Team Collector Nightmare

[Rraincock]

Hello All

I super collect the Red Deer Rebels. Why might you ask? Well, I grew up in Red Deer, have some warm and fuzzy family memories at the Centrium (their rink), and most Rebels cards are worthless. Yes, I spend most of my time looking for 'cup of Joe' quality draft pick parallel cards that are worth FAR less than the shipping that gets them to me. It brings me joy... especially when I find a card that I hadn't even thought was made (ITG Robinson/Phaneuf dual auto, HELLO!).

Here is my nightmare. Every year, ITG/Leaf put out a number of products to chase. I had numbers, emblems, golds... even in the Vault stages I still had some interesting cards to collect. As time wore on, what was a fun eBay search has turned into literal begging. Begging on any website that talks hockey cards (save two) and especially talks CHL cards. Nobody has this stuff anymore. Ebay used to be a great place to get stuff (I didn't even mind the $17 shipping for the right card if I needed it enough)... but the nightmare has started. I am down to 63 cards (the new UD CHL set (notwithstanding) and none of them seem to come up. Anywhere. Ever. If they do it seems as though somebody out there thinks $200 for a Landon Ferraro jersey cad limited to 10 is a reasonable starting point.

Even those sorts of auctions are coming few and far between. I go weeks (and sometimes months) without an interesting card coming up on eBay. I have all but given up on posting on the boards. I have loaded my want list onto the SCF inventory lists and see that there are only 2 available (a base auto and a Landon Ferraro...).

What can I do? 63 White Whales...

Has anyone else had a struggle like this?

1997-98 Bowman CHL OPC #156 Kyle Kos

1998-99 Bowman CHL Golden Anniversary #136 Stephen Peat S# /50

1998-99 Bowman CHL Golden Anniversary #71 Shawn McNeil S# /50

1998-99 Bowman Chrome CHL OPC International #136 Stephen Peat

1999-00 Bowman CHL Autographs Gold #BA8 Justin Mapletoft AU

1999-00 Bowman CHL Autographs Silver #BA8 Justin Mapletoft AU

2005-06 ITG Heroes And Prospects Measuring Up Gold #MU1 Cam Ward/ Patrick Roy Mem, S# /10

2006-07 ITG Heroes And Prospects Sticks And Jerseys Gold #SJ16 Dion Phaneuf Mem, S# /10

2007-08 ITG Heroes And Prospects Double Memorabilia Gold #DM02 Brandon Sutter/ Brett Sutter Mem, S# /10

2007-08 ITG Heroes And Prospects Triple Memorabilia Gold #TM02 Karl Alzner/ Brandon Sutter/ Colton Gillies Mem, S# /10

2008-09 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect Combos Memorabilia Gold #PC06 Gilbert Brule/ Brandon Sutter Mem, S# /10

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Emblems #M50 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Emblems Autographs #MALF Landon Ferraro AU, Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Jerseys Autographs #MALF Landon Ferraro AU, Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Jerseys Gold #M30 Landon Ferraro Mem, S# /10

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Jerseys Gold #M50 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /10

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Numbers #M30 Landon Ferraro Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Numbers #M50 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Numbers Autographs #MALF Landon Ferraro AU, Mem, S# /6

2009-10 ITG Superlative Prospect Plus Emblem Autographs #PAPRNH Ryan Nugent-Hopkins AU, Mem, S# /9

2010-11 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Emblems Autographs Black #MALF Landon Ferraro AU, Mem, S# /6

2010-11 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Jerseys Gold #M41 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /10

2010-11 ITG Heroes And Prospects Game Used Numbers Autographs Black #MALF Landon Ferraro AU, Mem, S# /6

2010-11 ITG Heroes And Prospects Hero And Prospect Jerseys Silver #HP12 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins/ Mark Messier Mem, S# /50

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Autographs Purple #PSAP1 Austin Pratt AU, S# /10

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Autographs Purple #PSJM1 Josh Mahura AU, S# /10

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Patch Bronze #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /15

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Patch Emerald #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /10

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Patch Purple #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /5

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Platinum #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /10

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Purple #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /15

2015-16 ITG Heroes And Prospects Prospect 8 Silver #P802 Nolan Patrick / Beck Malenstyn / Jake Bean / Sam Steel / Tyler Benson / Simon Stransky / Juuso Valimaki / Josh Mahura Mem, S# /5

