Sports Card Forum - A Sports Card Community - Blogs - Frozen Fire by Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/blogs/28564-Frozen-Fire SportsCardForum is your source for everything related to sports cards for collectors and non-collectors alike! en Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:37:26 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.sportscardforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Sports Card Forum - A Sports Card Community - Blogs - Frozen Fire by Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/blogs/28564-Frozen-Fire Pelle Lindbergh: Triumph To Tragedy https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/420-Pelle-Lindbergh-Triumph-To-Tragedy Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:57:29 GMT Pelle Lindbergh was a Swedish goaltender who first burst on to the scene during the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, where he helped the Swedish national team hold the gold-medal winning Americans to a... Pelle Lindbergh was a Swedish goaltender who first burst on to the scene during the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, where he helped the Swedish national team hold the gold-medal winning Americans to a 2-2 tie and becoming the only team who didn't lose to the champions during the tournament.



2008/09 ITG Between The Pipes Game-Used Jersey SP


In the 1979 NHL entry draft Lindbergh was selected in the second round, 35th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers. After playing a couple of seasons in the minor leagues Lindbergh got his debut with the Flyers during the 1981/82 season, where he was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.

During the 1984/85 season Lindbergh led the NHL with 40 wins and became the first European goaltender in NHL history to win the Vezina Trophy. Later that year on November 10th, after a night of partying, he lost control of his modified Porche and crashed into an elementary school in New Jersey. He was kept on life support until his family could pay their respects, then he passed away on November 11th.

After his death Lindbergh led fan voting for the 1986 All-Star game, becoming the first player in a major North American sport to be chosen posthumously for such an honor. Sean Taylor's election to the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl has been the only other case of a posthumous election.

The story of Pelle Lindbergh's successful but tragic life has not been lost on collectors, and more than two decades after his death his cards continue to be popular with hobby enthusiasts. According to Beckett numbers Lindbergh has 89 cards in circulation to this day, 56 of those being memorabilia cards exclusive to ITG. Lindbergh memorabilia is scarce and tends to sell fairly high, with his 2008/09 Between The Pipes cards consistently out-selling their Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur counterparts as an example. Most of his memorabilia cards have appeared in high-end ITG releases such as Ultimate Memorabilia, but inclusion in mid-range products like Between The Pipes has been limited and therefor a big draw for collectors.



2008/09 ITG Between The Pipes Super-Sized Pad


I have been fortunate enough to acquire the cards you have seen in this article for my collection, and they are pieces of hockey history that are likely to stay with me for quite some time. If you are a fan of the sport, a fan of goaltenders, or are intrigued by stories like this one, you owe it to yourself to find a nice piece for your collection before it is too late.
]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/420-Pelle-Lindbergh-Triumph-To-Tragedy <![CDATA[An Opportunity That Is "Made To Order"]]> https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/363-An-Opportunity-That-Is-quot-Made-To-Order-quot Wed, 13 May 2009 04:26:24 GMT I recently took a huge leap in my collecting habits, spending the most money I have ever spent on a single card. I consider myself to be a mid-range collector with occasional high-end taste, so after... I recently took a huge leap in my collecting habits, spending the most money I have ever spent on a single card. I consider myself to be a mid-range collector with occasional high-end taste, so after taking some time to shake off the jitters of spending so much I pulled the trigger on this unique redemption:


2008/09 In The Game Between The Pipes Dual Player "Made to Order"

For those of you who may not be familiar with these cards, you basically have the unique chance to have a custom memorabilia card created for you by the folks at ITG. You can view a list of available players on the company website and choose who and what you want included in the card, based on availability of course. There are different combinations available to be pulled from the product, from single player cards to triple player cards and complete jerseys, and each variation is limited to only ten copies so this is a chance not many collectors get to experience.

After a week of gathering advice from fellow collectors and some deep consideration I have decided to request the following players:

Georges Vezina (Goalie Pads)
Jacques Plante (Goalie Pads)

Both players played an important role in hockey history, and to have two of the greatest goaltenders from a storied franchise like the Montreal Canadiens featured on my own custom-made memorabilia card will add a one-of-a-kind piece to my collection.

