I remember like it was yesterday, peering over the formica dining table with its spindly steel legs, eagerly watching my mother empty the contents of 3 1/4- inch by 2 3/4-inch inch box of Shirriff jelly crystals into a mixing bowl. The red, yellow or green sticky granular substance mixed with water and set upon by some kind or other of alchemical magic or so it … [Read more...]
Notes: Hobby Shop Burglary; Fleer Box IPO Sellout; MJ Rookie Record; ESPN Podcast; OPC Worker Recalls Rough Cut Reasons
There was a burglary at a northern Indiana hobby shop last week. Police in Elkhart, IN, near South Bend, say someone entered F&G Sports Cards in the wee hours of Christmas Eve and stole about $11,000 worth of merchandise. The shop’s owner says two people pried open the back door and stole all of the hobby boxes that were inside along with a signed Michael Jordan … [Read more...]
Collecting Vintage O-Pee-Chee Mickey Mantle Cards
Mickey Mantle's baseball career was rounding third and heading for home when London, Ontario-based O-Pee-Chee began producing bubble gum cards through a new partnership with Topps. Thankfully for collectors who have enough trouble affording his American made issues, the Canadian Mantle checklist is pretty small. For just about any collector, completing a run of … [Read more...]
O-Pee-Chee Master Checklist Book Chronicles Canadian Cards
Love O-Pee-Chee cards or wish you had a handy reference guide to all of those cards printed in Canada during the entire 20th century? You’re in luck. The newly-released O-Pee-Chee Master Checklist for vintage hockey cards, baseball cards, entertainment cards and other issues has hit the market. The 362-page paperback, with information compiled by author … [Read more...]
After Nearly 30-Year Hiatus, O-Pee-Chee Baseball Cards Returned in 1965
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, … [Read more...]
New Book: The O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card Story
Collectors who appreciate learning about the history of trading card companies and their products have a new book to consider. The O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card story offers 116 pages of information and background on the London, Ontario-based company that was a part of every Canadian kid’s childhood for many years, producing hockey and baseball gum cards. The book’s author … [Read more...]
O-Pee-Chee Gretzky Rookie Now Most Expensive Hockey Card
After the National Sports Collectors Convention closed Thursday evening, the action shifted to a hotel ballroom where bidders spent over $3.1 million on over 90 high-end sports cards and sports memorabilia with Goldin Auctions. As expected, the O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card PSA 10 established a new standard for hockey trading cards by selling for $465,000 -- … [Read more...]
Nolan Ryan Rookie Card Prices Continue Upward Trend
It’s not rare. Over 8,000 have been graded by PSA and SGC alone and ungraded examples are sold every day online, in stores and at shows. Make no mistake, though, the market for high-grade examples of the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie card has been very, very good to collectors—and investors. Ryan's status as a Hall of Fame favorite among fans who recall the seven … [Read more...]
Ramblings: O-Pee-Chee and Free Agency in the 70s
It’s the season for mammoth new free agent contracts in baseball. Zack Greinke is a Diamondback and David Price is a member of the Boston Red Sox after signing a contract which might be worth upwards of $215 million. The reason I say “might be” is there is an opt-out clause after the first three seasons. However, if the contract goes the full length he will earn more money … [Read more...]
Vintage Buy of the Week: Hockey Card Bonanza
Sometimes you just have to choose. A long-time hockey card collector has picked one hobby over another and the result will send more than two dozen vintage hockey card sets, near sets and single cards into the marketplace later this fall. Our Vintage Buy of the Week from Just Collect involves a collector of automobiles and cards from Philadelphia came to the realization … [Read more...]