2015 ITG Used Dual Game Used Jersey #GU2J01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /60

2015 ITG Used Dual Game Used Jersey Gold #GU2J01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /30

2015 ITG Used Dual Game Used Patch #GU2P01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /15

2015 ITG Used Dual Game Used Patch Gold #GU2P01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /5

2015 ITG Used Fantasy Team 8’s Gold #FT803 Connor McDavid / Jonathan Drouin / Nathan MacKinnon / Vladimir Tarasenko / Taylor Hall / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Curtis Lazar / Nail Yakupov Mem, S# /15

2015 ITG Used Fantasy Team 8’s Silver Prismatic #FT803 Connor McDavid / Jonathan Drouin / Nathan MacKinnon / Vladimir Tarasenko / Taylor Hall / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Curtis Lazar / Nail Yakupov Mem, S# /5

2015 ITG Used Game Used Jersey Gold #GUJRNH Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mem, S# /20

2015 ITG Used Game Used Jersey Quad Gold #GU4J01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Nail Yakupov / Taylor Hall Mem, S# /25

2015 ITG Used Game Used Jersey Quad Silver Prismatic #GU4J01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Nail Yakupov / Taylor Hall Mem, S# /5

2015 ITG Used Game Used Jersey Trios Silver Prismatic #GU3J02 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Nail Yakupov Mem, S# /5

2015 ITG Used Game Used Patch Quad #GU4P01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Nail Yakupov / Taylor Hall Mem, S# /15

2015 ITG Used Game Used Patch Quad Gold #GU4P01 Connor McDavid / Ryan Nugent-Hopkins / Nail Yakupov / Taylor Hall Mem, S# /10

2015-16 Leaf Metal Green #BAJD2 Jeff De Wit AU, S# /5

2015-16 Leaf Metal Pink #BAAP1 Austin Pratt AU, S# /10

2016 Genesis Auto Patch Emerald #AMPJM1 Josh Mahura AU, Mem, S# /5

2016 Genesis New Dawn Bronze #NDAP1 Austin Pratt AU

2016 Genesis New Dawn Bronze #NDJW2 Jeff De Wit AU

2016 Genesis New Dawn Emerald #NDAP1 Austin Pratt AU, S# /35

2016 Genesis New Dawn Emerald #NDJW2 Jeff De Wit AU, S# /45

2016 Genesis New Dawn Platinum #NDJM1 Josh Mahura AU, S# /10

2016 Genesis New Dawn Purple #NDAP1 Austin Pratt AU, S# /15

2016 Genesis New Dawn Purple #NDJM1 Josh Mahura AU, S# /15

2016 Genesis New Dawn Silver #NDJW2 Jeff De Wit AU, S# /5

2016 Genesis New Dawn Silver #NDMS2 Michael Spacek AU, S# /5

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Bronze #PAJDW Jeff De Wit AU

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Bronze #PAMS3 Michael Spacek AU

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Emerald #PAJDW Jeff De Wit AU, S# /10

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Emerald #PAMS3 Michael Spacek AU, S# /5

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Platinum #PAJDW Jeff De Wit AU

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Platinum #PAMS3 Michael Spacek AU

2016-17 ITG Heroes And Prospects Signatures Purple #PAJDW Jeff De Wit AU, S# /5

[creasecollector]

The hobby is fun sometimes, especially when the cards we are looking for are more specific.

I would say be super patient and enjoy the hobby until then, and your wantlist cards will eventually pop up. Maybe not all the cards in this list, obviously, but slow and steady wins the race here. Sometimes a bunch of our wants come up at once, and sometimes it's a slow burn to finally start seeing some cards show up again.

[30ranfordfan]

I have similar issues. The number of cards (or autographs) I actually "want" to add to my Oilers collection is pretty slim.

When the Oilers go out and get a new player (call a new one up) then I've got a new guy to add to the wantlist. For about 2 years.... my wantlist for autographs of players that had been on the team pre-2015 was down to 4 (this would be anyone who had played at least 1 game for them). I had not found a new autograph in ages.

Then I nailed 3 of the 4 missing ones in a 6 week stretch. It was AWESOME!.


Keep looking. That's all you can do. Longer the chase goes on, more satisfying when you finally land it.

[Maggot]

That's just the nature of the beast when most of the cards you are looking for are #/10. Will be years before you find some of those, if you do at all.
I enjoy having a large and varied wantlist, it makes trading easier and keeps the hobby entertaining. Maybe try finding different color swatches for the cards you already have? Start a PC of new players to work on while you finish this one up?