SPlurging on myself

 I never buy high end stuff. I want quantity of cards. But that doesn't mean I don't want to get the other sets, I just...don't. Usually. Earlier this month I was at my local card shop and decided to splurge on a box of 2022-23 SP Game Used. I always liked SPGU in the NBA, and I had never opened any in the NHL. I thought about it after the fact and I realized I last opened a pack of this brand in 2005, so it was nice to change that. 

First card out was the Red parallel of Marco Rossi. The SPGU set is weird because the base cards are lower numbered, the parallels are more common. Base cards are numbered to the player's jersey number, while the Red parallel is the player's age plus 200. Kind of strange but ok. I didn't actually get a base card from this box. 

Next was the Throwback insert of Pyotr Kochetkov. This uses the design of (I think!) 2000-01 SP Game Used, but I'm not 100% sure because I don't have any cards of the original design. This guy is a good goalie and has some great soundbites too. 

There are multiple layers of Red parallels, and this is the best one available- autographed jersey. Well at least I think it's the best one. This is a confusing set, haha. 

One of the more spectacular cards I've pulled in hockey, this dual patch is the last card in the production- 35 of 35. Although these are both Penguins players and patches, this is actually an All-Star card, since these are from the All-Star Game skills competition. At least to me it is. This is the Gold parallel of the All-Star Skills Dual insert. 

As if that wasn't good enough, I pulled a single All-Star Skills Fabrics insert as well! 

New Grooves is a different insert, and this is the Red Jersey Parallel of it. I have no idea what the basic version looks like, but reading the insert odds told me that's what this is. 

Finally, we end on a Purity insert of Marc-Andre Fleury, one of the most likable guys in the sport, and my Mom's all time favorite player. That's seven cards, even though the box advertises 6. In the fine print on the back it says some boxes will contain seven cards and I got one of them! Very cool. 

So, since I enjoyed the 2022-23 set so much, I did a little looking and found a box/pack of 2021-22 SPGU on sale, and decided to get one of them too. 

First up with the Throwback insert of Tanner Jeannot, using I believe the 2005-06 design. 

A Tanner Jeannot hot pack! Next card up was actually the only base card from either of the two boxes, SN to his #84 and also using holofoil stock. 

This Blue Autograph parallel was next, and I do believe this is my first Vegas Golden Knights autograph! To VERY briefly recap: I got into hockey because I wanted to see the Golden Knights logo, and got hooked on the sport. So naturally they are my top West team and I will always root for them- unless they are playing the Rangers. 

I really love these Banner Season inserts, and this is the first one I've ever pulled myself! Pasta is a great player too, and one of my favorite non-Rangers. He literally was late coming out for this very game because he wanted to hear the end of Aqua's "Barbie Girl" on the radio in the locker room. How can you not like that?

This is the Red Jersey parallel, medium tier between regular Red and Red Autograph/Jersey as shown in previous box. 

Finally, a Purity Gold parallel of insert of Benoit-Olivier Groulx.  Only 6 cards in this box.

Both are more than I'm usually willing to spend for 6 or 7 cards, but I really like these, and don't really regret the very rare splurge on myself.