Canada Card World - The Blog

New Beginnings

2010-04-06T05:52:00.000-03:00

As time goes by, things change in the hobby, the industry, and in blogging.

Join Canada Card World as we launch our new blog with a new design today.

Please change your bookmarks to www.canadacardworldblog.com

We hope you enjoy the new experience and feel free to send us your comments and your ideas for stories.

And the Award Goes To...

2010-03-31T07:16:00.002-03:00

... Canada Card World - The Blog?

Upper Deck has released the finalists for the inaugural Upper Deck Best Blog award and thanks to our loyal fans, we have been nominated.

Now. It's great to be nominated. Most definitely. But... just like everyone else, we would like to win the Best Blog award from Upper Deck.

And you can help! In return... we might have free stuff for you!

To win the award, we need you to vote for us. Voting is simple. Just click a vote on our blog, enter the 4 digit number so they know you're not a spammer, and that's it. No emails addresses, no pains. The link is:

Upper Deck Best Blog Award Voting

After voting for the Canada Card World blog, visit our newly re-designed blog at www.canadacardworldblog.com and post a comment on one of our stories. We'll give you credit. Vote everyday and we'll give you more credit. Recruit friends to vote for us and we'll give you and them credit. Only one vote per person per day but if you can recruit friends then you can really increase your chances.

If Canada Card World - The Blog wins the Upper Deck Best Blog award we'll win free stuff from Upper Deck. Free stuff for you! In exchange for your comments and the credit you receive, you'll get entries into a contest for free stuff. We'll post a video of these draws and who knows... you might be a winner!

The more you help us... the more you help yourself get free products from Upper Deck!

So vote! And maybe we'll both win!

Upper Deck Unveils Social Media Online Awards

2010-03-23T06:57:00.007-03:00

The online world can be a lonely place... but Upper Deck is trying to making it a rewarding place as well. As collectors, we all look for places to belong, trustworthy information, and most importantly, fun. It is not always easy finding the best and the brightest on the internet but Upper Deck is attempting to shine the spotlight of those select few who deserve our attention.

This week, Upper Deck unveiled a program to honour the best online trading card communities, most influential bloggers, and favourite video box-breakers on the internet. The company is also preparing to give massive exposure and phenomenal prizes to the winners of the new Upper Deck Social Media Awards. The awards will be voted on by collectors through an online poll in the coming weeks.

“It’s pretty difficult for collectors to work their way through cyberspace to find the online trading card community, informed opinions or videos they are looking for,” said Chris Carlin of Upper Deck. “We felt that creating an award program that helps collectors find the best sites on the web would be a win-win for our collectors and for those who have put so much into these communities, blogs and videos.”

The top five online trading card communities will each receive high-profile links on Upper Deck’s Community page to help increase their exposure. In addition, the hobby communities will be featured in an article on the Upper Deck Blog. Finally, the top rated online trading card community will receive a crystallized trophy, a variety of unopened product, a LeBron James-signed UDA basketball, and a 2009 NFL Rookie Photo Shoot signed football to use as giveaways within their online community.

As for bloggers, it’s hard for them to get the attention they deserve. As a reward, Upper Deck is hoping to identify the best bloggers as voted on by collectors. The top five bloggers will receive links on the Upper Deck Blog along with a review on their blogs. The top-rated blogger will receive a trophy, unopened product, and a 2009 NFL Rookie Photo Shoot signed football.

And last but not least, Upper Deck will reward some of collectors’ favourite online box-busters. The top five video box-breakers will each receive a free box to review that will then be shown on the Upper Deck Diamond Vision site. The top online box-breaker will also receive a trophy, various product over the upcoming year, and have their videos featured on Upper Deck’s Diamond Vision site.

Nominations for the three awards began yesterday on Upper Deck’s Facebook page and voting will begin on March 29th, 2010. Upper Deck will announce the winners on April 7th, 2010 and will hopefully recognize them at the 2010 Las Vegas Industry Summit the following week.

If you feel this blog deserves some recognition, feel free to voice your opinion on UD's Facebook page.

Who to Collect (In Retrospect) - Justin Peters

2010-03-22T06:59:00.004-03:00

Sometimes the road to the NHL is longer than expected for some prospects. There are many unexpected twists and turns in the path to recognition and then stardom. And even when there is a well-defined starter in place like Cam Ward, all a player needs to do is make an impression. If you need an example, check out Craig Anderson's career and where he is today.

Justin Peters is a young goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. It's been an interesting journey through many leagues but at the moment he is the starting goaltender for one of the hotter teams in the league, although the 'Canes have no illusions of making the post-season this year.

After Peters was invited to the CHL Top Prospect game as one of the top goalies in the CHL, he was drafted 38th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He started his professional career in 2006–07 with the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats. He was demoted to the ECHL for parts of the 2007–08 season, but returned to the River Rats in 2008–09. During his ECHL time, he was selected as an ECHL All-Star.

On February 5, 2010, the Carolina Hurricanes recalled Justin Peters to the NHL after Cam Ward suffered an injury. He made his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes on February 6, 2010 starting against the New York Islanders and made 34 saves in a 3-1 victory.

Justin Peters is a big butterfly goalie who possesses superb agility and instincts. A fantastic competitor, he plays consistently and always gives his team a chance to win. In his short time this season, Peters has compiled a record of 6 wins and 2 losses and a stellar .916 save percentage to go with a 2.48 GAA.

Upper Deck Series Two 2008-09 containing Justin Peters Young Gun RCs is out now and available at Canada Card World

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-03-21T05:03:00.005-03:00

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Wizards of the Coast was founded by Peter Adkison in 1990 just outside Seattle, Washington.

Originally a role-playing game publisher, the company popularized the collectible card game genre with Magic: The Gathering in the mid-1990s. Magic: The Gathering was originally called Manaclash. The game proved extremely popular at Gen Con in August 1993, selling out of its supply of 2.5 million cards, which had been scheduled to last until the end of the year.

WotC acquired the popular Dungeons & Dragons by purchasing the failing company TSR and experienced tremendous success by publishing the licensed Pokémon Trading Card Game.

In January 1999, Wizards of the Coast began publishing the highly successful Pokémon Trading Card Game. The game sold nearly 400,000 copies in less than six weeks. There was such a high demand for Pokémon cards that some sports card series were discontinued in 1999 because so many printers were producing Pokémon cards.

Seeing the continued success of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering, toy giant Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast in September 1999, for about US$325 million.

Wizards of the Coast also started a chain of retail gaming stores after the company's great success in 1999 with Pokémon, run under the names "Game Keeper" and "Wizards of the Coast". The stores were closed in the spring of 2004.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-03-20T06:02:00.004-03:00

Rumours have begun to float around the hockey hobby world that the exclusive which Upper Deck has had in the hockey market for the past five years is ending. Rumours continue with the potential news that Panini will be brought into the mix. No one is saying much and no one is saying whether it is a Panini-exclusive or Panini in addition to one or more companies. Upper Deck and Panini have remained silent.

Dr. Brian Price of In the Game, which has produced hockey cards for the past five years while respecting the rules of the licensing agreements by not using logos and team names, had this to add to the discussion on a recent post on Hobby Insider:

"Although we have applied for a license with both the NHL and NHLPA and have repeatedly contacted them for more information about our situation, nothing has been forthcoming.

They continue to say that they are assessing the situation and will get back to us. However it has been quite a while and we have had no negotiations. Draw your own conclusions.

We are hearing that there will be NO exclusive next year and we are also hearing that Panini is in the mix.

This is not what I would like to be reporting but it where things are at from my position.

Nothing has been fair about the situation so far, we have paid our dues over the last five years and deserve an opportunity, since no negotiations have taken place with us at this late date, I am doubtful that the NHL or NHLPA are giving us anymore than lip service.

Sorry, I wish I had better news for our loyal collectors. But on a bright note, you're going to love BTP and Superlative Hockey Volume Two will be out for the Expo and it is our best product ever."

Of course, these are all rumours. Until the official news is revealed, it is all speculation. Most collectors have opinions on the situation however it is unclear as to whether the NHL or the NHLPA has any interest in listening to collectors as opposed to the almighty dollar.

Video Vault - Topps TV

2010-03-19T06:01:00.000-03:00

In today's Video Vault, we look at a classic video from four years ago where reporter Brian Kilmeade visits the Topps Headquarters and investigates what goes into making a baseball card.

Rookie Update - John Tavares

2010-03-18T06:42:00.009-03:00

Despite a brilliant start to the NHL season as well as a massive slump, John Tavares has continued to battle every night. His persistance paid off Tuesday night with a career-best 5 points in one game in a surprising New York Islanders win over the Vancouver Canucks.

The blue-chip prospect had an amazing pass to set up a Matt Moulson goal as shown below:

Although it's doubtful that Tavares can finish in the running for the Calder Trophy due to his slump, this 5-point night proved beyond a doubt that he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. After all, a Calder Trophy doesn't guarantee greatness. Just ask Andrew Raycroft who won the Calder earlier this decade. Collectors will still be excited beyond belief to pull a John Tavares SP Authentic rookie card.

John Tavares has appeared previously in ITG Heroes and Prospects but his first Upper Deck rookie cards are available in most 2009-10 Upper Deck products available at Canada Card World.

2009-10 NHL Calder Trophy Race Revisited

2010-03-17T04:38:00.007-03:00

As the Olympic break approached, five players were still in the running as the best rookie of the 2009-10 NHL season. In no specific order, John Tavares, Jimmy Howard, Matt Duchene, James Van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Myers were at the top of the rookie class. Other players were either too old (Antti Niemi) or too hurt (Semyon Varlamov) to be considered. With the Olympic break behind us, two of those players seem to have hit the wall. This does not mean their futures aren't as bright though, as Tavares had a 5-point night last night and Van Riemsdyk continues to play well. In fact, only three strong contenders remain.

Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard was supposed to be a good goalie from day one. Detroit knew it too. They just took their time releasing him and his skills to the world. His play after October cemented him as the Red Wings #1 goaltender and this late-bloomer seems to be the real deal.

Matt Duchene

Matt Duchene wasn't even the best rookie on his team in October and November as Ryan O'Reilly drew most of the attention. However, steady play and a super burst in December put this favourite of Don Cherry into the spotlight.

Tyler Myers

Tyler Myers was supposed to be a project defenseman. His splendid early season play was no fluke and this massive Zdeno Chara clone is a franchise player of epic proportions. Not only is he playing big minutes against the NHL's best but he is putting up amazing offensive numbers for a defenseman as well. A big 4 point night in March proved that he can play a full season and continue to make an impact.

Prediction - Barring a late season charge by one of the other two, this award will go to Tyler Myer. As stated earlier... Who dares steal this trophy away from the hulking defenseman?

Duchene and Myers have rookie cards available in most 2009-10 products available at Canada Card World. Jimmy Howard has rookie cards available in many 2005-06 products.

Topps - The Official Card of USA Baseball

2010-03-16T05:22:00.005-03:00

As spring training continues to roll on, recent news has brought Topps back to the fore-front of American collectors. For those who missed the exciting news, USA Baseball and the Topps Company announced an exclusive multi-year licensing deal to make Topps the official baseball card of USA Baseball. Topps will have exclusivity on USA Baseball trademarks, logos and other intellectual property, for use on cards featuring USA Baseball players.

“Twenty-five years after collectors were first introduced to USA Baseball, our organization is pleased to have Topps, the industry leader, return as the exclusive home for USA Baseball trading cards,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “We look forward to working closely with Topps as together we provide collectors with a look at the future of America’s game on trading cards.”

From 1984-1993 Topps was the exclusive card manufacturer for USA Baseball, producing cards for the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team. The new agreement calls for cards, autographs and game-used equipment of USA Baseball’s Collegiate, Under-18 and Under-16 National Team players to be featured in various Topps products each year.

“Now we’re the only trading card licensed by Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and USA Baseball,” said Warren Friss, Vice President – General Manager of Topps Sports and Entertainment. “We are covering the game of baseball at every level.”

Each year USA Baseball selects about 60 of the best young baseball players in the country for its national teams. This gives collectors the first opportunity to see the future stars of baseball on cards. The first release with the new USA Baseball content will be 2010 Bowman Baseball which will be released in May. Bowman Baseball 2010 will feature cards of the 2009 Collegiate National Team and 2009 Under-18 National Team.

In addition to the Topps sets featuring USA Baseball inserts, the annual USA Baseball National Teams Box Set will also be manufactured by Topps and will continue to be the exclusive place to get all members of the USA Baseball National Team in one set. The box set is scheduled for a December release in 2010.

2010 Topps and Bowman baseball cards will be available soon from Canada Card World.

Product Preview - 2009-10 UD Champs

2010-03-15T06:14:00.003-03:00

UD Champs has rolled off the production line and is ready to be busted open. With 2009-10 UD Champs, Upper Deck continues their visit to the land of the dinosaurs. Definitely not your typical hockey card product, UD Champs contains hockey players as well as dinosaurs, fossils, artifacts, bones, historical figures, and endangered species on tobacco-style mini cards. You can collect subsets which include Wonders of the World and Museum Pieces as well. Or you can just collect the all-stars and the rookies. It's all up to you!

Typical Box Break Summary:
4 Signature or Jersey cards
1-2 Mini Signatures and 5 Mini Rookie Cards
2 Mini Threads
10 Wonders of the World/Natural History/Historical Figures cards
1 Red Back mini parallel card
8 Regular-Sized Parallels

Projected Key Inserts:
Museum Pieces:
Dinosaur Teeth, Golden Jurassic Amminites, Paradoxides Trilobite, Turtle Claw, Great White Shark Tooth, Giant Armadillo Claw, Woolly Mammoth Molar Tooth, Wild Boar Fossil Teeth and more.

Mini Signatures:
Alexander Ovechkin, LeBron James, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Dr. J, Bobby Orr, Steve Yzerman, John Tavares, Gordie Howe, Martin Brodeur and others!

2009-10 UD Champs is being released tomorrow and will be available at Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-03-14T08:29:00.013-03:00

In 1949 there were many post war shortages in England, including the rationing of sweets. In London four young men, all recently demobilized from their military service, Simon Anysz, Rudy Braun, and brothers Douglas and Tony Coakley decided to form a company with the aim of producing and selling chewing gum. The partners decided on the name A&BC Chewing Gum Ltd. Contrary.

In the early days, there were many difficulties, including fighting establishment who thought chewing gum was disgusting and not worth considering during these times of shortages. Since there was no sugar available without a license, one of the first ever-sugarless chewing gums were produced using an artificial sweetener so that the product did not require sweet rationing coupons.

A&BC remembered the popularity of the children's craze for cards from before the War and thought that cards would improve the sales of their gum. Their first bubble gum was produced and included cards of Film & TV Stars wrapped with a fake dollar bill, hence the name "Dollar Bubble Gum".

In 1952, Topps came to England and visited A&BC Chewing Gum. According to the recollection of the Coakley brothers he advised A&BC that they were getting nowhere and advised them to partner up with Topps. A&BC ignored this advice and declined the Topps offer. In 1959, Topps approached A&BC again and this time, the terms of the deal suited A&BC. The two companies negotiated a license for A&BC to produce Bazooka Bubble Gum and to reproduce some of Topps' card gum series, starting with Elvis Presley.

Over the next 15 years A&BC continued to produce their own series of cards, increasingly focusing on the popular football (soccer) cards, though they also produced the Topps U.S. series range of cards. Regardless of the source, all A&BC cards were printed in England.

A&BC Gum began with an 'All Sports' series in 1954, a set of 120 cards which included 36 footballers. They followed this in 1958 with a set of 92 footballer cards, and thus began a run of 16 unbroken years of football card production. During this 16 year period A&BC produced both English and Scottish sets.

In 1962/63 Douglas Coakley approached Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, and obtained the rights to produce cards of the Beatles. A set of 60 cards were first produced and issued. In the U.S., A&BC gave Topps the photographs and helped to negotiate the rights for Topps to produce these sets in America.

