Nobody Collects These Players - Master-List

**~~centrehice~~** · 12-06-2013, 03:29 AM

I will take all unwanted Shanahan cards.

I have a ton of Shanny including his very 1st Devils Jersey card which are like Hen's Teeth to find.

**Frendo** · 12-06-2013, 03:51 AM

I'm surprised by that it's hard like **** to sell Curtis Joseph for now, but a lot of Cujo collectors have give up at lately, I was going to sell a huge chunk (almost $1000!) of my Cujo PC when he suddenly gave up of collecting Cujo GAAAH!!!

But it's strange that he still gets a ridiculously amount if new cards every year when his cards sells very badly for now while there're a lot other players who almost only gets cards from ITG sells very well.
UD choice of retered players are very strange och surprising...like Tony Twist in The Cup!? When there're a lot of better enforcers out there which also are a lot better player than Twist who's a absolute utter crap as player!

**~~centrehice~~** · 12-06-2013, 11:27 AM

I also think that people here are getting very confused.

Collecting these individuals cards does not mean a 6 Coloured Auto-Patch the size of Alaska 4 years after retirement.

I am talking serious cardboard here. That hard to find Promo Card, those odd mid to late 90's non-serial numbered parallels and inserts, those extra base cards from odd brands that were never appealing.

We are not talking Fanny's Fabrics here. Hockey card collecting did not start in 2005-06 like many think it did.

Frendo makes a very valid point. I did the very same thing here with Yzerman. I got to 2,200 unique different items, and simply stopped. Once I realized that they were producing more Yzerman cards in his retirement per year than they did while he was playing, flat out stopped me in my tracks.

**30ranfordfan** · 12-06-2013, 12:26 PM

I can see how some of that kind of stuff might be tough to move.

Player collectors (myself included) tend to be a pretty dedicated bunch - but when you're talking about obscure stuff that's 15 years old.... its only the really OCD / "Gotta Have 'em All" types that are really after them.... them, and set builders (at least in theory).

When I was still searching for those types of cards, that was really the most fun stretch I had in building out my Ranford collection. Don't get me wrong - I very much enjoy expanding it today with newer stuff - but in the mid 200s when I was picking up paralles from the mid 90s, searching the internet was much more of an art form than it needs to be for me now :)

Originally Posted by centrehice View Post

I also think that people here are getting very confused.

Collecting these individuals cards does not mean a 6 Coloured Auto-Patch the size of Alaska 4 years after retirement.

I am talking serious cardboard here. That hard to find Promo Card, those odd mid to late 90's non-serial numbered parallels and inserts, those extra base cards from odd brands that were never appealing.

We are not talking Fanny's Fabrics here. Hockey card collecting did not start in 2005-06 like many think it did.

Frendo makes a very valid point. I did the very same thing here with Yzerman. I got to 2,200 unique different items, and simply stopped. Once I realized that they were producing more Yzerman cards in his retirement per year than they did while he was playing, flat out stopped me in my tracks.

**~~centrehice~~** · 12-06-2013, 12:32 PM

You have the largest and most varied Ranford cards in the World, so I know that you know where I am coming from. The fun and misery I had in hunting down just food, pizza, cereal box, and beverage cards of Yzerman from the Detroit area alone was enough to drive me crazy, but a unique joy in doing so.

**Fred Bear** · 12-06-2013, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by centrehice View Post

I also think that people here are getting very confused.

Collecting these individuals cards does not mean a 6 Coloured Auto-Patch the size of Alaska 4 years after retirement.

I am talking serious cardboard here. That hard to find Promo Card, those odd mid to late 90's non-serial numbered parallels and inserts, those extra base cards from odd brands that were never appealing.

We are not talking Fanny's Fabrics here. Hockey card collecting did not start in 2005-06 like many think it did.

Frendo makes a very valid point. I did the very same thing here with Yzerman. I got to 2,200 unique different items, and simply stopped. Once I realized that they were producing more Yzerman cards in his retirement per year than they did while he was playing, flat out stopped me in my tracks.

This is exactly it. There are dedicated collectors of several of the players you mention, but (1) there's nobody to fill in when they leave the hobby and (2) they know they are the only ones searching. It's not that nobody is actively searching for 'rare' Vic Hadfield stuff, to use one of your original examples, it's that the guy who is knows he's not getting into a bidding war with ANYONE else. He has no motivation to pick up a card that he's at least located for more than he's willing to pay because Hadfield's not a player that anyone coming into collecting right now gives two **** about and (most) collectors who might be interested are not willing to spend infinite resources trying to go back and fill in a player collection which is mostly 70s base. The same can be said for an always growing list of 'historically significant' or 'team impactful' players.

For a growing number of collectors, they are happy to have 1-2 'nice' cards of HHOFers instead of opening their accounts to try and collect every single Marcel Dionne when they never even saw him play. He may be 4th all-time in goals but... he won NO hardware after 79-80 (Lindsay award), he wasn't an NHL all-star after 80-81 (post-season team), and he NEVER won a Stanley Cup. Yet, he's amassed a 1200-card checklist with more than 1000 appearing after he retired. Unfortunately, guys like Dionne are relevant to a smaller and smaller portion of the hobby community. The 'need' or desire to pick up his 151st patch or 319th auto card just isn't there...

