Player Cardboard "Firsts"

[RGM81]

I was having a conversation with a fellow collector last week and we got on the subject of "firsts" for players and their cards. Obviously rookie cards are a top priority for all collectors, but how many of you put a special emphasis on grabbing a player's other various hobby firsts?

I'm thinking of cards like:

• first certified/licensed autograph
• first certified/licensed game-used memorabilia
• first 1/1
• first card (big thanks to ITG and various other "pre-RC")

I remember last year when Artifacts came out being very excited for Carey Price's first Upper Deck game-used cards. It was so much the better that he was paired with Saku Koivu or Patrick Roy on his Tundra Tandems, I thought. Everything up until that point from UD had been the dreaded rookie photoshoot jersey, and obviously if these were game-used they would have been from Carey's rookie season. I was really happy when I finally got his 05-06 Heroes and Prospects Autograph. Today I just grabbed an 05-06 H&P GU of his, which is what led me to think back to the prior discussion.

How much emphasis, if any, do you put on getting various player firsts? Do they hold a little more meaning to you than a 5th year game-used card?

[missionhocky10]

the firsts are always more fun to pick up :D o'sullivan finally had his first NHL GU Jersey this year and i picked up 9 of the ultra jeresys to fill the whole page haha. thinking if things get slow later in the release season may start picking up more just because it was his first.

[Orfew]

In my case rookie cards are not a priority. I collect vintage and in particular I chase pre war cards. Many pre war rookie cards are too expensive or too rare. It is enough just to get a card from that era.

[cnshockey]

To me, I don't care what comes out 1st. I want all of my PC cards no matter what.

[30ranfordfan]

Not a huge deal for me. If it's a player I'm collecting, I'm going to go for it all.

If it's part of my Oilers GU / Auto project.... I just need one. First or not, doesn't matter. That being said.... a guy like Ryan O'Marra gets his first GU in SPx this year. That's also his first RC, and I need to get a RC of him, plus a GU. Will probably kill two birds with one stone.

[bidds55]

I go for all of them, but if I hold a special place for a given card, it is usually because I like the design, not because it is a first Auto/GU etc. That said, I can certainly see the appeal of hobby firsts. I know I'm looking forward to the first cards of Latendresse as a Wild, and Pouliot as a Hab.

[zPens87z]

Certain cards don't really matter to me....that's putting to my science in the hobby. I collect for cards that I like, and that fit with me. If I really like how it looks, then I buy or trade for it. Rookie cards might be better "book wise", but its the player on the front rather than the "Rc" tag beside it.

Saying that, I like the memorabilia cards of each of my pc's, those I am more interested in than autos.

[charvey9]

I've never really thought about it. I guess since my main PC is Lidstrom and his cards started well before the jersey/auto era.