While it was tough to decide on Jacques Plante as my second selection, given the depth of vintage memorabilia available on the list, I had no trouble choosing Georges Vezina as there is a unique history behind the goalie pads I requested.

Back in 2000 there was quite a stir made in the hobby world when ITG decided to purchase and cut up the only known pair of game-used Georges Vezina goalie pads for inclusion in the 2000/01 Be A Player Memorabilia product. Many collectors, including myself, were excited about the chance to pull a swatch of such historic importance. Others however, felt the nearly century-old pads belonged in the Hockey Hall of Fame instead of wedged between two pieces of cardboard. In reality the pads were available to anybody who chose to purchase them, since they remained on the market without the Hall of Fame or other organization acquiring them the folks at ITG decided to make the move and it sent waves throughout the hobby as well as the sports world.

Fast forward to 2009, and after being used in products for almost ten years the last remnants of the Georges Vezina pads are starting to run out. I was informed that there are only 1/2"x1/2" swatches remaining, and I am very excited to get this chance to have them included in a custom card before they are gone into collections forever. Add a swatch of the legendary Jacques Plante's goalie pads and I will have a new cornerstone in my collection that will most likely never be topped.

A great collector and fellow Nova Scotian named Cyril pulled this card at the Spring Expo in Toronto and liked my offer enough to sell it to me. These cards are very hard to come by and copies that appear on eBay tend to spur fierce competition from ITG faithful, so having the chance to obtain one locally through a collector I know and trust was an opportunity I couldn't let slip by.

It will most likely be late summer or fall before the card is completed and mailed to me, but when it does arrive expect an exciting mail post here on SCF!
]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/363-An-Opportunity-That-Is-quot-Made-To-Order-quot How Memorabilia Cards Should Be Made https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/281-How-Memorabilia-Cards-Should-Be-Made Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:53:16 GMT When memorabilia cards first hit the scene around ten years ago they were an instant hit. If you were lucky enough to pull one of the first game-used jersey cards you won the lottery, the cards were... When memorabilia cards first hit the scene around ten years ago they were an instant hit. If you were lucky enough to pull one of the first game-used jersey cards you won the lottery, the cards were extremely tough to pull and collectors paid top dollar to score a swatch of a jersey from their favorite players.

Fast forward to the hobby of today: Memorabilia cards are everywhere, products like Upper Deck SP Game Used have overwhelmingly saturated the market with thousands of jersey cards of common players. Bargain bins are full of cheap cards that dealers can't get rid of and most would be lucky to get $0.99 on eBay. The appeal of the game-used card is nowhere near what it was when the first jersey cards hit in the mid-90's. With these cards flooding on to the market is the concept dying?

Not if ITG has anything to say about it.

Memorabilia cards have always been ITG's specialty, and the controversial decision to cut up the only known pair of George Vezina game-used pads in existence proved just how committed the folks at ITG are to providing the best memorabilia possible for collectors. When Upper Deck is pumping out the same old stuff, ITG is coming up with new concepts to continually improve the role of memorabilia cards in the hobby.

I am primarily an autograph collector, but recently I have found myself hunting memorabilia cards of the goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. For these PC cards I turn to ITG, as they are the only company who creates game-used cards of the legendary Russian. When I saw Tretiak was on the checklist for the Super-Sized Pad insert set in the new 2008/09 Between The Pipes I knew I would have to get my hands on one. Thanks to an exceptional seller on eBay today I did:





This card is absolutely stunning. I adore the look and feel of the worn vintage leather, and the seam near the top is a nice touch as well. This could very well be the nicest memorabilia card I will ever own, ITG has certainly outdone themselves by putting such large swatches of memorabilia into cards for the enjoyment of collectors. This card alone has rekindled my love for memorabilia cards and the sentimental value of this card to me is beyond comprehension.

