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.
| 1960 TOPPS - BILL HAY #6 PSA 7 (JUST GRADED) | |
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$100.00 Time Remaining: 28d 18h 24m Buy It Now for only: $100.00 |
| 1952 PARKHURST #47 FERN FLAMAN PSA 7 (8265) | |
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$79.99 Time Remaining: 26d 14h 35m Buy It Now for only: $79.99 |
| 1954 TOPPS #15 PAUL RONTY PSA 6.5 (8274) | |
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$49.99 Time Remaining: 26d 14h 36m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
| 1952 PARKHURST GORDIE HOWE PSA 4 VG-EX | |
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$375.00 Time Remaining: 9d 9h 7m Buy It Now for only: $375.00 |
| 1955 PARKHURST HOCKEY COMPLETE SET 79/79 W/PLANTE RC | |
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$2,999.99 Time Remaining: 16d 23h 4m Buy It Now for only: $2,999.99 |
| 1954 TOPPS #3 HARRY HOWELL PSA 6 RANGERS *CG0987 | |
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$75.00 Time Remaining: 25d 13h 19m Buy It Now for only: $75.00 |
| 1959-60 Topps #47 Bobby Hull F X1319912 | |
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$69.50 Time Remaining: 26d 17h 59m Buy It Now for only: $69.50 |
| 1954 TOPPS #54 BILL MOSIENKO PSA AUTHENTIC (8282) | |
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$19.99 Time Remaining: 26d 14h 37m Buy It Now for only: $19.99 |
| 1954 Topps #32 Camille Henry PSA 6 ex-mt | |
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$16.59 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 16m |
| 1962 Parkhurst LARRY HILLMAN #17 PSA 9 | |
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$67.00 Time Remaining: 13d 14h 40m Buy It Now for only: $67.00 |
| 1964-65 Topps #89 Gordie Howe F X1319933 | |
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$73.50 Time Remaining: 26d 17h 59m Buy It Now for only: $73.50 |
| 1954 TOPPS #58 TERRY SAWCHUK PSA 2 (2928) | |
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$79.99 Time Remaining: 10d 11h 8m Buy It Now for only: $79.99 |
| 1954-55 Parkhurst #65 Johnny Bower RC UER G/VG X1316915 | |
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$72.50 Time Remaining: 24d 20h 11m Buy It Now for only: $72.50 |
| 1954 Topps #43 Jake McIntyre PSA 6 ex-mt | |
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$13.59 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 17m |
| 1964-65 TOPPS #69 GEORGE ARMSTRONG MAPLE LEAFS SP BV $100 | |
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$19.50 Time Remaining: 22h 13m |
| 1967 Topps #31 Jean Ratelle Rangers *** NICE *** | |
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$5.99 Time Remaining: 10h 7m |
| 1964-65 Topps #106 Stan Mikita AS SP EX+ X1318334 | |
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$159.00 Time Remaining: 26d 17h 35m Buy It Now for only: $159.00 |
| 1964 Topps 20 Bobby Hull PSA 7 | |
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$300.00 Time Remaining: 20d 20h 30m Buy It Now for only: $300.00 |
| 1960 TOPPS STAN MIKITA #14 PSA 7 HOF ROOKIE RC BLACKHAWKS | |
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$549.95 Time Remaining: 4d 13h 4m Buy It Now for only: $549.95 |
| Topps/OPC Wayne Gretzky Lot PSA/BGS | |
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$25.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 6m |
hi my name is Alisha. I am Trying to find the value of what seems tol be retro hockey cards with just thier first and last names on the front of the cards
Thank u for your time much appreciated.
Alisha