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.
| 1959 Topps 19 Fleming Mackell VG #D1,070863 | |
 |
$7.50 Time Remaining: 25d 5h 16m Buy It Now for only: $7.50 |
| 1961-62 Topps Set Break # 19 CLIFF PENNINGTON VG | |
 |
$0.79 Time Remaining: 9d 5h 17m |
| 1966 TOPPS #118 MONTREAL CANADIENS PSA 5 (5131) | |
 |
$49.99 Time Remaining: 10d 21h 12m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
| 1962 Parkhurst #53 Bernie Geoffrion VGEX X1502895 | |
 |
$15.25 Time Remaining: 26d 2h 55m Buy It Now for only: $15.25 |
| 1958 Parkhurst #28 Bernie Geoffrion VGEX X1498418 | |
 |
$28.25 Time Remaining: 1h 59m Buy It Now for only: $28.25 |
| 1965 Topps HK #126 PSA 8 Canadiens Team 126 Nice! | |
 |
$140.00 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 41m Buy It Now for only: $140.00 |
| 1965 Topps HK #035 PSA 6 Tom Williams Bruins 35 | |
 |
$12.50 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 42m Buy It Now for only: $12.50 |
| 1962 Parkhurst #53 Bernie Geoffrion VGEX X1502896 | |
 |
$15.25 Time Remaining: 26d 2h 39m Buy It Now for only: $15.25 |
| 1965 Topps #19 George Armstrong G X1768103 | |
 |
$3.50 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 40m Buy It Now for only: $3.50 |
| 1965 Topps HK #100 PSA 8 Bob Woytowich Bruins 100 | |
 |
$29.99 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 40m Buy It Now for only: $29.99 |
| 1961 Topps #19 Cliff Pennington NM/NM+ X1785935 | |
 |
$16.25 Time Remaining: 5d 5h 27m Buy It Now for only: $16.25 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #66 Gilles Tremblay | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 17d 23h 57m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #130 Floyd Smith | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 18d 44m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
| 1965 Topps HK #029 PSA 8 Don Marshall Rangers 29 | |
 |
$29.99 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 38m Buy It Now for only: $29.99 |
| 1965 Topps HK #023 PSA 8 Rod Seiling Rangers 23 | |
 |
$90.00 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 42m Buy It Now for only: $90.00 |
| 1965 Topps HK #036 PSA 8 Ron Schock Bruins 36 | |
 |
$90.00 Time Remaining: 29d 4h 42m Buy It Now for only: $90.00 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #57 Terry Harper | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 17d 23h 56m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #107 AB MacDonald | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 18d 31m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #41 Dale Rolfe | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 17d 23h 41m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
| 1968-1969 Topps Hockey #42 Lowell MacDonald | |
 |
$4.00 Time Remaining: 17d 23h 43m Buy It Now for only: $4.00 |
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