At the time the company folded it had 350 employees and they left behind six card/gum machines which could produce 200 packs per minute and wrap pieces of Bazooka per minute.

Topps Chewing Gum took over for A&BC in 1974. They produced their first set of football cards under the Topps Bazooka Limited name in 1975. They continued each year until 1981, after which they became occasional producers of football cards.

The A&BC cards were 8 cms long by 5.5 cms wide and really set the benchmark that all football cards would subsequently be judged against.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-03-13T07:36:00.009-04:00

For several months Upper Deck was on a mission to find two Canadian hobby shops that hockey card collectors could call Shangri-La. Upper Deck and its two major Canadian distributors, Grosnor and Universal, created an exciting campaign encouraging hobby shops in Canada to host more events, programs, and promotions to create excitement for new Upper Deck products. The two winning stores would be anointed Upper Deck’s “Hockey Card Heaven” and receive an in-store visit from an NHL player.

Comic Connection in Hamilton, Ontario was chosen as one of the winners of the campaign. With a stroke of ingenuity, they created a window display using 1990-91 Upper Deck hockey cards that spelled out “HOCKEY CARD HEAVEN." The store also ran different specials every day during the entire promotion (more than three months) to thank customers for their support. Every Saturday was designated as “Kids Day” and the store offered a variety of specials. Comic Connection also included charities such as the Canadian National Autism Foundation in their promotions.

Ted Krieg, owner of Comic Connection, was excited about being chosen. “We’re big hockey fans and it's fantastic to have something like this happen for us. We thought it was a great promotion and all of our staff just jumped at the opportunity. We worked really hard for this, but it’s also been a lot of fun, especially for our customers!"

Wayne’s Sports Cards in Edmonton, Alberta was also chosen as “Hockey Card Heaven.” The team at Wayne’s held colouring contests for kids while older collectors were invited to show off their collections during “Open House” events. One of the larger promotions which they created was called “Score with Upper Deck” where customers purchased a box of product, in exchange for an opportunity to shoot on the owner. The owner, who was decked out in Edmonton Oilers gear, handed out a prize if the collector scored.

“Programs like 'Hockey Card Heaven’ really help a retailer get motivated to come up with new and exciting ways to engage our customers,” said Wayne Wagner, owner of Wayne’s Sports Cards. “Anytime you can bring in a professional athlete to the store, it creates a buzz. Getting to meet a player face to face is such a great experience for fans and I know our customers are going to love it.”

Congratulations to Wayne’s Sports Cards and Comic Connection!

Who to Collect - Luca Caputi

2010-03-12T06:22:00.005-04:00

Luca Caputi grew up in Maple, Ontario, a suburban community northwest of Toronto. And just before the Trade Deadline, Caputi became property of the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As many scouts know, Caputi has all of the physical tools needed to develop into a power forward at the NHL level. At 6-2, 184 pounds, Caputi scores a lot of his goals from in front of the net and is more than willing to muck it up in the corners.

Luca Caputi began his junior career with the Mississauga IceDogs of the OHL in the 2004–05 season. After his 2006–07 season, Caputi was drafted in the fourth round in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In his final season with the IceDogs, Caputi found his stride with an amazing 51 goals and 111 points in only 66 games. His 111 points were fourth in league scoring and his 51 goals were third in the OHL. Following his breakout season, Caputi signed a three-year contract with the Penguins. He then helped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League reach the Calder Cup Finals with 8 points in 19 games.

After starting the 2008–09 season with Wilkes-Barre, Caputi made his NHL debut on February 3, 2009, scoring his first NHL goal on his first shift. Now with the Maple Leafs, Caputi is firing on all cylinders as the opportunity to play big minutes on a young team has presented itself. In only 5 games, Caputi has one goal and 3 assists and seems to be clicking with fellow young gun, Viktor Stalberg.

Luca Caputi has cards in some 2008-09 ITG products and rookie cards in most 2009-10 Upper Deck products which are available at Canada Card World.

Topps TV - Fun Ways to Collect

2010-03-11T05:29:00.004-04:00

Everyone collects for different reasons. Some collect certain players, favourite teams, Hall of Famers, goaltenders, or rookie cards. In this video, Topps TV give us more interesting ways to collect.

Collecting is all about the fun. If you can't enjoy your hobby then you need to find some new ways to collect. Does anyone have any other ideas on interesting collecting habits?

Who to Collect (In Retrospect) - Chris Stewart

2010-03-10T06:48:00.004-04:00

Chris Stewart was born in Scarborough, Ontario and currently is the hottest player in the NHL as he plays for the Colorado Avalanche. Chris is the younger brother of Anthony Stewart, who plays for the Atlanta Thrashers. Stewart is a big power forward who is a strong skater and is very hard to knock off the puck. He's not afraid to get physical but he has great hands for a big man. Stewart’s size, physicality, and soft hands will make him a force to be reckoned with in the NHL

On June 24, 2006, Stewart was drafted 18th overall in the first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. Although usually playing in his brother Anthony's shadow, Chris has had much more success in the NHL than his older brother. On December 5, 2008, Stewart received his first NHL call-up by the Avalanche and made his NHL debut in a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. Stewart scored his first NHL goal against the LA Kings a few nights later. On January 21, 2009, Stewart recorded his first Gordie Howe hat trick also against the Kings. During Stewart's 60th game of the 2009-2010 season, he recorded his first career hat trick against the St. Louis Blues. He had two even strength goals and one goal on a penalty shot.

Although he didn't burst onto the scene in his rookie season, his sophomore season has been far from the bust which plagues many players. Stewart has 25 goals and 27 assists in 61 games this season. The newly stocked Avalanche will be a force for years to come with Stewart joining Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and the newly acquired Peter Mueller.

Chris Stewart has cards in many 2008-09 and 2009-10 products which are available at Canada Card World

In The News - NL Collector Suffers Big Loss

2010-03-09T05:04:00.012-04:00

At Canada Card World, we know how much collecting means to you. We are attaching an abridged version of a story which ran in a Canadian newspaper yesterday in the hopes that it might help lead to a happy ending for all involved.

Canada Post officials say they have no idea what happened to a valuable collection of hockey cards that went missing after being accepted for shipping at its Shoppers Drug Mart outlet on Gibson Drive in Mount Pearl, NL.

As originally reported by Terry Roberts in the March 8th, 2010 issue of The Telegram in St. John's, NL, Canada Post has no explanation for the missing hockey card collection. "We've done everything we could. It's nowhere to be found," Canada Post spokesperson Genevieve Latour said Friday.

Hockey card fanatic Joe Yetman of St. John's is willing to pay a $2,500 cash reward to anyone who can provide information on the whereabouts of the cards.

Yetman has been collecting hockey cards since he was seven and has accumulated quite a large collection. He has had multiple rookie cards of Hall of Famer's Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, and Wayne Gretzky. He also has more than one collection of some valuable sets and recently decided to sell some to help pay for a high school graduation gift for his son.

He recently sold a rare set of 1957 Parkhurst hockey cards on eBay for $5,000 to another collector in Thunder Bay, ON. There were 50 cards featuring players from the Toronto Maple Leafsand the Montreal Canadiens. Included in the set were Frank Mahovlich and Henri Richard rookie cards as well as players such as Maurice Richard, Dick Duff, Charlie Hodge, Bernie Geoffrion and George Armstrong.

He's made many similar transactions over the years with no problems but things were different this time. After receiving the payment from the buyer, Yetman took the set to his local Canada Post outlet on January 2nd, 2010. Confident that the package would reach its destination, Yetman insured the item for $1,100, well below its actual value.

"After sending cards Xpresspost for over 10 years with no problems, I figured there would not be any issues," Yetman said. Ten days later, Yetman said he received an e-mail from the buyer saying he hadn't received the cards.

Yetman checked the tracking number on the package which showed it was received by Canada Post. However, it's now been more than two months and the package still hasn't turned up.

Latour said it's possible the package could have been stolen. She said postal inspectors have carried out an investigation but with no positive results. "We do apologize. This was an unfortunate incident," she said. "It's not the type of result we like to have. We try to deliver on time, all the time, and we do that over 95 per cent of the time."

Yetman had to return the $5,000 to the buyer and has lost some confidence in Canada Post but he'll make sure to insure his packages for the full value in the future. Canada Post has settled Yetman's insurance claim, but he's still out several thousand dollars.

If you or someone you know has any information regarding the missing cards, please contact the The Telegram at telegram@thetelegram.com

Kenny Lofton Talks Baseball Cards and More with Upper Deck

2010-03-08T04:09:00.003-04:00

Upper Deck's Terry Melia was able to land a one-on-one interview with former major leaguer Kenny Lofton during this year's MLB Players Trust event in January at San Diego's Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Watch and listen as Lofton recounts his playing career and shares his thoughts on everything from fans and autographs to big league records and unusual signing surfaces.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-03-07T08:35:00.003-04:00

Norman Saunders was a commercial artist who produced paintings for pulp magazines, paperbacks, adventure magazines, comic books, and trading cards. Born in Badger, Minnesota, Saunders' earliest art training was though a correspondence course.

Saunder's career was launched when his contributions to Captain Billy's Whiz Bang resulted in a job with Fawcett Publications, where he was employed from 1928 to 1934.

In 1958, Saunders obtained his first assignment from the Topps company which involved painting over photographs of baseball players who had been traded. This was done so that the players would appear to be wearing the jersey of their new team. Topps also employed Saunders to create artwork for many other cards.

Saunders was hired to paint scenes for one of the most successful non-sports card sets of all-time, Mars Attacks in 1962. Letters of protest poured in from parents, prompting Topps to issue the cards under a different company name.

His Wacky Packages cards were even more commercially successful. He also produced a number of less well known trading-card series, including: Ugly Stickers, Nutty Initials, Your Own Name and Civil War News.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-03-06T06:50:00.003-04:00

Upper Deck Settles Lawsuit with Major League Baseball

This week, the Upper Deck Company and Major League Baseball announced that both parties have mutually agreed to settle the lawsuit brought by Major League Baseball against Upper Deck. Upper Deck has agreed not to use MLB trademarks including team names and/or logos on its trading cards going forward. As such, many of Upper Deck’s scheduled baseball product launches already in production for 2010 will not be released. Upper Deck can continue to sell three recently released baseball products which are currently on store shelves: 2009 Signature Stars, 2009 Ultimate Collection and 2010 Upper Deck Series One.

“Upper Deck is pleased with the settlement including the amount the company paid as it relates to the trading cards released in 2010,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Brands. “As a company, we are changing the direction of Upper Deck’s baseball products going forward. We are looking forward to creating fresh and innovative set content that will continue to get collectors excited.”

"Great cards of great players have always been the cornerstone of Upper Deck products,” added Upper Deck Founder and CEO Richard McWilliam. “We’ll just have to see how innovative and creative we can become now. Hopefully, this settlement paves the way for stronger relationships with our other licensors.”

Eddie Guardado Talks Baseball Cards and More with Upper Deck

2010-03-05T05:02:00.005-04:00

Upper Deck's Carrie Peterson was able to land a one-on-one interview with former major leaguer Eddie Guardado. The discussion took place during this years MLB Players Trust event in January at San Diego's Torrey Pines Golf Course.

In the video, "Everyday" Eddie recounts his playing career and shares his thoughts on everything from fans and autographs to big league records and unusual signing surfaces.

Remember baseball fans in the USA that this Saturday, March 6th is Upper Deck's 2010 National Packtime Event. When collectors visit an Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealer shop they can receive a free 10-card pack of Upper Deck National Packtime Baseball cards.

Spring Sports Card Expo 2010 - Toronto

2010-03-04T06:45:00.004-04:00

The 40th Sports Card and Memorabilia Expo will be held at the Toronto International Centre on 6900 Airport Road in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada from April 30th to May 2nd, 2010. Always a large draw, collectors and dealer will be able to browse hundreds of tables of rare and not-so-rare sports cards, non-sports cards, and various non-card related items that you would have trouble finding elsewhere.

Sports Card Expo Website.

Admission for the weekend:
$12/day for adults, $3/day for kids, or $25 for the weekend.

Show hours:
Friday 1pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday 10am-6pm.

Autograph guests this year include the greatest Boston Bruins of the late 1960's and early 1970's including Johnny Bucyk ($25), Wayne Carleton ($15), Fred Stanfield ($15), Jim Lorentz ($15), Derek Sanderson ($25-$35), Rick Smith ($15), Ed Westfall ($20), Don Marcotte ($15), Gary Doak ($15), Phil Esposito ($39-$79), Wayne Cashman ($25), Ed Johnston ($20) and Don Awrey ($25). A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some fans to get autographs from their Bruins heroes.

Also, on Saturday May 1st, Ferguson Jenkins will be at the Expo with special guest Reggie Jackson in aid of the Ferguson Jenkins Foundation.

Joining Mr. October will be Gaylord Perry, Bob Feller, and Harmon Killebrew.

Upper Deck and In The Game will also have corporate booths with give-aways and product redemption offers.

Canada Card World will be on-site and we hope to meet collectors, fans, and hobbyists during the weekend.

NHL Trade Deadline Day

2010-03-03T05:12:00.006-04:00

NHL Trade Deadline Day 2010 is today. Unlike the other major sports, the NHL sees a flurry of action on this day, whether big names or small names. Most importantly, a change in location for a player can change his fortune, his future, and his value to collectors.

In the lead up to Deadline Day, the two biggest names traded were Dion Phaneuf and Kari Lehtonen. Both were highly regarded young players who needed a change. Phaneuf was going through a year and a half of uninspired play in Calgary and Lehtonen was playing through another injury-filled season. Phaneuf will now be the centrepiece of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and Lehtonen will be the starting goaltender next year for the Dallas Stars as Marty Turco will more than likely move on through free agency.

As seen earlier this season with the swap of Guillaume Latendresse and Benoit Pouliot by Minnesota and Montreal, a trade can be beneficial to both players. Not only did these two young players get more ice time, they also lit the lamp at an impressive rate in their new surroundings.

Who will be traded today and how many futures will change? Team collectors and player collectors will be swarming hobby boards and eBay as new players join and leave their teams. Rookie card speculators will also be lookng for that certain player who now has a mammoth opportunity with a new team.

CCW hopes you enjoy the day from a collecting stand-point and for the best of your favourite team.

Product Preview - 2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes

2010-03-02T06:06:00.007-04:00

Another new week and more amazing news from In The Game.

ITG has given collectors more to talk about with the release of the cards within the various subsets of memorabilia cards. The goaltender checklist is phenomenal as usual. With names like Pelle Lindbergh, Bernie Parent, Jacques Plante, Vladislav Tretiak, and Patrick Roy to go along with all the best youngsters, ITG BTP is a must-break product.

2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes Game-Used Memorabilia Checklist

In The Game has released more pictures of the big hits and included below are some of the available cards. For more pictures and names, visit the link above.

Game-Used Jersey/Number/Emblem
Game-Used Number
Game-Used Emblem

Limited Jersey/Emblem/Number
Auto/Jersey
Auto/Emblem
Auto/Number

Home Grown
Origins
International Crease

Complete Package
Stick Save
Glove Save
Pad Save
He Shoots He Scores
Mega Stars
Complete Jersey
AutoThreads
Made To Order

2009-10 In The Game Between The Pipes will be released on March 25, 2010 from Canada Card World.

The Golden Goal!

2010-03-01T06:02:00.000-04:00

Team Canada won a stressful 3-2 victory in overtime to give the country a second Olympic gold medal to celebrate in eight years. For Canada, it also marked an Olympic-record 14 gold medals by a country in a single Winter Games. Sidney Crosby provided the heroics on Sunday in the extra period. He capped off a give-and-go with Jarome Iginla for the winner.

The atmosphere was electric from the moment the first person stepped into the building. The game was fierce and physical in the first period as both teams tried to establish themselves. After Canada took a 2-0 lead, the Americans fought back and, in the end, tied the game in the final minute on a goal by Zach Parise.

