More Recent Developments
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010Has everyone seen the great Tim Hortons commercial that has Sidney Crosby talking about Frozen Pond? Check out the 12-second mark. Talk about some great free advertising. Thanks Sid!!!
The Pittsburgh Penguins recently held a charity event where each player served as a celebrity team captain for a competing bowling team. The shirts worn by the players were then autographed and auctioned off on NHL.com. So whose jersey do you think garnered the highest bid? Nope – think again. Nope – not him either. And no, this isn’t yet another Marc-Andre Fleury plug either.
The jersey that sold for the most (by far) belonged to none other than Kris Letang. His jersey’s selling price of $1,520 was more than double that of runner-up, Max Talbot ($720). Fleury was third at $470, while Crosby ($455) and Malkin ($360) surprisingly did not even make the podium. I know that women love Letang, but WOW!!! Has he surpassed the aging Sheldon Souray as the best looking player in the NHL? Women readers, please feel free to email and let me know.
Continuing with the Penguins theme, were you aware that backup goaltender Brent Johnson is the grandson of HOF superstar Sid Abel?
I was thrilled that McFarlane Toys finally decided to do a Marc-Andre Fleury figure, as I have been bugging them for years to do so. But it would have been nice if they actually took the time to spell his name correctly.
There are actually several variations of the base of his figure, some with a patchwork fix-it job and some that look natural and are spelled correctly. Regardless, this type of thing should not be happening.
Kudos to McFarlane though for FINALLY offering signed and limited-edition figures randomly packaged in their cases. This type of “chase” item has kept the hockey card market going for the past 15 years and hopefully will breathe new life into what had become a lackluster product line. Early returns are extremely positive.
At the beginning of the season, if someone suggested that Jonathan Quick would be leading the NHL in wins heading into the Olympic break (35 – already a Kings record), they probably would have been carted off to a padded room. Great job by a relative unknown. Unfortunately the rest of his statistics do not make him Vezina-worthy. There were a number of pundits though that suggested Matt Duchene was indeed the best player drafted in the Class of ’09. Right now the Calder Trophy is his to lose, although Tyler Myers could give him a run for his money. My unbiased vote would go to Leafs goalie, Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson. Semyon Varlamov’s long-term injury cost him any chance at the award, although his long-term potential may rival anyone’s in what is definitely the weakest rookie crop in recent years.
J.S. Giguere joins the Leafs and is given his #35, previously worn by Vesa Toskala. Vesa Toskala joins the Ducks and they refuse his request for #35, previously worn by J.S. Giguere. Why? Toskala has still not played a game for Anaheim, as he is having trouble obtaining a work Visa. The guy lived and played in the U.S. from 2000-2007, and has travelled back and forth across the border dozens of times since, so what is the issue? Do you think there may be more to this story?
There are no aerial photos available to collectors from this year’s Winter Classic game, as apparently the NHL could not get permission to license any photograph that had the name “FENWAY” visible. Once again – bureaucracy at its finest.
We have noticed a recent influx in knock-off NHL jerseys, the ones that are being illegally manufactured and imported from China. While the average fan may not notice a difference, the quality of these jerseys is horrendous. The names and numbers are made from the wrong material and are often sewn in the wrong font. The jerseys themselves are lightweight and extremely prone to ripping.
A lot of collectors are sending these jerseys in to Frozen Pond to get signed by our autograph guests. While you may think you are saving money by purchasing these illegal, low-cost replicas, it is our educated opinion that you will be paying in the long run when you find no one wants to buy them off you. In fact, they will practically be unsellable, as the vast majority of hobbyists want the real thing and are even willing to pay a premium for a top quality piece. A fake Gucci bag will still hold your wallet and a fake Rolex can still tell time, but don’t expect to ever see a return on your investment for any of these items.
When the cost of oil shot up in 2008, UPS started adding a surcharge to all shipments. Even though fuel costs are now reasonable again, UPS still charges the added fee. Last year, they added a $1.00 surcharge for deliveries to residential addresses. That fee has since gone up to $1.50, and now $1.85. If you spell one letter of a street name wrong, or list the zip code incorrectly, there is an $8 charge. That amount is up from $5 only two years ago.
This is a brief explanation as to why shipping costs are so high these days.
This jersey was seen at a recent autograph signing:
Maybe it was sent in by McFarlane Toys???
How would you like to be the promoter who booked New Jersey Devils players Niclas Bergfors and Johnny Oduya for an autograph session in New York on March 21? Both players were shipped to Atlanta in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal. Talk about bad luck.
I was surprised to learn that 25,000 Olympic volunteers had to PAY for their uniforms, which consist of a top and pants. The cost – only $700. I wish I could find some volunteers that will pay for the privilege of working.