[irbefan4life]

Hello fellow members,

Whether you may know or not, I am trying an ambitious lifelong project to acquire at least one game-used piece of memorabilia of every goaltender to ever play in the NHL. While I have a comfortable chunk of stuff already, I still require about 900 more to reach completion. I have some nice stuff used in players' only NHL games, final NHL games, etc.

I love sticks because they are inexpensive and plentiful solutions to the ultra-high end players, or old school players. I have some epic plans for this project for the future so I want to mix it up with all sorts of memorabilia. I currently have a few jerseys, a few sticks, and I finally added a new type of memorabilia to my collection, a game used goalie helmet.

No, this helmet is not NHL game-used as I would go broke from a single purchase, however, this helmet was worn and used by one of the players on my wantlist for the project.

This helmet was used in the 1995-96 season for the OHL's Detroit Whalers. The player who used it was Mike Minard. Just who exactly is this guy, you may ask? Well, Minard was drafted 83rd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played one NHL game in his career, a 33 save, 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on April 8, 2000. Yes, this isn't exactly an NHL game-used helmet, but for a player who played a single game in the league, I will take whatever game-used I can get of them. So now, without further delay, here it is, my first ever game-used goalie helmet:














So there you go! Tough to photomatch because OHL pictures are few and far between, but believe me, if someone wanted to sell a fake helmet, they'd choose someone more noteworthy than Mike Minard to pass it off as.

[onoxxxregretso]

I wouldn't buy anything "game used" without proof, but that's just me.

[bluefrozencanuck]

nice addition to your collection.

[phildo37]

I see a couple issues with it, compared to this picture of him wearing a similar helmet:

(not my auction)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DETROIT-WHALERS-...27cc33c47c

No "Cooper" on the side of the helmet, and the darker straps vs. the white straps used in the picture, and no neck guard attached

[irbefan4life]

I didn't pay that much, but I will look into it.

Game-used sticks do not require a COA in my opinion...they are tough to come by anyways (if you know the player, you can tell), but jerseys definitely do.

The fact that this seller is 2000+ positive feedback and sells a lot of stuff from Michigan, I do trust him. I did ask him some more questions regarding it so we'll see what he says.

[jonathani]

I wouldn't buy anything "game used" without proof, but that's just me.

Ditto. That is a cool helmet, but I personally would not pay much for it without knowing for sure.

[phildo37]

I didn't pay that much, but I will look into it.

Game-used sticks do not require a COA in my opinion...they are tough to come by anyways (if you know the player, you can tell), but jerseys definitely do.

The fact that this seller is 2000+ positive feedback and sells a lot of stuff from Michigan, I do trust him. I did ask him some more questions regarding it so we'll see what he says.

Depends on the jersey... I have plenty that don't have LOA's and have no concerns about them being legitimate. As far as sticks and equipment, all I look for is basically the name on the gear where it should be and photos of the player using the item (not necessarily that EXACT one, but same style, tape job, etc)

[Optimus_Prime]

So, I think you should take some pictures of where you put all this stuff because you've got an insane life long dream and i wonder what kind of warehouse you have.

[irbefan4life]

So, I think you should take some pictures of where you put all this stuff because you've got an insane life long dream and i wonder what kind of warehouse you have.

It's not really displayed very superbly, a closet (currently blocked off by a mattress...grrrr) has my jerseys, a cabinet in my room has my 15 sticks leaning up against it, and my floor currently has the helmet. My big plans are for the future

Again, the seller is 2000+ positive in feedback and deals in a large variety of memorabilia from the Detroit area. He told me that he got it himself from the Whalers' locker-room.

COAs, LOAs, etc. were not as big in the mid 1990s as they are now. There aren't many LOAs made in the 1960s, so are all Bobby Orr game-used jerseys out there fake unless a certified company verifies them?

Yes, the helmet in the card and the one I have do not match, but Minard used a home and away helmet (white one, and a black/dark blue one), and it's an entirely realistic possibility that he used more than one of these types of helmets in the season (these types of helmets are not unique artworks and are thus fairly expendable), I don't see how that is an impossibility. Again, why would anyone fake a Mike Minard helmet of all things and say that they would prefer to sell it to a collector as opposed to someone who would use it. Besides, the price was very reasonable, so even if the slightest possibility exists that Minard did not use, the worth is still there.

[phildo37]

Yes, the helmet in the card and the one I have do not match, but Minard used a home and away helmet (white one, and a black/dark blue one), and it's an entirely realistic possibility that he used more than one of these types of helmets in the season (these types of helmets are not unique artworks and are thus fairly expendable), I don't see how that is an impossibility. Again, why would anyone fake a Mike Minard helmet of all things and say that they would prefer to sell it to a collector as opposed to someone who would use it. Besides, the price was very reasonable, so even if the slightest possibility exists that Minard did not use, the worth is still there.

I agree with everything that you're saying. If it were me having the helmet, I would want to find a picture of him wearing one identical to the one I have.