Card collecting, like any other hobby, can be quite a daunting task, particularly for a beginner. Given the wide range of companies that manufacture hockey player cards and also the large number of cards and card sets promoted by each, it is very difficult to choose without fear of having an unmanageable hockey card collection. We deal here with valuable tips on buying hockey cards and maintaining hockey cards

What are the types of hockey card collectibles that collectors buy? Well, you could either buy individual player cards or sets of player cards. Buying a set means that you have all the possible cards released of a particular player. Another collectible is the team cards or team set cards that give you an idea about the team’s performance. Lastly, of course, you have collectors sets that contain a checklist of the players that form the set and you either buy the entire set or collect so as to form that particular set. Collector sets include rookie cards, autographed cards, special edition cards, all of which form a collectible set by themselves. Vintage cards have a charm of their own and delight a true collector. It is important to scour the Internet for any such bargains that may be available.

Once you have decided what to buy, you should then identify the seller. It is very helpful to be able to actually see the card properly, especially if you are buying through the internet from an individual seller. You have to ensure that this is not a counterfeit card and you can determine this by gauging the seller through the various reviews available about him, written by other buyers. Price of the card should be agreed upon only after thorough research using the Internet and the various price guides as your resource. This is the safest bet to buy hockey cards.

Lastly, having a collection does not end with just buying the cards but includes maintenance of the cards. Proper storage facilities should be available to store and maintain these cards. It is more important if you are buying the hockey cards for investment purposes as condition of the cards determines its price and also it is important how long you would be storing hockey cards before you sell them. If you are planning to store hockey cards for long time, ensure that the storage area is free of rats, rodents and other insects as they may tear the cards, in addition ensure that the storage area is water proof and has adequate security measures in case of fire.

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Hockey as a game was conceptualized and played as early as 1875. But, formally, the NHL and its teams were established only in 1917. Next to baseball, the game of hockey grew quickly, a fanbase was created and started relating with its players. Taking full advantage of the situation, companies like Champ’s Cigarettes started giving player cards of the leading hockey players as freebies with their products. This resulted in two things, firstly increased profits for the company because of the increase in sales, and secondly, and most importantly, the hobby of hockey card collecting was born! However, the cards printed were few in number. Hockey cards also went out of production during the First World War and hence the hockey cards produced during this period are hard to find, rare and very valuable.

Along with Champ’s cigarette company, a leading Canadian candy manufacturer, O-Pee-Chee also started promoting their products by giving away free hockey player cards with their candies. However, this production was stopped during the Second World War and it was not until the beginning of the 1950’s that production of hockey player cards came into full swing. At that point, the first real hockey card collectors began their collections. Today, hockey card collecting is now a multi million dollar industry.

Cards printed during this early period, like the Billy Coutu cards, have become holy grails for any collector’s card collection. However, today vintage cards mean and include cards printed after the 50s and include mostly the players and the game statistics sometime during the early 70s. This is because, the earlier cards are either lost or, given their rarity, are untraceable. It was during the 1970s that the leading sports card manufacturer Topps, came into the picture and started producing hockey player cards. It was only after their entry into the hockey player cards market that the industry starting booming into what is presently known as the million dollar industry. Later on, companies like Score, Proset and Upper Deck started manufacturing hockey player cards and they have become quite popular with the public.

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