Friday: Twenty 25th Day of July
TGIF!
Last week I counted down negative trends in jersey design. Aside from laces, most people agreed with them. I felt I should have made vintage for vintage sake more clear. I'm not saying I don't like the Islanders current set or Buffalo's I just preferred their old sets. The vintage white use by Pittsburgh in their 2010 Winter Classic jerseys was the WORST use ever.
Also, when I said that Carolina and Phoenix were the only teams in the NHL with black jerseys, I meant teams that don't wear black in their current sets (aside from the logoish).
This week marks the quarterfinal voting in the HJC Open. Seriously! Go vote NOW! All it takes is a comment. I can tell already these concepts are going to be neck and neck right up until tomorrow.
Also, COTW voting ends tonight. You know what to do!
No idea for a top 5 this week, so I just thought, hey, why not talk hockey cards.
There are plenty of blogs and forums and sites and stores dedicated to hockey cards, those little pieces of cardboard everyone collects as a kid (at least here in Canada). My collection actually started 3 years ago, when I opened an old box from 2006 I'd saved as part of a grade 4 project. In it were a tin of hockey cards, mostly Upper Deck, MVP and McDonald's hockey cards, but I began collecting again. I mostly collect O-Pee-Chee and Upper Deck, my favourite sets being OPC 2008/09 and Upper Deck 2012/13.
If you want to get started in collecting, here are some tips to help your collection take off.
I) Big Box Stores Are Your Friend
Target, Wal-Mart and Toy R Us all have hockey cards, but they don't sell too well. Old stock from a few seasons ago is marked down, sometimes to $1 a pack or less! This is a great way to stock up on cards, especially to find rookie cards for Kane, Toews, Price, Tavares, Niemi, Halak, Little, Ryan ETC.
II) Find a Local Card Shop/Show
Whether it's an actual card/sports memorabilia store, a comic book store or a convention, you'll be able to find deals from all over. I found one in Bedford NS, with plenty of deals, about a 15 minute drive from Dalhousie. Just search online in your town to find somewhere that sells cards, and these places usually sell jerseys, even pre-edge jerseys
III) Don't Buy From Re-Sellers at Shows
If you do go to shows, expect deals! Most tables/ booths will be willing to haggle and you can make a deal, even if it's just a couple of bucks off. However, if the cards are all pre-packaged in those plastic sleeves with odd numbered prices (like $37 or $21), the person is usually looking at the Beckett guide and wants to get the full price. You can try to haggle but they usually won't budge.
IV) If they won't let you hold the card (without being 70 yrs old) DON'T BUY!
You need to be able to see the card in full light right in front of your face to see if the card as any imperfections, even if they are minor. If someone leaves the card either underneath a plastic sheet or in a wooden case, ask them if you can see it first. If the card is really valuable or rare (Gretzky/Dryden/Howe/Plante Rookie), ask them to touch it for you, but make sure you see both side of the card! If they won't let you hold until after you bought it, just avoid them
V) Play the Odds
The odds of getting a jersey card or autograph or numbered series )(/50 etc.) are quite low, but when you're starting out, you never know. I bought a pack of 08/09 OPC from Toys R Us for $.60 and got a Jonathan Bernier Autograph card worth $25. The odds were 1/1100. IT DOES HAPPEN. Don't just buy the thick packs, but just like a scratch and win or roll up the rim to win, people do win (my mom won a $100 tim card on a completely unrelated note, just something worth bragging about)
Okay so may it was a top 5 but who collects cards who reads HJC? Talk about your stories with cards whether good or not. What's your favourite series to collect? Favourite/Best Card?
On to the Concepts
St. Louis Blues Concept (By: TG)
Getting rid of the yellow...maybe not full time but having the Blues just be.......blue, is a cool idea. The bass string (there are 4 of them) striping is a good call back to the song the team is named after, but I wish the it continued on the chest stripe and sock striping. I get why it's not on the chest striping (it would obstruct the logo) but everywhere else. The jersey is nice and modern, but using the trumpet shoulder patch in double blue would put this jersey to the next letter. I'm glad to see someone using S2dio's template. I wish S2dio would make a paint friendly one, but his current templates are even more complex. (8.25/10)
St. Louis Blues Concepts (By: Gerard M.)
