HOCKEY CARD COLLECTING

As we all know (don't we?), in the beginning set building was the main challenge. Or even the only challenge. That's how it was when I was a kid a long, long time ago. No inserts what-so-ever. The situation hadn't changed much when my son started collecting in the mid-1990's. But look at the trading card scene today. We have witnessed a revolution!

Still, I am a set builder. To me most of the fun has vanished from building sets with the inclusion of all the SP's. Not like in my "break-out season" 1999-2000, although the craze had already started then.

During that season there were 37 different sets released, plus the Swedish Upper Deck set. Originally I did 17 of these 38 sets. Then I decided to try to do all, except those I labelled as "duplicates". I did OPC, not Topps nor the two Chrome sets, I did Pacific, not the Red (Jewel) version.

I did these sets a few years after they originally hit the shelves, during my huge box-busting period that begun in 1999 and lasted two to three years. I have recently started working on a few more older sets, listed below.

working on 1989-90 Topps (198)  
1990-91 Upper Deck (550 cards)  
1991 Score Rookie & Traded (110 cards)  
1991-92 Star Pics  (72 cards) 
1991-92 Upper Deck (700 cards)  
1992-93 Upper Deck (640 cards)  
1993-94 Upper Deck (575 cards)   

1994-95 Parkhurst (315) 
1994-95 Parkhurst SE (270) plus Euro-Stars (20) - finished what my son started
1994-95 Pinnacle (540)  
1994-95 Score (275) 
1994-95 Swedish Leaf (320) , working on the insert sets 
1994-95 Ultra (400) 
1994-95 Upper Deck (574) including both versions of card #s 22, 65, 85 and 200
1994-95 Classic (120) plus Women of Hockey (40) 
1995 Swedish Globe (270) 

1995-96 Collector's Choice (396) - finished what my son started
1995-96 Parkhurst International (540) 
1995-96 Swedish Leaf (310), Champs (15), Goldies (10), Mega (15), Spidermen (14), Rookies (9), Champs (15), Face to Face (15), need the Championship Super Chase Card for the Master set
1995-96 Swedish Upper Deck (260), First Division Stars (20), Ticket To North America (20)  Master set
1995-96 Upper Deck (570) 
1995-96 Classic Draft Picks (120)  

1996-97 Pinnacle (250)
1996-97 Upper Deck (390) 

1997-98 Collector's Choice (320) 
1997-98 Pacific Invincible (150) plus NHL Regime (220)
1997-98 Paramount (200) plus Copper parallel (200)
1997-98 Pinnacle (200)
1997-98 Pinnacle Mint Die-cut & coin (30) plus Bronze cards (30)
1997-98 Revolution (150)
1997-98 Swedish Collector's Choice (225), Crash The Game Redemptions (30) and Redeemed (30), Selects (15) and Stick-Ums (15)  Master set
1997-98 Swedish Alfabilder-97, autograph set #d to 2,000 (90) 
1997-1998 Upper Deck (420),  Three Star Selects (60) 

1998-99 Aurora (200 cards)
1998-99 Black Diamond (120 cards)
1998-99 Bowman CHL (165 cards)
1998-99 MVP (220 cards) 
1998-99 Pacific Dynagon Ice (200 cards)
1998-99 Pacific (450 cards)
1998-99 Paramount (250 cards), Team Checklists (27)
1998-99 Revolution (150 cards)
1998-99 Swedish UD Choice (225 cards), A Day In The Life (10), Trade card (1)
1998-99 Topps Gold Label (100 cards), Goal Race '99 (10) 
1998-99 UD Choice (310 cards), Mini Bobbin' Head (30), Starquest Blue (30), Green (30), Red (30)
1998-99 Upper Deck (420 cards), ProFiles (30)

As I mentioned earlier, I have almost done all sets, 34 out of 38, some parallel sets and insert sets too.

