The sports world lost another great one Friday with the death of ‘Mr. Hockey’ at age 88. The Gordie Howe rookie card from the 1951-52 Parkhurst set is one of the most important ever made and represents the beginning of a career that began in 1946 and didn’t end until 1980.
Howe appeared on Topps’ first hockey set in 1954-55 and was still active when the company produced its 1979-80 set that featured Wayne Gretzky.
Howe’s rookie card can fetch thousands of dollars in higher grade but lower grade examples can still be obtained for $1,000-$2,000, making it one of the more attainable cards of any 20th century sports legend. His second card, in 1952-53 is a less expensive option that still captures him in the early stages of his career.
The record price for a Howe rookie card was set in 2015 when an SGC 96 (mint) example sold for more than $29,000. Few high-grade examples exist and they don’t come to market very often. Prices for PSA 8 (nm/mt) examples have doubled over the past decade. The last sale was $17,101 recorded in 2015.
Until his health made it difficult, Howe signed thousands of cards for modern era trading card products, some also featuring other icons like Wayne Gretzky when both were under contract to Upper Deck. The total number of different Gordie Howe hockey cards numbers over 3,000 according to Beckett. Many of the autographs and signed relic cards from the last 20 years are among the most sought after cards in certain products.
For a look at the current ‘most watched’ Gordie Howe cards on eBay, see the live list below.
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1951 Parkhurst Gordie Howe ROOKIE RC #66 PSA 6 EXMT (PWCC-A)
27 bids - Price: $6,701.00 - Watchers: 143
Item #143742773908
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1951 Parkhurst Gordie Howe ROOKIE RC #66 PSA AUTH
49 bids - Price: $835.00 - Watchers: 75
Item #402442293568
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1953 Parkhurst Gordie Howe #50 PSA 7 NRMT
24 bids - Price: $382.00 - Watchers: 32
Item #143742774337
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1954 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #8 PSA 1 PR
17 bids - Price: $152.50 - Watchers: 28
Item #402442295371
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2013-14 PANINI CROWN ROYAL 04/10 CRAMERS CHOICE AWARD PACIFIC JOE SAKIC AUTO SP
9 bids - Price: $32.58 - Watchers: 26
Item #353202798750
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1968 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe AUTO #29 PSA/DNA Auth
13 bids - Price: $41.00 - Watchers: 24
Item #402442304471
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1971 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #70 PSA 8 NM-MT
12 bids - Price: $81.00 - Watchers: 21
Item #143742799363
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1965 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #108 PSA 8 NM-MT
13 bids - Price: $195.50 - Watchers: 21
Item #353206398425
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1979 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #175 PSA 9 MINT
14 bids - Price: $42.44 - Watchers: 19
Item #143742804065
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2014-15 ITG IN THE GAME USED /9 AUTOTHREAD AUTO THREAD JERSEY TEEMU SELANNE Duck
4 bids - Price: $38.26 - Watchers: 17
Item #353202788262
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2006-07 UPPER DECK BLACK DIAMOND QUAD ROOKIE GEMS EVGENI MALKIN RC WOW!
7 bids - Price: $9.37 - Watchers: 17
Item #353202808048
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1966 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #109 PSA 7 NRMT
8 bids - Price: $88.00 - Watchers: 16
Item #353206398577
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1954-55 TOPPS GORDIE HOWE # 8 DETROIT RED WINGS FIRST TOPPS CARD
11 bids - Price: $45.75 - Watchers: 15
Item #313223083047
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2003-04 UPPER DECK TRILOGY SCRIPT THREE 3 GORDIE HOWE AUTO SIGNATURE INSCRIBED
8 bids - Price: $49.16 - Watchers: 14
Item #353202736013
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1994 Parkhurst Hockey Gordie Howe AUTO #A1 SGC 8.5 NM-MT+
9 bids - Price: $22.50 - Watchers: 14
Item #353206410241
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1962 Parkhurst Gordie Howe #30 PSA 8 NM-MT
6 bids - Price: $138.50 - Watchers: 14
Item #402442299099
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1960 Parkhurst Gordie Howe #20 PSA 6.5 EXMT+
14 bids - Price: $161.59 - Watchers: 13
Item #143742776091
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1969-70 O-Pee-Chee Set Break # Gordie Howe VG-VGEX *GMCARDS*
12 bids - Price: $15.50 - Watchers: 13
Item #313218927903
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1968 Topps Hockey Gordie Howe #29 PSA 6 EXMT
9 bids - Price: $18.50 - Watchers: 13
Item #402442304472
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1970-71 Topps Set Break # 29 Gordie Howe EX-EXMINT *GMCARDS*
10 bids - Price: $32.00 - Watchers: 12
Item #133519329507
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1960 Shirriff Coins Hockey Gordie Howe #42 PSA 9 MINT
6 bids - Price: $22.00 - Watchers: 12
Item #143742776174
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1968 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Gordie Howe ALL-STAR #203 PSA 8 NM-MT
9 bids - Price: $51.00 - Watchers: 12
Item #353206401399
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2019-20 UD Series 2 Young Guns CANVAS RETIRED STARS Gordie Howe Card #C241
1 bids - Price: $0.74 - Watchers: 11
Item #133527681024
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1971 TOPPS #70 GORDIE HOWE HOF EXMT/NM *235803
12 bids - Price: $28.50 - Watchers: 11
Item #333724995330
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1962 Parkhurst Gordie Howe #31 PSA 7 NRMT
4 bids - Price: $63.00 - Watchers: 11
Item #353206397582
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1954-1955 - PARKHURST - GORDIE HOWE - DETROIT RED WINGS - HOCKEY CARD #41
0 bids - Price: $93.75 - Watchers: 10
Item #124347506240
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2017 IN THE GAME USED GORDIE HOWE #LR-01 LOCKER ROOM QUAD JERSEY #1/3 NRMT
13 bids - Price: $22.50 - Watchers: 10
Item #224159886504
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2008-09 OPC O-PEE-CHEE Premier QUAD REMNANTS ADAM OATES PATCH BEAR PATCH EMBLEM
2 bids - Price: $3.19 - Watchers: 10
Item #353202743889
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2019-20 UD Engrained Gordie Howe Honorary Engravings 001/100! Red Wings
2 bids - Price: $8.62 - Watchers: 10
Item #373224284658
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1973-74 Hockey Topps set missing 6 has all key players
4 bids - Price: $37.00 - Watchers: 8
Item #264870150254
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Related Stories:
Top 10 Hockey Rookie Cards of the 1950s
Celebrate Hockey’s Return With 10 Great Cards
Topps Made History with 1954-55 Hockey Set Despite MIA Canadian Teams
1954-55 Parkhurst: Preparing For Battle
1957-58 Topps Hockey Set Marked Company’s Return to NHL Cards
1953-54 Parkhurst Hockey Set Had Top Rookies; Errors, Too
1952-53 Parkhurst Hockey Set Included Better Quality; Wild Wrapper
1955-56 Parkhurst Hockey Set Shouldn’t Be Forgotten
Taking A Bow: 10 Key Final Cards of Hockey Legends
Hockey’s 10 Most Underrated Rookie Cards Of The 1980s
