Busting 2: Electric Bugaloo

More fun with clearing out the closet. I spent a few hours this weekend trying to start to begin an attempt at possibly taking on an organization project. I started with my football stuff since it is the smallest sport in my collection (actually baseball is with only a few hundred cards; double actually its basketball since I have none). If I find anything interesting, I will post it. On with the break-age.

Pack #1: 2005-06 Parkhurst Hockey

#326 Fedor Tyutin
#312 John Erskine
#293 Viktor Kozlov
#133 Steve Konowalchuk
#139 Jan Hrdina
#40 Brad Stuart

A chance at some of the biggest rookie cards of the last 10 years and I get...nothing. The Konowalchuk was interesting because it reminded me of when he announced his retirement due to his congenitive heart condition. He had Long QT syndrome, which I have a relative that has the same thing. Weird how cards can dig up memories.

Pack #2: 1991-92 Pro Set Series I French Hockey

#156 Ray Ferraro
#177 Rick Tocchet
#252 Michal Pivonka
#111 Jon Casey
#211 Rod Brind'Amour
#189 Phil Bourque
#295 Phil Housley (AS)
#298 Garry Galley (AS)
#237 Dave Capuano
#297 Dave Christian (AS)
#36 Carey Wilson
#320 Brett Hull (Hart Trophy)
#171 Gord Murphy
#184 Mark Recchi
#190 Paul Coffey

The only thing worse than this pack of 91 ProSet would have been a pack of 90 ProSet. I did pull 3 Pens cards out of here, undoubtedly ones I already have but nonetheless...

Pack #3: 2008 Score Football

#145 Matt Jones
#120 Kevin Walter
#174 Bobby Wade
#128 Joseph Addai
Matt Leinart - Donruss Decals
#437 Ali Highsmith (R)
#326 Chris Cooley - Glossy Parallel

I am seriously beginning to hate these cards. I didn't mind them at first but now after opening a ton of them, it is losing its' novelty. I did get another sticker for my Trapper Keeper, with that Leinart. He's dreamy...

Pack #4: 2007 Topps Football Rack Pack

1 Awesomely delicious stick of oversized gum
#173 Reggie Brown
#116 Michael Jenkins
#124 Drew Carter
#232 Terence Newman
#219 Chris Cooley
#203 George Wrighster
#404 LaDainian Tomlinson (LL)
#168 Jerricho Cotchery
#215 Joe Klopfenstein
#235 Dunta Robinson
#273 DeMeco Ryans
#91 Kevan Barlow
#285 Walter Jones
#183 Darrell Jackson
#35 Jeff Garcia
#166 Amani Toomer
#318 Thomas Clayton (R)
#335 Rhema McKnight (R)
#362 Patrick Willis (R)
#377 Marcus McCauley (R)
#287 Brady Quinn (R)
#389 Eric Weddle (R)

Wow! I can't believe I opened a pack that had gum in it. The smell alone brought back fond memories of opening packs of Topps cards back in the mid 80s. I also can't believe there wasn't one of those stupid Favre cards in there. There were six rookies, none of which amount to anything from a "hit" perspective. I think I may hand collate a set of these. I have to have at least 60-70% of the set laying around.

Pack #5: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Hockey

#139 Michal Rozsival
#439 Chris Phillips
#262 Erik Johnson
#481 Ray Whitney
#516 Brian Lee (R) - Rainbow Parallel
#125 Rob Niedermayer - Retro Parallel

Good News! 2 Parallels in one pack, on being a Marquee Rookie. Not bad if I do say so myself. Better News! I needed all of them for my set completion. Even Better News! I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

Find The Gems - Series 2

Ok, I have always seen these boxes at the checkout counter but never actually bought one. I always wondered if it would be all scrub players and commons shoved into a plastic container or if there was a real shot at something good. At any rate, I broke down and bought one of the Gems Of The Game boxes that claims 10 Hockey Packs plus 1 Graded Card in every box. It also states that 1 in 6 have a Crosby or Ovechkin rookie. If that was really the case, why wouldn't you buy it? Ok, here goes.

Ok, the first card in the box is the graded card, of course. It is a BCCG 9 Steve Yzerman 1994-95 Parkhurst Vintage #V57. Not a common, not a high ticket but I am not disappointed at this juncture.

And now the packs.

Pack #1 2007-08 Ultra Retail

Colby Armstrong #41
Anze Kopitar #109
Michael Nylander #70
Mike Modano #132
Danny Bois (RC) Gold Medallion #208

Not awful, but not awesome either. The Bois Gold Medallion is nice.

Pack #2 2007-08 Ultra Retail

Miroslav Satan #73
Scott Gomez #83
Jay Bouwmeester Gold Medallion #115
Niklas Backstrom #100
Miikka Kiprusoff #168

Not impressed with that one.

Pack #3 2007-08 Hot Prospects (these have never been good for me)

Brad Richards #10
Niklas Backstrom #68
Steve Bernier #94
Guillaume Latendresse #31

Blah!!

Pack #4 2007-08 Hot Prospects

Nathan Horton #66
Jason Spezza #38
Jason Arnott #95
Jonathan Cheechoo #43

Double Blah!!!

Pack #5 2007-08 MVP

Henrik Lundqvist
Shawn Horcoff
Mike Ribeiro
Taylor Pyatt
Chris Phillips
Saku Koivu
Jon Grahame
Jack Johnson (RC)

The Johnson was not a bad pull, but the rest...unless you are a hockey fan you would have no idea.

Pack #6 2007-08 MVP

Marty Turco
Ryan Whitney
Antero Nittymaki
Thomas Vanek
Doug Weight
Vincent LeCavalier
Daniel Alfredsson
Rod Pelley (RC)

A much better mix of players. Better pack.

Pack #7 2007-08 Upper Deck Series 2 Retail

Travis Moen
Kurtis Foster
Manny Fernandez
Joe Sakic
Henrik Lundqvist
Cam Ward
Willie Mitchell
Viktor Kozlov - Victory Update

This was the "sideways" pack. The Moen, Foster, Fernandez, and Lundqvist are all sidways photo shots.

Pack #8 2007-08 Artifacts Retail (The one I was excited about. I like these cards.)

Marian Hossa
Mikael Tellqvist
Brad Boyes
Henrik Lundqvist
Jarome Iginla

A sad, sad batch...but I still like these.

Pack #9 2007-08 Victory

Mathieu Garon
Mikko Koivu
Ryan Whitney
Jozef Stumpel
Scott Gomez
Ryan Parent (RC)

Booooo!!!

And finally...
Pack #10 2007-08 Victory

Ilya Kovalchuk
Cory Stillman
Ryan Smyth
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Briere

Extreme Uber-Booooo!! And I got cheated out of another card.

I guess I should have expected this but at least now I know...Pick the box at the back of the shelf.