Wax Review – Between The Pipes 2010

What I like most about ITG is they always infuse history into any product they release.  Their Heroes and Prospects set is a great example, where they put the CHL and AHL prospects in a set with current NHL stars.  Because of licensing issues with the NHL they have to avoid using picutures of players in NHL uniforms, but overall the product looks very good.  The part my wife and I like most about Between the Pipes is the inclusion of past stars and WHL goalies.

Minutes after opening the box, Mrs. Chemgod and I started a ripping party.  We played pack wars and she kicked my butt.  Out of the 9 packs she opened, 7 of them had non-memorabilia inserts, autographs or game used jerseys.  Overall we loved the product Maybe it was because of the hits we got, but overall we loved the designs of the cards.  This was not like Heroes and Prospects, there are clearly different designs for stars and future stars.  There is also a sub set of Greats of the Game and The Rival League.  Both of those subsets are fantastic in offering a look into hockey’s past.

I liked the overall design of the set and the amount of inserts that a typical hobby box produces.  The inserts, as always, are colorful swatches often not found in regular releases.  Also the pieces of jerseys are substantially larger than your typical game used card.  Also the inclusion of sticks and pads, make this set an interesting conversation piece.

The configuration is 18 packs of cards with 9 cards per pack.  With 150 cards in the set, it is possible to complete it with one box.  You won’t be able to do it, but theoretically it’s possible.  A typical box will yield two autographs and two game used cards. At 1:8 odds for either an autograph or a game used card, you could see a third (we didn’t).  Overall I like the product, I am going to give it 4.5 stars, only thing holding it back is the $90 a box on eBay.

The Stats:

Base Cards: 140 cards (two of which have blank backs, not sure what that is about)

Masked Men II (1:8): 3 – Chet Pickard, MA Fleury, and Cody St. Jaques

Net Brawlers, AHL Rookies, CHL rookies, and Tribute (1:8):  2 – Net Brawlers (Vokoun v. Kiprisoff) and Halak Olympic Mask Card

Autographs (1:8): 2 – Ron Grahmn (WHL) and Jon Bernier (NHL)

Game Used (1:8): 2 – Jiroslav Halak (Canadians jersey) and Pelle Lindbergh (Goalie Pad!)

The Good:

• Autographed cards have a great design
• Big swatches of jerseys
• Nice inserts
• Packs come with 9 cards (a large amount for a newer product)
• The idea of having sticks and pads in the cards is exciting to see.
• He Shoots He Scores Promotion is back

The Bad:

• Hobby Boxes are running about $90 on eBay
• Only 18 packs in the box