primetimepawich
Verified Trader ,
So where was I? Ah yes, I was beaming at the addition of my most recent cornerstone card:
19/20 Engrained Dual Stick Nameplates #DSNGM Mike Gartner/Larry Murphy 1/1 by primetimepawich, on Flickr
A definite turning point in the year for me hobby-wise. Most of 2022 had been a relatively dry run for me so I'd bartered with the hobby gods and asked them for a big fish. "Give me that, and I'd be ok with nothing else for the rest of the year," I said. Well they delivered, but with 3 months left in the year, I also knew it was unlikely (though possible) to be skunked the rest of the way. And skunked I was not.
How did I do? Not well enough in terms of quality to ably fill out a "Top 10 of 2022" list, but well enough to justify showing. So why don't I finish off my 2022 pickups? I know there are a few days left to sneak in something before the calendar turns, so I can always add to this. But assuming that doesn't happen, since the last pickup I was waiting on arrived today, I guess now's as good a time as ever...
***
95/96 Fleer ULTRA NHL NO GOLD WRONG BACK ERROR PROOF Ron Francis/Larry Murphy by primetimepawich, on Flickr
Another oddball "proof" card from one of my go-to sellers of such cards on Ebay. If they're cheap enough, I usually can't keep myself from adding them to pad my numbers.
20/21 Pro Set 1990-91 Hockey Autographs Green #A90LM1 Larry Murphy 5/7 by primetimepawich, on Flickr
More US help from my liaison Kevin Mitchell.
17/18 Team Canada Juniors Printing Plates Parallel - Yellow #94 Larry Murphy 1/1 16.00 by primetimepawich, on Flickr
This had been on my watchlist for a while as a BIN only, too rich for my blood. Then one day not long ago, the seller sent me a discounted offer on it that was still too much but allowed for counters. Only problem - the seller was in the US and the listing had the dreaded Global Shipping. So I asked Kevin if he would add it to his watchlist and see if the seller sent him the same offer with the same option. He did, they did, and a few counters later, we hit on a number I could live with.
17/18 Team Canada Juniors Printing Plates Parallel - Cyan #94 Larry Murphy 1/1 17.31 by primetimepawich, on Flickr
Similar to the last plate, this one had been on my COMC radar for a while. Unsigned plates aren't big on my wantlist anymore, but Murphy isn't pictured on many cards in the Team Canada threads so I make exceptions for these and a few others. Around Black Friday, the seller ran a 25% off sale on this plate, making it close enough in price to the previous plate for me to do the mental gymnastics required to justify pulling the trigger.
You might remember my previous pickups from Mark Orphan's private signing with Murphy in the summer. Well here are a few more. On Facebook, Mark showed some extras that hadn't yet been added to his website for sale. I quickly recognized the Draft Prospects and Canadian Tire Team Canada as 2 base cards I didn't have signed copies of, and I wanted an inscribed Topps RC to go with the OPC I'd previously bought from Mark. So I messaged him and did up a deal for these 3. Thanks again Mark. Great to deal with and I easily recommend him if you're looking for names of the past in ink:
https://morphan-collectibles.com/?f...s8B0Oac3VJ7y6K8rBIl844ChL6IZvmVgbjilYWxnBdoZM
88/89 Panini Stickers #367 Larry Murphy Autograph by primetimepawich, on Flickr
Speaking of ink, a Google image search led me to an Ebay listing for this one, from a seller I remembered from the early days of my Ebay Murphy collecting. Always a thrill to find a signed '80s issue I don't already have, which isn't easy these days.
Anyone familiar with 97/98 Score knows how bloody tough these Premiere Club cards are. In my years of looking, I've only ever seen one copy previously that our resident Finnish Score collector Marko beat me to on COMC. This one was listed on Ebay with a cheap BIN as a Pinnacle card, no mention of Score or Premiere Club, but I knew right away from the pic what it was. As it was based in the States, I enlisted Kevin's help again, and a BIN later, it is now in my possession. Thanks Kevin.
