A New MST3K Auto

 

Sure, Marv Fleming may have picked up 4 Super Bowl titles over his career, including the first one in Green Bay "PACKERS! Packers won the Super Bowl!" but that isn't the reason he's in the collection.

He also had an appearance in the movie 'Superdome', which was riffed during the KTMA season. If a bit part is enough to qualify Mickey Lolich for the collection, then why wouldn't this?

Shirley Eaton is the only other KTMA auto I have, and The Million Eyes of Sumuru was reriffed during the Gizmoplex year.

There you have it!

2/14 Hockey

 My most recent comc shipment was pretty hockey intensive, and here is most of the contents that fall under that heading. There is still a new face to show off with one of those posts.

I know that Bernie might or might not be a 2-14 guy, since there are two different dates listed depending on the source. Still, it is the only OPC manufactured trophy card in the collection. Will Lane Hutson have one in the future? I guess I'll have to keep my eyes on the checklists. 

Speaking of Lane Hutson, here's a GDM entry of his. I'm not sure how to handle cards that were available before 2/14 for purchase, but not available in a physical form until afterwards when it comes to the annual countdown I do. I'll just hope I get a better card of his between now and 2/14/2026 to remove any internal debate.

I've complained before about Pillar's ghastly signature, but with this patch entry, there's nothing to worry about. Even if the colours don't match the photo. As the shouldn't - that's a Kelowna Rockets swatch.

These blue parallels were e-pack exclusive, and since these didn't drop on e-pack until after the previously mentioned deadline, this one will count towards the collection. You will see these parallels again when I start showing off some new faces in a future post.

That is probably the most interesting font choice for the numbering in this collection.

The one-and-dones to start this post wraps up with the double possibilities of Ryan Macinnis, someone who qualifies for both the 2/14 binders and the Kitchener Rangers alumni binders. As I usually do, I point out that Ryan is the son of Hall of Famer Al MacInnis.

Now, the sole double acquisition. Prospectus Momentous might be the goofiest name for an insert set in a long-time. Just groanworthy. It is a little hard to tell from the scan, but the CHL card is a clear cut acetate parallel. They are rare in the release, but still fairly inexpensive to acquire thanks to e-packs.

Continuing to increase the volume, here's the Mrazek content. I'm wondering if he'll get any cards out of his 5-game return to the Red Wings this past season. He's since been moved to the Ducks in return for Kitchener Rangers alum John Gibson. That's the second time I've been able to mention that other PC in this post.

Looks like I will finally be able to easily acquire NHL cards of Ehlers on a team other than the Jets. Finally some variety to his portion of the collection outside of his Halifax Mooseheads stuff. 

In a tie with Ehlers for top spot was Sean Hill, but I will end it with his cards since I rarely get a chance to wrap things up with his entries. I especially like the Blues entry, since I don't have too many of those in the collection in comparison to some other teams.

And there you have it!

2025 Adventures in Repacks - Part 21 - Too Long

 It has been too long since I picked up one of those 2 pack hanger repacks. So lets remedy it with this pickup, which had these packs within:

How very chrome!

It was kinda nice to bust some Chrome Update, since I'd never had the chance to open any of that before. Getting a Blue Jays insert of Vladdy Jr makes it even better. 

And the other pack - nothing but base cards. Nothing too interesting photographically speaking either. But that was to be expected. At least Scherzer brings some star power and Howard brings the veteran presence.

I landed a shiny Blue Jays card from one of the two packs. That's enough to give a solid thumbs in the middle to the repack.

There you have it!

Contrasts

 

Barbed wire in the ring, but a 'Willow's Smile Section' at ringside. It is a little blurry, but it does look like there is an apostrophe in the correct place in the sign. I can appreciate when fans show the most basic literacy.

The back of the card also contrasts the smiley photo with a text referencing the match to make for a real enigma of a card.

But there yu have it!

A Canada Day Golden Goal

Connor?

Crosby?

Let's go back even further to see Anson Carter's wraparound, replay proven winner!

And here he is with an Oilers manu-patch.

There you have it!

Sleepy Me

 I'm not feeling too verbose today, so here is a scanner bed filled with Kitchener Rangers alum from my too-be-posted box.

And all really cheap courtesy of e-pack stuff sent to COMC. Only the numbered Meireles was more than 50 cents. 

There you have it!

2025 Adventures in Repacks - Part 20 - Just One Repack

Just a Monday repack purchase for a Friday post.

No supplies this time!

A Kitchener Rangers alum in Brian Bellows highlights the 5-card pack, even though its likely a dupe. I really need to spend some time entering that collection into TCDB.

