It’s happened folks! The iconic hockey card, representative of the wheeling and dealing of many of our childhoods, has earned its own day. Our friends at Upper Deck have proclaimed Saturday, February 21st to be National Hockey Card Day here in The Great White North, and in commemorating this day will be giving away hundreds of thousands of free 15-card sets. Sets will be available in participating Canadian hobby shops and retail locations, and will contain a variety of Canadian-born rookie, superstar and legends across three different subsets: Canada’s Rookies (Steven Stamkos, Kyle Turris, Josh Bailey, Coulton Gilles and Derick Brassard), Pride of Canada (Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic and Martin Brodeur) and Hockey’s Heroes (Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Don Cherry). Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s hobby marketing guru, tells me that the fan generated hype around this set was huge at UD’s All Star Game booth in Montreal, and that the response from hobby store retailers has been equally so, whereby nearly all the available stock has been scooped up three plus weeks from the actual day!
In speaking with Chris further about the NHCD festivities and swag, we thought it would be great to expand the scope of the day into the world of Hockeybuzz. We have subsequently put together a contest exclusive to this site and its readers that will allow you, the reader, to share your memories, stories and ideas for the future of the hobby while also giving you the chance to land some exclusive Upper Deck swag. Here are the details:
In the spirit of the day, we are asking for people to share their thoughts, feelings and memories around hockey cards. It could be the memories of the middle-aged guy who hasn’t collected since he was a kid, but still remembers the anticipation of dropping that quarter on the counter of the corner store/depanneur for that wax pack of OPC back in the day (Yes 25 and under crowd, they used to only cost a quarter!). It could be the story of the 10 year old girl who had the perfect rookie card pull from that pack her parents grabbed off hand for her as they payed up at the gas station. It could be the story of a parent and child who get to spend time together cracking packs at a card show, and what that time together means to them. Bottom line, we want to hear about how cards have impacted you, regardless of the level it’s occurring on. On each of the four days leading up to NHCD (February 17-20) one of the submissions will be chosen as a winning story, posted here at Hockeybuzz, and awarded a prize from the fine folks at Upper Deck.
But there’s more! We will also be having a NHCD-specific draw for another fine Upper Deck prize. In this case, we want you all to write to us about what you feel the direction should be for the hockey card hobby as we move into the future. Do you have ideas for new products? Thoughts about what needs to be addressed in the hobby? Forecasts for what the hobby will look like 10-20 years from now? Share them with us and you could be the lucky winner and have your submission posted on Hockeybuzz on NHCD February 21st!
The exact prizes haven’t been nailed down as of yet, but Chris has brought up the possibility of many different types of swag, including boxes of cards, inserts, autographed pucks or even NHL apparel. So even if you’re not a die-hard collector, chances are that somewhere in the five prizes that will be offered there will be something that will float your boat.
I will be taking submissions for both contests starting NOW! Here are the guidelines:
1) Include your name, age and mailing address with your submission
2) One submission per contest, per reader. To keep the chances of landing a prize as equitable among the submissions as possible the understanding will be that if you win on one contest you will not be eligible to win on the other.
3) Submit your entries for the 2 contests separately. Please don’t send both entries in one e-mail or on one document.
4) Entries ARE NOT limited to Canadian residents. We want to share the day with everyone! Wherever you’re at I’ll find a way to get the prize to you!
5) Deadline for entries will be midnight, February 14 2009.
6) Entries can be sent to me at
[email protected]
7) Entries will be based on a “quality/originality not quantity” basis. Writing the “War and Peace” of hockey cards will not guarantee a win in other words! We need substance!
So there we are folks! I look forward to rifling through the entries and hearing your stories and ideas! Thanks to Chris Carlin and the rest of our friends at Upper Deck for looking after us yet again, and good luck to you all!
Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Facebook: Shawn Gates
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