COMC Show & Tell - My Shaws, For Now

All of these Andrew Shaw cards were in my last shipment, but I'm not sure how long they will be.  I've contacted a friend about selling the Andrew Shaw cards he wants to him.  I've had no passion for the Shaw collection for well more than a year now.  He stopped chasing Shaw a couple of years ago because I'd acquired to many of the rare ones, and he sold me some that I still needed.  I would love to get them into a collection where they are appreciated. 

I won't feel there's a hole in my collection without most of them.  I won't miss them when they are gone, so it's time.  I will keep some of them though, including a few from this purchase. 

2016-17 Upper Deck Black - Pro Penmanship Autographs #PEN-AS Andrew Shaw

This is an absolutely beautiful card.  I love Upper Deck Black.  It's signed on-card.  It's staying in my collection. 

2016-17 SPx - White Out Autographs #WO-AS Andrew Shaw 

  Boo stickers! 

2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Platinum - Retro #R-58 Andrew Shaw 

2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Platinum - Retro Rainbow #R-58 Andrew Shaw 

2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Platinum - Retro Rainbow Gold #R-58 Andrew Shaw /149 

2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Platinum - Retro Rainbow Orange #R-58 Andrew Shaw /49

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - Colors and Contours - Gold #119 Andrew Shaw Level 2

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - Green Script #119 Andrew Shaw 

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - Silver Script #119 Andrew Shaw

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - NHL Player Credentials - Level 1 Access #NHL-AS Andrew Shaw 

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - NHL Player Credentials - Level 2 Access #NHL-AS Andrew Shaw 

2017-18 Upper Deck MVP - Super Script #119 Andrew Shaw /25

2016-17 Upper Deck Compendium - Blue #719 Andrew Shaw 

2016-17 Upper Deck Compendium - Red #719 Andrew Shaw 

2016-17 Upper Deck Compendium - Gold #719 Andrew Shaw 

This card is one that I didn't buy, I actually "built" it on ePack.  I traded until I had 250 copies of the base card that I could combine to make the gold.  This one is one that won't leave my collection as long as I own any trading cards.  It holds a value to me that far surpasses any monetary value. 

2016-17 Upper Deck - Silver Foil #348 Andrew Shaw 

2016-17 Upper Deck - Exclusives #348 Andrew Shaw /100

2016-17 SP Game Used - 2016 Stadium Series Relic Blends #SSB-AS Andrew Shaw /99

I can't say how accurate the TCDB numbers are.  There are some sets listed twice on the site and it's always possible that some are missing.  What I can say is that less than two years ago, I was at higher than 80% of Shaw's cards.  Now that I'm at just over 57%, it just shows how little focus I've put on acquiring cards since he was traded to Montreal.  So, these new Shaw cards are mine, for now. 

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 from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

2018 Trading Card Database Trade #7 - ntlwhlr

This trade was in the second of three envelopes I received on Tuesday.  My trade partner is a Brewers and Blackhawks fan, making him a great trade partner.  He received quite a few Brewers refractors, rookies and numbered cards.  I feel he's probably thrilled with the trade.  I'm not unhappy.

Two more cards toward my 1987 insert set from 2017 Topps.  I think I traded for the Marte in another trade as well.  Oops.  I can put it back into the traders.

One more card two the 2012 Topps mini insert set.

More cards toward my 2017 Gypsy Queen set.  I bought a couple of hanger packs last year and liked the look of them, so decided to work toward the set.  I'm convinced I will never complete it.  

After five blasters of 2017-18 Parkhurst, I was able to complete the base set (but I need another Alex DeBrincat). I decided to attempt the master set, other than the Canadian exclusives and Prominent Prospects numbered parallels.  These come one or two per box so I still need quite a few.  Hopefully I can find more trade partners and pick these up.

Like the Parkhurst set, I have completed the base set of Series 1 but still need plenty of Young Guns and inserts.  They say that patience is a virtue.  I'm not confident that I'm THAT virtuous.

If this card looks familiar, you probably saw another copy in yesterday's trade post.  Oops.

I don't know much about this set and need to learn more.  I have it on my want list because of the former Indianapolis 500 drivers in the set.  Three of the four cards above are Jimmy Murphy, winner of the 1922 race.

Most of my trades on TCDB so far have been one sport for another.  It was refreshing to find a trade partner that crosses multiple sports.  The ones I've found that can cross sports have been much easier so far.  If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of TCDB and their trade system.  The match function makes it easier to find trade partners and I approve of that!

