Top 10 Card of My Favorite Player (Andrew Shaw)

I'm not in it for the contest, but the "Collecting Cutch" blog is running one for showing off the top 10 cards of your player in your PC.  I've actually decided to change the focus of my personal collection and get rid of a lot of quantity.  #TheAndrewShawProject will soon cease to be.  Some of it will remain with me, but the plan is to go ahead and sell off most of it.  It'll be a bit bittersweet with all the money and time I've invested.  Heck, I've even been on Beckett Radio discussing it.

I haven't yet, though, and it's providing me what I feel will be a solid blog post.

#10

2014-15 Upper Deck MVP Gold Script #136 Andrew Shaw

Why would a parallel #d/100 make the list of a super collection?  These gold scripts were a retail only parallel.  Supposedly there were 100 of each made, but I haven't seen evidence to prove it.  If they do exist, where the heck are they?  I own more copies of the Super Script #d/25 than I've seen of the Gold Script.

I'm an analytical guy and because of that I can't figure out why secondary prices are so low on these, other than just no demand.  It makes me think that people aren't aware of how tough they are to come by.  Perhaps because it's from the most low-level of releases.

RELATED LINK:  Gold Script #Mailday for #TheAndrewShawProject – These are Tougher to find than you Think

#9

2012-13 SP Authentic Sign of the Times Duals #ST2KS Patrick Kane/Andrew Shaw B

Despite being a Blackhawks fan, I just don't care for Patrick Kane.  I can't get past his off-the-ice antics.  However, he was just this year voted one of the NHL's top 100 players of all time and he's on a dual signature with my favorite player.

Also, I acquired this card from Jim.  He was collecting Shaw as well but slowed down because of my super collection.  This was a card I needed at the time and he sold it to me at a great price.  I will say that I'm going to give Jim first shot at the items I want to move on.  If he wants them, I'd love to get them into the hands of a true fan.  

RELATED LINK:  Biggest #Mailday yet for #TheAndrewShawProject

#8

2013-14 SP Game Used 2013 Stanley Cup Finals Materials Net Skirt Autos #SCNSAAS Andrew Shaw

These cards are unnumbered, but they are pretty tough to come by.  My guesstimate is less than 15 or so.  I was smart enough to buy the redemption card for this instead of waiting until it was live.  It saved me a ton of money!  I have plenty of Andrew Shaw autographs.  What I love about this is that it's signed on a piece of the net skirt used in the Stanley Cup Finals won by the Blackhawks.

#7

2013-14 Upper Deck Trilogy Signature Pucks Retro Logo #SPAS Andrew Shaw

The reason these make the list is simply that I've acquired three of the thirteen copies.  I do play to move a couple of these and keep just one.

#6

2013-14 Rookie Anthology Luxury Suite #50 Andrew Shaw

One of my biggest gripes with Upper Deck is that other than his rookies from The Cup, he's not had any other memorabilia cards.  This is a guy that's had a 20-goal season, won two Stanley Cups and scored double digit goals in five of his six seasons.  He's also played for two of the teams that are very popular with card collectors.  They put a lot of the same common players in over and over but don't seem to mix in new players.

Luckily, Panini did end up producing one memorabilia card and I have 11 of the 199 copies.  What I love is that the copies have different designs, patterns and colors.  Panini's credibility on memorabilia used on cards has been shot with me, but all I can do is hope that these are somewhat legit.

#5

2011-12 The Cup Black Rookie Autographs Flag Tag #171 Andrew Shaw

This particular card was a tough one to come by, obviously, based on being numbered to five.  Not only that, but it's from The Cup.  If you don't know hockey, it's one of the highest-end products of the year.

I was contacted by a Sports Card Forum member that he has this card.  We weren't able to work something out and I just let it be.  It was probably a year later or so, we touched base again and were able to make it happen.

RELATED LINK:  A PC Addition a year in the making

#4

2012-13 Limited Back to the Future Autograph #18 Andrew Shaw / Jeremy Roenick

Jeremy Roenick was my favorite Blackhawks player as a kid.  Shaw was was my favorite as an adult.  It's like this card was made just for me.