During a live chat session on another hobby site I personally asked Dr. Brian Price of ITG if it was a tough decision to cut such large pieces of vintage memorabilia, leaving less available for future products. His response was simply: "We have had some of those pads forever, I felt it was time to give the collectors bigger swatches."

He also mentioned that he wanted to include George Vezina in the set, but unfortunately there wasn't enough pad material left to make it happen. This commitment to providing the best memorabilia cards possible has impressed me to no end.

Take notes Upper Deck, this is how memorabilia cards should be done!
]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/281-How-Memorabilia-Cards-Should-Be-Made Stepping Down https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/269-Stepping-Down Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:28:24 GMT As you might have noticed, my shiny Adviser badge is gone. I have stepped down from the hockey team because I just didn't have the time to maintain the level of commitment a moderator should.

I recently started a new job which is going very well, and takes up most of my time. I have lost the drive to spend a lot of time on the boards, and it was getting hard to balance both the regular posting as well as the moderator duties.

I really enjoyed being part of the staff, you don't realize how much work is actually done behind the scenes until you are part of it. The hockey team is one of the best teams on the site and everybody has a great time working together. The senior management staff also puts an OVERWHELMING amount of time and effort into making SCF the best trading site on the internet. No matter how many great features they introduce for the members they continue to strive for even more.

I will miss being part of the team, but it was time to move on. I appreciate the opportunity I was given, thanks SCF! ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/269-Stepping-Down Taking A Break From Set Collecting https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/257-Taking-A-Break-From-Set-Collecting Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:07:18 GMT I have decided to stop collecting the 2007/08 Ultimate Signatures set.

As much as I love the cards, my heart just isn't in it like it was for the 2007/08 Sweet Shot Puck Signings. Instead I will focus on finding the last two Puck Signings I need for my set, Jarome Iginla and Jean Beliveau, and bust more wax to help replenish my trade bait. I am also hoping to get my hands on some fossil and artifact cards from the new 2008/09 Champs release.

Before anyone asks, I will be keeping my Patrick Roy, Alexander Ovechkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Ron Hextall cards for my general autograph PC. I will also keep the Sam Gagner that was a gift from our hockey manager Houng (quiet-things). The rest will be available for trade/sale, so PM me if you are interested in anything!

Thanks go out to those who helped me get the cards I was able to acquire in the short time I was collecting them.

Stay tuned for more box breaks instead of mail posts in the next while :) ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/257-Taking-A-Break-From-Set-Collecting Finally, Some Answers From Upper Deck! https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/250-Finally-Some-Answers-From-Upper-Deck! Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:33:02 GMT Image: http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/573/logoupperdeck.png Rewind to about a month ago.. I directly emailed an Upper Deck customer service representative named Barry Sicherman on...



Rewind to about a month ago..

I directly emailed an Upper Deck customer service representative named Barry Sicherman on February 14th, asking if he could confirm the existence of two 2007/08 Sweet Shot Puck Signings cards I have never seen, Jean Beliveau and Dickie Moore. Having heard great stories about Barry and his helpfulness when dealing with customers I was eager to hear back from him. Weeks went by and I hadn't heard anything, so I gave up and figured I would never know the truth about those elusive cards.

Fast forward to today, March 12th, and low and behond I check my phone to see Barry has emailed me back!

First he apologized for taking so long to get back to me, then he informed me he would get in touch with the hockey department to once and for all find out if in fact the two cards were made. True to his word a few hours later I have another email from Barry, which held the information I was looking for:

The Jean Beliveau, despite being unlisted, was in fact produced and included in pack-out.

The Dickie Moore that appears on the checklist was not produced.

I replied back thanking him for finally clearing up the confusion for me, and he apologized again for the delay in getting back to me. All the stories I have heard about Barry taking the time to help customers were true, and he truly is an asset to Upper Deck. Thanks to him I can finally add the Beliveau to my wantlist again, the chase is on!

