First Look: 2015 Leaf Best of Hockey
By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Hockey Editor
Buyback products have gathered a strong following in the hobby in recent years and Leaf Trading Cards has been one of the leaders among manufacturers in bringing these releases to store shelves. Back in 2013, the company issued its first Best of Hockey effort and it is back again with a new twist for 2015.
Instead of a one-of-one sketch card being placed into packs this time, Leaf has decided to make the most of its partnership with In The Game and will be putting one card from a past release into packs of 2015 Leaf Best of Hockey instead. Considering the vast array of memorabilia cards that the company produced over the years, the odds are strong of pulling an excellent piece featuring some of biggest names from the past and present. The foil stamp will indicate that these are one-of-one cards as well.
As expected, the company will also be putting one slabbed and graded buyback card from throughout the history of hockey cards in packs as well. There is the potential to pull major rookie cards, autographed cards of major stars in addition to many other high ends pieces.
Leaf has stated that production for this product has been cut by 20 percent compared to the previous edition and there will be four boxes per case. It is expected to hit store shelves in late February.
Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Hockey and Beckett Basketball magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at SLaroche@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.
This product is complete and utter garbage, why put a stupid stamp on the cards? … please stick to Bananarama cards and Benchwarmer crap.
The sketch cards were the only thing interesting about Leaf Best of products. Without those, it’s just buyback cards. I would prefer a format of two buyback cards + 1 sketch card, or two buybacks + two sketch cards.
Aside from the stamp, which can be considered a “variation” by extensive collectors, this is like people who sell mixed packs with some serious hits hidden in it (e.g., 2005-06 The Cup Crosby /99 hidden in 50 packs at 250$ a pack), except that here it is backed up by a “company”. Hopefully that means they are more serious and honest about it and won’t go on and cheat/lie to people about what they put in (like so many people have done on eBay in the past and probably still). I have never bought Leaf of Hockey packs, but I have saw people pull some good hits last years (for the “money people”, they could often at least get half+ of the pack price for the normal card… for he sketch, I would say only some fetched half the pack’s half price).
Lot of people disliked the sketch too from what my memory remember by reading forums, however like Ken, I have been a big fan of the sketches… I found them refreshing in the hobby. Well this year they made two products and seem to have put hockey sketches in their Leaf Masterworks product.
Why is ITG in A best of product?