When I busted this pack on Monday, I thought that it was a surprise that Mogilny still had not been inducted in the Hocky Hall of Fame. Hours later, it happened. Did I will it into existence? 

Of course not, what is wrong with you?

We also go to a time where the photo on the back might be more interesting than the one on the front. 

My Canadian team pack was a Habs one. In a surprising appearance, there's a parallel in this group. The Audette is a red one. I never expect to see a parallel pop up randomly during these, even a fairly common one. 

The 2020s pack ends it. At least they all were not from the same set. That's the only positive I get from a boring grouping.

A few keepers, some interesting timing, which I guess makes it a fine way to drop a few bucks that could have been spent on knock-off Mars bars.

There you have it!

Twice the Football

 Another 2/14 show-off, and I'm going to double up by highlighting football in both the gridiron, and the rest-of-the-world sense.

Usually, I'll lead with new additions to the collection. But for any card, or sticker in this case, that combines a pair of 2/14 babies on the same item, I make an exception. I do have several of these in my collection, but this might be the first one where they're also teammates on the card. The closest I can recall is the Jeff Dellenbach where he's snapping the ball to Drew Bledsoe, but that isn't really a Bledsoe card.

Since this is a card about St. Petersburg and not Paris, I'll accept that the included cityscape photo is the former and not the latter.

Different cards, but another Angel/Edinson combo on this pair of Donruss entries.

Facts on the back! In terms of back-of-the-card factoids, Angel's is so much more interesting than Edinson's.

Now for the new faces, here's one. Soo's only appearance was in sticker form in 2010 World Cup sets. 

And now, my first soccer hit! Although I do have some numbered cards in the collection, this is the first that either includes a relic or auto. You gotta start somewhere to expand the sparsest sport, volume-wise, of the collection. A two-colour (or shade) swatch is a fine way to start.

Switching across the pond, here's an older and a more recent Drew Bledsoe entry. That 1995 Fleer is one I'm amazed I didn't have already, given my love for all things garish.

Acetate! Sadly, McNair didn't get a rookie card in 1995 Fleer. I was kinda interested in what design they would saddle the rookies with.

I guess inserts are allowed to get away with a being a little out there in terms of concept. Especially now a design like this seems out there, since all that rain and lightning would get the stands emptied out and the players sent to the locker room. 

To wrap things up, here's the card with the lowest print run of the post.

I guess even making the playoffs was worthy enough to earn a card in Instant, even if only 76 people thought it worthy of getting the card. But 76 does seem like an appropriate print run for a player on a Philadelphia team.

And there you have it!

Both Sides

 Since my previous post was very OKC Thunder intensive, based on the 2 Chronicles packs. So, to make things even in the run-up to Game 7, here's an Indiana Pacers card (sorta).

I mean, he's on the Pacers, even if not on this card. Plus there's a swatch that several people would probably consider substantial. Nembhard can also fit into my 'Canadians in the NBA' mini-collection, so I can fit in a collection and make it topical. 

And, no matter the result of the game, there will be two Canadians picking up a pretty sweet ring out of the result. Nembhard and Mathurin or Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander.

The back is worthy of showing off as well, for no other reason than the Gonzaga logo.

There you have it!

Always Room for Chronicles

And there's even more room for discounted Chronicles. 

I picked up some baseball as well, but with the finals on as I write this, it seems more appropriate to do this. There's a couple finalists on the pack, with Mathurin being obvious. Jalen Williams is also there, albeit hidden by the sticker.

And speaking of Williams, here's a couple cards of Williams - one Jalen and one Jaylin. I would really love seeing Luminance come to basketball as a standalone set to bring some more full-bleed content to collections. Photogenic is nice, but you can never have too much full-bleed.

It's a Jalen Williams hot pack! He makes his second appearance here on one of the two teal parallels in the pack. Just the foil portion gets the treatment, so it isn't exactly easy to differentiate between that. Fortunately the Duran is far easier to see its a parallel. I'll be revisiting the two Classics entries after the second pack to show off the Facts on the Back as a group.

Pack 2 brings the only Raptors content of the packs - a Koloko dupe.

But I prefer getting dupes of cards I'd had long(ish) ago, to getting dupes from the previous pack. But a second Teal parallel of Jalen Williams also arrives at the right time. And it contrasts nicely with the base card in the previous pack. Also, 8 Thunder cards over two packs. These definitely would have been better received in Oklahoma vs. Ontario. 

Also: All three Teal parallels were of someone named Jalen.

Finally, the Classics factoids. Stats are nice, but Branham's love for non-specific breakfast food is more interesting.

And there you have it!