FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / DO YOU HAVE A PIECE OF MEMORABILIA THAT we MAY BE INTERESTED IN?
Here at Heroes of the Crease, we are only looking for goaltenders who have played in the NHL regular season or playoffs and actually saw game action. Pre-season only, backup only, and minor league only goaltenders are not of interest to our collection at this time. The time periods I am looking for spans the entire totality of the history of the NHL.
What kinds of relics does "Heroes of the Crease" look for?
Almost anything except socks and pants (with very few exceptions). Jerseys, gloves, pads, blockers, masks, are our most sought after items etc. Of course our number one preference is primarily memorabilia that was used in some sort of significant game. For example: rookie year, first game, last season, last game, shutout game, playoff game, record established, etc. We do have a lot of flexibility, however, when it is a tougher to find player or item. As it comes to goalie sticks, the only ones we have any interest in adding to our vaults are those from the pre-1980s.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" buy a piece from me?
Maybe. we have a long way to go to get one piece of memorabilia from every goalie to ever play in the league and do operate on a budget. Additionally, authenticity would have to be established before we even consider a purchase. Please see our "wantlist" to see which goalies we are looking for and what priority they fall under for us.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" accept donations?
Yes. While we do prefer to purchase the item, we would politely accept any donations on the condition that the pieces donated become a property of Heroes of the Crease Ltd. and cannot be transferred back.
What does "Heroes of the Crease" require when purchasing a piece of memorabilia?
As much information about the memorabilia as possible. Who it was used by, when it was used, what team it was used with, etc. Photos tell more than words ever can. An LOA is not necessary, however we will have to establish authenticity before making any purchase.
Do you authenticate game worn items?
While we generally do not offer that as a service, the only way we will ever definitively authenticate a game worn item, that has not already been authenticated by a reputable source or has team set tags, etc., is if we are able to handle and examine it in person and compare to other examples and/or photomatch them. Sometimes, even with that we have to consult a variety of sources to investigate and then give the best possible information that we can. More often than not, we will refer collectors to other subject-matter experts for their opinions. If we are certain, we do write our opinions on paper with the item, and if needed, provide the evidence for its game use. We will never outright authenticate something we are not absolutely 100% on. When someone asks for authentication over a Facebook message or an email, we can share some observations, possibilities, or possible opinions, but will never definitively authenticate anything that we cannot see in person (photomatching services are different from this as in those cases the item is already deemed authentic by another source and we are simply looking for the exact moments it was used in action). We will not be held liable if someone claims that we definitively authenticated an item for them and not written it/notarized it on paper with our signature.
An opinion of possible trends is not a blanket to definitively determine authenticity. ie) "This player/players in this era have been known or have been seen to do X with their equipment", "That type of story is not unusual for the time period", etc., are observations that begin the path to authenticate an item, but in and of themselves are purely circumstantial evidence and offer possibilities, not definitive evidence for game use, nor statements for authenticity.
We are interested in hiring your company to set up a museum exhibition for us/will your company set up at our event, it would be great exposure. Will you do an exhibition for us for free/will you pay us for the "privilege" of setting up at our venue?
No. We are a professional company with a passion for the history of pro hockey goaltending that aims to create pro-quality exhibitions. To make that a reality takes time, effort, and money to plan. We do not work pro-bono at live events and "exposure" does not generate revenue.
How can we hire your company and how much does it cost do a museum exhibition for us?
Check out this page and you can then contact us for more information.
Your museum collection isn't as valuable as another collector's personal collection.
First of all, that isn't a question, second, the goal of the museum is not to be the most financially valuable collection out there. The goal is to have one game worn item of every goalie in NHL history and to teach people about the complete history of NHL goaltending from the one second guys to the 1000 game guys in live exhibition experiences that pop-up periodically. Believe it or not, the purpose of a museum, whether privately operated or non-profit, is to educate, and not to be a billion dollar collection.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" sell any of their pieces/how much are they/is it available/what is your best price/everything has a price, etc. etc.?
Only pieces and cards found in the "Items For Sale" section of our site, on our eBay store, or on our COMC Port are available for trade or sale. Everything else is locked down and not available. We may make rare exceptions for a substantial upgrade involving a particular piece. For example, we once traded Blaine Lacher's 1994-95 Boston Bruins playoff debut jersey for a Blaine Lacher Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL jersey, Jim Carey's AHL all-star game jersey, and a Byron Dafoe/Mario Gosselin/Jamie Storr game worn LA Kings jersey. Come very heavy if you suggest a trade. 1 for 1 with a downgrade on our end is not even a consideration.
But [insert athlete name] is a close and personal friend of mine, that is why I want to buy it.
See answer above. If we sold or donated all of our pieces of history to every "friend" of a current or former athlete, our museum would be bankrupt.
Okay, but will you sell it back to the athlete themselves?
Our company does not generate revenue through the sales of game worn memorabilia unless we have duplication. Our goal is to have a game worn item of every goalie in NHL history, so if we sold or donated every piece whenever someone asked, we would be out of business and not much of a museum. While we are not interested in selling our vault items to anyone, we are potentially open to trades exclusively with the athletes. We have made trades with former goalies in the past where everyone was happy in the end.
How can you deal in sports cards? You aren't a true fan of memorabilia if you have cards with pieces of game used jersey in them!
Cards and memorabilia are NOT mutually exclusive hobbies and can be enjoyed simultaneously. Both hobbies are fun and bring people together from all over the world. Our job is not to argue about so-called the morality of cutting up memorabilia for cards, while we also collect memorabilia, we are here to provide the ultimate experience that appeals to all types of collectors. After all, we share one love, and that is, the love of the great game of hockey!