20/21 President's Choice Game-Used Stick Rack Tape Job TJ-55 Larry Murphy 1/5 35.00 CDN by primetimepawich, on Flickr
I don't often go for multiples of cards anymore, but sometimes you have a lull in pickups, and sometimes some GU cards catch your eye and leave you no choice. Such is the case with these Tape Job cards from the Good Doctor. I like the stick pieces and the tape is something different for my PC. This was listed on Ebay with a high ask, then disappeared, only to pop up on Facebook shortly after. Someone was posting the spoils of a recent collection purchase, this one again jumped out at me, so I inquired. The ask was much more reasonable, a deal was quickly made and it joined one of its brothers previously purchased from our own buyerbrad.
And for my last (?) pickup of 2022...
I'd long been interested in one of these. Yes it's not GU, but I always liked the look, concept and what they represent. As is often the case though, where I felt comfortable valuing them and what they sold for didn't jive...like, at all. So I just kinda quietly coveted them from afar (unlike my open pining for the Engrained Dual Nameplate) until they stopped showing up altogether aside from one overpriced BIN on Ebay.
Then, recently, a copy showed up at standard auction with a low starting bid from a Canadian seller. I chuckled at the seller's description that they were listing some things for their boyfriend who was too lazy to list them himself. Thinking they couldn't be too attached to it, I messaged them to ask if they had a number in mind they were looking for. They said they were open to offers so I hit them with a number. Didn't hear from them until some time later when there were already bids and watchers, so of course they were going to ride it out and see what happens. Good call too...ultimately, I was easily outgunned at listing's end and was prepared to move on.
A week or so later though, the card was back on the auction block. Same seller, same opening bid. What happened? Did the winning bidder not come through with payment? Didn't ask, didn't care. I entered my same snipe, fully expecting the same results. Even when it was loitering just under my max into the last hour, with a similar number of watchers, I expected similar traction at the end. So imagine my surprise when they seconds ticked down and it said...I won. For a number almost identical to what I had pitched to the seller the first time around.
Since the original end price was almost twice as much as mine, I was skeptical. I'd read enough horror stories on Facebook recently of sellers cancelling sales because they weren't happy with the price and knew that could easily happen here. So even when it was marked as shipped, I tried to temper my expectations until I had it in hand. Well that day was today.
17/18 Splendor Sterling Silver Sticks #SSTMU Larry Murphy 10/10 by primetimepawich, on Flickr
A steal? I dunno, maybe compared to some sales of some similar cards. I just know it was a card I didn't expect to ever get for a price I could stomach, a nice surprise that helped me end the year on a positive hobby note.
***
A few thank yous:
-To Richard Ho again for this early custom that kept the spark alive while the pickups were slow to come:
15/16 SP Home Edition Retro Custom Supreme Stick #PA-LM Larry Murphy 1/1 back by primetimepawich, on Flickr
15/16 SP Home Edition Retro Custom Supreme Stick #PA-LM Larry Murphy 1/1 front by primetimepawich, on Flickr
-To Kevin Mitchell for helping me keep the good times going with US-based cards I otherwise wouldn't be able to justify.
-To Jeremy for keeping the lights on here.
-To Sean, Billie, Glenn, Jim, Aaron, Eric, Kieran, Tim, Nick, CJ, Curt...basically, anyone and everyone who humors my hobby talk here and on Facebook.
Hobbywise, it was an ok year. Personally? Not so much. Despite restrictions loosening worldwide, I still managed to find myself without a date for the entire calendar year. I lost my favorite singer of all-time, Meat Loaf. And in June, I lost my dad. Through it all, even when the boards are slow, this site has been a haven for me, a place where I can geek out about my collection, try to help and encourage others in their collecting, and just generally feel like I belong. I don't comment on every thread that I view, but know that I see your posts, I enjoy your posts and wish I could give them all their due.
I hope you all had a great Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and wish you all the best in 2023. Me, I'm more than ready to turn the page. I don't know what the future will bring, but as long as I still find enjoyment in this crazy hobby, I'll still be here chipping away. Thanks for making me feel at home.
