 8 Linden, Burrows, H. Sedin, D. Sedin, Horvat, Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes COA by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Thatcher Demko: peculiar injury kept him out for many months, hopefully he’ll be able to find his pre-injury form and stay out of injury trouble moving forward:
These Color Flow cards are underrated IMO, love the wacky colorful backgrounds
22-23 UD Allure Color Flow Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used All-Star Fabrics Thatcher Demko patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used All-Star Jersey Banner Thatcher Demko auto jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 UD Premier Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Credentials Ticket Access Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Limited Auto Material Thatcher Demko auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 UD Gladd Magnifying Marks Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Game Used Inked Sweaters Thatcher Demko patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 Sp Authentic SOTT Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
16-17 UD Cup Rookie Gold Thatcher Demko auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

And an upgraded copy of his Cup RPA, with a 5 break patch piece
16-17 UD The Cup Rookie Auto Patch Thatcher Demko RC by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Cole McWard
23-24 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Gold Cole McWard auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Trilogy Rookie Premieres Cole McWard auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Synergy Rookie Purple Cole McWard auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Authentic Retro FW (13-14) Cole McWard auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Brock Boeser
21-22 Skybox Metal Universe Brock Boeser auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Quad Materials Hughes Pettersson Horvat Boeser jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

J.T. Miller: again, I was able to pounce on a few rare Miller cards, as the biggest JT collector I knew, decided to change his focus:

Foundations patch auto /5
20-21 UD Cup Foundations Gold JT Miller patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Gold base /12
20-21 UD Cup Base Gold JT Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Parkhurst Champions JT Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Another orca teeth patch
20-21 UD Cup Signature Materials JT Miller auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 UD Cup Enshrinements JT Miller auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Trilogy J.T. Miller base jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used JT Miller jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr

More orca teeth, this time a 1 of 1
20-21 SpX Base Autograph Patch Premium J.T. Miller auto patch 1 of 1 by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 UD Cup Gold Base J.T. Miller auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Up and coming Aatu Raty
23-24 UD Artifacts Auto-Facts Aatu Raty auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Authentic Curated Signatures Aatu Raty auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Conor Garland: ever tenacious on the forecheck, he’s quickly becoming a fan favorite
21-22 UD Premier Collection Conor Garland base jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 Ultimate Collection Premium Material Conor Garland patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

These Star Systems cards, patch versions…sooo nice in person. The scans don’t really do the rainbow gold star foil justice:
21-22 UD Premier Star Systems Conor Garland patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Guillaume Brisebois
19-20 UD Ultimate Collection Rookies Auto Patch Guillaume Brisebois by Richard Ho, on Flickr
19-20 UD Cup Signature Materials Guillaume Brisebois auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Fin
23-24 Sp Game Used All-Star Fabrics Fin patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Akito Hirose
23-24 Sp Game Used Authentic Rookies Akito Hirose auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Black Diamond Rookie Gems Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Allure Rookie Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Trilogy Rookie Premieres Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Star Rookies Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Authentic Pageantry Akito Hirose auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Inked Rookie Sweaters Akito Hirose auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Elias Pettersson: signed the largest contract in Canucks history; they make some great cardboard for this guy also!
20-21 UD Cup Limited Logos Elias Pettersson auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Black Diamond base Elias Pettersson auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Elias Pettersson jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
A triplet of Exquisite cards:
19-20 UD Exquisite Collection Material Elias Pettersson patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 UD Exquisite Collection Material Elias Pettersson patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 UD Exquisite Collection Autograph Patch Elias Pettersson auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Dakota Joshua: battled cancer and now back in the line-up
23-24 Spx Super Scripts Dakota Joshua auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 OPC Platinum Autographs Dakota Joshua auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Nils Hoglander: hopefully he can grow into the next Garland
20-21 Ultimate Collection Rookies Jumbo Patch Nils Hoglander auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
21-22 Sp Authentic Retro Nils Hoglander auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
20-21 UD Cup Honorable Numbers Nils Hoglander auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Quinn Hughes: this guy just keeps impressing, even after his Norris Trophy winning campaign last year. He skates like the wind, and creates something out of nothing. He’s already the greatest Canucks defenseman of all time, and it’s not even close:
19-20 UD Exquisite Collection Rookie Jumbo Material Quinn Hughes patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Ultimate Collection Jumbo Patch Quinn Hughes patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
22-23 Sp Authentic Limited Auto Material Quinn Hughes auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr
23-24 Sp Game Used Legend Quinn Hughes auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr
One final Emblems of Endorsements, man these cards are cool
21-22 UD Cup Emblems of Endorsements Quinn Hughes patch auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

Wow! That was a lot of cards up there, and a lot of fun this year!
BUT, we’re still not done yet…as for the grand finale, I will present to you (as always): the Top 10 for 2024!!