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 from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year (including $15 back on one Black Friday purchase last week).  They put $63 in my Paypal account last week!  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

2018 Trading Card Database Trade #6 - Tgrs_4_me

There's good and bad about having mail delivered to my office.  The bad is that our mail room is closed on Saturdays so oftentimes I have to wait a couple of extra days to receive trade envelopes.  Add that to the "holiday" Monday and when the mail call came Tuesday afternoon, I had THREE envelopes.  WOOHOO!  All three were from trading on Trading Card Database.  I'll post them over the next few days. 

I probably "overpaid" on this trade, but I'm trying to make some solid progress on the 1987 Topps insert set from last year.  I traded off 22 cards for these.  Nothing of much value, but I paid $3 to ship and when you break it down, I wouldn't spend $3 at a card show for these cards.  Unfortunately the only cards my trading partner needed were commons, so it is what it is. 

This puts me three cards closer to the 1987 Topps insert set from last year.  The Andrew Shaw project is no more and I will likely begin selling off cards soon, but just in case I change my mind I picked up the 2017-18 MVP card. 

I can't believe how much money I put into Shaw cards.  Please, don't ask.  It was such an obsession for a few years but the combination of his trade to Montreal and my growing apathy toward overpriced modern cards killed the fun.  Hopefully I can recoup half the money I put into the collection.

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 from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year (including $15 back on one Black Friday purchase last week).  They put $63 in my Paypal account last week!  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

2018 Trading Card Database Trade #1 - parsley24

This trade isn't random.  Even though it was set up through Trading Card Database, it was a trade with a co-worker.  I actually got him to sign up for TCDB and it's been good for him.  He's made a lot of trades and is making great progress on his 2017 Heritage and 1969 Topps sets.  He's been on the site since early October and as of this writing, has 46 feedback comments, all positive.

We'd already traded a couple of times and I just had one card that he needed.  I gave him that and cash, and the pic below is what I received back.

• A huge stack of 2016-17 Upper Deck Series 1.  I had both base sets completed and had probably 2/3 of the Young Guns before selling off the set.  I was trying to come up with the final amount of cash I needed to buy an engagement ring and sold it all off.  It's one of the biggest regrets I've had in my 30 years in the hobby.  I'm back to square one working on the set. 
• He had two of the Young Guns - Trevor Carrick and the checklist with Auston Matthews.  
• Also some 2016-17 UD Canvas cards.  I love these cards and plan to try and build some of the old sets.  I'll probably never complete them because of the Young Guns, but it's at least something to work on. 
• A handful of 2017-18 base and UD Canvas for my sets.  Also, he had the Andrew Shaw jersey card.  I'm not actively searching for Shaw cards anymore but when I can come into them, I snag them.  

If you're on Trading Card Database, take a look and see if there's a trade to be made with Steven.  I can vouch for him and he's one of the guys in the hobby truly for fun.  

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 from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year (including $15 back on one Black Friday purchase last week).  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

2016-17 Premier #26 Andrew Shaw

I haven't picked up an Andrew Shaw card in quite awhile.  I've also not broken up the collection yet.  I probably will, but it's SO much work.  I occasionally look in the eBay saved search one day, came across this one and placed a bid because it was free shipping.  

2016-17 Premier #26 Andrew Shaw

I figured it was worth it for $1.77.  

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 from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $100 in about seven months.  FREE CARDS!  If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  Happy collecting!

COMC Mail - Somewhere Over the (Gold) Rainbow

To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of what ePack was during the 2015-16 hockey card year.  They GREATLY improved things this year, with the gold rainbow foils.

In the 2015-16 flagship product you could combine ten of the cards to form a silver foil board, physical card.  That was it, though.  For 2016-17 they added the gold rainbow level.  If you combine ten silver foils, you can create the gold rainbow foil cards.

Last season's silver foil boards can be had for just a few cents on COMC and there are hundreds of them just sitting there that may never leave that facility.  The creation of the gold parallel hasn't raised the "value" of the silvers, but it has decreased the supply.  I searched John Klingberg's silver versions from the last two seasons.  There are 490 copies of the 2015-16 version on the site with a lowest asking price of six cents.  You can get the 2016-17 version for five cents, but there are "only" 141 copies of it available.  There are 11 of the gold versions available.  If the gold wasn't an option, it would likely close to double the amount of silvers available.

My hope is that next year Upper Deck will make a third level, as they have with their Compendium set.  You can combine base to make blue, red and gold versions.  It's possible that there are players that have less than a handful of gold cards.  People are quick to get blue versions (that only require ten base cards) and flip them to COMC.  Every one of those creates ten less cards that can be combined for red and golds, unfortunately.

