NHL Trading Cards Have Long History

Although the market really boomed in the 1980s and 90s, NHL trading cards have a long history prior to that. There were cards made even as far back as over 100 years ago, well before it became the global entity that it is now. Like early baseball cards, hockey cards were first found in packages of cigarettes.  The tobacco cards were made from 1910-13 and then there was only one post World War I set made for the ’24-’25 season.

Other companies got in the act, including food and candy companies like Paulin’s Candy, Maple Crispette, Crescent, Holland Creameries and La Pietrie.

One of the most well-known hockey card makers was O-Pee-Chee, though there were none made during World War II.

Things picked up in ’51, with Shirriff Desserts, which made these cool old hockey coins, York Peanut Butter and Post Cereal all printing hockey collectibles. Parkhurst joined the fray in ’51 as well and Topps came into the picture in ’54. Neither O-Pee-Chee nor Topps made cards for the ’55-’56 season, but they started again the following year.  Many of the most iconic players from the era have their rookie cards in those 1950s sets.

Most of the great post-War hockey rookie cards were made by Topps or its Canadian subsidiary, OPC.

Throughout the years, especially in Canada, there have been countless set issued regionally as part of special promotions.  Esso even experimented in the ‘70s with printing small hockey cards on soft paper that were given out to people who bought gas.

Most the companies kept printing, though O-Pee-Chee  sold its licenses to Topps and then Upper Deck in the mid-90s. There was a lockout that wiped out the entire ’04 NHL season.  After all the debris cleared and play resumed in ‘05, there were only one company standing at the time – Upper Deck. They secured an exclusive contract and then after it ran out, while they renewed it, Panini America was also allowed to produce NHL trading cards.

As you can see, hockey cards have their own rich varied history that rivals MLB, the NFL and the NBA. It will be interesting to see what the next 100 years brings.

1970 Topps Hockey #2 Johnny Bucyk PSA 9 MINT~ PL
	$379.00 Time Remaining: 29d 9h 26m Buy It Now for only: $379.00

1970-71 Topps #73 Joe Szura GOLDEN SEALS EX/MT G32966 - EX-MT
	$2.50 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $2.50

1970-71 Topps #115 Darryl Sly CANUCKS EX/MT G32957 - EX-MT
	$2.50 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $2.50

1970-71 Topps #39 Eddie Joyal KINGS EX G32896 - EX
	$2.00 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $2.00

1970-71 Topps #116 Wayne Maki CANUCKS EX G32864 - EX
	$2.00 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $2.00

1970-71 Topps #115 Darryl Sly CANUCKS NM G32997 - NM
	$3.00 Time Remaining: 29d 5h 10m Buy It Now for only: $3.00

1967-68 TOPPS HOCKEY CHECKLIST NO.66
	$2.50 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6d 7h 55m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 77 Paul Andrea NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 14m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 50 Yvan Cournoyer NR-MINT *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 8d 13h 11m

1970-71 Topps Set Break #127 Phil Goyette NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 20m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 8 Ken Hodge EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS*
	$5.50 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 8d 13h 15m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 90 Jim Morrison NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 16m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 97 Ernie Wakely NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 17m

1970-71 Topps Set Break #103 Red Berenson NR-MINT *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 18m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 30 Billy Dea NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 8m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 95 Wayne Hicks NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 16m

1970-71 Topps Set Break # 24 Bob Baun EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS*
	$0.79 Time Remaining: 8d 13h 7m

Vancouver Canucks Trevor Linden Auto BGS Beckett Authentic
	$0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3d 9h

1966-67 TOPPS HOCKEY CHECKLIST NO.66
	$2.50 Time Remaining: 6d 7h 53m

1961 York Yellow Backs Hockey #21 Red Kelly HOF Toronto Maple Leaf PSA 9 MINT
	$0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 6d 12h 37m