A bunch of O Pee Chee

This is going to be a picture heavy post as I share a number of sets, well, pieces of different O Pee Chee sets from the cards Jeff Scott provided.

We start with a lone Leaf card. Can understand why most wouldn't consider it a Leaf card, but I go both uniform or team association on the card as being a Leaf, so fits for me.

Of the set building, only one set these touch on that I was slowly working on. Reason generally being that O Pee Chee sets are typically huge, say 600 cards, and since I don't really get big lots, or buy boxes, I don't usually come across a good start to want to try and collect the rest.

A few different insert cards that I do enjoy, mostly retro parallels, but even a stick Sedin.

As for the rest, which I hope to find homes for....here they are (and a single Topps card that snuck in too...)

Yes - quite a jump in years there. I think there may be a few O Pee Chee in between, but not many...will have to see as I get to the rest.

Phew! Anything you like, let me know, I will see what is still unaccounted for!

Something Blue and Something Pacific

I promised more cards from what Steven from baseballcardstore.ca sent m way, so let's take a look at the rest of the hockey cards...



We get, as usual, a wide range of Leafs including some early 90s American Score, and my first '95-'96 Select parallel which scans with almost a shiny green colour to it.



As I picked up a few a few years ago from the Santa Lot of cards, these Ultra gold medallion actually get me closer to a team set of the gold medallion variety. Three greats too with Belfour (great as a Leaf, best as a Hawk), Sundin (great as a Nordique, best as a Leaf) and Lindros (player for the Leafs, bst for Philly).

We also get a couple Panini Crown Royale cards. I remember the early 2000 Pacific versions, but hadn't realized these were redone at all by Panini. There are so many sets I am sure I still don't know about.

The Leaf parade ends with...



So four more die cuts and my first three SN to 99 parallels from the centennial set. I still have a bunch of short prints from the base set to collect (I have 51 of the 100), a bunch of die cuts (I have 33 of 100) and now I have 3 blue exclusive SN99 cards of the 200 from that parallel.

Yeah, not going to be trying that master set thank you, but still enjoy getting more from this set.

Another great bunch of cards from baseballcardstoreca who is also on TCDB.com with that user name.

I have a bunch of Jays to go through, but work has me slammed so, probably not until next weekend to share the baseball portion, but will definitely share as soon as I can!

Also - another set of cards to share from Jeff Scott's pile - 2002-03 Pacific. Pacific was ahead of it's time in design in a lot of ways. These cards and set have a good Upper Deck vibe.

First, there were a few insert keepers...



The red parallels are slightly different, as was done in Pacific, with the name and foil done in red instead of silver.

The insert sets here are alright with Impact Zone and Maximum Impact - an impactful duo of insert sets apparently.

The base cards looking for new homes (with most of them already finding one...)




The design is pretty good, with minimal interference with good photography.



Well, no Leaf cards as I think I aready received most of them, but we do have a couple photbombing Leafs here.



Not a bad set overall, and very Pacific in look and design, especially for a flagship set. I wasn't a fan of many of the uniform changes - like Calgary, or even LA with the purple and black, but many of these were a phase that were grown out of.

Thankfully.

Team Goals and Parallel Assists

I know some bloggers out there have started using baseballcardstore.ca for picking up some cards, which is awesome, and I am happy to see. My dealings with Steven who runs the site, have all been excellent to amazing. He's a great guy and really is in it for the hobby and collecting aspect, and helping people meet their goals.

I finally was able to send a box across to him (I think it was an 800 ct box with about 900 cards crammed in), and at the same time he was send a box my way which had a bunch of very targeted card, including cards that finished off a number of team sets for me, the Maple Leaf ones being the focus of today.



The  second half of the Leaf team set from 1994-95 SP - a nice little set.



Fleer Legacy is not a set I had even heard of. It is the nice set which highlights players of the past, so a set I could get into, except I don't really have to since we have all of the Leafs right here! Talk about four guys that exude Maple Leaf blue - even before we could get a blue shot for Frank.