I think Gerard is doing an NHL re-design, with a home/road set and a separate alternate. This set is based on the 68-73 set the Blues wore, but I'm not sure (please clarify). The double remains though the lighter blue is now a baby blue and the darker blue is used only as an outline to the numbers, logo and striping. The away jersey is the show stealer, I found this the same when I made a similar set but it looks beautiful. The blue jersey is also very well done, I like that yellow is used more so than white but there is a healthy amount of white across the jersey. As other writers have said the detail with the helmet numbers adds a lot to this concept and shows how much effort Gerard puts into every concept. My only complaint: No outline on the yoke. (9.25/10) COTW Nom. from me!
St. Louis Blues Alternate Concept (By: Gerard M.)
With an alternate as good as this once Gerard has only made minor changes to the Blues current jersey, some good, some lateral, and some not so good. The Good: The pants now have a more tolerable pant striping, the bass string music lines from the music note are sublimated on the striping, that's a nice level of detail. The Lateral: The new striping pattern, while staying true to the pants, looks a little too 90's for this jersey, the original had a solid striping pattern, there wasn't really a need to change it. The only bad part about this jersey is the yellow. It's too light for the navy and because it blends into the white, it has an unappealing neon look to it. I'd either separate the yellow and white or darken the yellow to be like gold. It's still a solid concept, but not an improvement on the origin. (7.5/10)
Tampa Bay Lightning Concept (By: Christian L.)
Christian takes a relatively common idea, putting the lighting back in black and adding a more modern turn to it, and adds his spin. The logo is really cool, I wish the Lightning wore something like that. The blue outline around the script looks like a neon sign. The yoke is also really cool, the lightning could pull something like this off, creative but not silly. The arms are the only problem with the jersey. The hem striping, I get, nice a simple, but the arms look like there was a striping pattern and the jersey was dipped in blue paint to cover it up. Maybe something like the Lightning's previous alternate or something simple. (8/10)
Tampa Bay Rays Concept (By: Ben A.)
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At first, I thought the jersey was a rip off of the Jets striping, not that there's anything wrong with it, a little unoriginal but still looks good. However, Ben is very original, taking inspiration from the Rays actual striping pattern for this crossover, very good! The jersey looks like the Rays navy jersey, which do look solid, and it does crossover quite well from baseball to hockey However, execution errors bring this concept down. The striping is thin, maybe too thin for the hem, and isn't centred on the arms. It's a solid design, but the thickening it will make the design more visible and make the jersey look less empty. Also TV numbers are a MUST if you aren't going to show the back. (5.5/10)
Toronto Maple Leafs Concept (By: Hunter V.)
I've never seen a concept from Hunter V., so welcome to the HJC community. Since Hunter is new to concept design, I won't be as harsh on the concept, since almost everyone's first few concepts look like paint bucket fills, however, he had NOB (name on the back) and numbers down, as well as the captain's C. Just a couple of execution notes, the inside of the collar should be blue to match the rest, the stitching (grey lines on the hem) stoop at the hem stripe (bottom stripe around the waist). The logo is also too large. Take a look at the Tutorial's page and keep practicing and you'll be good in a few weeks! Lookin' forward to more, Hunter! (4/10)
Team Catalonia Concept (By: S2dio)
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We finish off with Catalonia, a state in Spain who is looking to holding a referendum to become independent from Spain this year, and with independence comes the possibility of a IIHF team (though Spain's team is ranked 30th in the world so can't imagine Catalonia playing in the Olympics anytime soon, though stranger things have happened). This concept looks solid as wee would expect from S2dio, and this template does give a full view of the jersey. The striping is based on the Catalonian flag, and looks like the Pen's 2nd Winter Classic jersey, but much better. I actually like how the striping stops half way on the arms, and on the pants, it's almost like the Islanders 4 cups stripe logo. The flower logo I'm sure has significance and looks cool, but some sort of script indicating this is the Catalonian Nation Ice Hockey Team would be nice, some sort of id. (9/10)
That's today's post, Remember to vote, comment, discuss, rage politely etc. Have a great weekend.
Last week I counted down negative trends in jersey design. Aside from laces, most people agreed with them. I felt I should have made vintage for vintage sake more clear. I'm not saying I don't like the Islanders current set or Buffalo's I just preferred their old sets. The vintage white use by Pittsburgh in their 2010 Winter Classic jerseys was the WORST use ever.
Also, when I said that Carolina and Phoenix were the only teams in the NHL with black jerseys, I meant teams that don't wear black in their current sets (aside from the logoish).