1999-00 Aurora (150 + 50 striped), Championship Fever (20)
1999-00 Be A Player Memorabilia (400), All Star Selects Silver (24), Heritage Ruby (24), Channel Specific (36), Tribute (2)
1999-00 Be A Player Millennium (250), Ruby parallels #d/1000 (250)
1999-00 Black Diamond (120), Diamond Cut (120), Diamonation (20), Diamond Might (10)
1999-00 Crown Royale (144)
1999-00 McDonald's (36)
1999-00 MVP (220), Draft Report (10), Hands of Gold (11), Last Line of Defense (10), MVP Talent (10), 21st Century NHL (10), Legendary One (10)
1999-00 MVP Stanley Cup Edition (220), Stanley Cup Talent (20), Cup Contenders (10), Golden Memories (10)
1999-00 O-Pee-Chee (330, including all variations of #s 276-286), Season's Best (30), Stanley Cup Heroes (20)
1999-00 Pacific (450), Team Leaders (28), Home & Away (20), Gold Crown Die-Cuts (36), Past & Present (20), Center Ice (20), In The Cage Net Fusion (20).
1999-00 Pacific Dynagon Ice (206)
1999-00 Pacific Omega (250), North American All-Stars (10), World All-Stars (10)
1999-00 Pacific Prism (150)
1999-00 Paramount (251)
1999-00 Premier Plus (140), Calling All Calders (10)
1999-00 Revolution (150)
1999-00 SP Authentic (135)

1999-00 SPx (180)
1999-00 Stadium Club (150), Chrome inserts (50)
1999-00 Swedish Upper Deck (220), Hands of Gold (15), Lasting Impression (12), PowerDeck (2), Snapshots (15), Signatures Authentics (20) Master set!
1999-00 Topps Gold Label (100), Fresh Gold (18), Prime Gold (15), Quest for the Cup (10)
1999-00 Ultimate Victory (120)
1999-00 Upper Deck (335)
1999-00 Upper Deck Century Legends (89)
1999-00 Upper Deck Gold Reserve (350)
1999-00 Upper Deck HoloGrFX (60), Gretzky GrFX (15)
1999-00 Upper Deck Ovation (90)
1999-00 Upper Deck PowerDeck (20), Auxiliary (20)
1999-00 Upper Deck Prospects (90), International Stars (10), CHL Class (10), Destination The Show (10), Sobey's Memorial Cup (16)
1999-00 Upper Deck Retro (109)
1999-00 Victory (440)
1999-00 Wayne Gretzky Exclusives (99)
1999-00 Wayne Gretzky Hockey (180)
1999-00 Wayne Gretzky Living Legend (99)

2000-01 MVP (220 cards)
2000-01 O-Pee-Chee (330 cards)
2000-01 Pacific (450 cards)
2000-01 Panini stickers (212 cards), in the album
2000-01 Paramount (252 cards), Copper (250) I have done all four years of Paramount regulars
2000-01 Revolution (150 cards) I have done all four years of Revolution regulars
2000-01 Swedish Upper Deck (220 cards), Masked Men (7), SHL Excellence (5), Top Draws (11), Top Playmakers (8), SHL Signatures (39), SHL Game Jerseys (2) MASTER SET!
2000-01 Topps Gold Label (115 cards), Golden Greats (15), New Generation (15), Bullion (10), Behind the Mask (10). I have done all four years of Gold Label Class 1 complete plus inserts (except memorabilia and autographs)
2000-01 Upper Deck (440 cards), Fundamentals (9)
2000-01 Upper Deck NHL Legends (135 cards)
2000-01 Upper Deck Prospects (100 cards)
2000-01 Upper Deck Reserve (120 cards), On-Ice Success (6), Power Portfolio (6), Big Ticket (10), Gold Strike (10), Golden Goalies (10)

working on 2001-02 MVP (233 cards)
2001-02 Pacific, short set without autographs (443 cards), 97-98 Subset (7)
2001-02 Stadium Club (140 cards)
2001-02 Topps/OPC Archives (81 cards)
2001-02 Upper Deck CHL Game-Used (45 cards), Top Prospects Jerseys single player (41)
2001-02 Upper Deck Legends (100 cards)
2001-02 Vanguard, short set without sp's (100 cards)

2002-03 Be A Player First Edition (440 + 40 retail versions #s 401-440 = 480 cards)
2002-03 Bowman Young Stars (165 cards)
2002-03 MVP (220 cards)
2002-03 McDonald's Pacific (42 cards), Salt Lake Gold (10)
2002-03 O-Pee-Chee (340 cards), Chrome updates (9), Own The Game (20)
2002-03 Pacific Heads Up, short set without sp's (125 cards)
2002-03 Swedish Elitset (294 cards), Netminders (9), Next Generation (9), Sharpshooters (9), Team Captains (9), SHL Masks (9), Dynamic Duos (9) = all inserts except autographs
2002-03 Victory (220)

working on 2003-04 MVP (470 cards)
2003-04 Pacific Invincible (125 cards) Had to do this since I did the 1997-98 Invincible set :-)
2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six Toronto Maple Leafs (100 cards)
2003-04 Swedish Elitset (288 cards), SHL Rookies (9), Stars of The Game (9), Zero Hero (9), Enforcers (12), Global Impact (12), Hot Numbers (12), SHL Masks (4) = all inserts except memorabilia
2003-04 Topps (340 cards), Own The Game (20), Stanley Cup Heroes (7)
2003-04 Topps Traded & Rookies (165 cards)

