Each year, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducts a new class of legendary names into its ranks. The 2018 class will be enshrined this fall but collectors and fans are now thinking ahead to who might make the cut in 2019. Once announced, there is sometimes a little boost in interest for their rookie cards and certified autographs – but why not speculate in advance to beat the rush … [Read more...]
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2018-19 Upper Deck Team Canada Juniors Goes for Gold
If there is one thing that Canada truly seems to rally around, it is their national hockey team as it takes on the best talent from the rest of the world. Since the players from the Great White North tend to have a lot of success on the ice, it is only natural that there is also a great demand for these talents appearing on trading cards in their maple leaf-emblazoned jerseys. … [Read more...]
Collecting the Hockey Heroes of Newfoundland
The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is a national treasure for many reasons and the people there have a deep love for the game of hockey. However, one of their local heroes to making it all the way to the NHL is a somewhat rare feat. Luckily, though, most of them have been featured on a major issue hockey card. Newfoundland did not become a Canadian province … [Read more...]
1990-91 Rookie Card Recap: The Hockey Prospecting Market Arrives
Longtime hockey card collectors will remember the 1990-91 season as the year that the hobby boomed as three new manufacturers became licensed by the NHL and NHLPA. The arrival of Pro Set, Score, and Upper Deck was a watershed moment and produced an incredible rookie card class which is loaded up with Hall of Famers, memorable stars, infamous fighters, and more. Whether you … [Read more...]
1984-85 O-Pee-Chee: The End of an Era
For just over a decade, Canadian kids had the same amount of hockey cards to collect each year. The "396" era came to a close with 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee - a set which ranks among the best the company ever released thanks to a sharp and colorful design, tons of big rookie cards, and an awesome contest. What the card-buying public north of the border was not prepared for, though, … [Read more...]
Bad Rap? 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Set Does Have Merit
The 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee set has a bit of a bad reputation with collectors thanks to a lack of big rookie cards and a somewhat unimaginative design. For decades, it has been relatively ignored and the reasons for that are certainly fair from an investment standpoint. For those that have come to love it, though, 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee can have some hidden beauty which perhaps … [Read more...]
All Dressed Up: 1991-92 Arena Holograms an Odd Hockey Set
There are few sets that bring a grunt of disgust from an old school hockey card collector more than the 1991-92 Arena Holograms set, but was it really as bad as people remember it? The answer is undoubtedly yes. As a bit of back story, the 1991-92 season brought about the war that no hockey card collector asked for - the battle between four different companies making sets … [Read more...]
1961-62 Topps Hockey: Innovation On Ice and Cardboard
The early 1960s were an era filled with excitement for young Canadian hockey fans who had plenty of opportunities to collect items featuring their on-ice heroes. Whether it was the extremely popular Shiriff coins, octagonal cards distributed by York Peanut Butter, or even the venerable photos produced by Beehive Corn Syrup, there were plenty of "oddball" issues to keep you busy … [Read more...]
Young Guns On the Way with 2018-19 Upper Deck Series One Hockey
Even though hockey season is still about three months away, it's never too early for hockey card collectors to start thinking about what's ahead. Details on 2018-19 Upper Deck Series One have just dropped on the next installment of a hobby institution. To put it mildly, one of the longest-running traditions for collectors has been Upper Deck's annual flagship effort. … [Read more...]
Swamped: Collecting the 1982-83 New Jersey Devils
It was a big deal when 1982-83 as O-Pee-Chee featured players from the first New Jersey Devils squad in its annual hockey card set, but the franchise's roots were quite humble. The Devils had spent the last few seasons as the Colorado Rockies---known as one of hockey's hard-luck teams. It was the third move in less than ten years for the franchise that had started life … [Read more...]