Joe
19/20 Engrained Dual Stick Nameplates #DSNGM Mike Gartner/Larry Murphy 1/1 by primetimepawich, on FlickrA definite turning point in the year for me hobby-wise. Most of 2022 had been a relatively dry run for me so I'd bartered with the hobby gods and asked them for a big fish. "Give me that, and I'd be ok with nothing else for the rest of the year," I said. Well they delivered, but with 3 months left in the year, I also knew it was unlikely (though possible) to be skunked the rest of the way. And skunked I was not.
How did I do? Not well enough in terms of quality to ably fill out a "Top 10 of 2022" list, but well enough to justify showing. So why don't I finish off my 2022 pickups? I know there are a few days left to sneak in something before the calendar turns, so I can always add to this. But assuming that doesn't happen, since the last pickup I was waiting on arrived today, I guess now's as good a time as ever...
***
95/96 Fleer ULTRA NHL NO GOLD WRONG BACK ERROR PROOF Ron Francis/Larry Murphy by primetimepawich, on FlickrAnother oddball "proof" card from one of my go-to sellers of such cards on Ebay. If they're cheap enough, I usually can't keep myself from adding them to pad my numbers.
20/21 Pro Set 1990-91 Hockey Autographs Green #A90LM1 Larry Murphy 5/7 by primetimepawich, on FlickrMore US help from my liaison Kevin Mitchell.
17/18 Team Canada Juniors Printing Plates Parallel - Yellow #94 Larry Murphy 1/1 16.00 by primetimepawich, on FlickrThis had been on my watchlist for a while as a BIN only, too rich for my blood. Then one day not long ago, the seller sent me a discounted offer on it that was still too much but allowed for counters. Only problem - the seller was in the US and the listing had the dreaded Global Shipping. So I asked Kevin if he would add it to his watchlist and see if the seller sent him the same offer with the same option. He did, they did, and a few counters later, we hit on a number I could live with.
17/18 Team Canada Juniors Printing Plates Parallel - Cyan #94 Larry Murphy 1/1 17.31 by primetimepawich, on FlickrSimilar to the last plate, this one had been on my COMC radar for a while. Unsigned plates aren't big on my wantlist anymore, but Murphy isn't pictured on many cards in the Team Canada threads so I make exceptions for these and a few others. Around Black Friday, the seller ran a 25% off sale on this plate, making it close enough in price to the previous plate for me to do the mental gymnastics required to justify pulling the trigger.
You might remember my previous pickups from Mark Orphan's private signing with Murphy in the summer. Well here are a few more. On Facebook, Mark showed some extras that hadn't yet been added to his website for sale. I quickly recognized the Draft Prospects and Canadian Tire Team Canada as 2 base cards I didn't have signed copies of, and I wanted an inscribed Topps RC to go with the OPC I'd previously bought from Mark. So I messaged him and did up a deal for these 3. Thanks again Mark. Great to deal with and I easily recommend him if you're looking for names of the past in ink:
https://morphan-collectibles.com/?f...s8B0Oac3VJ7y6K8rBIl844ChL6IZvmVgbjilYWxnBdoZM
88/89 Panini Stickers #367 Larry Murphy Autograph by primetimepawich, on FlickrSpeaking of ink, a Google image search led me to an Ebay listing for this one, from a seller I remembered from the early days of my Ebay Murphy collecting. Always a thrill to find a signed '80s issue I don't already have, which isn't easy these days.
Anyone familiar with 97/98 Score knows how bloody tough these Premiere Club cards are. In my years of looking, I've only ever seen one copy previously that our resident Finnish Score collector Marko beat me to on COMC. This one was listed on Ebay with a cheap BIN as a Pinnacle card, no mention of Score or Premiere Club, but I knew right away from the pic what it was. As it was based in the States, I enlisted Kevin's help again, and a BIN later, it is now in my possession. Thanks Kevin.