The sad truth of it is, too, that without a '6-color patch the size of Alaska 4 years (or more) after retirement', not many collectors care. Collector's simply don't build their player collections around an 80s RC or a rare 90s insert, especially those who started collecting after 04-05. Again, I'm not trying to say that diehard collectors don't exist (a lot of them simply don't use the internet), but they are rare and irreplaceable.

I also agree with Frendo's comment that manufacturers are getting more obscure in their inclusions. I had a good laugh when I saw the 'awesome' Pat Falloon patches in Prime. He hasn't appeared in a game in over a decade, he never lived up to the potential hyped as the San Jose Sharks first ever draft choice, and they have him included him using a Pens jersey (who he only played 30 games for)... I'm not taking anything away from a Falloon collector (I remember meeting one in 1991), or a Pens collector who wants to add one to the historical roll call, but, seriously, these cards should appear next to the dictionary definition of 'product filler'.

**30ranfordfan** · 12-06-2013, 12:43 PM

I can imagine.

Heck, I have overpayed big time for older regional issue team sets that I wanted to immediatly break up for the one Ranford card I wanted.

10 years ago, it was very difficult to get Oilers 10th Anniverary cards (they were 4 card pannels that were inserts in programs during the 88-89 season). When the odd seller would offer up a handful of them, they would always go for very good prices (from a seller's perspective, that is). Now?? I'm guessing a few people uncovered a stockroom full of them - becuase all pannels without Gretzky can be had for about $2, and quite easily.

Old Oilers postcard sized team issue stuff, IGA food issues, things like that - used to be very hard to find.

Originally Posted by centrehice View Post

You have the largest and most varied Ranford cards in the World, so I know that you know where I am coming from. The fun and misery I had in hunting down just food, pizza, cereal box, and beverage cards of Yzerman from the Detroit area alone was enough to drive me crazy, but a unique joy in doing so.

**30ranfordfan** · 12-06-2013, 12:52 PM

I think this sums up the issue very well. Dionne is a great example.

In my collection? I own two of his cards (plus whatever might be part of a base set). An autograph that he signed for me about 15 years ago, and a jersey card I pulled from a Panini box 2 years ago. I realize how great the guy was.... but I have no need to own anything else.

Originally Posted by Fred Bear View Post

This is exactly it. There are dedicated collectors of several of the players you mention, but (1) there's nobody to fill in when they leave the hobby and (2) they know they are the only ones searching. It's not that nobody is actively searching for 'rare' Vic Hadfield stuff, to use one of your original examples, it's that the guy who is knows he's not getting into a bidding war with ANYONE else. He has no motivation to pick up a card that he's at least located for more than he's willing to pay because Hadfield's not a player that anyone coming into collecting right now gives two **** about and (most) collectors who might be interested are not willing to spend infinite resources trying to go back and fill in a player collection which is mostly 70s base. The same can be said for an always growing list of 'historically significant' or 'team impactful' players.

For a growing number of collectors, they are happy to have 1-2 'nice' cards of HHOFers instead of opening their accounts to try and collect every single Marcel Dionne when they never even saw him play. He may be 4th all-time in goals but... he won NO hardware after 79-80 (Lindsay award), he wasn't an NHL all-star after 80-81 (post-season team), and he NEVER won a Stanley Cup. Yet, he's amassed a 1200-card checklist with more than 1000 appearing after he retired. Unfortunately, guys like Dionne are relevant to a smaller and smaller portion of the hobby community. The 'need' or desire to pick up his 151st patch or 319th auto card just isn't there...

Again, very much correct. This current era of collecting places little value on anything that isn't a patch and/or an auto.... and Rookie Cards (but they need to be either brand new, or a Patch / Auto, to have much value too). I know I'm being simplistic with this comment.... some inserts and paralles do sell well.... but for the most part, it's Patch / Auto or bust. When you can pick up a nice looking Patch / Auto from a $450-per-tin product for $25 though - can anyone say they're surprised?

The sad truth of it is, too, that without a '6-color patch the size of Alaska 4 years (or more) after retirement', not many collectors care. Collector's simply don't build their player collections around an 80s RC or a rare 90s insert, especially those who started collecting after 04-05. Again, I'm not trying to say that diehard collectors don't exist (a lot of them simply don't use the internet), but they are rare and irreplaceable.

This is one where I'm on the fence.

I agree that seeing a guy like Pat Faloon in that set - it's pretty silly. Having said that.... I know I'd be paying decent bucks for one of those cards if they had diced up one of his Oilers jerseys :) Based on the fact he played for the Oilers, and that's his only GU card (I wonder what they're going to do with the rest of the jersey??) I'd still like to pick one up. I grabbed a Prime Nick Fotiu (Rangers) for the same reason.

But, I see exactly where you're coming from. A set like that - why isn't it reserved for only the best of the best? Put in today's top stars, top rookies, and retired guys - but don't go for players that very few will be excitied to see.

Guys like Faloon, they fill a niche in some people's collections (and I am very much one of those type of collectors) but they don't command top dollars, and should probably be left out of top end sets.

I also agree with Frendo's comment that manufacturers are getting more obscure in their inclusions. I had a good laugh when I saw the 'awesome' Pat Falloon patches in Prime. He hasn't appeared in a game in over a decade, he never lived up to the potential hyped as the San Jose Sharks first ever draft choice, and they have him included him using a Pens jersey (who he only played 30 games for)... I'm not taking anything away from a Falloon collector (I remember meeting one in 1991), or a Pens collector who wants to add one to the historical roll call, but, seriously, these cards should appear next to the dictionary definition of 'product filler'.