Ryan Miller earned MVP honours for the Olympics. Brian Rafalski was named the tournament's top defenceman, while Jonathan Toews was named the top forward. The Olympic tournament all-star team was Ryan Miller, Brian Ralfaski, Shea Weber, Pavol Demitra, Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise.

The game brought the Olympics to a close in a perfect fashion for most Canadians.

After a lacklustre tournament, Crosby waited until the final moment to make his mark. After three games with no points, Canada needed a big goal and Crosby provided it. For the tournament as a whole, youngsters like Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Toews led the team with Toews ultimately being named the top forward.

Card value winners - Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Halak, Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews and Drew Doughty.

For cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, visit Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-02-28T05:14:00.010-04:00

DeWayne Buice was born in 1957 in Lynwood, California. Buice was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played two seasons for the California Angels and part of a season for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was awarded Pitcher of the Year and Rolaids Relief Man in 1987. Buice is one of only six pitchers in the Angels' history to strike out at least 100 batters in a season without starting a game. He played in his final game on June 27, 1989 but continued to make appearances in the minor leagues into the 2000s but only for teams in which he had an ownership stake. Buice finished with a career record of 9 wins, 11 losses, 20 saves, 157 strikeouts and a 4.23 earned run average over a 2½-year MLB career. Buice is currently a co-owner of the Reno Astros.

More importantly to collectors, Buice was one of the original managing partners of the Upper Deck trading cards company and he held that position from 1988 to 2000. Buice was in downtown California one evening in November 1987 looking for a Chinese restaurant. He went into a baseball card shop called "The Upper Deck" and asked the person working there whether they knew of the restaurant. Buice and owner Bill Hemrick struck up a friendship which led to Buice having an autograph signing at the store. Within weeks, Buice had become one of Hemrick's business partners.

Bill Hemrick and Paul Sumner were starting a card company called Upper Deck but the players union was not planning on accepting another card company for another three years. Buice was told that if he could help secure Upper Deck a license, he would receive a 12 percent stake in the company. Buice became a key figure in getting MLBPA officials to agree to a meeting. By the end of the 1988 season, Henrick and Summer received the license and were making baseball cards. Although the future partnership was not always peaceful, Buice remains a key figure behind one of the hobby's giants.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-02-27T07:37:00.007-04:00

Card companies continue to pull out all the stops in 2010. After the recent news of Topps Million Card Giveaway, another Topps product has released exciting informaiton of its own. UFC's President Dana White has announced on Twitter that Topps has randomly inserted 10 autographed cards in its newest release that will win one lucky fan the opportunity to sit side-by-side with the man in charge!

The first collector to pull this special triple autographed card featuring Chuck Liddell, Dana White, and Tito Ortiz from the new Topps UFC Main Event will win the ultimate UFC behind the scenes access. The amazing opportunity will allow the winner and a friend to be flown to Las Vegas, Nevada to be Dana White's personal guests at the UFC Training Center. The winners will tour the gym and meet the coaches and fighters competing in the upcoming Ultimate Fighter 12 reality series on Spike TV. The winners will also sit cage-side with Dana White during one of the The Ultimate Fighter preliminary matches.

There are a total of 10 of these triple autographed cards randomly seeded in packs. The other nine lucky UFC fans pulling this card will receive a pair of UFC gloves signed by White, Liddell, and Ortiz.

In recent years, UFC has gained massive popularity in the sporting world and their inaugural releases into the sports card market have been met by eager collectors craving cards beyond the four major sports. The opportunity to own the triple autograph card alone would have most collectors more than satisfied however the added bonus should see this product reach new heights.

Golden Three-Peat!

2010-02-26T06:33:00.011-04:00

The Canadian women's hockey team have done it again. Led by an 18-year-old scoring phenom and a 23-year-old goalie who was considered as nothing more than a back-up just a few months ago, Canada skated to a 2-0 victory over their rivals from the United States and seized its third straight Olympic gold medal.

Marie-Philip Poulin of Beauceville, Que. scored two goals on U.S. netminder Jessie Vetter to lead the charge in her first Olympic Games. After easy wins in their preliminary games, Canada kept the medal momentum going Thursday evening as the women’s hockey team grabbed the gold in a convincing win over the United States. Poulin was a dynamo and goaltender Shannon Szabados of Edmonton made 28 saves to notch the first-ever shutout win in an Olympic women’s hockey final.

Jayna Hefford was the story early in the tournament with her scoring prowess but Shannon Szabados became the story at the end as she was impenetrable in the Canadian net, making 28 saves. Many saves made jaws drop and the crowd erupt.

Team captain Hayley Wickenheiser and the Canadian women errupted in celebration before a deafening crowd as the final buzzer sounded. As the two teams received their medals, there was an outpouring of sportsmanship from the fans for Finland, the bronze medallists, and particularly for the silver-medal-winning rivals from the U.S.

Although there has never been an abundance of female hockey cards on the market, there have been a smattering over the years. This season's O-Pee-Chee set contains all of the women in the Canadian Heroes subset and Upper Deck Series 2 contain some cards of the players competing at the Olympics. In The Game's O'Canada set from 2007 has base cards, autos, and memorabilia cards of most women on the Canadian team three years ago. 1997-98 UD Collectors Choice also contains a great selection of the women's hockey team including rookie cards of Wickenheiser and former captain Cassie Campbell.

Owning The Podium... Finally!

2010-02-25T06:50:00.004-04:00

It was a red letter day for Canada at the Olympics with 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze. All of medals won by women! A gold and a silver in the bobsleigh. A silver in short-track speed skating relay. And most impressively, a bronze medal from Clara Hughes, her sixth career Olympic medal spanning both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Also a big shout-out to Heather Moyse from the women's gold medal bobsleigh team from Prince Edward Island!

Heading into the evening, the main focus of every person in Canada was on the quarter-final men's hockey game between Canada and Russia. The expected battle between Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin never happened as they were both in the background during this game. Canada scored early and often on Evgeni Nabokov to skate away with a 7-3 victory and move into the semi-finals versus Slovakia.

The real story of the game was Roberto Luongo who has taken the reigns from Martin Brodeur and won his third game from three starts in the Olympics. Luongo saw the bench after beating Norway 8-0 but returned to the crease to beat Germany and Russia after Brodeur's lacklustre efforts versus Switzerland and the Americans.

Entering the final few games of the men's hockey tournament, this will be the time to see who shines. Long-term hockey card values could be effected forever with a great performance in the semi-finals and finals. At this point in time, Roberto Luongo and Eric Staal have the greatest potential due to their efforts for Canada. Ryan Miller in the American goal has been outstanding as well. And let's not forget Jaroslav Halak who is making the Slovakians look like top contenders for gold in 2010 in Vancouver. The story will continue to unfold until Sunday night. Enjoy the ride.

Product Preview - 2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes

2010-02-24T05:47:00.004-04:00

2009-10 Between The Pipes from In The Game will continue to deliver an incredible array of game-used memorabilia cards and autographs for goaltender collectors. Goalies have always been, and will always be, a hobby cornerstone. Due to their popularity, Between The Pipes features more goalie autograph cards and memorabilia card than anywhere else in the hobby.

This season, each box of 2009-10 Between The Pipes will have 18 packs with 9 cards per pack. All inserts will be seeded 1:8 packs. This means that, on average, each box of Between The Pipes will have 8 hits!

In The Game has just released the first peek at this season's checklist. Although not complete, it has many collectors drooling already.

Between The Pipes Preliminary Checklist

The 150-card Base Set will include 4 subsets:
Future Stars, Stars of the Game, Greats of the Game, and The Rival League.

The GoalieGraph autograph set will contain over 125 different autograph cards.

There will be five different non-memorabilia inserts:
AHL Rookies, CHL Rookies, Gold Metal Masks, Tribute, and the always popular Net Brawlers.

There are nineteen different Authentic Game-Used memorabilia inserts including:

Game-Used Jersey
Game-Used Number
Game-Used Emblem
Jersey/Auto
Number/Auto
Emblem/Auto
Pad Save
Glove Save
Stick Save
He Shoots He Scores
International Crease
Home Grown
Complete Package
AutoThreads
Complete Jersey
Mega Star
Origins
Complete Logo
Made To Order

Anyone need an oxygen mask? That's a dizzying number of phenomenal hits.

2009-10 In The Game Between The Pipes will be released on March 25, 2010 from Canada Card World.

Upcoming NHL Hobby Box Release Dates

2010-02-23T04:50:00.004-04:00

Listed below is the new release schedule for In The Game and Upper Deck releases. As you can see, there is a log-jam in May, especially on May 25th, 2010. This probably means that OPC Premier or UD Be A Player will be pushed back further. There is no information available yet on UD The Cup or ITG Ultimate.

09/10 Upper Deck Champs Hockey - March 9th, 2010

09/10 Upper Deck SP Game Used Hockey - March 23rd, 2010

09/10 In The Game Between The Pipes - March 25, 2010

09/10 Upper Deck ICE Hockey - April 12th, 2010

09/10 SP Authentic Hockey - April 27th, 2010

09/10 UD Ultimate Hockey - May 11th, 2010

09/10 O-Pee-Chee Metal Hockey - May 18th, 2010

09/10 UD Be A Player Hockey - May 25th, 2010

09/10 UD O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey - May 25th, 2010

All these exciting NHL products and more will be available at great prices this season from Canada Card World.

Hobby Reading Material - The Card

2010-02-22T06:07:00.003-04:00

It is the most valuable piece of cardboard in the whole world.

The T206 Honus Wagner PSA 8 NM-MT was printed in 1909 to be included in cigarettes from the American Tobacco Company. The card was most recently sold to a collector for over $2,000,000. According to "The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card" by Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson, it is the ultimate prize and the holy grail of collecting. Printed in 2007 in hard cover and soft cover in 2008, the book is readily available at many online dealers.

There are only about fifty Honus Wagner's cards but most of them are in poor condition. Wagner did not want his image on a tobacco card and was therefore removed from the set which already make his card harder to obtain. The book is about the one known as The Card. Once owned by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, this card is in excellent condition and that's the problem. The Card is possibly in too good condition. You can refinish classic antiques and paintings get retouched but baseball cards must not be altered. There are card doctors who remove stains, smooth out wrinkles, build up soft corners, change memorabilia patches, and laser rough edges. The book explores the serious doubts about the authenticity of The Card and its current condition.

There are authentication services, such as PSA and BGS, that will grade cards for a fee. There is little policing by dealers, the authentication services, or governmental authorities and police often turn a blind eye to something which seems like a fringe hobby. However, the hobby for kids has become a playground for fraud. The book explores authenticity issues relating to the Wagner card as well as the problems which will always be of concern for collectors in general.

Whether you are interested in sports or collectibles or just interested in a good story, this book keeps the reader amused and enlightened. It profiles collectors and their obsession with accumulation but it also casts doubt on the integrity of many aspects of the sports collectibles market. The Card is an entertaining look at the hobby, the collectors, what drives us, and what may eventually bring the hobby to its knees.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-02-21T04:25:00.004-04:00

John Allen and Lewis Ginter of Richmond, Virginia formed a tobacco manufacturing firm called Allen and Ginter in 1875. They created and marketed the first cigarette cards for collecting and trading. The cards in the series include notables such as Charles Comiskey, Cap Anson, Jack Glasscock, and Buffalo Bill.

The company offered a prize for the invention of a machine able to roll cigarettes. Until this point in time, they had been hand-rolled. The grand prize was won by James Bonsack with his 1880/81 invention. The machine was not reliable and all but one of the large tobacco manufacturers declined to buy the machine. The machine was eventually bought by James Buchanan Duke in 1885 and used it to great success.

Allen & Ginter baseball cards first debuted in 1887 and quickly became the most popularly collected cards of the time. They honoured champions from around the world, including boxers, wrestlers, and baseball players.

By 1890, Duke had consolidated his four major competitors, including Allen & Ginter, and formed the American Tobacco Company. The "Allen & Ginter Company" ceased to exist, but Lewis Ginter remained on the board of the American Tobacco Company.

The original Allen & Ginter Baseball Cards featured not only the top baseball players, but some of the top names in culture outside of baseball. Topps brought the name and style of card back to collectors in 2006. The 2006 Allen & Ginter set featured athletes such as Mike Tyson and Danica Patrick. Topps also used historical figures from hundreds of years ago in the product.

Continuing the tradition, 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball will feature new inserts, including Scribes and Seafarers, Gods and Monsters, and Cabinet cards which feature full-sized complete relic swatches.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-02-20T06:26:00.003-04:00

Topps Unveils The Million Card Giveaway In 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1

Topps has unveiled its first exclusive MLB product with 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1. As part of this year’s product release, Topps is truly putting all of their cards on the table. Topps has scoured their vaults and is making available over one million original Topps cards, including every Topps base card produced since 1952. This means that some collectors will have a chance at such rare rookie cards as Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr., as part of this promotion.

Special code cards will be inserted in one out of every six packs of 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1. Fans then enter the code online and receive an original vintage Topps card. The year-long program also includes 2010 Topps Baseball Series 2 and 2010 Topps Updates and Highlights. Each code redeemed will allow that fan the opportunity to win a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card.

In August 2009, Topps became the first exclusive baseball card company of MLB in nearly 30 years. This is Topps’ first exclusive product since they announced a multi-year licensing deal in 2009 to become the official baseball card of Major League Baseball. The agreement means that Topps has exclusivity on MLB and Club trademarks, logos and other intellectual property, for use on baseball cards, stickers and other products featuring MLB players.

As part of Topps plans to expand and to strengthen its connection with kids, Topps has unveiled many of new and innovative products over the past two years including, Topps Attax, a new trading card game, ToppsTown.com, an online sports community developed for kids and Topps 3D Live trading cards, which brings your favourite MLB players to digital life.

Video Vault - ITG Superlative with Dr. Brian Price

2010-02-19T06:12:00.004-04:00

In this interview from about two years ago, Al Muir and Eric Jahnke interview Dr. Brian Price at the National in Chicago. Dr. Price discusses ITG Superlative and ITG Ultimate and the difficulties in making vintage memorabilia cards available to the public.

Many In The Game products are available from Canada Card World. Specialty products such as ITG Superlative and ITG Ultimate are available as well, please email CCW with your collecting needs.

Product Preview - 2009-10 UD Champs

2010-02-18T05:55:00.007-04:00

Set for release early next month, UD Champs is the next product to roll off the production line for Upper Deck. With 2009-10 UD Champs, Upper Deck is returning to the land of the dinosaurs. Definitely not your typical hockey card product, UD Champs contains hockey players as well as dinosaurs, fossils, artifacts, bones, historical figures, and endangered species on tobacco-style mini cards. You can collect subsets which include Wonders of the World and Museum Pieces as well.

Typical Box Break Summary:
4 Signature or Jersey cards
1-2 Mini Signatures and 5 Mini Rookie Cards
2 Mini Threads
10 Wonders of the World/Natural History/Historical Figures cards
1 Red Back mini parallel card
8 Regular-Sized Parallels

Projected Key Inserts:
Museum Pieces:
Dinosaur Teeth, Golden Jurassic Amminites, Paradoxides Trilobite, Turtle Claw, Great White Shark Tooth, Giant Armadillo Claw, Woolly Mammoth Molar Tooth, Wild Boar Fossil Teeth and more.

Mini Signatures:
Alexander Ovechkin, LeBron James, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Dr. J, Bobby Orr, Steve Yzerman, John Tavares, Gordie Howe, Martin Brodeur and others!

2009-10 UD Champs will be released on March 9th, 2010 and will be available at Canada Card World.

Life-Size Kobe Bryant Trading Card Achieves Guinness Record

2010-02-17T07:37:00.000-04:00

A giant trading card of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant was unveiled this weekend by Panini America and set the Guinness Record for World's Largest Autographed Game-Used Jersey Card. Bryant was at the NBA All-Star Jam Session to autograph the card. The card includes a 15" by 15" swatch of an official jersey which he wore in a game. The card measured 7 feet tall by 4' 11" inches wide.

