The Caniac Collector

Justin Faulk 2010 Panini Rookie Private Signings                      Shades of gray wherever I go the more I find out the less that I know. " -Billy Joel     I will freely admit before my return to the hobby in 2016 I was ignorant as to how much it had evolved. As a child of the junk wax I was not aware as to how broad the hobby had become. Gone were the days of enormous single base sets with cool inserts to chase, and in were subsets, relics , parallels, serial numbered chase cards, and autographed cards. The last one on the aforementioned list blew my mind. "Autographed cards?". Many a spring training afternoon was spent at Joker Marchant Stadium trying to get autographs of Detroit Tigers players, so the fact I could get a signed card with minimal effort was mind-blowing.      With this newly acquired knowledge I decided to make it my mention to acquire a Justin Faulk autographed card. Seeing this was a n...

  Upper Deck 2015-2016  #36     Every Collector has a story! A moment in which their fandom began! A time in their life when they decided to take on an project, task or hobby for the sole purpose of fun. This is my story! I have always been aware of the NHL. Having grown up 30 minutes from "The Ice Palace" in the days in which the Tampa Bay Lightning were just a mere expansion team I attended my fair share of hockey games as the likes of Dino Ciccarelli, Darren Puppa and Roman Hamrlik were Lightning staples. I remember being there to boo former top pick ( #3 over in 1993) Chris Gratton when he returned after signing  with the Flyers after the 1996 playoff run. I was there for former number one overall pick (1992) Roman Hamrlik return with Edmonton in 1998 as well.  However, I was never what you would have called a serious hockey fan. Hockey never occupied a huge place in my life, and why would it this was the Dungy/ Gruden Era of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an...

          A quick Google search of the name Marek Malik will likely bring up his famous 2005 15th round shootout goal from his time with the New York Rangers . A goal that remains to this day arguably the best shootout goal in NHL History. However long before Malik surprised the hockey world with his silky mitts beating Olaf Kolzig with that between the legs dandy, Malik patrolled the Carolina Hurricanes Blue-line.            Drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the third round (72nd Overall) of the 1993 draft, the 6'6" Czech Native spent three seasons with the American Hockey Leagues Springfield Falcons. Prior to breaking in with the Whalers for 47 games during the 1996-1997 NHL Season. The following season the Hartford Whalers Owner Peter Karmanos relocated the team to Raleigh, North Carolina, and Malik chose to take his talents to the Swedish Elite League for the Malmo Redhawks. After a year in Sweden, Malik returned...

              "It's not sho friends, it's show business"                                                               -Bob Sugar-                                                              "Jerry" Maguire         It was exactly one year to the day that the new regime of the Carolina Hurricanes led by new General Manager Don Waddell shocked the Draft floor in Dallas Texas. By sending 3rd year defenseman Noah Hanifin, and under-performing forward Elias Lindholm to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Michael Ferland, Dougie Hamilton and the rights to unsigned draft pick Adam Fox. It was that trade that shook up a rather q...

     Dont thank me for my service! I did not join for gratitude! I was a 23 year old single dad who had ran out of options to support his son. I needed an escape from a bad situation and the United States Navy provided it for me. Now 12 years later I along with many other veterans battle the long term effects of what at time can be crippling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).In my daily profession it was implied that I should not write about or discuss my PTSD because it could make people uneasy and uncomfortable around me! While my internal response  was "You think it's uncomfortable hearing about it?" "Well try fucking living with it every day!" Nevertheless I heeded the warning and stop sharing my experiences via social media. However, this is my blog and my rules!  I will be the first to admit I never saw combat, yet a three year period of living in constant vigilance broke my psyche beyond repair.Being seperated from my family for 503 out of a po...

     Fathers Day just passed and as always it is a difficult day for me! My Father passed away when I was 15 years old, so I always spend a portion of Fathers Day reflecting on lessons I learned in the short time I had with him on Earth! It was my dad who bought me my first pack of 1987 Topps Baseball as motivation to help me with my reading, and to this day you could probably get a laugh from my mom if you asked her how I first pronounced "Jose Canseco" (Joes Can-C-co) if you are curious. To this day 32 years later I attest that is where I developed a passion for collecting the cardboard that consumes my free time to this very day! My dad had major issues with mobility so much in fact that he could not get out and play catch like most dads, and towards the end of his life he was relegated to using a motorized scooter to get around. So many of my life lessons were taught by him while we watched sports on television. My dad was not a hockey fan! As a matter of fact he...