Collectors Corner #14: A Once In A Lifetime Moment Sparks Justin Faulk Collection

A card space we wish we all had. Check out Jon's incredible Justin Faulk collection and card display!

I've always liked hearing about why collectors collect who they do. I find it interesting how the spark for a certain player or team can develop from many different places. In Jon's case, as he will explain below, a once in a lifetime encounter with Justin Faulk sparked a card collection that he still continues to this day.  

I hope you all enjoy Collectors Corner #14:

Jon's Introduction

I was a child of the “Junk Wax” Era and like most kids then I collected everything I could find. However, having grown up in Florida, Hockey was not on my radar as I was and still am an avid Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. So, I collected mostly football cards and amassed quite a Buccaneers collection that I still have boxed up today Like most kids of that era girls arrived and the cards from my childhood went away. Aside from a brief return in 2006 I had little to no interest in the hobby. I enlisted in the military in 2008 and was stationed in Norfolk Virginia. Where I began attending Norfolk Admiral games who were then coincidently a Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate. Once again girls got in the way as a met my beautiful wife and stopped attending games. In 2015 I discovered I had a degenerative hip condition and would need an in-depth surgery to repair damage. This would put me out of work for 30 days, at about the same time we had discovered I was dealing with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A year prior I had received orders to North Carolina and had been attending Hurricanes games and had become a fan of the team. I purchased one tin in January 2016 and as they say the rest is history.

What/Who Do You Collect?

My collections main focus is on former Hurricanes and current St. Louis Blues Defenseman Justin Faulk. While the main focus is on Faulk I am currently building Personal Collections of Canes Legend Eric Staal, and current star Teuvo Teravainen. However Faulk remains my main focus. As a completist there are still approximately 200 cards of him in a Canes Sweater (all serial numbered) that I don’t currently own.

Why Did You Start Collecting The Player/ Set/ Team?

I had the privilege of meeting Faulk after a Canes vs Canucks game in January of 2016. He sponsored a program called the True Defenders where military units are guests of his and are given a meet and greet post game. They lost a heartbreaker in OT to Vancouver, yet when we met him he could not have been more humble, and gracious. Taking time to ask us what we did in the military as well as sign autographs and take pictures. Coincidently the first of Upper Deck 15-16 I bought had his base card in it, and led to me making the decision to see if I could get my hands on every single card of his ever released. The Carolina Hurricanes collection came as collateral damage as I was buying lots off ebay and receiving multiple cards of each player. Leading me to decide to organize and sleeve those in albums where I currently sit at 2,015 different Carolina Hurricanes Cards.

What's Your Favourite Card or Item(s)?

My Favorite item is an American Flag that was presented to me by Justin Faulk on behalf of the team in 2018. I was being medically retired due to PTSD, and my wife arranged for me to be acknowledged as the Martin Marietta Military Moment on the ice before a Canes vs Devils game in February 2018. When my name was announced Faulk skated over to me with the flag and shook my hand, leaned in and told me to “take in all the noise! Its all for you!” as an ovation poured down on us. My favorite card has to be his base 2015-2016 Upper Deck card. Even though it’s a common it serves as the Genesis to the question “I wonder if I could run down a copy of every Justin Faulk card ever made?”. In many ways I have referred to this as cardboard therapy as I dealing with some dark times upon my separation from the United States Navy, I could take solace in the fact when I got home I would likely have a mailday with a few new Faulk cards waiting for me.

2015-16 Upper Deck Justin Faulk Base card.

What's On Your Current Wantlist? Are there any ‘White Whales’ you’d like to add one day?

​As  for my current wantlist, I keep hearing rumors of a Justin Faulk Upper Deck 2011-2012 Young Guns #/100 however I have yet to see one surface so that is definitely top of my list as well as his Upper Deck Cup RPA #/99. They are both higher numbered and located on the trading card database checklist but I have never saw either one surface.

How can other collectors Contact you?

Twitter or Instagram: @CaniacCollector
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Email: jkorr42084@gmail.com

Jon's Justin Faulk Collection & American Flag 

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If you want to get in contact with me about getting ​YOUR Collection featured on my blog, feel free to leave a comment on this post below, fill out a contact form on my Contact page, or send me an email at creasecollector@gmail.com and we will be in touch very soon. :)

​Happy Collecting,

​- Aaron / creasecollector