• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Wander Franco Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Rookie Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / After Nearly 30-Year Hiatus, O-Pee-Chee Baseball Cards Returned in 1965

After Nearly 30-Year Hiatus, O-Pee-Chee Baseball Cards Returned in 1965

March 26, 2020 By Anson Whaley

In 1937, O-Pee-Chee introduced a set of baseball cards.  With a unique ‘pop-out’ design, they were intended to offer a three-dimensional look. The cards were black and white and included many popular players of the day, including Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio, and Hank Greenberg. The cards of all three players are from relatively early in their careers and the card of Feller, in particular, is often viewed as a rookie card. But the somewhat rare 40-card set may not have been a tremendous hit with collectors since the company did not produce a set for many years after that.

The O-Pee-Chee name wasn’t associated with another baseball card set for nearly 30 years, returning in 1965 with a Topps partnership that lasted until the 1990s.

About the 1965 O-Pee-Chee Baseball Cards

The Topps Company had dominated the baseball card market from the mid-1950s. It wouldn’t be until 1981 that they would see other competition. That year, Fleer and Donruss entered the market with sets of their own. In 1965, O-Pee-Chee would come to an agreement with Topps to allow them to produce their own sets in Canada.

Like the O-Pee-Chee sets that would follow, these cards mimicked Topps’ 1965 American issue. Distributed only in the provinces of Canada, the 283-card 1965 O-Pee-Chee set wasn’t as large as the Topps version. It included only the first 283 cards in the Topps set–a little under half  the size of Topps’ set of 598 that was issued in seven series.  The wrappers were similar to Topps but contained an ad for the metal coins that had been inserted into Topps packs the year before.  Collectors have speculated that the All-Star coins were the only ones from the set that were distributed in O-Pee-Chee packs.

By 1965, the baseball card landscape had changed considerably since the first time O-Pee-Chee produced cards. In the 1930s, there were several card companies issuing sets, including Goudey, National Chicle, Play Ball, and others. But by 1965, Topps was the only real player in town. Their main competitor after World War II to that point had been Bowman. But Bowman’s final set was distributed in 1955 and they were later acquired by Topps.

1965 O-Pee-Chee cards had the same colorful design as their Topps counterparts. Cards had white borders with a player’s color picture inside of a rounded-corner, four-sided shape. Most notably was a somewhat large team pennant for the player across the bottom along with the player’s name and position. Backs included a statistical overview of the player with biographical information, a small cartoon, and a card number.

From the front, the cards look similar. But a primary difference in the O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets is that O-Pee-Chee cards state on the backs that they were printed in Canada. Topps cards indicate they were printed in the U.S.

1965 O-Pee-Chee Rookies and Stars

While the missing names are significant because of the lack of cards from #284 and beyond, collectors will find a pretty decent supply of Hall of Famers and stars in the ’65 OPC set.  Included are Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Pete Rose, Willie McCovey, Warren Spahn, Roger Maris, Brooks Robinson, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Don Drysdale, and plenty of others. Several rookie cards are also found in O-Pee-Chee set but none bigger than the Joe Morgan card. Other less notable rookies include Luis Tiant, Denny McLain, and Bert Campaneris, among others.

Of the notable players that are not included in the OPC set are Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Tony Oliva, Willie Stargell, Carl Yastrzemski, Harmon Killebrew, Yogi Berra, Eddie Mathews, Ernie Banks, and Lou Brock. While the Mantle is the big fish among the star players, the O-Pee-Chee set is also missing key rookie cards of Hall of Famers Tony Perez, Catfish Hunter, and, most notably, Steve Carlton. That makes it far less significant than the Topps set.

Prices and Rarity

The cards are, as you would expect, noticeably rarer than the counterpart 1965 Topps set. Grading company population reports show less than 2 percent of O-Pee-Chee cards have been authenticated compared to ’65 Topps.  As of right now, PSA has rated only 366 ’65 OPC cards above a NM/MT 8.

Complete 1965 O-Pee-Chee sets are not all that easy to find. They can be assembled but you do not see a large amount of complete sets for sale on the open market. However, when they are sold, the prices are not usually for staggering amounts outside of high-grad sets. Heritage sold a modest mid-grade set in 2018 for $660.  

Since the set is pretty scarce, single cards–especially hard to find commons– can sell for noticeably more than their Topps counterparts at times.  You can see what’s currently available on eBay here.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Collecting Vintage O-Pee-Chee Mickey Mantle Cards O-Pee-Chee Master Checklist Book Chronicles Canadian Cards 1940-41 O-Pee-Chee: Prelude to War Oh, Canada: 5 Unheralded Vintage Canadian Baseball Card Sets New Book: The O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card Story 1960 Topps Tattoos Among Company’s Quirkier Sets Gil Hodges 1972 OPCRich’s Ramblings: Fun With O-Pee-Chee Baseball

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Old Baseball Card Sets, Popular Stories, Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1937 V300 O-Pee-Chee, 1960s baseball cards, 1965 O-Pee-Chee, Canadian, o pee chee, opc

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • All-Star Cards Accepting Consingments
  • 2023 Auction Schedule
  • SCP Auctions Offers Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Season Uniform Auction – End June 17, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window