How some of the cards above didn’t make this top 10 list is a tough one, but hey, there are only 10 spots, and some difficult decisions had to be made:


#10. Quinn Hughes 21-22 UD Exquisite Collection retro autograph patch: to continue with the Hughes collection update, here is my favorite card acquisition of his this year. This retro Exquisite design has been used and re-used many times by UD, but it is just a stellar design…and I like especially that they used the rainbow foil on this edition (as opposed to a flat color foil), to make it pop extra:
21-22 UD Exquisite Collection Quinn Hughes auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#9. John Vanbiesbrouck 20-21 UD Cup NHL Glory shield auto: some people don’t really like the concept of these…essentially manufactured memorabilia. But this is one of the exceptions in my mind that really works—the overall aesthetic with the silver shield, the weight of this thing, and the rainbow foil are a stellar combo, and this card is stunning in person. Not to mention Beezer is in the red Panthers classic jersey, with his famous panther mask, which pops against the blue backdrop
20-21 UD Cup NHL Glory John Vanbiesbrouck auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#8. Bobby Hull 1958-59 Topps PSA 5: one of the most sought after vintage hockey cards there are, so I was happy to land this very nice and clean copy, which in my opinion, is pretty good for its grade:
58-59 Topps Bobby Hull RC PSA 5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#7. Doug Gilmour 07-08 UD Cup All-Star Royalty: only /9, I was happy to add this card finally to my collection, after passing on 2 that had popped up previously over the years. This subset was only ever done once, and continues to be very popular and command strong prices:
07-08 UD Cup All-Star Royalty Doug Gilmour auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#6. Markus Naslund 04-05 Ultimate Collection Signature Patches: between 2003-2005 was the time when I was slowly starting to ramp up my card collecting, and at that time, Ultimate and Premier were the annual top sets, which were largely out of reach for me with a student budget. This was one of the cards I really wanted back then, and it took me nearly 20 years to acquire one!
04-05 Ultimate Collection Signature Patches Markus Naslund auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#5. Brendan Shanahan private signing: I was waiting for another one of these as he is a rare signer overall, both on the private signing scene, and also for any card companies.
I had been sitting on some custom card shells for some time, so happy to get these all done, thanks AJ Sports:
10-11 UD Cup Limited Logos Brendan Shanahan auto jersey by Richard Ho, on Flickr
09-10 Sp Authentic Rookie Review Brendan Shanahan auto jersey 2 by Richard Ho, on Flickr
Brendan Shanahan 8x10 (Blues) auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr


#4. Pavel Bure: 15-16 UD Cup Base Gold auto patch /8
This one just edged the Exquisite Endorsement Relics card above, mainly because you can see more of Bure on this one, including the chest logo. This is another card which was sold to me privately, and never hit the public secondary market:
15-16 UD Cup Base Gold Pavel Bure auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr






Okay, getting down to the top 3!!
#3. Christopher Reeve 8x10 autographed Superman photo (3rd party authentication on the back)
This piece was really not on my radar when it popped up for sale…but what a piece it is! Reeve has few autographs out there in general, and mostly these are signed pieces of notebook paper, index cards, or programs. It is hard to find nice, colored, Superman photos autographed!
Superman - Christopher Reeve 8x10 autograph by Richard Ho, on Flickr

#2. Gordie Howe 1951-52 Parkhurst RC PSA 5: this was certainly the most expensive acquisition of the post. This was actually bought in 2023 but was sitting in the PWCC vault until I cleared it out earlier this year. I remember as a teenager going to a card show and being happy just to hold one of these; the collection has come a long way since and now I can say I actually own one of these:
51-52 Parkhurst Gordie Howe RC PSA 5 by Richard Ho, on Flickr

#1. Pavel Bure 2012-13 UD Cup Foundations patch auto /5
You knew Bure would surely come on top again, but look at this thing!
I saw one of these at the Expo 2 years ago, and the asking price was very high. Before I could really seriously think about shelling out that amount, someone else just grabbed it at near the full ask.
As there are only 5 out there, I knew I could not let this one go when it became available earlier this year. And yes, I paid more for this than any publicly recorded record Bure hockey card sale, and I don’t mind:
12-13 UD Cup Foundations Pavel bure auto patch by Richard Ho, on Flickr



Anddd, that’s all for now!

Thanks everyone for the read, hope you enjoyed this GARGANTUAN update! Looking forward to what 2025 might bring; Happy New Year to you all, we’ll see you again next time!

 

[capsfan30]

As I say every year, easily my favorite, and most anticipated, thread of the year to read.

It just kept scrolling..and scrolling...and scrolling.

I don't know how you do it, but keep it up! Thanks for sharing these ridiculous adds!