The last of the 9 Fleer 1994-95 cards and the very 90s looking card design.



We also have the last of 4 base cards (well, there are some SN that are supposed to be part of the set, but I don't consider them for the pure base set).



A set with a single Leaf, who is Tie Domi. A bit surprising to come up with a set and have Tie be the only player...wonder how that came about....



We end with another full base card team set for early 00s Upper Deck Ice. ANother set I hadn't seen in hand at all, and boom - whole set is done.

I'd be over the moon if that was all that was sent, but there was plenty more, but I'm going to share the rest over the next few days too.

Oh - and if you haven't checked it out...
www.baseballcardstore.ca\
It's not just baseball cards!

Also today, cleaning up the cards that I got from Jeff Scott that were not boxes (singles, etc, kind of like the few jersey cards). Most of these are parallel additions, but let's take a look.



Mid 90s is a good period of time for picking up some parallels and inserts as I really don't have much representation. SP is one that always confuses me - sometimes a stand along set, sometimes an insert...make up your mind!




I'll admit, the die cast Roy is the nicest of this bunch, but because I am a sucker for the slightly different cut card compared to the black diamond like treatment to the cards. Though the Next In Line shines nicely...



There were a few base cards which happen to be needs in sets I am keeping/working on, all rookies, so I can understand the reason for the protected treatment of the cards.

We end with two items I am not keeping...



The coins are neat, but definitely not a set I am collecting at all, if anyone else is interested, though mailing will be interesting these days.

A late Valentines

So happily, since I am trying not to buy any new cards, I do have family that knew this and picked up a couple things for me back on Valentines Day, and here is one of them - a quick 15 from the Dollarama. Yeah, they may not spend big on me, which is fine, but they know what I like!



You don't typically see a rare card in these packs, but I lucked out on this one. Sure, they are never exactly expensive cards - would be lucky to get 50 cents for this one, but it is still a rare.



Some good flavour text in these especially the Nimble Innovator...

"A failure is simply another opportunity for improvement. Just wait until you see what I come up with next."

See - some of them are pretty good.



Excellent - three artifact card additions for the collection. None of these are new, but were all needed as I don't yet have 4 copies of each.

Given there were only 15 cards, getting three artifacts is definitely a successful pack, so the family done good!

Enjoying some numbers

Not a lot of cards to share today, but cards that are numbered. So much in sports is about stats that it shouldn't be surprising that eventually numbering like print runs and serial numbered cards would be a thing. Well, let's take a look at a few today...



Yeah, don't like starting a post with him, but at least it has a clear "1 of 20,000" on the front.

Yeah, remember back when that seemed amazingly rare. Actually, back in the early 90s when everything was mass produced, it was a rare and short print run.

How times have changed.



Though I love Artifact sets, this isn't my favourite design. Francis scraped through about 10 games in the NHL over a few seasons, but never was able to make it stick. He ended up in a few different leagues, but most were in the AHL.



Amazing to think Holtby has been with Washington for a decade now.



I have a few of these that are supposed to be serial numbered, but aren't, so nice to see one that is.



A Sid numbered to 160 - I'll take that any day. Add to the fact, this is one that actually isn't listed in TCDB, at least not that I could find it as this is also the glossy parallel from the set.



A nice 4 diamond Black Diamond SN to 150.



Sharks need to find homes too sometimes. Interesting that the SN itself seems to be stamped on a bit wonky.





We finish off with a couple great looking parallels from more recent sets. Between the two, really prefer the Hall, as I typically enjoy O Pee Chee compared to the chrome want to be Platinum.

A nice run of serial numbered cards which I am greatful to have been able to add thanks to one Jeff Scott.

Should also say, the one other number of importance today is 15. Fifteen years today since my wife and I got married. Can't believe it has been that long already, the time has seemed to fly by, and I mean that in the nicest way possible!