Kobe Bryant is the jewel in Panini's basketball crown as Upper Deck still has exclusive contracts with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Andrew Bynum. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is the official spokesman for NBA trading cards.

“I am honored to join the Panini family,” Bryant said. “Panini and I are really excited about embracing the challenge of re-igniting the collecting of basketball trading cards and sticker collections … and everyone knows I like challenges! I know from my own experience growing up, how fun collecting and trading these products can be. I really believe collecting these products has the power, through the unique emotions of sports, to unify and strengthen bonds within families and across social groups, no matter what age you are. Panini and I are passionate about developing this hobby in many new and exciting ways. All I can say for now is to have fun expecting the unexpected from us!”

Panini America is the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA. This week Panini launched Adrenalyn, an interactive trading card game, geared to children ages 6 to 11. The game brings together the excitement of the NBA with the thrill of collecting. Adrenalyn features a 450-card set featuring NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and NBA rookies Blake Griffin and Brandon Jennings. The front of each Adrenalyn card features an offensive, defensive, and overall rating so kids can play the game using the Adrenalyn game board.

Each card has a unique authorization code on the back of each card allows kids to upload their cards online to a virtual collector's album and play the game at www.paniniadrenalyn.com. Adrenalyn cards, collector's kits, and starter sets are available at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys'R'Us, and online at NBAStore.com.

Who to Collect - Cody Franson

2010-02-16T05:04:00.009-04:00

Cody Franson of Salmon Arm, British Columbia is a young defenceman currently playing with the Nashville Predators. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. At 6'5, 215 pounds, Franson has the height and weight to compete. He is a good skater and has solid offensive ability. With 16 points in 43 games, he is having a great debut season.

Franson began his major junior career with the Vancouver Giants in the 2002–03 season. After a 13-point campaign in 2004–05, Franson then improved to 55- and 51-point campaigns with the Giants in the next two season after being drafted. In 2006, he helped lead the Giants to a President's Cup as WHL champions, earning a berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup. He recorded the only hat-trick of the tournament and led all defencemen in scoring with 5 points in 5 games. The next year, he was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team and was nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman.

2007–08 was Franson’s first season of AHL action and proved to be a learning experience but an impressive one at the same time with the Milwaukee Admirals. He tallied 36 points in his professional rookie season. In 2008-09, Franson impressed everyone with 52 points in 76 games and has now joined the Predators impressive blue-line defensive corps.

Won a Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Vancouver Giants in 2006.
Won a World Junior gold medal with Team Canada in 2007.
Nominated for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (Top WHL Defenceman) in 2007.
Named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2007.
Won a Memorial Cup with the Vancouver Giants in 2007.

Here's a short checklist of some of his available cards so far in the 2009-10 season:

09/10 NHL UD Black Auto'd Rookie Letterman Exchange Card #93
09/10 NHL UD Series 2 Young Guns #475
09/10 NHL UD Series 2 Young Guns #475 UD Exclusives
09/10 NHL UD Series 2 Young Guns #475 High Glossy
09/10 NHL UD Collectors Choice #269
09/10 NHL UD Collectors Choice Reserve #269
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond #166
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond Ruby #166
09/10 NHL UD SPx #146

Cody Franson has rookie cards in most 2009-10 Upper Deck products available at Canada Card World. Franson also has cards available in various In The Game products previous to 2009-10.

Detroit Red Wings - First Hockey Cards

2010-02-15T05:39:00.001-04:00

Red Wings TV talks trading cards with some of the current Detroit players and learns what it felt like for the players to see themselves on a hockey card for the first time.

Look for more interesting stories videos over the coming weeks and months at CCW - The Blog.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-02-14T08:08:00.005-04:00

Bowman Gum was a Philadelphia-based manufacturer of bubble gum and trading cards in the period surrounding World War II.

During the 1930s, Bowman Gum issued the first chewing gum cards, which included a war series.

Bowman Gum was originally known as Gum, Inc. and it produced a series of cards known as the "Play Ball" sets each year from 1939 to 1941. Production halted after the United States entered the war.

The company did not return to making baseball, football, and other sports-related trading cards until 1948, now under the Bowman name.

In 1948 Bowman Gum issued its first baseball issue. While not being well designed, these small black-and-white cards started the baseball card industry as we know it. Bowman sold their cards with a stick of bubble gum.

Also in 1948, Bowman Gum produced a series of 72 cards devoted entirely to basketball. It was the only hoops set Bowman made and the only nationally distributed basketball set until Topps debuted one about a decade later. The Bowman set contains a card of legendary George Mikan.

The 1951 Bowman issue is an extremely attractive issue and includes rookie cards of baseball Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.

For a few years, Bowman was the leading producer of baseball cards but was overtaken by Topps. After a period in which Topps and Bowman fought to sign players to exclusive contracts for their cards, Topps bought out Bowman in 1956.

The Bowman brand was resurrected by Topps in the late 1980s.

In recent years, the Bowman company has become known as the top brand in baseball for rookie cards.

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-02-13T08:08:00.003-04:00

In response to the request by Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) to issue a temporary restraining order on the distribution of questioned baseball cards, Upper Deck has filed an official opposition brief. Upper Deck is attempting to provide legal reasoning for producing baseball trading cards that use exclusive licensed logos and trademarks.

The filed document addresses these issues and more:
A. MLBP has not shown that it will suffer irreparable harm.

B. MLBP is not likely to succeed on the merits of its trademark claims:
- MLBP has not shown consumer confusion is likely.
- Upper Deck cannot compete in the market for baseball cards unless it can produce cards that contain action photographs of baseball players in their uniforms.
- Upper Deck’s use of MLBP’s marks is nominative fair use.
- MLBP has not shown that dilution is likely.

C. MLBP will not succeed on the merits of its breach of contract claim:
- The License’s language prohibiting non–trademark use of the MLBP’s marks after expiration of the license is unenforceable.

This is all in relation to the recent release of a pair of 2009 baseball card sets from Upper Deck that use MLB logos as part of the cards, despite Topps‘ role as the exclusive licensee of MLB.

“We are surprised and disappointed that Upper Deck, a former partner of ours, would violate our contract by clearly using our intellectual property without our permission,” said Matt Bourne MLB’s VP of Business Public Relations. “We will vigorously use all legal means to protect the intellectual property of Major League Baseball and its member Clubs.”

Upper Deck is licensed solely by the MLB Players Association, not MLB Properties. The products that MLB is addressing are 2009 Ultimate Collection and 2009 Signature Stars, which carry statements that the cards are not authorized by MLB but also do not obscure team logos in the photographs.

Product Preview - 2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes

2010-02-12T06:39:00.007-04:00

Are you a fan of the men behind the mask? Do you collect the last line of defense? Then get ready! ITG's Between The Pipes release date has been set for March 25, 2010.

How will In The Game top last years version?

Similar to the awesome 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects, each box of 2009-10 Between The Pipes will have 18 packs with 9 cards per pack. All inserts will be seeded 1 per 8 packs. That means on average each box of Between The Pipes will have 8 hits! Last year's product was possibly the product of the year. This one could top that!

There will be a lot more information to come between now and the release date but in the meantime, we're giving you a sneak peek at a couple of authentic Game-Used Memorabilia cards.

This year, there will be four different autograph insert sets including Future Stars, The Rival League, Greats Of The Game and Stars Of The Game.

Complete Jersey, Complete Package, Pad Save, autographs, non-memorabilia inserts. In The Game is giving the collectors everything that they want this season. What new surprises will they release this season? Keep an eye for more news in the coming weeks.

2009-10 In The Game Between The Pipes will be available in late March from Canada Card World.

2009-10 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey Checklist and Young Guns

2010-02-11T06:11:00.003-04:00

With the release of 2009-10 UD Series 2, Upper Deck has finally posted the complete master checklist on their website. For many collectors, this is the completion to the set which they started back in November with Series 1. This set continues the tradition of the exciting rookie class of Young Guns and traded players wearing their new jerseys.

2009-10 Upper Deck Series 2 Complete Hockey Checklist

2009-10 UD Hockey Series 2 Young Guns:

451 MacGregor Sharp
452 Brad Marchand
453 Tyler Ennis
454 Mikael Backlund
455 Ryan Stoa
456 Ryan Wilson
457 Philippe Dupuis
458 Perttu Lindgren
459 Aaron Gagnon
460 Daniel Larsson
461 Ryan O'Marra
462 Devan Dubnyk
463 Colin McDonald
464 Alexander Salak
465 Jakub Kindl
466 Andrei Loktionov
467 Scott Parse
468 Danny Irmen
469 Anton Khudobin
470 David Desharnais
471 Tom Pyatt
472 Mathieu Carle
473 Ryan White
474 Colin Wilson
475 Cody Franson
476 Peter Olvecky
477 Andreas Thuresson
478 Matthew Corrente
479 Vladimir Zharkov
480 Tyler Eckford
481 Matt Gilroy
482 Bobby Sanguinetti
483 Ryan Keller
484 Oskars Bartulis
485 David Laliberte
486 Mark Letestu
487 Logan Couture
488 Steven Zalewski
489 Lars Eller
490 Jonas Gustavsson
491 Tyler Bozak
492 Carl Gunnarsson
493 James Reimer
494 Michael Grabner
495 Mario Bliznak
496 Guillaume Desbiens
497 John Carlson
498 Mathieu Perreault
499 Braden Holtby
500 Young Gun Checklist

2009-10 Upper Deck Series Two will be available tomorrow from Canada Card World.

Upcoming Upper Deck NHL Hobby Box Release Dates

2010-02-10T06:12:00.003-04:00

Upper Deck has experienced some delays with products this season and has just released a new schedule for their upcoming products over the next few months. UD Ultimate and UD The Cup have not yet been given release dates at this point.

09/10 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey - February 12th, 2010

09/10 Upper Deck Champs Hockey - March 9th, 2010

09/10 Upper Deck SP Game Used Hockey - March 23rd, 2010

09/10 Upper Deck ICE Hockey - April 13th, 2010

09/10 O-Pee-Chee Metal Hockey - April 13th, 2010

09/10 SP Authentic Hockey - April 27th, 2010

09/10 UD Be A Player Hockey - May 11th, 2010

09/10 UD O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey - May 25th, 2010

All these exciting Upper Deck NHL products and more will be available at great prices this season from Canada Card World.

This Just In...

2010-02-09T19:17:00.002-04:00

Upper Deck has just announced that NHL Be-A-Player and Fleer Ultra rookie redemptions are in house.

Upper Deck will be shipping the Be-A-Player cards first and then the Fleer Ultra cards. Get ready to fill up your checklist!

Also, NHL UD Black Rookie Redemptions are complete and have been sent out to be signed by players and will ship as Upper Deck receives them back from players.

NHL Artifacts Rookie Redemptions are scheduled to be completed in early April as they had to wait until after the holidays to finalize that checklist.

Upper Deck Launches Special NHL Pack Giveaway Nights

2010-02-09T05:18:00.008-04:00

Upper Deck is teaming up with the majority of the NHL’s clubs for a special “NHL Team Pack Giveaway Nights” promotion during the second half of the season. During each special night, each of the participating teams will be supplied with 10,000 six-player packs free of charge at the gate. There will also be 1,000 special chase cards produced for each team which spotlights one fan favourite.

The first give-away night was this past weekend as the New Jersey Devils excited fans on January 31. The six-card line-up featured Martin Brodeur, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Colin White and Paul Martin. The special seventh “chase” card featured Travis Zajac and was available only at the team shop with the purchase of any pack of 2009-10 NHL hockey cards.

Also featured since the launch of the program (with each chase card listed after) have been Chicago (Patrick Kane), Atlanta (Zach Bogosian), Boston (Zdeno Chara), Dallas (Mike Modano), Los Angeles (Drew Doughty) and Tampa (Martin St. Louis).

The remainder of the NHL team giveaway nights (with each team’s chase card) is as follows:

Feb. 11 - Detroit (Nicklas Lidstrom)

Feb. 12 - Colorado (Matt Duchene)

Feb. 13 - Buffalo (Thomas Vanek), Calgary (Miikka Kiprusoff) and Phoenix (Ilya Bryzgalov)

March 2 - Ottawa (Daniel Alfredsson), Pittsburgh (Marc-Andre Fleury) and Toronto (Luke Schenn)

March 6 - New York Islanders (Kyle Okposo)

March 7 - Nashville (JP Dumont)

March 9 - Philadelphia (Chris Pronger)

March 12 - Anaheim (Jonas Hiller) and Washington (Nicklas Backstrom)

March 13 - Carolina (Cam Ward), Columbus (Steve Mason) and San Jose (Dany Heatley)

March 21 - Florida (Tomas Vokoun)

Product Preview - 2009 UD Exquisite Collection Football

2010-02-08T06:49:00.008-04:00

The day after the biggest game of the year seems a suitable time to preview one of the most exciting products of the NFL trading card season from Upper Deck. The New Orleans Saints surprised the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV last night with a 34-17 victory. Collectors will also be surprised by the amazing array of sublime cards on the Exquisite checklist this season.

Every box contains 1 bonus Autographed Memorabilia Card.
Either Exquisite Autobiography or Exquisite Rookie Bookmarks
Every card is foil numbered and every autograph is hard-signed.
All rookie autographs are numbered to 225 or less.

Product Configuration:
7 cards per pack
1 pack per box
3 boxes per case

Each box/pack is hand-collated and will contain seven premium cards. Each box will contain a bonus pack that includes one additional autographed memorabilia card. 2009 Exquisite Collection Football features Exquisite Book Marks multi-signed hinged cards.

2009 UD Exquisite Collection Football will be available for order in late February from Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-02-07T07:57:00.000-04:00

The Goudey Gum Company was an American chewing gum company started in 1919. The company was founded by Enos Gordon Goudey of Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Enos Goudey sold the company in 1932 but he retained an interest as a consultant. On his retirement in 1933, William Wrigley Jr. dubbed him the "penny gum king of America".

Goudey was the first American company to issue baseball cards with each stick of gum. Cards had mainly been available with cigarettes and candy for many years.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are prominently featured in the Goudey cards of the 1930s. They were colorful cards with hand drawn portraits of the players. Hall of Famers depicted on the Goudey cards from 1933 to 1941 include Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Dizzy Dean, Mel Ott, Joe Dimaggio, and Hank Greenberg.

In 1933, Goudey produced a 240 card set, also called "Big League Chewing Gum". These cards were the first baseball cards featuring bubble gum in each pack. The 1933 Goudey set is considered one of the "Big Three" classic baseball card sets, along with the T206 and 1952 Topps sets.

One of the rarest baseball cards is card #106 from the 1933 Goudey set. It was not originally issued with the set. Collectors that sent letters to the Goudey Gum Company complaining about the lack of a #106 card received it in the mail. In 1934, Goudey issued card #106 for the 1933 set with retired player Nap Lajoie. It is known as one of the "Big Three" baseball cards along with the Honus Wagner and Eddie Plank cards from the T206 set.

In 1938, Goudey produced a 48 card set, also known as the "Heads-Up" set. The cards were numbered from 241 to 288, making it look as if Goudey was trying to extend the 1933 Goudey set. The first 24 cards in the set depicts pictures of players heads attached to a cartoonish body in baseball action.

Similar cards as the 1933 and 1934 Goudey sets were also released in Canada by World Wide Gum Co., of Quebec. They are sometimes known as Canadian Goudey sets. The 1933 World Wide Gum set was released with two different backs, one with both French and English, and the other with only English.

Most of the Goudey unreleased cards, printing plates, and company archives were thrown away in the 1960s, although some were sold to collectors.