This week marks the quarterfinal voting in the HJC Open. Seriously! Go vote NOW! All it takes is a comment. I can tell already these concepts are going to be neck and neck right up until tomorrow.
Also, COTW voting ends tonight. You know what to do!
COTW July 14-20 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
HJC Open Rd 2 Votes (ends Saturday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
No idea for a top 5 this week, so I just thought, hey, why not talk hockey cards.
There are plenty of blogs and forums and sites and stores dedicated to hockey cards, those little pieces of cardboard everyone collects as a kid (at least here in Canada). My collection actually started 3 years ago, when I opened an old box from 2006 I'd saved as part of a grade 4 project. In it were a tin of hockey cards, mostly Upper Deck, MVP and McDonald's hockey cards, but I began collecting again. I mostly collect O-Pee-Chee and Upper Deck, my favourite sets being OPC 2008/09 and Upper Deck 2012/13.
If you want to get started in collecting, here are some tips to help your collection take off.
I) Big Box Stores Are Your Friend
Target, Wal-Mart and Toy R Us all have hockey cards, but they don't sell too well. Old stock from a few seasons ago is marked down, sometimes to $1 a pack or less! This is a great way to stock up on cards, especially to find rookie cards for Kane, Toews, Price, Tavares, Niemi, Halak, Little, Ryan ETC.
II) Find a Local Card Shop/Show
Whether it's an actual card/sports memorabilia store, a comic book store or a convention, you'll be able to find deals from all over. I found one in Bedford NS, with plenty of deals, about a 15 minute drive from Dalhousie. Just search online in your town to find somewhere that sells cards, and these places usually sell jerseys, even pre-edge jerseys
III) Don't Buy From Re-Sellers at Shows
If you do go to shows, expect deals! Most tables/ booths will be willing to haggle and you can make a deal, even if it's just a couple of bucks off. However, if the cards are all pre-packaged in those plastic sleeves with odd numbered prices (like $37 or $21), the person is usually looking at the Beckett guide and wants to get the full price. You can try to haggle but they usually won't budge.
IV) If they won't let you hold the card (without being 70 yrs old) DON'T BUY!
You need to be able to see the card in full light right in front of your face to see if the card as any imperfections, even if they are minor. If someone leaves the card either underneath a plastic sheet or in a wooden case, ask them if you can see it first. If the card is really valuable or rare (Gretzky/Dryden/Howe/Plante Rookie), ask them to touch it for you, but make sure you see both side of the card! If they won't let you hold until after you bought it, just avoid them
V) Play the Odds
The odds of getting a jersey card or autograph or numbered series )(/50 etc.) are quite low, but when you're starting out, you never know. I bought a pack of 08/09 OPC from Toys R Us for $.60 and got a Jonathan Bernier Autograph card worth $25. The odds were 1/1100. IT DOES HAPPEN. Don't just buy the thick packs, but just like a scratch and win or roll up the rim to win, people do win (my mom won a $100 tim card on a completely unrelated note, just something worth bragging about)
Okay so may it was a top 5 but who collects cards who reads HJC? Talk about your stories with cards whether good or not. What's your favourite series to collect? Favourite/Best Card?
On to the Concepts
----------------------------------------------
St. Louis Blues Concept (By: TG)
Getting rid of the yellow...maybe not full time but having the Blues just be.......blue, is a cool idea. The bass string (there are 4 of them) striping is a good call back to the song the team is named after, but I wish the it continued on the chest stripe and sock striping. I get why it's not on the chest striping (it would obstruct the logo) but everywhere else. The jersey is nice and modern, but using the trumpet shoulder patch in double blue would put this jersey to the next letter. I'm glad to see someone using S2dio's template. I wish S2dio would make a paint friendly one, but his current templates are even more complex. (8.25/10)
St. Louis Blues Concepts (By: Gerard M.)
I think Gerard is doing an NHL re-design, with a home/road set and a separate alternate. This set is based on the 68-73 set the Blues wore, but I'm not sure (please clarify). The double remains though the lighter blue is now a baby blue and the darker blue is used only as an outline to the numbers, logo and striping. The away jersey is the show stealer, I found this the same when I made a similar set but it looks beautiful. The blue jersey is also very well done, I like that yellow is used more so than white but there is a healthy amount of white across the jersey. As other writers have said the detail with the helmet numbers adds a lot to this concept and shows how much effort Gerard puts into every concept. My only complaint: No outline on the yoke. (9.25/10) COTW Nom. from me!