Anyway, on to the cards...

The scans don't show how beautiful the gold foils really are.  I decided to take a picture of one under light to get you a better idea.  It still doesn't do them justice, but it's a bit better than the scans.

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #61 Jamie Benn

One of my common complaints about modern sports cards is how every photo is pretty much the same.  I give Upper Deck a lot of credit for using shots that aren't your run-of-the-photos more than the other companies.

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #62 Jason Spezza

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #63 John Klingberg

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #311 Tyler Seguin 

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #314 Antoine Roussel

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #348 Andrew Shaw

2016-17 Upper Deck Gold Rainbow Foil #481 Stephen Johns

I will probably only keep the Andrew Shaw and Stephen Johns cards.  The rest I'm going to put into the box for the next time I set up at a card show.  Well, maybe I only keep two of the three Johns that I have.

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.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $100 in about seven months.  FREE CARDS!  If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  Happy collecting!

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!

All the Cool Bloggers are doing it!

All the cool kids are incorporating music into their posts.  Due to my need to be accepted by the hobby blogosphere, I felt I must succumb to the peer pressure.



The song is not anywhere close to the genre that I listen to.  However, I know the song and if you think Alicia Keys isn't amazing, you are just wrong.  This is coming from a country music guy.

Why did I choose this?  I've always been about lyrics when it comes to my music.

"I keep on fallin'
In and out of love
With you
Sometimes I love ya
Sometimes you make me blue
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used"

That's how I feel about aspects of my collecting right now.  I'll start with the card pickup in this post.  This was a purchase from feebay that showed up last week.

2016-17 Upper Deck Printing Plates Black #348 Andrew Shaw

I just didn't get excited when it showed up and haven't when the last few Andrew Shaw cards have arrived.  I'm sure some of it is because he no longer plays for the Blackhawks.  I feel it's deeper than that.

For the third time in 18 or so months, I'm seriously thinking about giving up on The Andrew Shaw Project.  I've stuck with it, but I just don't know anymore.  It's not just the Shaw cards either, it's the modern cards in general.

I go through phases where I just want to go to vintage.  It's more fun.  Then, I start slowly picking up more modern and I'm back.  The last time I decided to give modern a whirl, I told myself that set building again would be fun.  It was okay, but it's not really a challenge.  Buy a couple of boxes, complete a base set, put it into an album and forget about it.

The set-building process itself is fun.  After that, there's nothing else there.  It's just "stuff" for me.  I have no emotional attachment.  However, when I go through my vintage cards, I remember the excitement of winning a lot of particular cards (and also a set from 1960 that I won).  I don't have those memories on the modern.  It's just stuff I've acquired.

Currently I'm in once of those moods where I'm wondering "what if?"  What if I hadn't spent the money to put together Upper Deck and Parkhurst hockey sets this year and had instead put that $xxx into a beautiful pre-war card?  I change my mind as often as Texas weather.  Or as much as a woman.  Whichever one you prefer.

Part of what has me questioning myself again is some of the pickups I made over the weekend.  You'll see them in the coming days.  They are beautiful to me.  They are sports history.  They aren't shiny, but I'm okay with that.

I don't know yet which direction I will take at this fork in the road.  I do need to make a decision though.  What I do know is that if someone made me a serious, quality, legitimate offer for most of the shiny stuff I have, I'd take it.  I can't say I'd do the same with the pre-1988 items that I have.

Happy collecting, friends!

Three Cards and the Shaw

I worked out another trade on Sports Card Forum to pick up more cards from the 2017 Topps 1987 Topps insert set.  We'd agreed to a trade, when he mentioned to me that he had an Andrew Shaw 2016-17 SP Game Used sweater card.  I have a couple of them, but they are white swatches and this one was black.  He found a card that he could use and we made it happen!

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #8714 Henry Owens

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #8772 Blake Snell 

2017 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball #8788 Aroldis Chapman

 After getting these three in-hand, I have 12 of the 100 cards in the set.  I've put up a want list on the blog, if you have any to trade off.

2016-17 SP Game Used 2016 NHL Stadium Series Fabrics #CBAS Andrew Shaw

I mentioned that I had two copies of this card already, but they both were white pieces.  I was thrilled to pick this up.  In return he asked for a card that I picked up in a lot with one of the white-swatch Shaws.  The way I look at it, it's like I got two Shaw cards in the ebay lot!