Now I need the following to complete my set:

Jarome Iginla
Jean Beliveau

Thanks for reading, this is proof that even though there are a lot of horror stories about Upper Deck's customer service there is still some very helpful staff to make up for it! ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/250-Finally-Some-Answers-From-Upper-Deck! Set Addition - Nathan Horton https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/247-Set-Addition-Nathan-Horton Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:54:09 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Cards%20Traded%20Or%20Sold/NathanHorton.jpg *Nathan Horton* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection...


Nathan Horton

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-NH
Scarcity: 4 (Rare)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: This is one of twelve very rare unlisted short-print cards that were leaked out in small numbers as replacements after the product was released. For a list of the other unlisted short-prints see my list here. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/247-Set-Addition-Nathan-Horton Set Addition - Nick Foligno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/246-Set-Addition-Nick-Foligno Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:51:04 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Cards%20For%20Trade/Autographs/NickFoligno.jpg *Nick Foligno* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection...


Nick Foligno

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-NF
Scarcity: 2 (Common)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: Yes
Comments: Another somewhat common card, thanks to Chris (hossa18sens) for trading it to me. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/246-Set-Addition-Nick-Foligno Set Addition - Sam Gagner https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/243-Set-Addition-Sam-Gagner Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:26:40 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Autograph%20PC/SamGagne.jpg *Sam Gagner* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures *Card...


Sam Gagner

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-SG
Scarcity: 2 (Common)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: Yes
Comments: This card was an unexpected surprise gift from our own SCF hockey manager quiet-things. Thank you so much Houng!
]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/243-Set-Addition-Sam-Gagner Set Addition - Michael Ryder https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/240-Set-Addition-Michael-Ryder Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:50:24 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Cards%20For%20Trade/Autographs/MichaelRyder.jpg *Michael Ryder* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection...


Michael Ryder

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-MR
Scarcity: 2 (Common)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: Another common card and very easy to find. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/240-Set-Addition-Michael-Ryder Set Addition - Marc-Andre Fleury https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/239-Set-Addition-Marc-Andre-Fleury Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:26:40 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Autograph%20PC/MAFleury.jpg *Marc-Andre Fleury* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures ...


Marc-Andre Fleury

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-MF
Scarcity: 3 (Tough)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: Not as common as most other cards in this set, but still reasonably priced when you find one. Fleury is a hometown hero around here, where he played his junior hockey and had his number retired by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. We are all proud of him! ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/239-Set-Addition-Marc-Andre-Fleury Set Addition - Marian Gaborik https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/238-Set-Addition-Marian-Gaborik Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:23:39 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Cards%20Traded%20Or%20Sold/MarianGaborik.jpg *Marian Gaborik* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection...


Marian Gaborik

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-MG
Scarcity: 2 (Common)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: This card is quite common. I used to have one from my Gaborik collecting days but I traded it, didn't have any trouble finding another one. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/238-Set-Addition-Marian-Gaborik Box Break - Topps UFC: Round One https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/235-Box-Break-Topps-UFC-Round-One Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:58:26 GMT *Topps UFC: Round One* * Image: http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4315/ufclogo.gif * I decided to take a break from hockey and try my luck at a box of the brand new Topps UFC: Round One.
Topps UFC: Round One








I decided to take a break from hockey and try my luck at a box of the brand new Topps UFC: Round One.

I, like many other mixed-martial-arts fans, have been eagerly awaiting a product like this to come out and after a sizable delay Topps has finally released the first officially licensed UFC trading cards.

The inclusion of relic cards and autographs made this a very intriguing product for me, and I could not wait for this box to arrive so I could start pulling cards of my favorite fighters. Each 16-pack box promises three autograph cards, three relic cards, and a number of parallels and inserts.

I had a very solid box in my opinion, the collation was spot on and I was able to draw the entire 99-card base set leaving only two doubles. The theme of the base set is "Ultimate Debuts", basically showing the particular fighter in his first UFC fight. The cards are very nice looking, and go as far back as legendary Royce Gracie's first fight back in UFC 1.







