Hockey Cards

Hockey cards may not be as widely collected as their baseball counterparts. However, these items are very collectable and quite valuable to many hockey enthusiasts. Following is some insight into the history of hockey cards as well as some great ways to start your very own collection.

When we think of sports cards most of us immediately think of baseball. However, hockey cards were in existence long before other sports began printing trading cards of their own. The very first collectable was printed way back in 1879. This first hockey card began a tradition that has lasted over 125 years.

The original products were actually drawings rather than photographs. These drawings typically captured various poses and actions as well as players who were popular in this sport during this era. Some called the game Eishockey and the sport was referred to as “ice polo” on one of the hockey cards.

As the technology of photography grew and improved, more and more hockey cards were produced that actually depicted teams and individual players. Instead of selling bubble gum with the cards, the hockey cards during the years between 1910 and 1913. These items are highly sought after by collectors.

The cigarette hockey cards were the first to have color portraits of the hottest players of this era. The cards remained pretty popular even without the cigarettes up until World War I. During this time, people could find only American players depicted on the collectable sports cards.

Today’s collector has a lot of options to consider. Of course, getting your hands on some of the pre turn of the century cards would be ideal as far as value is concerned. The cigarette cards would be of great value as well. Also, you could expect to get a pretty penny for any cards printed during World War I.

However, there are also plenty of other valuable hockey cards to consider as well. Modern players who have promising futures are wonderful to collect and of course, the all time favorites like Mario Lemieux and the “Great One”, Wayne Gretzky are great additions to any collection.

If you are ready to start putting together an assortment of your own, you might want to start by making a list of your favorites players. If you have a gut feeling about a rookie, put him on your list as well. Even if the player doesn’t make it big you still may find that this is one of your favorites.

Make a list of your favorite seasons. Did your favorite team every win the Stanley cup? Why not search for hockey cards that were released during this season. There are many ways to get started. All you have to do is look.

Summary: Hockey cards were being made long before baseball cards. Started in 1879, hockey cards were originally drawings of people. With the creation of photography, cards became more and more popular and evolved into the typical collectible you think of today. Value wise, cards that were created prior to 1900 are of great value, as are cards created during World War 1. Try to collect these, or go with a rookie you have a feeling about. Shop for big names life Gretzky or Lemieux.

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