Today I'd like to turn the spotlight on fellow SportsCardForum Hockey Moderator Richard and his Josh Gorges Super Collection. He is a collector that puts a lot of pride into his collection and the hobby at large and I'm glad to have the opportunity to showcase his collection with you all today! No matter their player's impact on the game, dedicated player collectors are a different breed of collectors that I really appreciate.... and totally understand. IntroductionI always enjoy telling this story. I got back into collecting hockey cards in early 2008. I was living in Halifax at the time, and was out for a Saturday morning walk when I saw the sign at the Halifax Forum that there was a card show that day. I thought it would be neat to check it out, so I went in with my then-girlfriend (now wife). Things had changed a lot since I last collected cards as a teenager. Autos, memorabilia, actual short-printed cards – quite overwhelming at first! I left with a Carey Price O-Pee-Chee RC (which I still own!) and from there I got back into things pretty quickly, joining online forums and really immersing myself in the hobby. Hard to believe that it’s been 12 years as an active collector. It’s still pretty fun most of the time – when the Canadiens are doing well it’s even more fun because you like to see your collection grow as the team is succeeding. What/Who Do You Collect?As a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan, I focus my collection on the Habs generally, but a couple of players specifically. I’ve always been attracted by the allure of the Canadiens goalie mythology—the lineage from Plante to Dryden to Roy and now Price is an incredible legacy. So Carey Price has been my superstar collection for a long time; I’ve got over 400 cards, lots of great autos, and some great memories associated with collecting this player. But my “other” passion project, the reason that I’m here, is my Josh Gorges collection. It is a real chronology of his career, from the beginning in Kelowna to the end in Buffalo. I have what I fully believe is the most complete and best collection of Josh Gorges that you're likely to ever see. It is a long-running project that has brought me tremendous enjoyment ever since I got back into the hobby in 2008. Through a lot of dedication and patience, and thanks to many fantastic collectors throughout the world, I've been able to accumulate more than 90% of the cards produced of Gorges. Why Did You Start Collecting Josh Gorges?Because Carey Price cards are expensive, and I needed an alternative! Gorges was an easy pick: he’s from the same town as me, he played his junior here, was the captain of the Memorial Cup winning Rockets in 2004, and I think when the Habs acquired him from San Jose I was about the only person who knew the caliber of a player we were getting. He was never flashy, but he worked his butt off, earned his way into a permanent roster spot and emerged as a true leader on the team. He spent 7 years with the Habs, and over that time the number of cards grew as his career did. I was psyched when he got into sets like Panini Prime or SP Authentic. Almost everybody gets an OPC or UD1/2 card, but to get included in those sets, especially the autographs and memorabilia, that’s a sign that you’re popular. What’s Your Favourite Card or Item(s)?It’s so difficult to pick just one. Of the 258 non-1/1 cards produced, I’m only missing twelve, in addition to owning 19 1/1’s. Can I show off a couple of favourite cards and a couple memorabilia items? Yeah, let’s do that. 2012-13 Prime Colors Numbers #112 Josh Gorges – all 6 copies 2010-11 Dominion Tag Team Combos #20 Carey Price / Josh Gorges – my two favourite players on one card! 2011-12 Upper Deck Montreal Canadiens Gold #11 Josh Gorges – this was a set released by McDonald’s only in the province of Quebec. Landing one of these Gold parallels was an incredibly difficult find! 2012-13 SP Game Used Supreme Patches #SPJG Josh Gorges So that’s the cards component. Over time I’ve been able to add quite a few unique game-worn memorabilia items – I own a set of gloves, a stick, and a helmet of Josh’s. They’re all signed. Another one of the great perks of him being a local guy; I’ve met him a number of times over the years. Since he’s retired, he hosts an annual charity softball tournament every summer in Kelowna (cancelled this year unfortunately due to coronavirus) that features a lot of NHL stars. Last year I even played in a game against his team. That was awesome. What’s On Your Current Josh Gorges Wantlist? Are there any ‘White Whales’ you’d like to add one day?Like I said before, the list is pretty short, 12 cards in all that are non-1/1. If you happen to have any, please PLEASE drop me a line: Contact Info: How Can Other Collectors Reach Out To You?SportsCardForum: RGM81 Josh Gorges Collection GalleryIf 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
1 Comment
Sean
6/18/2020 06:21:44 pm
Great collection from a great collector and passionate hobbyist. Keep up the great work Richard!
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Author - AaronI've been collecting Hockey cards since the late 90's. Mainly the goalies since 2005. I also Co-Host a Hockey Card Podcast. The PodcastFeatured ArticlesCategories
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