A common lament in the hobby these days is that there are no young collectors left. With the rising cost of packs and the advent of video game systems, MP3 players and cell phones, youngsters have found more exciting things to do with their time.
Or have they?
A recent review of some popular online hobby forums revealed that there are still some young collectors out there. Tuff Stuff’s Sports Collectors Monthly recently caught up with five hobbyists – all 20 years old or younger – to ask them about their collections.
Hayden Allison has met over 400 NHL players while assembling his autographed puck collection. But the ambitious 13-year-old says the best part about collecting has been spending time with his dad.
Over the past seven years, his dad, Brian, has traveled with him to dozens of signings in the Kitchener, Ont., area, helping the dedicated teen acquire close to 600 signed pucks. On those adventures, Hayden has rubbed elbows with current superstars like Alexander Ovechkin and legends like Guy Lafleur. His most memorable experience, however, was meeting his favorite player, Vincent Lecavalier, at a private signing in Toronto.
The young collector’s goal is to amass a signed puck from every living NHL player.
“Hayden actually e-mailed Ken Dryden because he holds public office (Dryden is a member of parliament in Toronto) and said, ‘Do you think you could sign a puck for me?’” explained Brian. “And he invited Hayden to his office in Toronto and we went up and sat with him for about half an hour.”
Read more on the new generation.
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