CZECH MATE

Iwas fake-cleaning the garage the other day – in other words, shuffling through old boxes looking for cool stuff – when I came across a postcard from Jiri Peterka.

Jiri, who lived in the Czech Republic, was a steady trading partner of mine back in the early-90s. We had a great thing going. I’d send him NHL cards of every Czech player I could find, from Jaromir Jagr to Radek Hamr. And in return, he’d send me a potpourri of amazing, oddball stuff. Old postcard sets of the Czechoslovakian and Soviet national teams. Souvenirs from World Championships. Russian team pin sets. I think he even sent me a menu from Jagr’s bar.

Value was never part of the equation. We just sent stuff we thought the other guy would like. Honestly, I always thought I was getting the better end of the deal. It was a thrill opening those mystery packages. And I can thank him for my enduring fascination with European cards and collectibles.

inking about Jiri got me wondering how the hobby was doing these days in places like Prague and Brno and Litvínov and Zlin. So I asked. And, as you’ll read on pg. 18, it seems like it is thriving. Maybe not like in the years a er the Velvet Revolution, but Czech (and Slovak) collectors are enjoying a second wave powered by brick and mortar shops, online group breaks, a massive Expo and some truly impressive locally produced card sets. e scene is smaller in scale maybe, but not that much different from here.

I’m hoping this will be the first of many overseas reports we can present. If you’re a collector or dealer or manufacturer in Russia or Sweden or anywhere else outside of North America, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me an email at the address below and I’ll be in touch. e more voices, the better.

And Jiri, if you’re out there, I hope you’re doing well. And thanks for all the great trades.