Goudey baseball card sets
1933 Goudey R319
1933 Sports Kings R338
1933 World Wide Gum V353
1934 Goudey R320
1934 Goudey Premiums R390-1
1934 World Wide Gum V354
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 R321
1935 Goudey Premiums R390-2
1936 Goudey Wide Pens R314
1936 Goudey R322
1936 World Wide Gum V355
1938 Goudey "Heads-Up" R323
1939 Goudey Premiums R303
1939 World Wide Gum V351
1941 Goudey R324

Hobby News - The Saturday Edition

2010-02-06T07:08:00.006-04:00

MLB Files Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Upper Deck

Upper Deck, which last week agreed to pay millions to Japanese video game publisher Konami to settle a dispute over counterfeit "Yu-Gi-Oh" cards, is now being sued by Major League Baseball. On Monday, Major League Baseball Properties, the league's licensing division, filed a federal lawsuit against Upper Deck which accuses the company of trademark infringement and illegally selling cards that feature official team logos and uniforms. The complaint also notes that Upper Deck owes MLB $2.4 million.

In August, MLB granted Topps an exclusive, long-term license to produce baseball cards. The agreement gave Topps a monopoly on baseball and ended Upper Deck's 22-year relationship with MLB. In related news, Panini has become the exclusive producer of basketball cards and Upper Deck is reaching the end of its' five-year exclusive NHL license this season.

In a defiant move, Upper Deck responded by re-signing its licensing agreement with the MLB Players Association, a deal that provides rights to sell cards with players' images and likenesses. Upper Deck recently unveiled two new sets of cards for the 2009 season that do not have team names or logos printed on the borders of the cards but do include pictures of players in MLB uniforms. For example, Boston Red Sox's first baseman Kevin Youkilis' card shows him wearing the Boston jersey and helmet but the card identifies his team only as "Boston." In The Game, an NHL card manufacturer, creates sets without an NHL license however it follows the rules by not including logos and full team names.

The two new card sets are at the center of MLB's complaint. They allege that Upper Deck's conduct is "reflective of a pattern of utter disrespect for the contractual and intellectual property rights of those from whom it licenses valuable trademarks."

For Upper Deck, the suit is the latest in a string of legal and management setbacks. In the Konami case mentioned above, one Upper Deck executive testified that she witnessed CEO Richard McWilliams shred counterfeit cards in his office. That settlement came on the heels of a separate dispute with Topps, which sued Upper Deck last year for stealing its card designs. Topps claimed that designs for some of Upper Deck's 2009 cards were virtually identical to cards Topps produced in the '70s.

It's not the first time MLB has sued a card company for improperly using official logos. In the past decade, MLB filed claims against Donruss and Pacific, both of which put official MLB marks on cards after their agreements had expired. Ironically, Topps has been in Upper Deck's current position in the past. During the '70s, Topps had a licensing deal with the pro football players' union to make cards, but did not have an agreement with the NFL. As a result, its cards for several years featured no NFL marks and obscured logos on uniforms and helmets.

In The Game VIP Club

2010-02-05T06:49:00.006-04:00

In past newsletters, In The Game advised collectors to hold on to their ITG box tops and now they are unveiling the reason why with the new ITG-VIP Club. In order to qualify you will need to accumulate 100 ITG-VIP points. ITG-VIP points are gained by opening qualifying ITG products and sending in the box tops. Each ITG-VIP Club Member will receive a special ITG-VIP number that can be used for discounts on purchases in the ITG Online Store and special priority for limited edition products to be offered in the ITG Online Store.

In addition, each ITG-VIP member will receive a special ITG-VIP Game-Used Memorabilia card, only available through this program. Each ITG-VIP Memorabilia card will be numbered out of twenty. ITG-VIP memberships will last for 12 months and each time you renew, you will receive a new ITG-VIP Game-Used Memorabilia card.

Here is the points breakdown on how you can gather your 100 points:

25 pts. - All Ultimate Memorabilia Box Tops (not pack box tops)
25 pts. - All Superlative Box Tops (inner pack tops -not book top)
10 pts. - 1972 The Year In Hockey
10 pts. - 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects and Between The Pipes
5 pts. - 2008-09 Heroes and Prospects and Between The Pipes
2 pts. - 2007-08 Heroes and Prospects and Between The Pipes
2 pts. - 2007 O Canada

Once you have accumulated 100 points, send your box tops along with your Name, Address, Phone Number and email address to:

In The Game, Inc.
VIP Program
135 West Beaver Creek Road Box #604
Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 4R7, Canada

Many In The Game products are available from Canada Card World.

2009-10 NHL Calder Trophy Race

2010-02-04T05:49:00.010-04:00

As the Olympics break approaches, five players have emerged as the best rookies of the 2009-10 NHL season. In no specific order, John Tavares, Jimmy Howard, Matt Duchene, James Van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Myers have been at the top of the rookie class. Some players have played well in spurts and other players were either too old (Antti Niemi) or too hurt (Semyon Varlamov). With approximately 25 games left in the season, it is time for one of these players to put the exclamation point on the season and take what is rightfully theirs.

John Tavares

Tavares was the 1st overall draft pick in 2009 and the odds-on favourite to win the trophy. He started strong but the long season seems to be wearing him down. The lack of depth on the Islanders isn't helping either.

Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard was supposed to be the back-up to Chris Osgood this season. His play after October cemented him as the Red Wings #1 goaltender and this late-bloomer seems to be the real deal.

Matt Duchene

Duchene wasn't even the best rookie on his team in October and November but steady play and a super burst in December put this favourite of Don Cherry into the spotlight.

James Van Riemsdyk

Slow and steady, James Van Riemsdyk has played a solid all-around game. A lack of big minutes behind such proven stars and Carter, Richards, and Hartnell has hurt his chances for the big prize.

Tyler Myers

Tyler Myers was supposed to be a project defenseman. His splendid early season play was no fluke and this massive Zdeno Chara clone is a franchise player of epic proportions. Not only is he playing big minutes against the NHL's best but he is putting up amazing offensive numbers for a defenseman as well.

Prediction - Barring a late season charge by one of the other four, this is Tyler Myer's trophy. Who dares steal it away from this hulking defenseman?

Tavares, Van Riemsdyk, Duchene, and Myers all have rookie cards available in most 2009-10 products available at Canada Card World. Jimmy Howard has rookie cards available in many 2005-06 products.

Product Preview - 2009-10 Upper Deck Series Two

2010-02-03T06:12:00.005-04:00

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver are coming. Luckily for collectors, so is Upper Deck Series Two Hockey.

Bringing out the new set of Young Guns, Upper Deck Series Two finishes off what Series One started. New this year, Upper Deck's "The Champions" set features some of the best former Olympians and future champions just in time for the Opening Ceremonies.

The regular set will contain players not in Series One as well as players who have switched teams via trade. Not only that, 50 new Young Guns will be added to the checklist including 'The Monster' Jonas Gustavsson. The new insert set 'The Champions' will also feature some which are autographed. This will definitely be a favourite among collectors.

Regular Set:
Regular Cards (200)
Young Guns (50)

Top Inserts:
Acetate Hits: Rookie Breakouts (#/100) & Draft Class (#/10)
The Champions (1 in every 12 packs)
Fab Four Fabrics (#/100)
UD Rookie Materials Patch (#/25)

Typical Box Break Summary:
Six Young Guns RC’s
One Rookie Materials
One UD Game Jersey
Twelve Victory Rookies
Two 'The Champions'

Typical Case Break Summary:
One Die-Cut Acetate card
Draft Class & Rookie Breakouts
One UD Signatures

2009-10 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey will be available in mid-February from Canada Card World.

In The Game and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

2010-02-02T06:17:00.002-04:00

Vancouver 2010. It will be one of hockey's greatest events. The Olympic Men's Hockey Tournament.

Will the defending champion Team Sweden take the gold again? Can Team Canada return to glory? How will the American youth movement work out? What about the high-powered Team Russia?

In The Game is commemorating this great event with a group of autograph and game-used memorabilia cards. Many of the great players from the 2010 Olympic Games and Olympic Games of years past will be on the checklist.

There are four different card categories:
Autograph cards
Authentic Game-Used Jersey cards
Authentic Game-Used Patch cards
Authentic Game-Used Jersey/Autographed cards.

There will be only ten of each card and they will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis. The only place to find these cards is at the In The Game online store.

Ideal for player collectors and Olympics enthusiasts, don't miss this opportunity to order your favorite player or players as soon as they are available. Remember, orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

All cards will go on sale on Friday February 5th, 2010 at the ITG Online Store.

Product Preview - 2009-10 Be A Player Hockey

2010-02-01T07:42:00.001-04:00

Offering one autograph card in every pack, 2009-10 Be A Player Hockey truly brings the collectors what they want! And no product delivers signatures like Be A Player! The feeling a card collector gets from pulling an autograph card cannot be beat! With chances at duals, triples, and more, how can you stay away?

Get 1 Autograph Card in Each Pack!
Collect 1 rookie card or rookie redemption card in each Box!
Autographed Rookie Jersey cards!
Rookie Patch cards - #/15!
Find 1 dual signed card in each box on average!
Big Hit in Each Box: Rookie Jersey cards!

Typical Box Break Summary:
1 Dual-Player Signature Card
1 Rookie card or Rookie Redemption
1 Rookie Jersey Card

Typical Case Break Summary:
Five 3-player Signature Cards

Key Inserts:
Be A Player Rookies:
John Tavares, Matt Duchene, James van Riemsdyk, Jonas Gustavsson, Michael Del Zotto, Evander Kane, Colin Wilson, Logan Couture, Victor Hedman, Tyler Myers, Jamie Benn, Michael Grabner, Tyler Bozak, and more.

2009-10 UD Be A Player Hockey will be available in mid-May from Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-01-31T07:08:00.006-04:00

The Leaf Candy Company was a major American producer of candy and trading cards. The company was originally founded by Sol S. Leaf in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Leaf started various candy companies beginning in the 1920’s and they were merged into Leaf Brands in 1947. The company headquarters were later moved to Illinois before Leaf Brands was eventually sold to Hershey.

Leaf Confectionery Company introduced Rainblo Bubble Gum in 1940. Rainblo gum balls were the first gumballs with a hollow center and the first that had coloring and flavoring throughout the gum, rather than just on the surface of the gumball.

In 1948 Leaf issued its first set of baseball cards, considered one the of the first sets of "modern" baseball cards.

In 1949 Leaf Brands reintroduced malted milk balls as Whoppers which are still popular to this day.

In 1983 Leaf acquired Jolly Rancher. Also in 1983, Leaf Candy Company in Illinois was purchased by Huhtamäki Oyj of Finland. He acquired the Donruss trading card division of General Mills at about the same time and merged it into Leaf.

In the 1990s Leaf had become one of the world's top ten confectionery companies. By 1993 Leaf was the fourth largest candy producer in North America.

Pinnacle Brands acquired the rights to produce trading cards under the Leaf and Donruss imprints from Huhtamäki Oyj. In 1998 Pinnacle/Donruss filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Donruss company itself is shut down and only the name lives on.

Playoff acquired the rights to produce trading cards under the Leaf and Donruss imprints from Pinnacle in a bankruptcy auction.

Today is National Hockey Card Day In Canada

2010-01-30T08:35:00.003-04:00

If giving away a free pack of Upper Deck NHL cards to everyone in Canada on Saturday, Jan. 30, wasn’t enough, they've upped the ante for this year’s National Hockey Card Day. As the NHL’s exclusive manufacturer of licensed hockey trading cards, Upper Deck has hidden 11 major memorabilia prizes at hobby shops throughout Canada as part of the company’s second “Holiday Hunt” program. Items up for grabs include hockey helmets signed by several top 2009 NHL rookies including John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Jonas Gustavsson; a game-issued Pascal LeClaire jersey; and plenty of 2009 NHL Draft autographed mini sticks and pucks individually signed by the likes of Matt Duchene, Evander Kane and other top rookies.

Deciphering where the store is located is just the first part of the hunt. In addition to the store’s image, Upper Deck will also post which pack of hockey cards collectors need to purchase in order to win the prize. You can take home one of the 11 hidden prizes if you are the first person in the correct store to purchase the proper Upper Deck pack (brand and year) and say the phrase, “I love Upper Deck’s Holiday Hunt!”

“We’ve seen tremendous support for our social media initiatives from sports fans this year and during our previous Holiday Hunt in December,” said Carrie Peterson, Upper Deck’s online marketing manager. “National Hockey Card Day provides us with a great opportunity to thank people who have become fans of our Facebook page and who have followed us on Twitter. It will be interesting to see how long it takes people to find these prizes. We encourage them to use all forms of social media to communicate with each other, problem solve and ultimately bring these great hockey prizes home.”

With nearly 200 Canadian hobby shops participating in National Hockey Card Day, finding the right shop may not be easy so collectors should familiarize themselves with their local shops now since these prizes are all top shelf. For a list of participating shops, visit http://www.upperdeck.com/nhcd. Check out Upper Deck’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/upperdeck and Upper Deck’s Twitter page at http://twitter.com/upperdecksports to catch the clues you’ll need to win items from Upper Deck’s second Holiday Hunt.

2010 UD National Hockey Card Day Video with Evander Kane

2010-01-29T06:14:00.003-04:00

In this video, Upper Deck's Terry Melia shares the fun of the 2010 National Hockey Card Day set with fans. Evander Kane lends his support to the program as well.

Pick up your free five-card pack at hobby and retail locations throughout Canada on Saturday, January 30, 2010. The 15 card set will feature Canadian-born NHL stars as John Tavares, Martin Brodeur, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman to name a few. For more information, visit www.upperdeck.com/nhcd

Product Preview - 2009-10 OPC Premier

2010-01-28T05:01:00.008-04:00

With four phenomenal hits in each pack, 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Premier is what hockey card collecting is all about. This year's checklist includes amazing manufactured patch cards, four swatch rookie cards (quad jerseys, two-jerseys/two-patch combos, and quad patch versions), and autographs, autographs, autographs!

Each OPC Premier pack contains:
1 Autographed Quad Rookie Memorabilia card!
1 Manufactured Patch card.
1 Autographed card
1 three or four swatch jersey or patch card, or a parallel card /25 or less!

Manufactured Patches cards of the NHL’s elite players!
Yzerman, Lemieux, Orr, Howe, Neely, Messier, Kane, Tavares.

Awesome autographed versions!
Premier Signings Extravaganza!
Single, Dual, Triple & Quad versions with the best of the NHL!
Top-of-the-line Triple and Quad Jersey and Patch card die-cuts!
Signed and non-signed O-Pee-Chee Premier Remnants!

Key Hits:
Cool Manufactured Patches – with nicknames, achievements, famous moments, and more.
Top-Notch Autos – singles, duals, triples, and quads of the NHL’s superstars.

2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Premier will be available in late May from Canada Card World.

2009-10 Upper Deck Trilogy Checklist Released

2010-01-27T06:46:00.003-04:00

With two tiers of rookie cards, four awesome multi-swatch jersey inserts and a massive amount of autograph offerings, 2009-10 UD Trilogy Hockey delivers hits throughout the set. With its trademark scheme of one signature, rookie card or jersey card in every pack, Trilogy delivers pack after pack. Add in low-numbered multi-player plexi-glass autographs, and it’s a must-own product!

2009-10 Upper Deck Trilogy Checklist

Get 3 autograph, rookie and jersey cards in every box!
Get 1 Autographed Plexi-Glass card per Box!
Also find multi-player card of this sleek, popular insert!
Autographed Jersey cards!
Look for Classic Confrontations dual-sided jersey cards!
Get more low-numbered jersey parallels!

Typical Box Break Summary:
3 Autograph cards
3 Rookie Cards
3 Memorabilia Cards
1 Autographed Plexi-Glass card

2009-10 Upper Deck Trilogy will be available next week from Canada Card World.

Product Preview - 2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes

2010-01-26T06:38:00.005-04:00

Last season, In The Game released 2008-09 Between The Pipes with one promise. They would cut production but they would not cut the goods. Collectors were hopeful and what resulted was one of the most popular and most hit-filled brands of the season. Collectors will be hoping for similar results this year.