20/21 President's Choice Game-Used Stick Rack Tape Job TJ-55 Larry Murphy 1/5 35.00 CDN by primetimepawich, on FlickrI don't often go for multiples of cards anymore, but sometimes you have a lull in pickups, and sometimes some GU cards catch your eye and leave you no choice. Such is the case with these Tape Job cards from the Good Doctor. I like the stick pieces and the tape is something different for my PC. This was listed on Ebay with a high ask, then disappeared, only to pop up on Facebook shortly after. Someone was posting the spoils of a recent collection purchase, this one again jumped out at me, so I inquired. The ask was much more reasonable, a deal was quickly made and it joined one of its brothers previously purchased from our own buyerbrad.
And for my last (?) pickup of 2022...
I'd long been interested in one of these. Yes it's not GU, but I always liked the look, concept and what they represent. As is often the case though, where I felt comfortable valuing them and what they sold for didn't jive...like, at all. So I just kinda quietly coveted them from afar (unlike my open pining for the Engrained Dual Nameplate) until they stopped showing up altogether aside from one overpriced BIN on Ebay.
Then, recently, a copy showed up at standard auction with a low starting bid from a Canadian seller. I chuckled at the seller's description that they were listing some things for their boyfriend who was too lazy to list them himself. Thinking they couldn't be too attached to it, I messaged them to ask if they had a number in mind they were looking for. They said they were open to offers so I hit them with a number. Didn't hear from them until some time later when there were already bids and watchers, so of course they were going to ride it out and see what happens. Good call too...ultimately, I was easily outgunned at listing's end and was prepared to move on.
A week or so later though, the card was back on the auction block. Same seller, same opening bid. What happened? Did the winning bidder not come through with payment? Didn't ask, didn't care. I entered my same snipe, fully expecting the same results. Even when it was loitering just under my max into the last hour, with a similar number of watchers, I expected similar traction at the end. So imagine my surprise when they seconds ticked down and it said...I won. For a number almost identical to what I had pitched to the seller the first time around.
Since the original end price was almost twice as much as mine, I was skeptical. I'd read enough horror stories on Facebook recently of sellers cancelling sales because they weren't happy with the price and knew that could easily happen here. So even when it was marked as shipped, I tried to temper my expectations until I had it in hand. Well that day was today.
17/18 Splendor Sterling Silver Sticks #SSTMU Larry Murphy 10/10 by primetimepawich, on FlickrA steal? I dunno, maybe compared to some sales of some similar cards. I just know it was a card I didn't expect to ever get for a price I could stomach, a nice surprise that helped me end the year on a positive hobby note.
***
A few thank yous:
-To Richard Ho again for this early custom that kept the spark alive while the pickups were slow to come:
15/16 SP Home Edition Retro Custom Supreme Stick #PA-LM Larry Murphy 1/1 back by primetimepawich, on Flickr15/16 SP Home Edition Retro Custom Supreme Stick #PA-LM Larry Murphy 1/1 front by primetimepawich, on Flickr-To Kevin Mitchell for helping me keep the good times going with US-based cards I otherwise wouldn't be able to justify.
-To Jeremy for keeping the lights on here.
-To Sean, Billie, Glenn, Jim, Aaron, Eric, Kieran, Tim, Nick, CJ, Curt...basically, anyone and everyone who humors my hobby talk here and on Facebook.
Hobbywise, it was an ok year. Personally? Not so much. Despite restrictions loosening worldwide, I still managed to find myself without a date for the entire calendar year. I lost my favorite singer of all-time, Meat Loaf. And in June, I lost my dad. Through it all, even when the boards are slow, this site has been a haven for me, a place where I can geek out about my collection, try to help and encourage others in their collecting, and just generally feel like I belong. I don't comment on every thread that I view, but know that I see your posts, I enjoy your posts and wish I could give them all their due.
I hope you all had a great Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and wish you all the best in 2023. Me, I'm more than ready to turn the page. I don't know what the future will bring, but as long as I still find enjoyment in this crazy hobby, I'll still be here chipping away. Thanks for making me feel at home.
Joe
