Fresh off a year that featured the debut maybe the greatest hockey player ever -- Wayne Gretzky -- the 1980s had little hope of delivering the same type of impact players that the 1970s had. Nevertheless, as these 10 great hockey rookie cards of the 1980s demonstrate, the new decade more than held its own in terms of breakout talent. 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Ray Bourque (#140) Talk … [Read more...]
Vintage Set of the Week: 1961 Topps Baseball
In the years that followed their buyout of the rival Bowman Gum Company in 1956, Topps treated collectors to a gaudy variety of designs as they tried to settle on "the" standard that they hoped would keep them on top of the hobby for decades. When Little Leaguers tore open their first packs of 1961 Topps baseball, they may have been disappointed at first by the subdued cards … [Read more...]
1970s Hockey Cards: 10 Great Rookies
For the National Hockey League, the 1970s were marked by dominant teams and blazing superstars, as the Montreal Canadiens and their stalwart lineup took home six Stanley Cup titles during the decade, while the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers picked up two each. But the 1970s also saw the birth of new franchises and the debuts of several players who would help to shape the … [Read more...]
1959 Topps Baseball Set Took Collectors Through the Porthole
Though every year witnesses events that change the world and make us gape in awe, some are more dramatic than others. By the time 1959 faded into a new decade, America had gained two new states, Fidel Castro had brought red power to Cuba, and the New York Yankees had slid all the way to third place in the American League. Along the way, the 1959 Topps baseball set provided … [Read more...]
Vintage Set of the Week: 1979 Topps Baseball
In July of 1979, adults around the world kept one eye on the heavens as they strapped on their Skylab helmets, waiting for America's first space station to crash back to earth after six years in orbit. While collectors may have had an easier time focusing on more grounded events, courtesy of another compelling Major League Baseball season, the 1979 Topps baseball cards they … [Read more...]
10 Great Hockey Rookie Cards of the 1960s
As the 1950s gave way to a new decade, the NHL was picking up steam and card makers had finally caught up to the biggest stars in the game. No longer playing catch-up from the Forties, when card sets were limited, Parkhurst and Topps were able to issue hockey rookie cards in the year after a player's debut during the 1960s. Some of the biggest stars the game has seen made their … [Read more...]
1964 Topps Baseball Might Rub Off on You
The so-called "British Invasion" began in earnest when The Beatles made their first U.S. television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, just weeks before pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training. By the time kids popped open their first packs of 1964 Topps baseball cards that spring to background strains of "She Loves You" and "I … [Read more...]
1971 Topps Baseball Was a Dark Ride for Collectors
Spring training in 1971 washed over baseball fans with a wave of relief, assuring them that the strange dream world they had endured for nearly a year was finally over. The mighty Baltimore Orioles reported to their Miami base that February flashing the confident smiles of World Series champions, intent on helping the game recover from the shock of the Amazin' Mets' run to a … [Read more...]
Vintage Set of the Week: 1976 Topps Baseball
The summer of 1976 was a firecracker celebration of American excess, from the nationwide commemoration of our Bicentennial to Bruce Jenner's crowning as the "World's Greatest Athlete" when he won the decathlon at the Montreal Olympics in record fashion. On the diamond, the star-studded Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees were rocketing through the regular season and … [Read more...]
6 Underrated Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1940s
Even though the sports card hobby was hit especially hard by World War II thanks to paper rations and playing time lost to military service, collectors were nevertheless treated to some pretty stout 1940s baseball rookie cards. Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Warren Spahn, for instance, were giants of the game, and all three of them made their cardboard debuts during the … [Read more...]