 

[crjeff]

Time well spent .By you and by me . what a great read. I can be counted as someone eagerly awaiting your year end post.
awesome as usual
Jeff

 

[Ironman Indy]

Awesome stuff Richard! You must start making this thread in November, I know how long it takes me to do up a S & T with maybe 20 cards.

You should do monthly updates - the S&T threads are lacking here lately.

So much to take in - I like the Garretts personally and the vintage RC beauties (Orr/Howe/Ricahrd/Hull)

Hope 2025 is as good as 2024

 

[Whoop]

Always look forward to your post!

 

[GabbyGuy]

WOW! What an awesome haul, Rich! :beer:

Took a while to scroll through everything, but well worth it!

Can't wait for the 2025 pickups! :thumbsup:

--Curt

 

[Avalanchefan21]

You are the best custom card creator I've ever seen!! Do players ever ask you for copies or say anything cool?

Congrats on your amazing pickups too! Love the Turgeon (we dont see him much w/us), Svatos, and Forsberg best!! Some cool pieces in there of Damphouse, Nabokov, etc

 

[Chinner]

Your year end posts are always somthing I look forward to and the customs keep on getting better and better! I totally understand what you mean by now having the means to acquire cards that you saw 10, 15, 20+ years ago. I am definitely in that boat. THat Howe is amazing!

 

[Shackamaxon]

Richard, trying to explain to my ex-girlfriend how much I enjoy looking forward to these posts was always frustrating, but this is always such a highlight of the HI year.

Thanks, as always, for sharing.

 

[jverreault]

Very nice post again ! Really enjoyed it !

 

[creasecollector]

Rich, this thread was amazing as usual. It honestly took my the last two days to finish it, as I had to keep coming back to it, but I am glad I did! I can't choose a favourite, but I personally enjoyed those Demko's you shared.

It was such a blast going through your yearly thread, thank you for taking the time to do it!

Congratulations on another fantastic year for you and your collection. Your passion and love for the hobby is very evident, and you landed some absolute monsters this year. All the best in 2025!

:beer:

 

[JTMcCool]

A masterpiece as always! So many incredible cards! Thank you for sharing!

 

[not2quick]

Matt Irwin: he technically never played for the Canucks, but would play his last season of pro hockey with the Abbotsford Canucks
18-19 Parkhurst View from the Ice Matt Irwin auto by Richard Ho, on Flickr

WOW the time and effort that went into this post. Amazing. One question though. The Matt Irwin card shows two players fighting. I thought this wasn't allowed?

 

[fedorovcollector]

My scrolling finger hurts Rich!
Just awesome to see your collecting year condensed into this post.

 

[bamlinden]

WOW the time and effort that went into this post. Amazing. One question though. The Matt Irwin card shows two players fighting. I thought this wasn't allowed?

I think that's a custom card. One of the few without the "SP Home Edition" logo.

That's my guess.

 

[bamlinden]

OK...Late to responding to this thread....but WOW (as always).

Phil Kessel....nice!
Triple auto custom with - yes, the best 3rd line in hockey. Great design.
Flying V John Garrett...beauty.
That Linden Rookie Review custom patch/auto is such a big card in my eyes. For years I would just smile each time I'd see that design. Great stuff.
I was loving that Orr rc and then - BANG, there's Maurice. What a 1-2 punch.
Incredible Canadian Olympic customs. What a collection you've built.
Bob Manno!! I mean, come on!
The Show inverse black Kirk McLean....crazy.
Bure...all doubly crazy.
Pen Pals triple...now THAT'S a triple auto.
Linden Exquisite Auto - AMAZING! (his prices are really all over the place these days)
The custom Shanahan Limited Logos....over the top!
But the Superman himself....impossible. So fantastic.

Truly beautiful pickups and customs this year. All the best in 2025.

 

[JohnnyDrama]

I had about a million thoughts but the one I kept coming to was "how the hell did everything fit in one post?!" Unreal stuff

 

[Redwingsfan11]

I'm pretty sure I say this every time you make a post, but I really believe you have one of the best collections out there. I always love your custom pieces. That's what sets it over the top for me.

 

[CeddieB]

Mind blowing as always Rich! What a year.

Hard to pick a favourite but I’m always partial to the SPA Limited auto patches, esp the 13-14 Robitaille, as well as your Home Editions of the same design.

And I agree that the 05-06 Ultimate Endorsed Emblems are beautiful!

But I can’t argue with #1, the 202-13 Bure Foundations – I have Fleury & Iginla /15 from the same set. Great looking cards!

 

[The Big M]

Richard, you've got to consider publishing a book about your various quests over the years and how you acquire these private signings and pics, similar to Ken Read's books on hockey cards. I think it'd be a great read. Terrific show!
Michael.