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.
| 1967 - 1999 HUNDREDS OF CARDS BASEBALL HOCKEY ALOT NICE CONDITION RARE GRADE | |
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$20.00 Time Remaining: 8d 22h 45m |
| 1984-85 Topps Steve Yzerman RC #49 BGS 8 w/ 2 9.5 Subgrades | |
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$0.99 Time Remaining: 6d 15h 58m |
| 1987-88 Topps Hockey Pack GAI NM-MT 8 Possible Luc Robitaille RC NHL | |
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$31.49 Time Remaining: 28d 16h 43m Buy It Now for only: $31.49 |
| 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee #166 Ted Harris - EX | |
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$2.50 Time Remaining: 27d 11h 43m Buy It Now for only: $2.50 |
| 1977 Topps # 18 Peter McNab Boston Bruins SGC 96 MINT 9 | |
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$12.95 Time Remaining: 16d 3h 53m Buy It Now for only: $12.95 |
| 1970-71 Topps #73 Joe Szura GOLDEN SEALS EX/MT G32966 - EX-MT | |
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$2.50 Time Remaining: 17d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $2.50 |
| 1977 Topps # 252 Nelson Pyatt Colorado Rockies SGC 96 MINT 9 | |
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$12.95 Time Remaining: 16d 7h 19m Buy It Now for only: $12.95 |
| 1970-71 Topps #116 Wayne Maki CANUCKS EX G32864 - EX | |
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$2.00 Time Remaining: 17d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $2.00 |
| 1970-71 Topps #70 Carol Vadnais GOLDEN SEALS EX/MT G32965 - EX-MT | |
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$2.50 Time Remaining: 17d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $2.50 |
| 1977 Topps # 209 Chris Oddleifson Vancouver Canucks SGC 96 MINT 9 | |
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$12.95 Time Remaining: 16d 6h 9m Buy It Now for only: $12.95 |
| 1977 Topps # 90 Walt Tkaczuk New York Rangers SGC 96 MINT 9 | |
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$12.95 Time Remaining: 16d 5h 10m Buy It Now for only: $12.95 |
| 1970-71 Topps #115 Darryl Sly CANUCKS EX/MT G32959 - EX-MT | |
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$2.50 Time Remaining: 17d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $2.50 |
| 1977 Topps # 233 Don Saleski Philadelphia Flyers SGC 96 MINT 9 | |
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$12.95 Time Remaining: 16d 6h 27m Buy It Now for only: $12.95 |
| 1970-71 Topps #115 Darryl Sly CANUCKS NM G32997 - NM | |
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$3.00 Time Remaining: 17d 9h 4m Buy It Now for only: $3.00 |
| 1959-60 Topps Card #60 So Near and Yet So Far.. A11818 - Ex+ | |
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$14.00 Time Remaining: 15d 5h 4m Buy It Now for only: $14.00 |
| 1965-66 Topps Set Break # 84 Peter Stemkowski NR-MINT *GMCARDS* | |
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$1.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 9d 14h 42m |
| 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee Set Break # 34 Gilles Marotte NR-MINT *GMCARDS* | |
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$0.79 Time Remaining: 9d 16h 58m |
| 2000-01 Topps Heritage Lightning Hockey Card #95 Alexander Kharitonov RC /1955 | |
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$6.00 Time Remaining: 20d 18h 14m Buy It Now for only: $6.00 |
| 1962-63 Parkhurst Set Break # 26 Leo Labine NR-MINT *GMCARDS* | |
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$1.25 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 9d 13h |
| 1962-63 Parkhurst Set Break # 43 Don Marshall EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS* | |
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$0.79 Time Remaining: 9d 13h 1m |
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