Minimalism is all the rage right now in our society. People everywhere are realizing that they don’t own possessions. In fact, the revolutionary idea is that possessions own them. I tend to agree. However, I have no intentions of eliminating all but 99 pieces of ‘stuff’. It did get me thinking, though, if I could have a collection of only 20 hockey cards but they could be any NHL cards, what would my collection consist of?
All the 20 hockey cards I chose happened to be rookie cards, except for one. The one that wasn’t, in a way is…
In no order:
- 1958-59 Topps #66 – Bobby Hull rookie card. The second chronologically of the $3000 rookie card trifecta along with Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr.
- 1923-24 V145-1 #25 – Bert Corbeau rookie card. I believe a $20,000 card is a must have.
- 1933-34 V129 #39 – Harry Oliver rookie card. As above, I believe that a $15,000 card is a must have.
- 1951-52 Parkhurst #66 – Gordie Howe rookie card. Actually, if I was limited to just one set, this, obviously would be the one. Howe for the reason as the 1958-59 Hull.
- 1966-67 Topps #35 – Bobby Orr rookie card. No explanation needed.
- 1951-52 Parkhurst #52 – Bill Barilko and Gerry McNeil ‘In Action’ card. Not officially known as the Bill Barilko rookie card, this is the only card produced with Barilko on the front. Bill was killed in a plane accident following the 1950-51 season. The card depicts Barilko scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime on McNeil as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens.
- 1933-34 V129 #41 – Howie Morenz rookie card. The most valuable of a handful of Morenz rookie cards produced in 1933-34. If the playing field was equal, Morenz is perhaps the greatest hockey player to grace the ice surface.
- 1955-56 Parkhurst #50 – Jacques Plante rookie card. One of the greatest players and innovators between the pipes.
- 1965-66 Topps #116 – Phil Esposito rookie card. This is a great looking series and the card is the only one featuring Espo in a Black Hawks uniform. Phil was often the target of critics but the numbers don’t lie – he was one of the greats.
- 1958-59 Topps #30 – Eddie Shack rookie card. Shack was, and still is, ‘The Entertainer’. He is also a monumental waste of talent. Shack could have been one of the great offensive players in the NHL but was relegated to the role of the clown.
- 1911-12 C55 #38 – Georges Vezina rookie card. The card is worth $6000 and he had a major trophy named after him.
- 1951-52 Parkhurst #4 – Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard rookie card. Half the price of the Gordie Howe rookie card from the same series, Richard is perhaps under-rated in the hockey card world.
- 1951-52 Parkhurst #61 – Terry Sawchuk rookie card. The third of the $1000+ cards from this set. Sawchuk was the shutout king until Martin Brodeur changed history a few years ago.
- 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee #18 – Wayne Gretzky rookie card. Gotta have it. They say he was quite ‘Great’.
- 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee #9 – Mario Lemieux rookie card. If you’ve got Gretzky, you’ve got to have Super Mario. Every time a collector looks at this card, thoughts of what could have been should come to the forefront.
- 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee #45 – Ken Dryden rookie card
. Short but amazing career. Was he a great goalie, or did Montreal have the best defense hockey has ever seen?
- 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee #111 – Paul Coffey rookie card. The greatest skater to ever play the game. Video of Coffey skating up the ice should be required watching for every minor hockey player.
- 1952-53 Parkhurst #58 – Tim Horton rookie card. As time goes by, more and more Canadians associate the name with the Coffee shops and forget that there was a hockey player. Horton was one of the NHL’s most solid D-men and an unsung hero.
- 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee #67 – Steve Yzerman rookie card. One word – perseverance. Stevy-Y just made it happen throughout his career. Plus – he’s always been my wife’s favourite.
- 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee #213 – Rob Ramage rookie card. Huh?! As a seven year old, if it wasn’t for Ramage, I would probably have had little interest in hockey. Rob played minor with my older brother and I was smitten with the game of hockey from the first London Knights game I went to see in his rookie season. He had a great NHL career and is under-appreciated as a player. His rookie card is worth just $3.00 but, for me, it’s a must-have.
What would be your 20 card collection? Do you have a ‘Rob Ramage’ that would be included? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below…