Cheap skates, Part II

After being spoiled last year by the caliber of players toiling in the American Hockey League, collectors are facing a challenge this year – putting together enough cards to warrant a trip to hound these second-tier teams.

With a new lockout-induced payroll structure in effect in the league, and more marginal players playing in the bigs, it’s this scarcity of relevant cardboard that has prompted me to create cards targeting the few remaining jewels playing in the AHL.

Sure, one can order team sets or spend hours culling half a dozen cards out of 20,000, but I’d rather apply my design skills to create truly one-of-a-kind items to complement the handful of items I’m bringing on my minor-league trips.

This card (above) of Mighty Ducks prospect Ladislav Smid, created with Microsoft Word, was made in minutes. Player photos and logos can be easily found on the Internet, too. And as long as these images aren’t being used for personal gain, copyright issues don’t come into play.

For another idea, one I use for my son, please visit http://bluegrafs.blogspot.com/2005/09/cheap-skates.html