St. Louis Blues Alternate Concept (By: Gerard M.)
With an alternate as good as this once Gerard has only made minor changes to the Blues current jersey, some good, some lateral, and some not so good. The Good: The pants now have a more tolerable pant striping, the bass string music lines from the music note are sublimated on the striping, that's a nice level of detail. The Lateral: The new striping pattern, while staying true to the pants, looks a little too 90's for this jersey, the original had a solid striping pattern, there wasn't really a need to change it. The only bad part about this jersey is the yellow. It's too light for the navy and because it blends into the white, it has an unappealing neon look to it. I'd either separate the yellow and white or darken the yellow to be like gold. It's still a solid concept, but not an improvement on the origin. (7.5/10)
Tampa Bay Lightning Concept (By: Christian L.)
Christian takes a relatively common idea, putting the lighting back in black and adding a more modern turn to it, and adds his spin. The logo is really cool, I wish the Lightning wore something like that. The blue outline around the script looks like a neon sign. The yoke is also really cool, the lightning could pull something like this off, creative but not silly. The arms are the only problem with the jersey. The hem striping, I get, nice a simple, but the arms look like there was a striping pattern and the jersey was dipped in blue paint to cover it up. Maybe something like the Lightning's previous alternate or something simple. (8/10)
Tampa Bay Rays Concept (By: Ben A.)
At first, I thought the jersey was a rip off of the Jets striping, not that there's anything wrong with it, a little unoriginal but still looks good. However, Ben is very original, taking inspiration from the Rays actual striping pattern for this crossover, very good! The jersey looks like the Rays navy jersey, which do look solid, and it does crossover quite well from baseball to hockey However, execution errors bring this concept down. The striping is thin, maybe too thin for the hem, and isn't centred on the arms. It's a solid design, but the thickening it will make the design more visible and make the jersey look less empty. Also TV numbers are a MUST if you aren't going to show the back. (5.5/10)
Toronto Maple Leafs Concept (By: Hunter V.)
I've never seen a concept from Hunter V., so welcome to the HJC community. Since Hunter is new to concept design, I won't be as harsh on the concept, since almost everyone's first few concepts look like paint bucket fills, however, he had NOB (name on the back) and numbers down, as well as the captain's C. Just a couple of execution notes, the inside of the collar should be blue to match the rest, the stitching (grey lines on the hem) stoop at the hem stripe (bottom stripe around the waist). The logo is also too large. Take a look at the Tutorial's page and keep practicing and you'll be good in a few weeks! Lookin' forward to more, Hunter! (4/10)
Team Catalonia Concept (By: S2dio)
We finish off with Catalonia, a state in Spain who is looking to holding a referendum to become independent from Spain this year, and with independence comes the possibility of a IIHF team (though Spain's team is ranked 30th in the world so can't imagine Catalonia playing in the Olympics anytime soon, though stranger things have happened). This concept looks solid as wee would expect from S2dio, and this template does give a full view of the jersey. The striping is based on the Catalonian flag, and looks like the Pen's 2nd Winter Classic jersey, but much better. I actually like how the striping stops half way on the arms, and on the pants, it's almost like the Islanders 4 cups stripe logo. The flower logo I'm sure has significance and looks cool, but some sort of script indicating this is the Catalonian Nation Ice Hockey Team would be nice, some sort of id. (9/10)
That's today's post, Remember to vote, comment, discuss, rage politely etc. Have a great weekend.
Friday: Twenty 25th Day of July
Reviewed by winnipegjets96
on
July 25, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by winnipegjets96
on
July 25, 2014
Rating:
7 comments:
TG, I believe Jackman wears number 5 and not 55.
Isn't hunter's collar properly done. Since it is white.. And the yoke is white?
Also Jets96, you forgot ebay, which is the best for finding cards for cheap if you get the right bid.
Just got a google account; here's my first COTW nomination: S2dio's Catalonia for COTW.
Sorry jets. Read your comment wrong. He did forget the back of the collar. Oops.
@christian: I'm not huge on Ebay because of the amount of fakes, though I have had decent luck. Hunter's inside yoke was fine, but the part of the collar that would be on the player's neck was white while the rest was blue
Ya I caught on sorry. And are you talking about in person autographs, because I agree with you, but with autographs certified by upper deck or panini Prducts it's the best place to find the, on the secondary market. I got a really nice ryan getzlaf auto + patch for less than 10$, (things like that)
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