30ranfordfan - Bill Ranford

[RGM81]

The SCF Staff would like to encourage all our members to welcome the newest member of the SCF Super Collector Hall of Fame – 30ranfordfan! Many of you no doubt know him from around the forums, as he is one of our many excellent members here that regularly contributes to discussions and helps out members with their questions in the Hockey Card Chat forum and elsewhere.

No doubt many of you have also seen his amazing Bill Ranford collection – would you believe that there are only 13 non-1/1 cards (out of over 500 made!) that he does not have in his collection? 517/530 = a 97.5% complete master set, a truly amazing number that led member of our voting committee to proclaim this election a “no brainer” in his favour. I think very few people would argue that point.

See for yourself this amazing collection here: http://s416.photobucket.com/albums/pp248/30ranfordfan/Ranford/

And here is just a small sampling of what you will find inside:













That last one is the nameplate for a Game-Used Ranford Stick, which is also autographed! Believe me when I tell you this is a very small but powerful sample of what you will see in this photobucket!

Here’s a little info about why Bill Ranford matters to our newest super collector!
As a kid in the 80s (I was born in 1980) when I started to really follow hockey, the Edmonton Oilers were my favorite team..... just like a lot of kids. I continued to cheer for them, even after Wayne Gretzky was traded (unlike a lot of kids) and still did after Mark Messier was traded.

By the time I started collecting cards, the 1990-91 season, Mark Messier (who would have been my favorite player at the time) was soon traded. I immediately began to follow Bill Ranford more, and considered him to be my favorite player. He was really the only star player left on a very depleted Oilers squad. I started making sure I got one of his cards from each new set.

I left the hobby in the late 90s. I\'d guess that 97-98 was the last year I collected. Roughly 3 years later an ad for eBay on a webpage caught my eye. (I don't remember what news article I was reading, but I'm sure it was something about Bill Ranford). There was a link for an auction for an 86-87 Moncton Golden Flames Pre-RC of Bill. This was a card I always wanted, and had never actually seen anything more than a photo of. I signed up for eBay, specifically to buy it, and haven't stopped collecting since.

And just because a super collector’s work is seemingly never done, here’s a little cry for help:

I consider the "White Whale" of my collection to the 98-99 MVP Super Script (#188) #ed out of 25. It's the only card from Ranford's active playing days I don't own.

188 1998-99 Upper Deck MVP Super Script xx/25
HSP-BR 2006-07 Trilogy Honorary Scripted Patches /10
GUE-32 2006-07 ITG - Game Used Emblem /10
GUE-32 2006-07 ITG - Game Used Emblem AUTO /10
GUN-32 2006-07 ITG - Game Used Number AUTO /10

2006-07 Artifacts Base Platinum xx/10
2006-07 Artifacts Jersey PLATINUM xx/10
2006-07 Artifacts Patches PLATINUM x/5
2006-07 Tundra Tandums /w Fuhr PLATINUM x/5

Once again, give it up for our newest Hockey Super Collector!

[hossa18sens]

That is just amazing 97.5%.

Congrats on the new Badge. Well deserved.

Keep us updated on the landing of the whales as they come ashore

[Memento21]

amazing collection. I'm wordless. Awesome!!!!

[Crater_Satori]

Wow! Thats the only word I can think of. Oneof the most complete Player Collections i have ever seen. Congrats on this well deserved badge and keep up the great work on your collection. **slow clap**

[oilfan10]

Absolutely incredible collection! I'm speechless...(actually I still have more to say lol)

What impresses me the most about yours and Connie's collection is the longevity of it. Both of you have collected the same player for around 20 years and still manage to have the collection so complete with so many new cards coming out.

Congrats on the badge, you deserve it!

[TysonX504]

Congrats on the new badge. It's a completely amazing collection that is hard to describe with words. Can't wait to continue to see the collection grow

[quiet-things]

Congrats, you really deserve it... outstanding collection!! Good luck spearing those whales!

[o98]

As mentioned in PM, awesome collection from fellow Ranford collector. It's inspiring in its completeness. I hope my collection can rival yours one day, many many years from now. And if not, at least I'll have my shield.

[LT21Titans27]

Sick collection congrats on the honors

[G0SHARKSG0]

wow, I knew you collected Ranford with a passion but i never knew you had 97.5% of all his cards! (excluding 1/1s). Good luck finding those last few cards