CANADIEN GOODNESS - Toronto and Montreal Hockey Legends

As much as I love hockey, I came to realize this week that I am a casual collector. When hockey is in season and when the jet stream blows cool air to Florida - my hockey senses highten.

 

More to the point, prior to this week I did not own one original Parkhurst hockey card !

 

1959-60 Parkhurst Boom Boom Geoffrion

 

Then I saw this card (above) of Hall of Famer "Boom Boom" Geoffrion. The price was right - $5.00

As a week passed and the auction concluded I had purchased other hockey cards (to be featured in a future blog). The seller of this other card filed a non-payment alert after TWO DAYS !

 

Not a big surprise from ebay. While I duely paid for the second card (I had been away), an email came from the seller of the Geoffrion card. The gentleman apologized for not sending out the card as he and his wife were also away. I wrote back thanking him for the note and told him its ok, that I now know the card is on its way.

 

Now, I do not have it on any authority, but I think this gentleman was a Canadien. Most of the retires that own vintage hockey in Florida are from North of the border.

 

So when the paackage arrived today, one envelope was labeled - two cards. One being Boom Boom and the other an odd ball card of BABE RUTH. Its marked 1992 Delphi - and believe it was issued to promote or compliment a limited edition collector's plate.

 

 

Although I already have this card it was a kind gesture. The other envelope was marked - coin. I have to say, I love sports coins. So, it was to my delight and surprise to pull this -

1961-62 Shirriff hockey coin of Eddie Shack.

 

A SALADA FOODS Shirriff hockey coin. It was of a Toronto Maple Leafs player Eddie Shack. Again, it was a first for my hockey collection.

Eddie won the Stanley Cup 4 times with the Maple Leafs and played over 1000 NHL games. But here is a factoid from Wikipedia -

 

During the 1966 season Shack broke out, scoring a career high 26 goals on a line with Ron Ellis and Bob Pulford, and his popularity was such that a novelty song called Clear The Track, Here Comes Shack written in his honour and played by "Douglas Rankine with the Secrets".^[6] It reached #1 on the Canadian pop charts and charted for nearly three months.

 

Speaking of facts, poor Boom Boom was outed on the back of his card - "a deep growing pain in his groin area slowed him down" and caused him to miss another NHL scoring title.

 

 

Growing up near the Canadian border I got my first hockey cards in 1971 (still my favorite set). However, my collection only grew newer from that point. Now, I am enjoying going backwards to vintage. I especially like Canadien food issues.

 

If anyone has any Canadien food issues you will trade for other sports cards, let me know.

 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTABLE HOCKEY ISSUE ?

Out of Africa ....

Anyone who follows the world's most popular sport is already aware that the next World Cup will be played in South Africa this summer. The 2010 FIFA tournament will be unique in many ways with the continent hosting it's first World Cup.

The commonality of cigarette cards from first Europe, then South America is also the progression of soccer itself. With the advent of the North American Soccer League (NASL) the U.S. added themselves to the list of countries that produce soccer cards.

But the European influence had reached Africa even before the Second World War. Proof of this comes with the 1939 African Tobacco Manufactorers Ltd. set. The series titled "The World of Sport" really does include personalities known globally for their athletic achievments.

The 100 card set includes mostly British and American athletes. However, there are Australian, German and Italians as well. The greater part of the cards feature boxing and track & field.  

What makes this group special is their rarity and the inclusion if idolized sporting icons. The most sought after card - the baseball player Babe Ruth. Two African-Americans follow closely in Joe Louis and Jesse Owens who made their mark on the world as minorities. 

One of my favorite cards is of course - William Ralph "Dixie" Dean - the great Everton F.C. and England soccer star. It is said he was given the nickname "Dixie" because his wavy hair and dark toned skin was a reminder of persons from the Southern United States.

Not to be lost in the irony, that the cards are printed in Cape Town, South Africa and written bi-lingually in English and Dutch (Boer). The colonization by Dutch and German settlers is what led to the practice of Apartied - the separation of the people by race.

A great set using modern photos of the day. Every sport collector should own at least one card from this set.

Last game at Yankee Stadium

With the clock ticking away, the final out at Yankee Stadium approaches. There has been loads of media coverage; everything from ball collectors to the IRS investigating the financing of the new Yankee Stadium.


No tribute would be complete without the three kings of the Bronx: Ruth, DiMaggio and Mantle. These are arguably the most desired player cards of all time. (Admit it, even if you are
not a Yankee fan you would not turn down the chance to own one of their cards


So here are three from my own collection: