LCS: Cards and Collectibles

LCS: Cards and Collectibles
Upper Deck Strong Once Again
By Jon Nuckolls, Collector Guy

Man, I will tell you what, I have been so busy with school that I have totally neglected my column and my duty to inform the collector of what is out. Well, it has been about three weeks since the last time I inundated you with the latest cardboard scoops, so let's get started.

Upper Deck Series II

Upper Deck continues its great set with cards 211 to 400. The photography is still here, as are the interesting facts about the game that the picture was taken in. The thing that I thought made the set, the opportunity to get your paws on the probable #1 pick in the NHL Draft, Joe Thornton. This in itself already makes the set an attractive one. They say that a player like Thornton could be the next Lindros, in that case, you better go out and grab as many of these as you can.
There are several other draft prospects in the set like Patrick Marleau and Daniel Tkaczuk that make up this 20-card subset. The cards are very attractive and are a staple of Upper Deck's second series. Anyone remember Paul Kariya's rookie? It was an Upper Deck Series II release.
Inserts include: Generation Next inserted at a rate of 1:4 pack. These feature a player from a certain position on the front and back of the card, the front features an up-and-coming youngster and the back a veteran of comparable playing skill and style. Strong player selection highlights this 40-card offering. The next inserts are called Power Performers and are in 1 out of every 13 packs. These are a 30-card set that appears to also highlight several superstars, but each get their own card here. Intriguing inserts include: Hart Hopefuls: This is the second series equivalent to Lord Stanley's Heroes. These cards become increasingly hard to find as you go from Bronze (1:30), and Silver (1:150, numbered out of 1000), to gold (1:1500, numbered out of 100). It looks like another winner for Upper Deck.
Oh, how could I forget that most elusive and coveted of inserts: the Game Jersey cards. Inserted at a rate of 1:2500 you better start rubbing the four-leafed clover if you want to get one of these. Eight new players had their jerseys cut up by the card company. The best of them: Super Mario. What an excellent card this would make with this being the swan song of one of the greats of all time. Perhaps one of the best values left on the market, when you consider the fact that you get 12 cards per pack for $2.77.

Fleer Ultra Metal

All that I have to say about the design of these cards is that they are definitely different. In my opinion, they look like something out of the latest comic book. I have to extend my thanks to Fleer for breaking the monotony.
This interesting 168-card set, which feature futuristic backs as well, can be purchased in packs of 8 for $2.77. There are three insert sets that you have a chance of getting: Lethal Weapons (1:12), a 20-card set that features the leagues top scorers. The parallel version of this set is called Super Power and is inserted at 10-times the rate. Three 12-card sets are also included: 1) Cold Steel - features a brushed metal finish. These are found at a 1:48 rate. Multiply that by 10 if your looking for this or any of the other parallels. 2) Ice Carvings - features a chipped ice look at a rate of 1:24. 3) Armor Plate - This gives the spotlight to the goalies of the league, and are a tough find at a 1:72 clip. Other than that, I do not have much else to say about these. They are unique.

Schedules

The only schedule that I have picked up in a while was a Springfield Falcons of the AHL. Has a player on the front, that I was not able to recognize, and the photo was kind of hazy. If you live in a city that has a team, send me a schedule please. If it is attractive (or not) I will gladly give you credit here.

Autographs

Well, one thing that has been kind to me while I was gone was the mail. I added another Hall-of-Famer to my collection when I got my Bobby Clarke card back signed. It only took about a week and a half. The only complaint that I have is the fact that the signature is so darn small.
I also picked up an autograph from Buffalo Sabre Andrei Trefilov. His response took around a month, but was well worth it. I got both of the cards that I sent to him back.
A while back, I also got University of Michigan defenseman Bubba Berenzweig back, along with a note that he wrote me thanking me. Writing colleges has been fruitful for me, because I have gotten other autographs back, like Chris Drury. It does not take them as long to get your cards back either.
Next Time, which i promise will be less than a month, I will focus on some more new sets, as well as those players that I believe will be most influential during the playoffs.
Happy Collecting
As always, if you have anything that you believe other collectors need to know about, email me. JDNCKLLS@Memphis.edu