01-02 UD Top Shelf - Ilya Kovalchuk Rookie

Ever since the trade brought Kovy over to NJ I have been watching him closely. Even when he struggled, I still liked what I saw. His potential is through the roof and finally I believe he is turning into the PK Sniper and playmaking machine he can be. This season his numbers are more Kovy like, his +/- is under control and he is popping Shorties like they are Smarties.

As of today, he is 9th in the league for points and I believe he can finish top 5 this year if the Devils keep playing well. He is part of the reason for the great turn-around and hopefully a reason for Parise to remain in NJ.

Since I am a late arriver at the Kovy party, I didn't own a single one of his rookies. Thanks to some trades with fellow bloggers I picked up a few low-end ones so my desire for a good mid-range only increased.

At long last, I finally netted one and it was a pretty good deal. This card is numbered /500 and books for about 40 bucks. However, this card is a little special as it was a "buy back" rookie from the 04-05 Sp Authentic set so it came with a second card which states it is a buy back.

I am curious, did anyone out there collect Top Shelf? I know nothing of the product (is pack price etc) and I am curious to know more.

Anyway, here is the card!

Not the coolest card in the world, but I do like and appreciate it and for 4.99 plus shipping I believe it to be a steal!