2004-05 ITG NHL Franchises (500 cards)
2004-05 Pure Skills (144 cards), and both insert sets, Professional Power (25), The Wall (10)
2004-05 Swedish Alfa Stars (63 cards), and both insert sets, Golden Ice (12), Next In Line (6)
2004-05 Swedish Elitset (288 cards), Dominators (9), Future Stars (12), High Expectations (10), In The Crease (10), SHL Masks (8), Tribute To Peter Forsberg (6) = all inserts except memorabilias
2004-05 Upper Deck (210 cards), Hardware Heroes (14), School of Hard Knocks (7), World's Best (30)
2004-05 Upper Deck All World Edition (120 cards). 

2005-06 ITG Between The Pipes (25 cards). 
2005-06 McDonald's (51 cards), Checklists (6) . 
2005-06 MVP (445 cards). 
2005-06 UD Rookie Update (100 cards). Short set without shortprinted RCs.
2005-06 Swedish Elitset (288 cards), Catchers (12), Playmakers (12), Rookies (9), Star Potential (18), Teammates (15), Icons (9), Stoppers (12) = all inserts except memorabilia.

2006-07 Fleer (230 cards), Hockey Headliners (25), Netminders (25), Speed Machines (25), Total O (25).
2006-07 ITG Going for Gold (25 cards)
working on 2006-07 MVP (360 cards)
2006-07 SP Game-Used (160 cards), working on Authentic Fabrics (100). 
2006-07 Swedish Elitset (288 cards), Goal Patrol (18), Playmakers (12), In The Crease (9), Performers (18), Between the Pipes (9), SHL Masks (9), Rookies (9) = all inserts except memorabilias.
2006-07 Swedish Hockeyallsvenskan (216 cards), Future Stars (16), In The Crease (16), working on Hot Numbers (16) = all inserts except memorabilias.

2007-08 ITG O Canada (100 cards). 
working on 2007-08 MVP (380 cards).
2007-08 Swedish Elitset (288 cards), Complete Players (18), Dominators (24), Double Impact (12), Future Watch (12), Great Gloves (9), Wave Of The Future (9), The Guardians (12), The Specialists (9)   = all inserts except memorabilia.

2008-09 MVP (392 cards)
2008-09 Swedish Elitset Series (288 cards), Big Numbers (12), Masked Warriors (12), SHL Team Leaders (12), Goaltending Greats (12), Golden Blades (12), Rookie Prospetcs (12) = all inserts except memorabilia.

working on 2009-10 MVP (394 cards).

I have done a few insert sets over the years. Sometimes because I thought the cards looked cool, often die-cuts, laser cuts or #d cards. Or simply that I had a bunch already and thought "what-the-heck, why not try to make it a complete set". These are all in a special binder.

1995-96 Donruss Elite, Rookies (15) #d to 5,000 

1995-96 Emotion, Xcited (20)

1995-96 Topps, Profiles (20)

1995-96 Upper Deck Wayne Gretzky Collection (20+header)

1996-97 Donruss, Hit List (20 + 1 promo) #d to 10,000 

1996-97 Pinnacle, By The Numbers (15)  

1996-97 Summit, In The Crease (16) #d to 6,000

1997-98 Be A Player, Take A Number (20)

NBA Sets

1999-00 Fleer Focus (100)

2000-01 Ultimate Victory (90)

2003-04 SP Authentic (90) short set w/o SPs

NBA Insert Sets

1994-95 Ultra, NBA All-Star Team (15)

1995-96 Ultra, NBA All-Star Team (15)

2000-01 Upper Deck Legends Yearbook (9)

WNBA Sets

2002 Ultra (100)

2004 Ultra (90) short set w/o SPs

I also have all six 2001 Fleer Feel the Game Game-Used cards and 11 of 13 2002 Fleer Authentic Ripped Game-Used cards.