The impetus for this article harkens back to the Montreal Card Show in 2008. Two elderly gentlemen approached the booth next to mine and when they reached into a bag to retrieve three old cigarette packs and placed them on the table, my heart skipped a beat or three. The two Derby packs were used to store complete sets of C59 and a C60 lacrosse cards which were issued at the … [Read more...] about Tackling Distribution and Printing Mysteries of C Series Hockey and Lacrosse Cards
Fleer Had Drysdale, If Nothing Else, for 1966 Wax Pack Issues
The sports card industry of the 1950s and 60s was an arduous journey for Fleer with the fierce competition of Topps’ licensing agreement with baseball players. Surely, the company longed for the good old days when just your word and a solemn handshake would suffice. Fleer did retain a small percentage of player contracts throughout these decades but the company finally chose to … [Read more...] about Fleer Had Drysdale, If Nothing Else, for 1966 Wax Pack Issues
Oh Boy, What a Find: 1949-50 Hockey Wrappers are Simple, But Rare
New finds certainly ring the dinner bell for the vintage collectors who are astute to the true rarities the hobby seldom reveal and what seems to be, in no timely manner. The constant quest to find market-fresh vintage cards or collectibles keeps that sometimes ambiguous word “hope” alive within all collectors. A new find by Shawn Chaulk, long-time hobbyist and most noted … [Read more...] about Oh Boy, What a Find: 1949-50 Hockey Wrappers are Simple, But Rare
Scarce 1978 7-Eleven “Magic Motion” Cards Remain Largely a Mystery
If you love regional sets, chances are you might have a few sets issued by 7-Eleven stores in your collection, but there’s one that dates back more than 40 years that’s as obscure as obscure can be, despite the presence of such iconic names as: Cobb, Aaron, Ryan, Staubach, Chamberlain and Marciano, to name but a few. After 25 years as a hobby historian, finding undocumented … [Read more...] about Scarce 1978 7-Eleven “Magic Motion” Cards Remain Largely a Mystery
Minor Find of a Major Kind: 1960s Hockey Programs Held Photo Cards of Orr, Others
It’s probably fair to say that almost every collector retains at least one program in their collection, regardless of their overall hobby preferences. Unlike some collectibles, programs are sort of interactive, with a little something for everyone inside: interesting articles, unique pictures, statistics and great advertisements. Some programs are even known to … [Read more...] about Minor Find of a Major Kind: 1960s Hockey Programs Held Photo Cards of Orr, Others
Sorting Out the Early 1960s York Peanut Butter Tumblers
In 1960-61 Canada Packers Limited first hockey offering through their subsidiary brand of "York”, issued 21 peanut butter- filled glass tumblers featuring NHL players. York also released a second series of glasses dated to the following season, however, we believe the story arc may very well be adjusted along the way with a new hypothesis. So, let’s hop in the time machine, … [Read more...] about Sorting Out the Early 1960s York Peanut Butter Tumblers
Rookie Card vs. “Rookie Year”: Are Some Hockey Card Values Out of Whack?
The past year of the sports card boom may be a somewhat similar take on the early 1990's but this is no 2.0 version. We are approaching unprecedented 10X and appreciating more as every day, week and month passes. The title of this article illustrates a rather new term being thrown around within the sports card industry, as many new words or phrases do in a boom, possibly … [Read more...] about Rookie Card vs. “Rookie Year”: Are Some Hockey Card Values Out of Whack?