The cards was an absolute white whale for me.  I couldn't find one for a couple of years and finally found one on Sportslots.  I knew nothing about the site at the time and was hesitant, thinking I might get ripped off.  My concerns were unfounded and I had it a few days later.

About a week later, another copy showed up on eBay.  I've seen another handful since.  Weird how these things work.

RELATED LINK:  It’s Raining in Texas and the White Whale has arrived

#3

2013-14 Dominion Engravatures 2013 Champions #21 Andrew Shaw

This is another hard-to-find card.  The added challenge is that once you find the one you need, it's EXPENSIVE!  Dependent of secondary factors, common players from the set can sometimes go for upwards of $200.  They supposedly contain an amount of legitimate silver but as stated above, Panini's credibility is shot with me.

Derek of OT Cards knew that I was a Shaw collector and when he came into this, he let me know he had it.  We worked out massive trade (probably my biggest online trade in both quantity and value) and I finally had it!

Another thing I love about it is the image of Shaw both hoisting the Cup and also bleeding from his stitches.  In the first period of the Cup-clinching game Shaw took a puck to the face but was stitched up and returned for the start of the second.  The stitches later for for $6500 in a charity auction.  I am/was a super collector, but did not place any bids.  That's a bit too yucky for my liking.

#2

2011-12 Upper Deck Canvas #C232 Autographed/Ceertified/Graded BGS 9.5

This particular "piece" was constructed by me and I am extremely proud of it.  It will always be a part of my collection.  I picked the raw card up off eBay.  I worked for Lids and Shaw signed at a store in the Chicago area one after, so I made the three-hour drive from Indianapolis to get it signed.  He also signed a few other items for me and was more than willing to chat.  He was a nice guy, at least to me!

A couple of years ago, JSA was certifying autographs at a local card show and I submitted the card.  I had no worries that it would pass, as I had it signed in person.  I was then able to submit it for BGS grading at another local show.  When I got it back, I was shocked that it came back a 9.5 because of the black borders.  It could have come back a 6 or 7 and it wouldn't have mattered.  This was for me.  I am a collector, not someone that says they are a collector but just rips and flips.  I don't like "losing" money, but the hobby isn't about money to me.  I have a piece that I put together and a great story and memories of it.

You would think that it would be tough to beat this card, but selecting favorite Andrew Shaw card is no challenge.  Like #2, this one is where it is because of the story.

2011-12 Upper Deck Canvas #C232 

Though I've only been writing this blog for a few months, I've actually mentioned this card before.  If you were reading then, I apologize in advance.  I'm going to copy and paste my prior words instead of typing it again.

"It doesn't matter what other card comes out, this one will always be my favorite, and one copy in particular.  The card is Shaw's first NHL card.  He doesn't have a Young Guns card, just this copy.  Before it was even released, I had all of his previously released juniors cards

The 2011-12 Canvas Young Guns were one per every other box.  With 20 Canvas Young Guns in the set, odds of hitting any particular one are 1:60 boxes.  I bought one box at a card show and joked to the seller "It would be awesome if I could get the Andrew Shaw canvas."

You know where this is going, right?

This was in the second pack I opened from the box.  I still remember it like it was yesterday.  It was the second pack down, front right stack.  Is it the biggest hit of my life?  No.  However, it IS the second most (after my 1989 Billy Ripken) favorite one of my life.  This copy of this card will always be the favorite in my Andrew Shaw collection. 

We can buy pretty much any card these days.  Opening a pack to find the one you want is even a better feeling.  It's a feeling that only a true COLLECTor understands."

By the way, I'm always looking to add more copies of this card!  Obviously it's staying in my collection.  I relive that moment I opened it every time I see this card.  Or every time I blog about it.

I hope you enjoyed the read and look forward to reading others' posts on their top ten.  If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back.  FREE CARDS!  If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  Happy collecting!