The Art of Collecting Vintage Hockey Cards Sets   by Mister_K

#1652 in DIY & Hobbies
Rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 6 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

The Collecting of Vintage Hockey Cards

 

 

Funny now when I look back on how this all started. With a few wax packs unopened that my father gave me from 1982/1983 season. They where O-Pee-Chee Hockey cards. They where kicking around in a box for years when one day as I was sorting thorough some cluttered corners I came across that box. I took it out and showed it to my son who suggested that we open them. So we did, and load and behold there was a Dale Hawerchuk and Ron Francis Rookie cards and two Wayne Gretzky 3rd year cards and then WHAM!

Starting to collect vintage hockey cards can be just that easy as above. It also can be a very daunting task. But there are ways you can start now and depending on how eager you are, you can have a complete vintage set to brag about in no time!

I have completed 98% of all OPC card sets from 1970/71 to 1979/80. Its been fun and now has turned into a hobby which in-turn has become my nest egg!!! The best part about this is that anybody with a hobby can make a profit from there hobby!

Number 1 - What To Look For! 

Ok,,, Where to start?

When you look at cards from the mid 1970's and earlier you have to keep in mind that these cards are starting to get old. "The older the card the better the chance of it having been handled". Logic just says that the more handling the more chances of corners being dinged or smudging of surface right to cards getting creased.

When you start collecting you will come across many cards with these flaws. This poor card from the 75/76 season (Jim Roberts) has a hole punched in it. This is where you will start getting into the trading game. Theres many websites that you can join and trade cards. You can go to your local hobby shop (you would be suprise what they have behind the counter). And then theres eBay!

Here you can find almost every card you ever wanted and then some. Try buying lots of cards (a lot being of bunch of cards sold as a lot). If you keep doing this and stay focused on the year you are collecting you will be suprised how fast a set can start to come together. My favorite set is 1971/1972 OPC set. I have been at this set for almost 3 years now and can honestly say I am almost done, I need at present only 14 common cards to complete, meaning I have all the high end cards already (Ken Dryden RC and the famous #111 checklist) These 2 cards alone can be worth up to $1500.00 or more, (Depending on condition there in of course, NM/MT)

Are You Looking For A Card? 

If you are looking for a particular Hockey card we may be able to help. Try our store or contact me personally:
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Note: If you email me please let me know that you came form this site in the email. Or I will not be able to help you. Thank you...

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Think Big, Start Small 

There are a few vintage sets that are not all that hard to put together (with a little patience of course) A good example of this would be the 1974/1975 WHA (World Hockey League) set pictured below. There's only 66 cards to the complete set and a book value of $200.00, Not a bad entry point for a great old hobby. Sets like this can be a great place to get your foot in the door of the vintage card market that's just starting to explode. eBay.



Although the whole set is worth $200.00 the cards above carry the weight of what the set is worth.

Top left corner going clockwise
Frank Mahovlich #40 - book value $12.00
The Howe Family#1 - book value $80.00
Jacques Plante #64 - book value $40.00
Checklist #53 - book value $40.00

Check out our eBay store 

From vintage cards to complete sets!

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How To Store and Organize Your Cards... 

You will most definitely what the best possible storage for your vintage cards. Read my lens on storage here.



In this picture is a complete set of 1975/1976 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards stored in two 200 count boxes (there is 396 cards in this set with a book value of $400.00). These boxes make it very easy to keep track of your cards as well as being able to see what's in the box without even opening it. Also as you building your sets its easy to sort thorough the cards in these boxes to find that missing card in the set. Always try to store your cards in a dry environment and always out of direct sunlight. You don't want you vintage cards to fade away!

Vintage Hockey Card Inserts! 

As well as the WHA set mentioned above there are vintage subsets or insert sets that are still easy to obtain. Below we will look at a few examples of these insert sets. Check this lens out " The New Age of Sports Card Collecting" and see what a difference 3 or 4 decades makes when it comes to inserts!



1973/1974 OPC Rings, set of 17 book value of $100.00


1972/1973 OPC Team Logos, set of 30 book value $500.00.
This is becoming one of those sets that is getting hard to put together. The last 10 cards or so in the set are WHA teams. There is bidding wars starting to take place on these cards as collectors are paying full book value or higher for these inserts. The Chicago Cougars card is a good example as I have seen this card sell for 50 to 60 dollars in a bidding wars. The ture book value for this card is $50.00!



1971/1972 OPC/Topps Booklet, set of 24 book value $150.00

The OPC and Topps books have the same value.

 

Great free games 4 ALL!



 

Other good reading and information! 

Well I hope you enjoyed this lens and found some of it intresting or maybe you even learned a thing or too about my hobby. If you have anything you'd like to ask or share just let me know. Please have a look at my other lens and online guides by clicking on links below.

Our Website, Northern Card Chiefs
A great hockey resource!!!

Squidoo Lenses

Sport & Non Sport Collectibles, trading card Fun!
How to Keep Your Trading Card Collection Investment safe!
The New Age of Sports Card Collecting!
A Sulute to Hockeys Lord Stanley's Cup
The Art of Collecting Vintage Hockey Cards Sets
Convert your VHS tapes before its to late
The stars above with the Hubble telescope
Selling Sport Cards on eBay, Listing, Shipping to Packing
Who is Christopher Pike?
Add you hobby lens to our group

Ebay Guides
The eBay Feedback System and fairness for the Seller!
SellingSport Cards on eBay, Listing, Shipping, Packing

Visit our eBay store
We carry Cards of all sorts from Hockey too Baseball, Non Sports too Fantasy and other cool collectibles. Coins, Buttons, Books and more! Make sure to check out all of our Complete Sets of great non-sport and sport trading cards. And Look for those hard to find Inserts in our Inserts ONLY section and more...

If you would like to shop somewhere other then eBay then check out my store at eCarter the new alternative.

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Reader Feedback 

fanfreluche

This is a great lens. 5* I remember as a kid I had 2 Gretzky rookie cards...but of course eventually my mother did some cleaning and to the trash bin they went.

Posted March 28, 2008
CollectorsCottage

Another excellent 5 star lens Mister_K! Glad to add it to the Collector Clubs group!

Posted August 18, 2007
bigchief

The best part of this hobby "Old Hockey Cards" Thanks for the great lens...

Posted August 18, 2007
Janusz

Another Great Lens! Thanks for adding it to "Sports Sports Sports" :)

Posted August 18, 2007
Mister_K

Well I have done this lens on my favorite part of this hobby. VINTAGE... I love my old hockey cards and wish I could show them all to you here. An ideas or thoughts on the hobby would be great...
Take care and thank you for stopping by!

Posted August 18, 2007

Look who made this lens!

Mister_K

Mister_K

For a few years now I have been on a mission to complete all NHL hockey card sets from 1970/71 to 1979/80 seasons. Its been a huge challange and at the same time a b...

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