Recently, In The Game released this sneak peek at the base cards for 2009-10 ITG Between The Pipes. Returning this season are the popular Future Stars, Stars of The Game, Greats of the Game, and The Rival League.

Featuring the greatest goalies in the game, future stars, and some goalies from the past who are long forgotten, ITG Between The Pipes gives collectors the men behind the masks.

Look for more details and images to be released over the coming months.

2009-10 In The Game Between The Pipes will be available later this spring from Canada Card World.

Upper Deck 'Diamond' Dealer

2010-01-25T06:58:00.005-04:00

Here's a great video of a box break of 2008 Ultimate Baseball. It was a special three box preview that had one amazing hit.

As you can see, sometimes box breaks can contain that special hit that you really want.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-01-24T08:39:00.010-04:00

Parkhurst Hockey Cards were manufactured by Parkhurst Products, a Canadian manufacturer of sports cards, based in Toronto, Ontario. Their cards were primarily for hockey but also featured Canadian wrestlers.

Although Parkhurst was a popular brand in Canada, it only had the rights to produce cards of the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Oddly enough, in some years, Parkhurst only had the rights to produce cards featuring players from Montreal and Toronto and the sets could consist of fewer than 70 cards.

Parkhurst produced rookie cards for such infamous players as Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Terry Sawchuk, and Jean Beliveau.

After disappearing in the 1960s, the brand was resuscitated in 1991 by Dr. Brian H. Price who tried unsuccessfully to acquire an NHL license. As a last resort to bring the historic brand back, he licensed Parhurst to Pro Set Inc., a Dallas based hockey card manufacturer. When Pro Set, Inc. entered Chapter Eleven bakruptcy protection prior to the 1992–93 season, Price took his Parkhurst tradename to Upper Deck.

In 1994–95, a Parkhurst Special Edition set was released that was originally distributed solely in European markets although a large amount made its way to North America.

Parkhurst was the only company to create a card that features an image of Wayne Gretzky in the Kings "playing card" jersey. The card is actually a Kevin Stevens card but on the back is a picture of Kevin Stevens and Wayne Gretzky wearing the Los Angeles Kings' third jersey.

For the 50th anniversary of the initial set, the Parkhurst brand was relaunched by Dr Price's new venture In The Game Trading Cards. The set originally appeared as an insert in various 2000–01 products before being re-introduced a year later as a stand-alone set.

In 2005, Upper Deck re-acquired the Parkhurst name and issued another Parkhurst set.

Parkhurst returned in the 2006–07 season, with a shift in focus to retired players. The set included a wide variety of autographs and was a massive hit among collectors.

Don't Forget - National Hockey Card Day Next Saturday!

2010-01-23T07:02:00.002-04:00

Calling all Canadian collectors!

Sorry to the American fans out there... but this is Canada's game!

National Hockey Card Day is coming Saturday, January 30th.

Visit shops throughout Canada to get a free pack of Upper Deck's National Hockey Card Day cards.

Visit multiple shops to try to collect the 15-card set made up entirely of Canadian-born players. Upper Deck has finalized the list of participating retailers. Find participating shops in your area by visiting www.UpperDeck.com/NHCD.

If you bring a friend who doesn't collect, participating retailers will give you an additional pack for FREE! You will not want to miss out on getting these cards. Make sure to call them to find out when they open and what they have planned for this special day. Most of all, have fun!

Who to Collect - Tyler Bozak

2010-01-22T05:48:00.002-04:00

Tyler Bozak passed up the opportunity to turn professional in 2008 because he felt that he was not physically ready to make the jump to the big leagues. Now 23, Bozak's decision appears to be the correct one as he's currently skating with the Toronto Maple Leafs and there appears to be no doubt that this is where he belongs.

Prior to joining the Maple Leafs organization, Bozak played NCAA hockey at the University of Denver for two seasons. Before that, he had a phenomenal season in the BCHL with the Victoria Grizzlies scoring 45 goals and 128 points in only 59 games.

Bozak is an intelligent two-way player with good offensive instincts. His main asset is his hockey sense and he has the potential to be a second line center and is likely the most NHL-ready among the current prospect group.

In his NHL debut, Bozak recorded his first career NHL point. On January 11, 2010, Bozak was recalled by the Leafs. Only three nights later, Bozak scored his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. With 5 points in 6 NHL games, Bozak is exactly what the floundering Maple Leafs need.

Tyler Bozak has rookie cards in most 2009-10 Upper Deck products available at Canada Card World.

2009-10 Artifacts Rookie Redemptions Checklist

2010-01-21T06:21:00.001-04:00

Just released from Upper Deck, here is the list for the 2009-10 Artifacts Rookie Redemptions. The cards are limited to 750 copies each. There are no parallel versions of the 2009-10 Artifacts Rookie Redemptions this year.

Artifacts Redeemed Rookies

201 John Carlson
202 Michael Grabner
203 Jonas Gustavsson
204 Victor Hedman
205 Lars Eller
206 Logan Couture
207 Mark Letestu
208 Shaun Heshka
209 James van Riemsdyk
210 Erik Karlsson
211 Michael Del Zotto
212 John Tavares
213 Matthew Corrente
214 Colin Wilson
215 Mathieu Carle
216 Danny Irmen
217 Andrei Loktionov
218 Dmitry Kulikov
219 Devan Dubnyk
220 Jakub Kindl
221 Jamie Benn
222 Ryan Stoa
223 Matt Duchene
224 Matt Gilroy
225 Viktor Stalberg
226 Sergei Shirokov
227 Tyler Myers
228 Brad Marchand
229 Evander Kane
230 MacGregor Sharp
231 Ryan O'Reilly
232 Daniel Larsson
233 Ryan O'Marra
234 Bobby Sanguinetti
235 Jason Demers
236 Tyler Ennis
237 Tyler Bozak
238 Benn Ferriero
239 Mikko Lehtonen
240 Anton Khudobin
241 Tyler Eckford
242 James Reimer

2009-10 Upper Deck Artifacts is available from Canada Card World.

2008-09 Be-A-Player Rookie Redemption Checklist

2010-01-21T06:10:00.000-04:00

Just in from Upper Deck, here is the complete checklist for the 2008-09 Be-A-Player Rookie Redemption cards for 2009-10 which are limited to just 99 total copies:

BAP Redeemed Rookies

RR-281 John Tavares
RR-282 Victor Hedman
RR-283 Matt Duchene
RR-284 Jonas Gustavsson
RR-285 Oskars Bartulis
RR-286 Daniel Larsson
RR-287 Ryan O'Marra
RR-288 Mathieu Perreault
RR-289 Lars Eller
RR-290 Mathieu Carle
RR-291 Brad Marchand
RR-292 Logan Couture
RR-293 Perttu Lindgren
RR-294 Braden Holtby
RR-295 Michael Grabner
RR-296 Cody Franson
RR-297 James Reimer
RR-298 Jason Demers
RR-299 Sergei Shirokov
RR-300 Viktor Stalberg
RR-301 Benn Ferriero
RR-302 Tyler Bozak
RR-303 James van Riemsdyk
RR-304 Erik Karlsson
RR-305 Matt Gilroy
RR-306 Colin Wilson
RR-307 Alec Martinez
RR-308 Dmitry Kulikov
RR-309 Jamie Benn
RR-310 Ryan O'Reilly
RR-311 Tyler Myers
RR-312 Evander Kane
RR-313 Antti Niemi
RR-314 Frazer McLaren
RR-315 Michael Del Zotto
RR-316 Ville Leino
RR-317 Michal Neuvirth
RR-318 Matt Pelech
RR-319 Riku Helenius
RR-320 Ivan Vishnevskiy
RR-321 Jhonas Enroth
RR-322 Artem Anisimov
RR-323 Mikael Backlund
RR-324 Christian Hanson
RR-325 Yannick Weber
RR-326 T.J. Galiardi
RR-327 Spencer Machacek
RR-328 Luca Caputi
RR-329 Brian Salcido
RR-330 Tyler Ennis
RR-331 Carl Gunnarsson
RR-332 Alexander Salak
RR-333 Scott Parse
RR-334 Matt Beleskey
RR-335 Cal O'Reilly
RR-336 Taylor Chorney
RR-337 Mike Santorelli
RR-338 Peter Regin
RR-339 Kris Chucko
RR-340 John Scott

Upcoming Hockey Card Release Dates

2010-01-20T06:51:00.008-04:00

Below is an updated list of all major hockey releases for the next few months. As usual, all release dates are subject to change.

2009-10 ITG Heroes & Prospects Hockey - January 27, 2010
2009-10 UD National Hockey Card Day - January 30, 2010

2009-10 UD Trilogy Hockey - February 2, 2010
2009-10 UD Series 2 Hockey - February 9, 2010
2009-10 UD SP Game Used Hockey - February 17, 2010
2009-10 UD Ice Hockey - February 24, 2010
2009-10 Famous Fabrics - February 24, 2010
2009-10 UD Champ's Hockey - March 10, 2010
2009-10 UD SP Authentic Hockey - April 1, 2010

2009-10 UD O-Pee-Chee Metal Hockey - April 13, 2010
2009-10 UD Ultimate Collection Hockey - April 27, 2010

Visit Canada Card World for great prices and information on the latest checklists and releases.

Product Preview - 2009-10 OPC Metal

2010-01-19T04:59:00.007-04:00

O-Pee-Chee Metal cards help to make the most complete set on the market! Every Pack includes 1 Metal Parallel so there will be a version for all 800 cards from the entire O-Pee-Chee set. This also means that every rookie who debuted in October is back again. No. 1 pick John Tavares, Matt Duchene, James van Riemsdyk, Victor Hedman, Evander Kane, Jonas Gustavsson, Michael Del Zotto and so many more!

Collect Valuable Metal Parallels - 2 per Pack!
Metal ‘X’ versions fall 2 per box!
Get the best rookies from the Entire 2009-10 Rookie Class!
Complete the Awesome 800-card O-Pee-Chee set.
Hard-Signed O-Pee-Chee Metal Autographs - 2 per Case!
1 per pack Retail Variations of the whole set!
Find Top Draws Jersey Cards - 1 per Box.
OPC Update Rainbow parallels -1 in 3 packs!

Typical Box Break Summary:
48 Metal Parallels Total
2 ‘Metal X’ Parallels
1 Top Draws Triple Jersey card
24 OPC Retro variations
8 OPC Update Rainbow parallels

Typical Case Break Summary:
2 OPC Metal Autographs
2 OPC Signatures / The Champions Autograph cards

Key Inserts:
OPC Metal Autographs (hard-signed):
Sidney Crosby, Bobby Orr, Jarome Iginla, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Toews, Mike Richards, Marc-Andre Fleury, Henrik Lundqvist, Steven Stamkos and more!

Top Draws (Triple Jerseys):
John Tavares, Matt Duchene, James van Riemsdyk, Jamie Benn, Evander Kane, Viktor Hedman, Jonas Gustavsson, Tyler Myers, Michael Del Zotto and more!

2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Metal will be available this April from Canada Card World.

2009-10 Upper Deck SPx Hockey - Live This Week!

2010-01-18T05:59:00.000-04:00

With hot rookie cards of rising stars such as John Tavares, Jonas Gustavsson, James Van Riemsdyk, Tyler Myers, Matt Duchene and many others, 2009-10 UD SPx shapes up to be a must-own set this season.

Get 2 Rookie Jersey Cards per box - 1 autographed.
Collect 1 short-printed RC per case on average!
Grab 1 Winning Materials & 1 Winning Combos card per box!
Shadowbox Cards Debut!

Typical Box Break Summary
1 Rookie Jersey Card
1 Signed Rookie Jersey card
1 Winning Materials Jersey card
1 Winning Combos Jersey card
3 SPx Rookies/SPxcitement

Case Hits include:
1 Autographed Rookie Jersey card /499
1 Shadowbox card
1 Signed Flashback Fabrics
2 Flashback Fabrics cards
2 Winning Trios Jersey cards
3-4 Spectrum parallels

Winning Materials include:
Ovechkin, Toews, Gaborik, Luongo, Iginla, Messier and more.

Winning Combos include:
Crosby/Ovechkin, Koivu/Koivu, Roy/Luongo, Hawerchuk/Selanne, Yzerman/Bowman, and others.

Shadowbox Stoppers include:
Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Martin Brodeur, Carey Price, Marc-Andre Fleury and more.

2009-10 Upper Deck SPx will be available this week from Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-01-17T07:45:00.008-04:00

Pro Set was a Dallas-based sports card company founded by Ludwell Denny. Denny acquired a card license after making and selling other NFL memorabilia in previous years. His licensing agreement with NFL Properties gave Pro Set the distinction of being "The Official NFL Card," which they held through 1991.

At its peak, Pro Set had a 44,000-square-foot headquarters and 225 employees. For several years, Pro Set flooded the market with their product. In 1994 they folded due to Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Pro Set was famous for errors and variations. The most sought after variation from 1990 Pro Set is the Fred Marion of the New England Patriots card. The card is controversial because the card features San Francisco 49ers John Taylor in the background and the belt from Taylor's pants came undone. The positioning of the belt gives the appearance that his private area is exposed but it is just a shadow and the belt.

After disappearing in the 1960s, the Parkhurst hockey card brand was resuscitated in 1991 by Dr. Brian Price (currently behind In The Game) and licensed to Pro Set. Pro Set promoted Parkhurst as a premium brand of cards.

Pro Set offered cards in various languages. In 1991, Pro Set featured football cards in Spanish, hockey cards in French, and soccer cards in the "King's English."

In 1992, Pro Set created a 100 card set based on the Guinness Book of World Records. They also created sets for PGA Golf.

Upper Deck NFL 2009 - Own the Rookies

2010-01-16T08:56:00.003-04:00

The 2009 NFL season has been an exciting one with standout performances every week from the rookies. From Mark Sanchez securing a victory in his first game to Jeremy Maclin’s breakout game in Week 5, it’s clear this rookie class is insanely good! Any fan who was watching Wild Card weekend couldn’t dispute the impact of this year’s rookie class when it mattered most. Chris “Beanie” Wells, Shonn Greene and Mark Sanchez all turned in spectacular performances in their respective playoff games. Fans will expect no less from offensive rookie of the year Percy Harvin this weekend.

Throughout the season Upper Deck has been selecting a rookie of the week on the company’s website. Now Upper Deck is bringing the first 10 rookies selected to collectors through a redemption program beginning in February. The cards will be available at “Diamond Dealer” hobby shops throughout the United States. Collectors can visit these dealers to receive one of the limited rookie cards for free with the purchase of $10 or more of 2009 Upper Deck NFL packs.

The content for Upper Deck’s “Own the Rookies” set is unique as the set spotlights the top rookie performance from the first 10 weeks of the NFL season. From Matthew Stafford recording his first win with the Lions to Minnesota’s Percy Harvin making exciting plays week after week, this unique set is a great way to chronicle what makes these players the next generation of superstars.

“As rookies drive the NFL trading card business, we felt this would be a program football fans could appreciate,” explained Chris Carlin, sports marketing manager for Upper Deck. “This is a great way to help drive passionate football fans to hobby shops when there is a full slate of Upper Deck NFL product on shelves that fans can choose from. Collectors are always after the best rookies and Upper Deck can deliver that like nobody else can.”

Baseball Stars and The 2010 National Packtime Event

2010-01-15T06:39:00.002-04:00

With every new year comes the promise of green grass, chalk lines, and baseball.

Upper Deck and the MLB Players Association are teaming up for an exciting event on March 6, 2010. When collectors visit an Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealer shop they can receive a free 10-card pack of Upper Deck National Packtime Baseball cards.

Listen to Baseball stars Eddie Murray, Tim Salmon, Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders and Eddie Guardado talk about the program.

