The 2003 Toronto Spring Expo a huge success for Parkhurst Retro and In The Game!

"All of us know how important this show is for collectors, dealers and manufacturers alike," said Dr. Brian H. Price, President of In The Game. "It truly ranks as a highlight of the year. However, no one was quite sure what to expect for this show because of the recent concerns over SARS. Based on the number of dealers who participated, all the collectors who attended, and the level of activity at our table though, this certainly ranked as one of our best shows ever. Our hats are off to all of these people, as well as Al Sinclair and his staff for an outstanding job in promoting this show under challenging circumstances."

In The Game's wrapper redemption program was front and center as usual. The level of collector participation was very high, due largely to the popularity of the company's most recent release, 2002-03 Parkhurst Retro.. Price estimates that 25 cases of that product alone was opened at their booth.

"We created a special set of cards featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs," explained Price. "Collectors received one Maple Leaf card for each box of Parkhurst Retro opened at our booth. What really made an impression on all of us, was hearing how impressed collectors were with the product while they were opening it. They loved the look of the cards, the mini-sized parallels, the memorabilia cards, and they especially loved the shoebox the packs are enclosed in. Most people actually kept their boxes after opening the packs. It looked to me like these were the hit of the show!"

In addition to the Maple Leaf cards (which consisted of 30 different cards numbered to 30), In The Game offered two other redemption-card programs. Hobbyists could purchase Be A Player and Parkhurst packs and boxes at the show and open them at the booth. In exchange for the wrappers, they received a variety of specially-stamped cards numbered to 10 with some one-of-one cards mixed in. In The Game's supply of these cards was exhausted on each day of the show.

Also, collectors were eligible to receive a one-of-one game-used memorabilia card in exchange for the wrappers from a pre-determined number of boxes of 2002-03 Be A Player and Parkhurst product. Many of the memorabilia cards were handed out during the show.

"A tremendous number of boxes of our cards were opened at our booth during the show," says Price. "We did some calculating and figure an average of one box of cards was opened every minute and 20 seconds based on the number of redemption cards given out."

The Spring Expo was also a special occasion for Colorado native Frank Davis, a hockey-card collector who attended the event for the first time. Davis was on a special mission. He personally delivered a few He Shoots, He Scores points-redemption cards he had accumulated from the 2002-03 First Edition Series. Those who collect 400 points are entitled to a special game-used memorabilia card not available in packs.

Davis, however, turned over 12,000 points and that was enough to receive a full set of 30 different He Shoots, He Scores memorabilia cards from that series. He becomes the first collector to achieve the milestone since In The Game introduced the program with the 2000-01 Signature Series.

"I've got to hand it to Frank," said Price. "He achieved something I didn't expect would happen. He has thrown down the gauntlet and I'm curious to see if any other collectors out there will meet or surpass his accomplishment."

In The Game also gave collectors at the Spring Expo the opportunity to win one of six autographed hockey jerseys from Be A Player Authentix as part of their "Win the Shirts Off Our Backs" promotion. These were the same jerseys worn by In The Game personnel throughout the show. Entry ballots were available at the booth and the draw was conducted at 2 pm on Sunday.

The winners are as follows: Rodney Inglis, Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia (Canadiens jersey signed by Saku Koivu); James McCain, Erie, PA (Senators jersey signed by Marian Hossa); Doug McVicar, Wiarton, ON (Maple Leaf jersey signed by Gary Roberts); Paul Sowden, Cobourg, ON (Flames jersey signed by Jarome Iginla); Brian Davidson, Cobourg, ON (Oilers jersey signed by Mike Comrie); and Jordan Papadopoulos, Kitchener, ON (Canucks jersey signed by Markus Naslund).

Both McCain and Davidson were in attendance at the time of the draw and were able to literally take the shirts off the backs of In The Game personnel.