Chasing the parallel rainbow is a hobby concept that has gone to extreme levels over the past two decades. Many collectors love the opportunity to hunt down multiple versions of the same basic card that differ in some manner and finding them all can offer a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. With 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee Platinum, the chase is on once again.
With O-Pee-Chee being a name with a long tradition in the hobby that extends back almost 85 years, Upper Deck has held on to the name for a little over a decade. Now in its fourth season, the O-Pee-Chee Platinum brand takes the classic entry-level set and gives it a shiny twist that includes one autograph card in every box. On top of that, there is a hit of some form in every pack to provide value to collectors once it releases on April 4.
Shining Base Cards and Colorful Parallels
The 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee Platinum base set is made up of 200 cards. Many of them are essentially foil parallels of those that appeared in the basic 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee set, but there is the potential that some will show players with new teams or with new photography. In addition to 150 regular cards featuring veterans, look for 50 different Marquee Rookies that should include all the top members of the current freshman crop.
Each of these cards has multiple parallels and the most common to find are basic Rainbow cards (1:4) with the new Violet Pixels coming twice per box (1:20). The other parallels all have serial numbering, beginning with Red Prism (/199). The scarcity grows progressively with Royal Blue Cubes (/99), Seismic Gold (/50), the hobby-exclusive Orange Checkers (/25), Emerald Surge (/10), and the one-of-one Golden Treasures.
Once 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee Platinum heads to the Upper Deck E-pack platform, there may be some additional exclusive parallels or awards added to the mix as well.
Rookie Ink
One of the biggest selling features of O-Pee-Chee Platinum since its debut is the presence of hard-signed Rookie Autos. While you will not find Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick on the checklist, there are still plenty of strong young talents to potentially pull. The basic version of these cards are seeded at a 1:36 rate, but like the base set, there is a multitude of parallels to look for. Both the Rainbow (1:180) and Violet Pixels (1:1,500) will not be numbered, but the others are going to be limited. Red Prisms are numbered out of 50 and they get tougher to find with Seismic Gold (/25), Orange Checkers (/15, hobby only), Emerald Surge (/10) and Golden Treasures (one-of-one).
Retro Fun
One in every four packs of 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee Platinum is expected to yield a Platinum Retro card. Normally, this collection has around 100 cards which include a mix of vets, rookies, and legends on a design that has an older feel that feels as if O-Pee-Chee could have used it 30 or more years ago. Much like the base set, it has some p
arallels. Included among that group are Rainbow (1:20), Blue Rainbow (/149), Green Rainbow (/49), and Golden Treasures Rainbow (one-of-one). Adding to the fun are Red Auto parallels for both rookies (1:150) and established stars (1:300).
Intriguing Inserts
On average, each box of 2017-18 O-Pee-Chee Platinum will have three inserts inside. Platinum Records (1:15) should focus on the players that have set some major NHL standards. The fun continues with Destined For Glory and there is a throwback to old O-Pee-Chee sets with In Action (1:27). All three have autographed versions as well, but are found at long odds.
Boxes of 2017-18 OPC Platinum hockey are available on eBay for around $90.
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