Make sure you pick up your free Upper Deck cards and that you watch it all the way through to catch the outtakes!!! For more information visit Upper Deck.

For various selected 2010 baseball products coming this spring, summer, fall and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

Rookie Update - Tyler Myers

2010-01-14T06:36:00.006-04:00

Tyler Myers is a massive young man at 6'8 and 225 pounds. Now, he's putting up massive stats too.

At the halfway point of the season, Myers is leading NHL rookies in ice-time and +/-. Not only that, Myers is now 5th in the rookie scoring race with 6 goals and 26 points in 44 games. Not bad for a 19 year-old defenseman who was considered a surprise addition to the Buffalo Sabres roster at the start of the season.

Despite being born in Texas, Tyler Myers plays internationally for Canada. He grew up in Alberta and Saskatchewan and holds dual citizenship. He was named to Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships and helped Canada win a record-tying fifth straight gold medal. With his phenomenal play this season, Myers is an early favourite to join the defense corps of Team Canada for the 2014 Olympics.

Here's a short checklist of some of his available cards so far in the 2009-10 season:

09/10 NHL UD Black Auto'd Rookie Letterman Exchange Card #81
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #214
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #214 UD Exclusives
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #214 High Glossy
09/10 NHL UD MVP Rookie #370
09/10 NHL UD MVP Rookie Gold Script #370
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond #205
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond Ruby #205

Tyler Myers has rookie cards in most 2009-10 Upper Deck products available at Canada Card World.

Online Sports Card Publications

2010-01-13T06:16:00.008-04:00

As mentioned yesterday, there is suddenly an abundance of well-written, interesting sports cards publications which cover the issues and some which span into other territories. The Insider's Edge started as an online magazine before joining the ranks of those which reach the news-stand. Currently there is another stand-out among the online publications, Sports Card Forum's 'Collectors Corner'.

With all fourteen issues available online, 'Collectors Corner' started in November of 2008 and continues to publish a well-rounded magazine containing box previews, reviews, and breaks along with release dates, collecting stories, and all the fun stuff which makes up the hobby. The magazine includes all sports and beyond. The community forum even comes together for fantasy pools and the current standings make up the final few pages.

Blogs and newsletters are great for quick-hitting, current information but it's the collective view of the hobby and the varying viewpoints which make a knowledgeable and informed collector.

For more information and to view the current issue as well as back issues, visit Sports Card Forum.

Newcomers - Hockey Card Publications

2010-01-12T05:55:00.012-04:00

Every card collector knows of Beckett. The name is synonymous with hobby news and the price guide. It has been around for more than 20 years and continues to be a staple in most hobby shops. Tuff Stuff is another collector magazine. It has been around for a long time as well and, although not held in the same esteem as Beckett, it holds a place on many collectors book shelves and is always full of useful advertisements.

In Canada, Canadian Sports Collector Magazine was our main national hobby magazine. After many years of interesting articles and placing less importance on its price guide, the magazine changed its name name slightly along with its format a few years ago before going defunct.

Luckily, Canadian collectors have two new hobby magazine fighting for their dollar.

The Insider's Edge magazine is brought to us by Bruce Findlay and his team of reporters from the always informative hobby web forum, Hobby Insider. The magazine is in its second year of monthly publications and features show reviews, interviews with legends, product reviews, box breaks, upcoming releases, and stories from collectors. The magazine covers many aspects of the sports card world and even brings collectors news of the latest and greatest in non-sports releases. For more information and subscription info, please visit the Hobby Insider website.

Just entering publication of its third edition, The Want List from Up North Productions is focusing on the rabid hockey market. The magazine brings the news and views of new and vintage collectors together with a major emphasis on Canada, sports cards, and memorabilia. Not only that, as the title suggests, the magazine hopes to create a community of collectors with want lists to share and fill. With six issues per year, The Want List has started off with interesting stories and a format packed with many aspects of hockey cards and the hockey world in general. For more information, subscriptions, and to share your want list, please visit The Want List.

With Beckett, Tuff Stuff, The Insider's Edge, and The Want List there is no reason for collectors to be in the dark. Information is power. Enjoy it and enjoy them!

Who to Collect (Future Prospect) - Brandon Yip

2010-01-11T06:48:00.003-04:00

Brandon Yip is currently playing right wing for the Colorado Avalanche. He was drafted by the Avalanche in the 8th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Yip is not your typical hockey player with 3/4 Chinese and 1/4 Irish ethnicity. Regardless of his background, this 24 year old has arrived on the NHL scene with a vengeance.

After winning the 2009 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship with Boston University, Yip made his NHL debut on December 19, 2009 in a 5-2 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brandon Yip scored his first goal three days later against Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks.

In Brandon Yip's early career with the Coquitlam Express, he scored 31 goals and 63 points in 56 games. That season earned him several honours including being selected to play on the BCHL All-Star team, receiving a scholarship to Boston University, and being named to the BCHL first All-Star team.

A savvy offensive player, Brandon Yip is at-home in the offensive zone and has a great deal of success scoring goals. Yip reads plays with ease and is often seen causing turnovers in the offensive zone. He possesses solid shooting skills, in particular, a highly accurate shot (currently over 20% with 5 goals after only 10 NHL games).

Brandon Yip's first official rookie cards will be available later this season in products available at Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-01-10T09:02:00.008-04:00

The first hockey cards were included in cigarette packages from 1910 to 1913. After 1918, only one more cigarette set was issued. This set was relased during the 1924-25 season by Champ's Cigarettes.

During the 1920s, some hockey cards were printed by food and candy companies, such as Paulin's Candy, Maple Crispette, Holland Creameries and La Patrie. This practice continues today as many food manufacturers have produced hockey cards such as Kraft Foods.

Until 1941, O-Pee-Chee printed hockey cards but stopped production for World War II.

Food issues returned during the 1951-52 season with sets issued by Shirriff Desserts, York Peanut Butter and Post Cereal.

Parkhurst Products began printing cards in 1951, followed by Topps Chewing Gum in 1954-1955.

One of the most famous sets in hockey card history was created by O-Pee-Chee in 1979-80 which included the infamous Wayne Gretzky rookie card. After many years of white borders on the cards, the blue border from this set is rumoured to be due to an abundance of colour being available after the production of Old Vienna beer packaging from Carling O'Keefe.

After many years of only Topps and O-Pee-Chee, the expolosion of the sports card market in 1990-91 saw new producers named Pro-Set, Score, Upper Deck, and Bowman.

2009-10 ITG Heroes and Prospects - Class of 2010

2010-01-09T04:32:00.004-04:00

The release In The Game's 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects is less than three weeks away. The company is pleased to announce preliminary details about a redemption program that has been added this season to make them even more fun to collect.

The Class of 2010 non-memorabilia insert cards will have a special redemption feature that could allow collectors to obtain a special limited game-used memorabilia card. Each Class of 2010 card will feature a foil-stamped number on the back that is between 1 and 30. If the player depicted on the front of the card is drafted at the position noted on the back, collectors can redeem their insert card for a game-used memorabilia card that is limited to only 10 copies!

"While it is rare for In The Game to do a redemption of any kind, we felt that the Class of 2010 cards were more of a new product feature that makes Heroes and Prospects more interactive for collectors," said In The Game's President, Dr. Brian Price. "We think that collectors are going to enjoy looking at the cards they have during the 2010 NHL Draft to see if they are lucky enough to exchange their card for something special."

Included in the Class of 2010 collection are two players that are considered to be neck-in-neck for the first overall position - Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires and Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers.

All but one of the players, Vladimir Tarasenko, are already named to the roster for the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Once again, Team Orr will face Team Cherry and the players will have an opportunity to make a big impression on the pro scouts in attendance.

For a complete checklist of 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects, visit In The Game online at ITG 2009-10 H&P Checklist

Class of 2010 Checklist

C-01 Taylor Hall
C-02 Kirill Kabanov
C-03 John McFarland
C-04 Cam Fowler
C-05 Tyler Seguin
C-06 Joey Hishon
C-07 Erik Gudbranson
C-08 Brett Connolly
C-09 Brandon Gormley
C-10 Stanislav Galiev
C-11 Quinton Howden
C-12 Jeffery Skinner
C-13 Mark Pysyk
C-14 Alexander Burmistrov
C-15 Vladimir Tarasenko

2009-10 In The Game Heroes and Prospects will be available from Canada Card World on January 27th, 2010. Also available at CCW this season from In The Game is '1972 - The Year In Hockey'.

Product Preview - 2009-10 UD Ultimate Collection

2010-01-08T05:28:00.004-04:00

2009-10 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Hockey gives you what you want. With a guarantee of one rookie card, one autographed card and one memorabilia card in each and every pack, all of the goodies are packed in nice and tight on this checklist. The new rookie class featuring John Tavares, Matt Duchene, James van Riemsdyk, Victor Hedman, Jonas Gustavsson, Jamie Benn, Evander Kane and others makes this collection impossible to ignore!

Ultimate Debut Jerseys & Patch Cards!
Ultimate Rookie Cards ~ Autographed!
Four Patch Cards per case!
Ultimate Patch Rookies, NHL Shields and Ultimate Signature Logos!
Ultimate Nicknames!
Ultimate Achievements ~ great signature cards!

Typical Pack Break:
1 autograph card
1 rookie card
1 memorabilia card

Typical Case Break:
1 autographed memorabilia card
3-4 patch cards
3 ‘A’-Level Signature cards

Insert Sets include:
Ultimate Nicknames:
Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Gordie Howe, Jarome Iginla, Don Cherry and more!

Trios Patches:
Gretzky/Lemieux/Messier, Crosby/Ovechkin/Iginla, Ovechkin/Malkin/Datsyuk, Roy/Brodeur/Luongo.

Oversized Premier Patches:
Alexander Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Roberto Luongo, Rick Nash.

2009-10 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Hockey will be available in late April 2010 at Canada Card World.

Rookie Update - Matt Duchene

2010-01-07T04:45:00.006-04:00

Matt Duchene was drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche but at the half-way point he's making a case that he should have been drafted 1st overall. John Tavares has been quiet and Duchene has been lighting it up as the surprising Avalanche continue an unexpectantly strong season.

With 11 goals and 27 points on the season, Duchene is only one point behind 1st overall pick John Tavares in the Calder Trophy race. Hockey God Don Cherry selected Duchene as his early season pick for the trophy and it looks like he could be right. The second half of the season will tell the tale.

Here's a short checklist of some of his available cards so far in the 2009-10 season:

09/10 NHL UD Black Auto'd Rookie Letterman Exchange Card #74
09/10 NHL Ultra Rookies Exchange Card #202
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #203
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #203 UD Exclusives
09/10 NHL UD Series 1 Young Guns #203 High Glossy
09/10 NHL UD Artifacts Colorado Rookie Red. #RED223
09/10 NHL UD MVP Rookie #371
09/10 NHL UD MVP Rookie Gold Script #371
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond #221
09/10 NHL UD Black Diamond Ruby #221

Matt Duchene's latest rookie cards are available in Upper Deck's Black Diamond which is now available at Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - The King is Dead! Long Live the King!

2010-01-06T06:27:00.008-04:00

Team U.S.A succeeded in book-ending the five straight gold medals won by Canada. The Americans won their 2nd World Junior title last night by defeating Team Canada 6-5 in overtime. The Americans had a two-goal lead in the game but Jordan Eberle forced overtime with a pair of late goals. However, the furious comeback was all for naught as John Carlson scored the overtime winner.

Jordan Eberle of Canada was named the top forward and most valuable player at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

In ending Canada's run of five straight gold medals, Team U.S.A. also exhibited a punishing transition game. The intense, back-and-forth game saw both starting goalies pulled by their coaches.

"I just closed my eyes and let it rip," confessed the 19-year-old Carlson, who has played three games in the NHL for the Washington Capitals. "I think I got a little lucky."

In the bronze medal game, Team Sweden ended the tournament on a positive note. Andre Petersson had a hat trick and Jakob Silfverberg and Daniel Brodin had two goals each as Sweden demolished Switzerland 11-4.

"We didn't play that well against the U.S. We showed we can play good hockey, so I'm pleased," said Swedish coach Par Marts. "It's a medal. Sometimes you have to take that, but for sure I wanted the gold medal." Sweden outshot the Swiss 50-20.

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, this year and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - Golden Prospects

2010-01-05T07:28:00.001-04:00

For a team to make the finals of the World Junior Hockey Championships, they need talent and depth. Team Canada and Team U.S.A. have no shortage of either. The future is bright for many players in tonight's game.

Jordan Eberle - He can do some amazing things with the puck and he continues to be a clutch member of Team Canada. Eberle set a Canadian record by scoring a point in 11 straight games at the WJHC tournament.

Nazem Kadri - He made controversial throat-slashing gestures to a Slovakian team member earlier in the tournament but has rebounded with smarter actions and play as the tournament progressed. The London Knights star has shown flashes of the offensive skill that will make him a future star in Toronto.

Jerry D'Amigo - Another Leaf prospect, D'Amigo has scored five goals and ten points over the course of the tournament.

Taylor Hall - Potential 1st overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and a highlight reel every time he hits the ice.

Danny Kristo - A second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Kristo has provided Team U.S.A. with seven points in six games, five of which were goals.

Jordan Schroeder - The Vancouver Canucks used their first round pick in 2009 on Jordan Schroeder and are now watching him contribute to Team USA's run towards gold. The 5'9", 185 lbs. Schroeder has two goals and five assists in his time away from the University of Minnesota.

Alex Pietrangelo - The most experienced NHL player in the game as he's played parts of two seasons with the St. Louis Blues already. The defenseman has been lighting up the scoresheet throughtout the tournament.

Brayden Schenn - An emergency call-up by the Los Angeles Kings this season, Schenn was a top draft pick in 2009.

Jared Cowen - Selected ninth overall in the last year's draft, Cowen is a future #1 defenseman.

Greg Nemisz - Yet another 1st round pick, Nemisz is a scoring machine. The Calgary Flames draft pick has 24 goals in only 34 games this season in the OHL.

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, this year and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - The Final - Rematch!

2010-01-04T06:12:00.006-04:00

Team Canada will attempt their record sixth straight gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships on Tuesday night. After defeating Switzerland 6-1 in the semifinal, Canada needed to wait the winner of tonight's other semifinal game between Sweden and the United States to see who their opponent would be. Team U.S.A. left no doubts as to who belong in the finals after beating Team Sweden 5-2.

Taylor Hall scored twice while Jake Allen made 20 saves to secure the victory. The final score could have been much higher but Swiss goaltender Benjamin Conz was often heroic between the pipes. Jordan Eberle beat Conz for his sixth goal and 11th point of the tournament. Eberle, a Edmonton Oilers' prospect, has points in 11 straight games at the tournament setting a Canadian record. He also pulled even with Jason Allison for second on the all-time list for scoring by a Canadian in tournament history. It is also his 12th career goal in the tournament, only one short of the Canadian record set by John Tavares. Alex Pietrangelo picked up two points to grab a share of the tournament scoring lead with teammate Jordan Eberle and Derek Stepan of Team USA.

The United States earned the rematch by beating the Swedes. They will be looking to avenge a New Years Eve collapse where they blew a 4-2 lead in the 3rd period and suffered a 5-4 shootout loss to Canada in a battle for first place in Group A. The two countries will face each other in the championship game for the first time since 2004, when Team U.S.A defeated Canada 4-3 in Finland, for the Americans' first world junior title.

Jerry D'Amigo, a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, scored a pair of goals for the Americans.

Sweden went undefeated to finish first in Group B. The Swedes hoped to advance to the final for a 3rd straight year but instead will play Switzerland for bronze. "I can't tell you in words (how much)," said Swedish forward Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson.

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, this year and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2010-01-03T09:03:00.007-04:00

The first baseball cards appeared in Japan in the late 19th century and used traditional Japanese pen and ink illustrations.