Buying sports cards to resell at a profit is unethical!
Again, not a question. Second, that is called running a business. Any business that purchases items to resell at net-zero gain, or a deficit will be doomed to fail 100% of the time.
What kinds of relics does "Heroes of the Crease" look for?
Almost anything except socks and pants (with very few exceptions). Jerseys, gloves, pads, blockers, masks, are our most sought after items etc. Of course our number one preference is primarily memorabilia that was used in some sort of significant game. For example: rookie year, first game, last season, last game, shutout game, playoff game, record established, etc. We do have a lot of flexibility, however, when it is a tougher to find player or item. As it comes to goalie sticks, the only ones we have any interest in adding to our vaults are those from the pre-1980s.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" buy a piece from me?
Maybe. we have a long way to go to get one piece of memorabilia from every goalie to ever play in the league and do operate on a budget. Additionally, authenticity would have to be established before we even consider a purchase. Please see our "wantlist" to see which goalies we are looking for and what priority they fall under for us.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" accept donations?
Yes. While we do prefer to purchase the item, we would politely accept any donations on the condition that the pieces donated become a property of Heroes of the Crease Ltd. and cannot be transferred back.
What does "Heroes of the Crease" require when purchasing a piece of memorabilia?
As much information about the memorabilia as possible. Who it was used by, when it was used, what team it was used with, etc. Photos tell more than words ever can. An LOA is not necessary, however we will have to establish authenticity before making any purchase.
Do you authenticate game worn items?
While we generally do not offer that as a service, the only way we will ever definitively authenticate a game worn item, that has not already been authenticated by a reputable source or has team set tags, etc., is if we are able to handle and examine it in person and compare to other examples and/or photomatch them. Sometimes, even with that we have to consult a variety of sources to investigate and then give the best possible information that we can. More often than not, we will refer collectors to other subject-matter experts for their opinions. If we are certain, we do write our opinions on paper with the item, and if needed, provide the evidence for its game use. We will never outright authenticate something we are not absolutely 100% on. When someone asks for authentication over a Facebook message or an email, we can share some observations, possibilities, or possible opinions, but will never definitively authenticate anything that we cannot see in person (photomatching services are different from this as in those cases the item is already deemed authentic by another source and we are simply looking for the exact moments it was used in action). We will not be held liable if someone claims that we definitively authenticated an item for them and not written it/notarized it on paper with our signature.
An opinion of possible trends is not a blanket to definitively determine authenticity. ie) "This player/players in this era have been known or have been seen to do X with their equipment", "That type of story is not unusual for the time period", etc., are observations that begin the path to authenticate an item, but in and of themselves are purely circumstantial evidence and offer possibilities, not definitive evidence for game use, nor statements for authenticity.
We are interested in hiring your company to set up a museum exhibition for us/will your company set up at our event, it would be great exposure. Will you do an exhibition for us for free/will you pay us for the "privilege" of setting up at our venue?
No. We are a professional company with a passion for the history of pro hockey goaltending that aims to create pro-quality exhibitions. To make that a reality takes time, effort, and money to plan. We do not work pro-bono at live events and "exposure" does not generate revenue.
How can we hire your company and how much does it cost do a museum exhibition for us?
Check out this page and you can then contact us for more information.
Your museum collection isn't as valuable as another collector's personal collection.
First of all, that isn't a question, second, the goal of the museum is not to be the most financially valuable collection out there. The goal is to have one game worn item of every goalie in NHL history and to teach people about the complete history of NHL goaltending from the one second guys to the 1000 game guys in live exhibition experiences that pop-up periodically. Believe it or not, the purpose of a museum, whether privately operated or non-profit, is to educate, and not to be a billion dollar collection.
Will "Heroes of the Crease" sell any of their pieces/how much are they/is it available/what is your best price/everything has a price, etc. etc.?
Only pieces and cards found in the "Items For Sale" section of our site, on our eBay store, or on our COMC Port are available for trade or sale. Everything else is locked down and not available. We may make rare exceptions for a substantial upgrade involving a particular piece. For example, we once traded Blaine Lacher's 1994-95 Boston Bruins playoff debut jersey for a Blaine Lacher Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL jersey, Jim Carey's AHL all-star game jersey, and a Byron Dafoe/Mario Gosselin/Jamie Storr game worn LA Kings jersey. Come very heavy if you suggest a trade. 1 for 1 with a downgrade on our end is not even a consideration.
But [insert athlete name] is a close and personal friend of mine, that is why I want to buy it.
See answer above. If we sold or donated all of our pieces of history to every "friend" of a current or former athlete, our museum would be bankrupt.
Okay, but will you sell it back to the athlete themselves?
Our company does not generate revenue through the sales of game worn memorabilia unless we have duplication. Our goal is to have a game worn item of every goalie in NHL history, so if we sold or donated every piece whenever someone asked, we would be out of business and not much of a museum. While we are not interested in selling our vault items to anyone, we are potentially open to trades exclusively with the athletes. We have made trades with former goalies in the past where everyone was happy in the end.
How can you deal in sports cards? You aren't a true fan of memorabilia if you have cards with pieces of game used jersey in them!
Cards and memorabilia are NOT mutually exclusive hobbies and can be enjoyed simultaneously. Both hobbies are fun and bring people together from all over the world. Our job is not to argue about so-called the morality of cutting up memorabilia for cards, while we also collect memorabilia, we are here to provide the ultimate experience that appeals to all types of collectors. After all, we share one love, and that is, the love of the great game of hockey!
Buying sports cards to resell at a profit is unethical!
Again, not a question. Second, that is called running a business. Any business that purchases items to resell at net-zero gain, or a deficit will be doomed to fail 100% of the time.