Finish The Play

 With it being a small set, we started yesterday and finish (for now) on what we get for this base set, today.

Since there are just a few cards missing, I suspect there is a small group of cards covering some of the first 20 base cards, as that whole chunk is MIA, and since we have 74 of the base card of about 80 otherwise, I can't see the front teams just being missing.

Just to give a sample of who appears to be MIA - Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Steve Yzerman, Martin Brodeur, Jaromir Jagr - and then the first 21 cards also. So my guess, I will be over 0$ when I get those other cards, and just have the few stars to pick up.

Even in today's craziness, I can't see those cards being hard to trade for, even if it's 5 or 10 to one trades, not really a bother to me, so we shall see. Getting ahead of myself a bit on that one.

Will be a few Leafs short of also having the team set, but did get at least one copy of the Leafs...

As for the rest...

1996 Leaf baseball is an alright set. Nothing to write home about for design, and just a smattering here. Not collecting it at this point, and no Jays, so it's a pass.

Pacific being Pacific - will have to see how much of the Dynagon Ice set shows up before considering collecting it or not.

Playmakers

 Today is a good day - we not only get to see a new set, but a set I hadn't seen at all before - 2001-02 Upper Deck Playmaners.

Being from 2001-02, I can understand why it isn't a set I have seen before. There were so many sets and companies at the time, and I wasn't into collecting at all, so wouldn't be one on my radar generally.

It has a 145 card base set, though the last 45 cards are serial numbered so, I am not really counting those as part of the pure base set. At only 100 cards then, and since I am almost half way in this one post, I'll add this to the slow collecting sets at this point. If you are wondering, at this point, that slow collect/build list has about 100 sets for each baseball and hockey, so plenty of options for getting cards. Especially as many of them I have maybe 20-50% of.

The set has a very "In The Game" brand look to it - at least that's my feel. Though a bit better, and although I like the fact it is team coloured, the stripe down the left side is way bigger than needed.

With 100 cards to the set, it does generally mean you get the top tier or two of stars from the team, and that's it. Definitely not an O Pee Chee roster in it, but that can be alright.

Not a big fan of the font used for the names, but at least they are huge and can be read! Theo still shouldn't be anything but a Flame, but I digress.

As for the backs (which come from the dupes)...

Very minimal on stats, and though I am fine with a write up, the spacing and font size don't work well for me. I mean, if you are going to use that amount of space, make the font bigger and space between the lines a bit smaller. It's not like you are trying to fit in another picture or lines of stats.

So overall, not a set that makes me giddy with excitement, but fine enough, I have no problem working on the set as a whole since it is fairly small, and I have a good start on it.

McDs and Not Just Hockey

WHenever I get some McDonald's cards, it's a good thing. 

Back to some 2000-01 McDonald's cards. At the time, it was Pacific doing the cards, and they were some pretty good designs in the early 00s. Here we have a couple more copies of Antropov. This was early in Nik's career, and he did end up in Toronto for about 9 years, which was the majority of his NHL time.

The best part though, is given I only need about 6 cards in the base set...

Well, need two less cards now. Funny enough, 2 of those missing are Montreal Canadiens...so I guess I need to have them, even if I don't really "want" them.

As for the rest, some interesting cards here too...

1998-99 Black Diamond basketball. Haven't seen this one before, but generally like Black Diamond, and the design fits right in. The purple glint from the scanning 

Okay, that Wallace card looks really nice - the Raptors purple and the purple glare, just a yummy looking card.

We do have a few left over Be A Player hockey cards, but...

A bunch of duplicate McD cards make up for it. Would love to need them all, but have already pulled most of the base set from this lot.

We end with a single 2002-03 Upper Deck card. Not a set I am that has drawn my collecting interest to this point. A solid variety of cards to day, which is always nice.

No More Playing

 Here we have the last (for now) bunch of 1999-2000 Br A Player Memorabilia.

Berezin was a good scoring player for the Leafs while in Toronto. I remember his tenure being a solid one.

As for the rest of the cards...

All fine and good, but I'm looking forward to a different set tomorrow.

50 Shades of Blue

 As we continue through some more 1999-2000 Be A Player Memorabilia cards, let's talk a little quality control.

If you have any issue in seeing different colours in the blue/purple spectrum, this may be near impossible to see, but there are different colourings on some of these cards.

It's not as purposeful as different card stock, but simply seems to be the amount of inking done on the cards and slight variations on the type of blue being used, so I suspect it may be different based on which factory the cards were printed in.

A shame the stats are only 5 years with career totals at most, but that is standard to many sets unfortunately.

Not unusual for the rookies or those without NHL experience to just have the short write up either. At least there were a few Leafs in this bunch...

Mair did crack the Toronto lineup as described on his card, though was in Toronto for only 24 games over two partial seasons, though found success in Buffalo and in all was in the NHL almost 500 games.

Be A Collector?

 Be A Player sets have never been ones I overly cared for. I rarely find a design I like much, and the "In The Game Inc.", just not the same as an Upper Deck, Score, Topps, etc.

Not saying they can't have decent sets, just not sets that drive me to collect them. Today we have a perfect example of that issue.

1999-2000 Be A Player Memorabilia set isn't a bad design, it just isn't a set that draws me in at all.

Lots of blue border though, so Leaf cards look nice I am sure.

This set is 400 cards, the first 300 really being the pure base set, and today we get a first 50 cards.

Just not enough here to draw me in. At least not on the fronts...we can check out the backs tomorrow.

The Be A Player logo on the front is a little big and not necessary but...

Leaf cards do look pretty nice.

Ending With The Leaf Portion

 Today, we get to wrap up the 2006-07 O Pee Chee set (well...so far, could always be more somewhere in this lot).

I like how Moore and Whitney tried to line up for identical photos.

No surprise the subset cards are a bit minimal as it well, and nothing really from the rookies. That said, we end up at just over 250 of the 700 card base set - a solid 36% which is pretty solid for such a large set.

Though I am hoping there will be some more before this lot is done. 

Highlight though, for me, are the Leaf cards.

Not one of their stronger periods as a team, but they can't all be winners as the Raptors are going through currently.

As for the dupes, some backs to end.

Well, the backs for the Hall Worthy cards are simple enough, but the team colouring is a nice touch.

The set will never be one of my favourites, but isn't horrible either, kind of middle of the road, though I still find it isn't typical O Pee CHee.