Nippon Professional Baseball cards are currently widely available in Japanese toy stores, convenience stores, sports stores, and are included in certain types of potato chips.

In 1987 and 1988, Topps issued two series of American baseball cards featuring cards from Major League Baseball teams in the United Kingdom. The cards contained explanations of baseball terms but given the unfamiliarity of baseball in the U.K., the issues were not successful.

Topps issued baseball card sets in Venezuela from 1959 to 1977 using the Spanish language and the sets included winter league players.

In Cuba, baseball card sets were issued in the early 1900s. Baseball cards are still issued in post-revolution Cuba

Several sets of Mexican League baseball cards have been issued in the past few years as well.

WJHC 2009-10 - Goal Scoring Leaders

2010-01-02T06:47:00.004-04:00

The goal scoring leaders at the 2009-10 World Junior Hockey Championships are all from different countres, all have different styles, and have all been drafted by different NHL teams.

Jordan Eberle - Canada - 5 goals, 10 points
Drafted - Edmonton Oilers
1st round, 22nd overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Andre Petersson - Sweden - 5 goals, 8 points
Drafted - Ottawa Senators
4th round, 109th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Richard Panik - Slovakia - 5 goals, 7 points
Drafted - Tampa Bay Lightning
2nd round, 52nd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

With five goals each, Jordan Eberle, Andre Petersson, and Richard Panik were not the most celebrated players entering the tournament but have now put themselves into the spotlight. Start adding them to your collection before the rush begins.

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, this year and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

Happy New Year from Canada Card World!

2010-01-01T07:52:00.005-04:00

May the New Year bring you boxes full of the big hits you've been missing.

May your box bring you and your friends hits like these:

And may your enemies receive hits like these:

All the best in 2010!

For a chance at those big hits and hot boxes, please visit Canada Card World.

2009-10 UD Black Diamond Hockey Released

2009-12-31T11:29:00.003-04:00

Always a favourite among collectors, Upper Deck 2009-10 Black Diamond has been a key product for rookie cards for more than ten years. This year’s group of Quad Diamond rookies should really have collectors salivating. John Tavares. Victor Hedman. James Van Riemsdyk. Jonas Gustavsson. Matt Duchene. Evander Kane.

With exciting quad diamond rookie cards, Gemography autographs, a beautiful jersey set, and lots of cool inserts, UD Black Diamond is packed with hits.

2009-10 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey checklist

Box Break Summary:
Get 3 Triple Diamond RCs and 1 Quad Diamond RC in each box.
A total of 6 Triple Diamond and 2 Quad Diamond cards per box.
Look for 2 Quad-Swatch Jersey cards per box!

Case Hits:
Four jersey parallels include a signed version, #’d to just 5!
Grab Hardware Heroes die-cut cards which fall 2 per case and are #’d to just 100.
Collect Gemography autograph cards, falling 1 in every other box.
Ruby, Gold & Platinum parallels offer more great low-#’d hits!

2009-10 Upper Deck Black Diamond is now available at Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - Team Canada vs. Team U.S.A.

2009-12-31T07:36:00.006-04:00

The classic battle is tonight. Who is your money on?

Both Team Canada and Team U.S.A carry impressive 3-0 records into the game and they have combined for 52 goals while only allowing 6 goals in total.

For Team Canada, Gabriel Bourque, Jordan Eberle, Alex Pietrangelo, Taylor Hall, Brandon Kozun, and Ryan Ellis are all in the top twelve in tournament scoring. Team U.S.A has Derek Stepan and Kyle Palmieri in the top twelve.

Last year, these two teams met on New Year's Eve and Team Canada and John Tavares put on a show in a 7-4 victory which gave the Canadians the momentum they needed to grab their 5th gold medal in a row.

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products from In The Game and Upper Deck, this year and beyond, visit Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - Taylor Hall and Alex Pietrangelo

2009-12-30T07:47:00.006-04:00

Another day, another win... and another dominating display by Team Canada.

Taylor Hall finally put forth a statement with a hat-trick. The potential 1st overall pick of the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft also had an assist to make it a four-point night and gave him seven points for the tournament in just three games.

Hall is already looking forward to a New Year's Eve match-up with Team USA. "As soon as I made the team, this was the game that I marked on the schedule," said Hall. "Any time I've played the Americans, it's always been a tough game. There's a lot of excitement involved and a lot of energy so it's going to be fun."

Alex Pietrangelo is having a fine tournament as well and is showing his leadership and experience with each shift. Pietrangelo is a rare player who is playing in the WJHC tournament again but is also in the middle of his second NHL season with the St. Louis Blues. After scoring a goal against Slovakia, Pietrangelo now has 2 goals and 6 assists in 3 games to put him into a tie for the overall scoring lead at the tournament. Not bad for a defenseman!

Taylor Hall and many other players from Team Canada are available in various products from In The Game which are available at Canada Card World. Alex Pietrangelo's rookie cards are available in many products from Upper Deck's 2008-09 products which are also available from CCW.

WJHC 2009-10 - Jordan Eberle & Brandon McMillan

2009-12-29T07:49:00.003-04:00

Brandon McMillan of Team Canada scored in the first minute of the game and completed his hat-trick just before the game finished in a 6-0 victory over Switzerland at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatchewan, Canada.

"I thought we played well down low. We really cycled on their defencemen and created a lot of opportunities from that," said McMillan, a 3rd round draft choice of the Anaheim Ducks in 2008.

Jordan Eberle had four points as Canada improved to 2-0 and grabbed a share of the Group A lead with the United States. Alex Pietrangelo and Nazem Kadri also scored Canada. Jake Allen became the first Canadian goalie to start the tournament with back-to-back shutouts.

"Our power play was good obviously and that's going to be a big key to our game," said Eberle. "When we came out at the start of the second and got three quick ones, it turned the game around." Eberle was selected 22nd overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

Jordan Eberle, Brandon McMillan, and many other players from Team Canada are available in various products from In The Game which are available at Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 - Team Sweden

2009-12-28T02:12:00.002-04:00

Team Canada may have turned a lot of heads with a 16-0 victory over Latvia on Boxing Day but Canadian fans have to be concerned over a potential gold medal match-up versus Team Sweden.

Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson had a goal and four assists to help Sweden stomp the Czech Republic 10-1 in the opening Group B game of the World Junior Hockey Championships. Sweden, with 18 NHL draftees on its roster, scored four goals in the first and another four in the third. Florida Panthers draft pick Jacob Markstrom had the easy victory in nets.

Team Sweden followed up their opening day victory with a 7-3 win over Austria. With two games under their belt, Sweden has outscored the oppostion 17-4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anton Rodin each had two goals and an assist.

New Jersey Devils draft pick Jacob Josefson opened the scoring for Sweden before the game was a minute old with a top-shelf slapshot from the point. Ekman-Larsson, a Phoenix Coyotes pick, assisted on the goal.

Jacob Josefson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and other players from Team Sweden are available in various products from In The Game which are available at Canada Card World.

09-10 UD SPx Hockey Checklist is Live

2009-12-27T12:29:00.003-04:00

Upper Deck has released the checklist for 2009-10 SPx Hockey.

The Home of the Rookie Jersey Card has become the place for the hottest rookie cards on the market. With future superstars such as John Tavares, Matt Duchene, and Jonas Gustavsson, SPx looks to be a winner this season. Add in Shadowbox, Winning Materials, and other inserts, SPx will be tough to beat.

2009-10 NHL SPx Checklist

Upper Deck SPx Hockey will be released on January 12th, 2010 and will be available at Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2009-12-27T07:56:00.006-04:00

World Junior Hockey Championship Fun Facts

The first official tournament was held in 1977.

Canada has won the gold medal five times in a row twice (1993-1997 and 2005-2009).

One of the most infamous incidents in tournament history occurred in 1987 in Czechoslovakia where a massive brawl took place between Canada and the Soviet Union

Russia has won the most WJHC medals with 28 in total.

The United States of America and Sweden have won the tournament once each.

Gabriel Bourque and Mike Cammalleri share the Canadian team record for most points in one game with seven.

Upper Deck previously created a WJHC subset through-out most of the 1990's but now only players who have appeared in an NHL game can appear on officially licensed hockey cards. In The Game produces hockey cards of many WJHC players within their Heroes and Prospects sets.

2009-10 In The Game Heroes and Prospects which contains many of the players featured at the tournament will be available in late January from Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Jordan Schroeder

2009-12-26T06:10:00.002-04:00

Vancouver Canucks prospect Jordan Schroeder will play in his third straight World Junior Hockey Championship this year. He was selected 22nd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and will be eager to improve on Team USA's fifth place finish last year. Last year, Schroeder led the team in scoring with 11 points and tied for second in the tournament with 8 assists in 6 games. Last year he also became Team USA’s all-time World Junior assists leader with 15, surpassing the record of 14 previously held by Doug Weight. The Americans open play against Slovakia in Saskatoon, Canada on Saturday.

In 2005-06, Schroeder played for St. Thomas Academy and helped lead the team to the Class A State Championship with 62 points in only 31 games. More recently, in 2008-09, he finished second on the Minnesota Gophers with 45 points in 35 games and fourth overall in the NCAA with a 1.3 points per game average.

Where he goes, awards follow. Schroeder was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Rookie of the Year, the College Hockey News National Rookie of the Year, the Minnesota Gophers Rookie of the Year and an All-WCHA Second Team.

Jordan Schroeder currently has no In The Game or Upper Deck available. Keep checking Canada Card World for details on future releases.

Merry Christmas from Canada Card World

2009-12-25T04:35:00.005-04:00

Canada Card World, Santa, and Holly Madison hope your stocking was filled with packs of hockey cards and that there were many hobby boxes under your tree. Enjoy the holidays and have a Happy New Year.

All the best in 2010!

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Dmitry Kulikov

2009-12-24T05:40:00.007-04:00

There has been no shortage of great defenseman who have debuted this season. Young Russian defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is part of that list. He was drafted 14th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and quickly made the jump to the NHL. Although he's playing for an under-manned Florida Panthers team at the age of 19, he is proving himself to be a star of the future.

In 2008-09, Kulikov experienced his first year of North American hockey. He tended the blue line for Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL and tallied 12 goals and 62 points in only 57 games. In addition to his superb hockey sense and confidence, Kulikov is smooth enough on his skates and can thread the needle with soft passes. He will only get better as he ages and the Panthers improve.

Dmitry Kulikov is 4th in defenseman scoring in the NHL this season with 3 goals and 9 assists in 36 games and even leads #2 overall pick Victor Hedman. Kulikov was supposed to appear with Team Russia for the World Junior Hockey Championships however he is currently dealing with an injured knee. Kulikov's absence will be a hard blow for Team Russia to take and will hurt their chances for competing for the gold medal.

Dmitry Kulikov has cards available in various In The Game products and rookie cards in many 2009-10 Upper Deck products available at Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

2009-12-23T06:11:00.006-04:00

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a special player and projects as a No. 1 defenseman in the NHL. He was selected sixth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays for Leksands IF in Sweden. The 6'2, 180-pound blueliner posted three goals and 14 assists in 39 games in the Allsvenskan, the top farm league in Sweden and had a league best plus/minus at +44.

Ekman-Larsson is a highly skilled defenseman blessed with uncanny hockey sense and impressive skating. He moves smoothly with incredible mobility. He is a playmaker with the potential to put up a lot of points.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was born with skill as his grandfather, Kenneth Ekman, played on Sweden’s National team and represented his country at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan. Oliver will join Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson on this years Swedish World Junior Hockey Championship team who will challenge Canada for the gold medal. Ekman-Larsson will remain in Sweden for 2009-10 season and potentially join the Phoenix Coyotes after that.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a few cards available in various ITG products and will have more with the release of In The Game's 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects which will be available at Canada Card World in late January.

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson

2009-12-22T06:57:00.008-04:00

Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson was chosen 10th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently playing for Timrå IK in the Swedish Elite League. Pääjärvi-Svensson is the son of retired ice hockey player and coach Gunnar Svensson, who currently is the agent for Henrik Zetterberg among others.

He made his Swedish Elite League (Elitserien) debut in September 2007 at the age of sixteen, becoming the fourth youngest player in SEL's history. He has become a very fast and skilled winger and he drives to the net like a demon. He can get around opposing defenseman with ease and has a quick wrist-shot. He has good hockey sense and often scores spectacular goals and does things that are hard to define.

During the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic, he became the youngest Swedish player ever to play during a World Junior Hockey Championship. Pääjärvi-Svensson has won silver medals in 2008 and 2009 at previous World Junior Championships and will be looking towards gold this winter.

Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson currently only has European hockey cards available. In The Game and Upper Deck will have cards of him in the future. Keep checking Canada Card World for details on future releases. For more information on Pääjärvi-Svensson, check out his own Website and Blog.

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Team Canada

2009-12-21T06:05:00.007-04:00

Team Canada's quest for a 6th consecutive World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal will get underway on Boxing Day when they face Latvia in their opening game in Regina, Saskatchewan.

As most collectors know, this is the big stage for the future stars of the NHL. Some of the Canadian players in the WJHC will already have rookies cards such as Alex Pietrangelo who had rookie cards in 2008-09 and players such as Jared Cowen, Taylor Hall, and Nazem Kadri who have cards available in various In The Game products.

The team will feature an all Windsor Spitfire top line of Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and Greg Nemisz. The trio currently sit within the top five of all OHL scorers this season. Taylor Hall is a potential #1 overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and will be the spotlight of many In The Game products this season.

Jake Allen, a second round pick by the St. Louis Blues in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be the #1 goaltender in the net for Team Canada and the coaching staff has announced that Patrice Cormier, who plays for the Rimouski Oceanic, will be the captain for this tournament. Cormier was also selected in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.

Goaltenders
Jake Allen STL '08 (2nd Round)
Martin Jones LOS (Signed as Free Agent)

Defence
Jared Cowen OTT '09 (1st Round)
Cal de Haan NYI '09 (1st Round)
Ryan Ellis NSH '09 (1st Round)
T. Hamonic NYI '08 (2nd Round)
A.Pietrangelo STL '08 (1st Round)
M. Scandella MIN '08 (2nd Round)
C. Teubert LOS '08 (1st Round)

Forwards
Luke Adam BUF '08 (2nd Round)
G. Bourque NSH '09 (5th Round)
Jordan Caron BOS '09 (1st Round)
P. Cormier NJ '08 (2nd Round)
S. Della Rovere WAS '08 (7th Round)
Jordan Eberle EDM '08 (1st Round)
Taylor Hall 2010 Draft Eligible
A. Henrique NJ '08 (3rd Round)
Nazem Kadri TOR '09 (1st Round)
B. Kozun LOS '09 (6th Round)
B. McMillan ANA '08 (3rd Round)
Greg Nemisz CGY '08 (1st Round)
B. Schenn LOS '09 (1st Round)

For rookie cards of these players in upcoming products, this year and next, visit Canada Card World.

Sunday Fun-Day Fun-Facts

2009-12-20T06:06:00.011-04:00

Donald and Russell Weiner founded the Donruss company in 1954 by combining their first names to create the company name.

In the early days of the Donruss company, it mainly produced entertainment-themed trading card sets. Titles like "Saturday Night Fever", "Elvis Presley", "Kiss", and "Dallas" were some of its most popular.

A court ruling in 1981 barred both Fleer and Donruss from using gum in their products. Fleer switched to team logo stickers in 1982 and Donruss decided to include jigsaw puzzle pieces with a pack of cards instead of gum.

The first baseball product produced by Donruss for 1981 was full of errors and printed on flimsy card stock. There were no factory sets and cards were shipped to dealers in 100 count lots which then had to be collated by hand.

1982 Donruss baseball saw the introduction of the fan favourite Diamond Kings subset by noted sports artist Dick Perez.

In the late summer of 2005, Major League Baseball chose to only renew their licenses with Topps and Upper Deck, thereby sealing the fate of Donruss and its baseball card line.

In 2009, Panini Spa. of Italy purchased Donruss.