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.
| 1979 O-Pee-Chee OPC #18 WAYNE GRETZKY ROOKIE RC GAI 9 MINT PSA 9 NO RESERVE! .99 | |
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$4,050.00 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 22h 21m |
| 1954-1955 topps Gordie Howe #8 SGC 55 4.5 compare to psa vg-ex+ centered, nice | |
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$599.00 Time Remaining: 16d 15h 21m Buy It Now for only: $599.00 |
| 1961 PARKHURST #12 DICK DUFF PSA 8 | |
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$30.00 Time Remaining: 14h 43m |
| 1970-71 OPC Tony Esposito #153 - Black Hawks - Graded PSA 5.5 | |
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$4.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 19h 48m |
| 79-80 TOPPS WAYNE GRETZKY ROOKIE CARD GRADED BVG 6 | |
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$250.00 Time Remaining: 4d 17h 22m Buy It Now for only: $250.00 |
| Auston Matthews Young Guns Jumbo BGS 9.5 GEM MINT | |
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$205.00 Time Remaining: 25d 14h 9m Buy It Now for only: $205.00 |
| 1970-71 Topps Gilbert Perreault Rookie #131 - Sabres | |
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$5.99 Time Remaining: 19h 28m |
| 2016-17 O-Pee-Chee Patrik Laine Rookie Rainbow SSP Auto BGS 9.5/10 RARE BN-ZD | |
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$327.99 Time Remaining: 29d 19h 8m Buy It Now for only: $327.99 |
| 2013-14 Upper Deck Young Guns High Gloss Petr Mrazek Rc 01/10 Bgs 9 Mint!!! | |
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$474.99 Time Remaining: 26d 52m Buy It Now for only: $474.99 |
| 2007-08 Upper Deck Hockey Complete Set 1-500 ALL Young Guns Kane Price Toews BGS | |
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$549.99 Time Remaining: 29d 17h 58m Buy It Now for only: $549.99 |
| 1968-69 Topps #2 Bobby Orr EXMT X1272324 | |
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$175.00 Time Remaining: 29d 14h 32m Buy It Now for only: $175.00 |
| 1986 Fleer Basketball #57 Michael Jordan Rookie Card Beckett BVG 7.5 Near Mint+ | |
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$712.51 (27 Bids) Time Remaining: 11h 7m |
| 2015-16 UPPER DECK YOUNG GUNS MATT MURRAY RC BGS 10!! PRISTINE!! | |
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$300.00 Time Remaining: 22d 13m Buy It Now for only: $300.00 |
| 2013-14 National Treasures Petr Mrazek Auto Dual Patch Rc /25 Bgs 9.5 Gem Mint!! | |
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$142.49 Time Remaining: 29d 2h 13m Buy It Now for only: $142.49 |
| 1954 Topps Hockey #30 Frank Martin PSA 6 | |
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$12.50 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 21h 27m |
| 2005-06 Sidney Crosby Black Diamond Quad Diamond Rookie Gem BGS 9.5 GEM MINT | |
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$399.99 Time Remaining: 20d 17m Buy It Now for only: $399.99 |
| 2008-09 UD SP AUTHENTIC FUTURE WATCH AUTO DREW DOUGHTY BGS 9.5! (w/10 SUB) /999! | |
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$99.99 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 18m Buy It Now for only: $99.99 |
| Gordie Howe "Mr. Hockey" 1969 O-Pee-Chee W/number #193 Detroit Red Wings PSA 3 | |
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$0.99 Time Remaining: 22h 56m |
| 1963 1964 Tall Boys Hockey Complete Set 1-180 | |
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$20.49 Time Remaining: 13d 21h 39m Buy It Now for only: $20.49 |
| 1970-71 OPC Keith Magnuson Rookie #151 - Black Hawks | |
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$0.99 Time Remaining: 20h 4m |
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