Patience Pays.

Patience pays off more often than not when it comes to buying cards from eBay. It may not always be patience you intended on having, but rather patience that the marketplace demands. A card may be so short-printed that you want to jump on the first copy you come across because it could easily be the only copy you ever come across. However, if the price is too high, even for a must-have, you've got to just let it go. If it's meant to be, it'll come back to you.

Or something like that. I have a feeling I'm confusing cliche relationship advice with card collecting strategies. Nevertheless, I experienced such a situation recently with this FANTASTIC Ryan Getzlaf/T.J. Galiardi Dual Auto/Relic beaut, numbered out of 5. I lost out on a couple of auctions I desperately wanted to take down, as this baby is most certainly a must-have. With only five available - and five patch variations as well - the pickings are slim, but thankfully things were meant to be as I recently landed my copy (2/5) for a bit over a blaster, well under what the previous copies sold for.

Getz and Galiardi - law firm, buddy cop show, the possibilities are endless! - both spent time with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, hence the "Junior Legacy" designation on the front of the card. Ryan spent his entire junior career with them, while T.J. was traded there and spent a season with the Hitmen.