In addition to the fighters in the base set, you can also find UFC personalities such as commentator Joe Rogan, referee Herb Dean, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, ring girl Rachelle Leah, and even UFC president Dana White.







You can also expect to find inserts, pictured below are Victorious Debuts and Top 10 Fights of 2008.









Obviously the strength of the product can be found in the relic and autographs cards, and Topps did well to include three of each in every 16-pack box. From what I have seen so far, you can expect to pull one Ultimate Gear fighter relic and two Fight Mat Relic cards featuring a swatch from the mat taken from the fight depicted on the card. I was quite happy with the Matt Serra Ultimate Gear card I pulled:







The card features a black swatch of fabric, I'm guessing from his shorts or shirt, and is serial numbered 168/500.

In addition to the Ultimate Gear card I pulled these two Fight Mat Relic cards:









Most of these Fight Mat Relics seem to be taken from Ultimate Fighter bouts, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing because there have been some great fighters coming out of the reality show. I was happy with the Bisping -vs- Haynes relic since I followed the third season closely and was rooting on Michael Bisping during this very fight.

Now for the fun stuff, the autographs. When the initial checklist was released for the autograph set it looked very impressive, with many of the big name fighters making an appearance. However, the product was released with significantly fewer fighters in the autograph set, down to roughly 37 from the original 50. This was disappointing to say the least, especially since many of the fighters left out were big names including Brock Lesnar, Chuck Lidell, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Matt Hughes, Frank Mir, Rich Franklin, and even president Dana White.

Thankfully many of my favorite fighters made the cut, especially George St. Pierre and Royce Gracie. I didn't pull either of those two, but I did do well:







There are worse fighters on the checklist than Karo Parisyan and Gabriel Gonzaga, but I still wouldn't have been impressed if I didn't pull this beauty:







Anderson "Spider" Silva is the current UFC Middleweight champion and his autograph is seeded in Group A (1:118 packs). The Group A checklist also includes George St. Pierre, Randy Couture, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, so if you are lucky enough to pull any of those fighters you can't go wrong.

Overall I was quite happy with the box I busted, pulling the Matt Serra relic and Anderson Silva autograph were definite highlights, but at the current price range (nearly double what it was at pre-order) it is too pricey for me to try my luck at another box especially after getting lucky enough to pull the Silva from this one.

If you are a fan of the UFC this is a very nice product, but if you are looking to turn a profit you are taking a chance with so many common autographs and a high price point. You may be better off buying singles of your favorite fighters, but as you see here it's worth it to try at least one box.
]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/235-Box-Break-Topps-UFC-Round-One Set Addition - Marty Turco https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/232-Set-Addition-Marty-Turco Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:06:06 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Autograph%20PC/07-08%20Puck%20Signings/TurcoPuckSignings.jpg *Marty Turco* *Set: *2007/08 Sweet Shot Signature...


Marty Turco

Set: 2007/08 Sweet Shot Signature Saves Puck Signings
Card Number: SSP-MT
Scarcity: 4 (Rare)
Value: 3 (Mid-Range)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: This is yet another unlisted card leaked out by Upper Deck as a redemption replacement. I have only seen a couple of these since this first leaked a few weeks ago, so I will classify it as rare for the time being. As is usually the case Upper Deck will probably flood them on to the market for a short time, but for now it is still hard to find. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/232-Set-Addition-Marty-Turco Set Addition - Jean-Sebastien Giguere https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/231-Set-Addition-Jean-Sebastien-Giguere Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:51:43 GMT Image: http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/TheCaperCollector/Cards%20For%20Trade/Autographs/JSGiguere.jpg *Jean-Sebastien Giguere* *Set: *2007/08 Ultimate Collection...


Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Set: 2007/08 Ultimate Collection Signatures
Card Number: US-JG
Scarcity: 2 (Common)
Value: 2 (Low)
Rookie Year: No
Comments: Another quite common card, should have no trouble finding one for cheap if you are working on the set. ]]> Inferno https://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/231-Set-Addition-Jean-Sebastien-Giguere