TOP TEN HOCKEY CARDS FROM THE 1950s

[samosa4u]

Baseball and football cards from the 1950s are hot and it's no different with hockey. If you collect vintage hockey or you are an investor looking to diversify, then you've come to the right place. In this thread, I am going to discuss what I think are the top ten hockey cards from this period. Of course, like any list out there, this one can also be debated. I'm not saying it's perfect, but let me say that I've been in this game for a long time and I have a pretty good idea as to what is hot and what isn't. Let's get started, shall we?

1) 1951 Parkhurst #66 Gordie Howe



This is the famous rookie card of Mr. Hockey. Howe dominated the game until a man by the name of Wayne Gretzky came along. Gretzky idolized Howe during his youth and still considers him to be the greatest of all-time.

2) 1958 Topps #66 Bobby Hull



Although Bobby only has one ring, he still dominated the league in the 1960s. His rookie is very sought-after and finding high-end examples can be very challenging. Majority are found with very poor centering, so when a nice one does pop up for sale, collectors will jump all over it.

3) 1951 Parkhurst #4 Maurice 'Rocket' Richard



One of the most feared goal-scorers in the NHL. He was the first to get fifty goals during the regular season and the first to get five-hundred career goals. He also helped the Canadiens win eight Stanley Cups.

4) 1953 Parkhurst #27 Jean Beliveau



A great man on and off the ice. Beliveau won a total of seventeen Stanley Cups! Ten were as a player and the other seven as an executive. He spent his whole career with the Canadiens.

5) 1955 Parkhurst #50 Jacques Plante



Plante was a member of the Canadiens for ten seasons and won six cups. This is one of the most popular goalie cards ever made. The image looks absolutely stunning. The red border has made this one a condition sensitive card and high-grade examples are tough to locate. Majority are also found with horrible centering.

6) 1952 Parkhurst #58 Tim Horton



Horton is known today as the "doughnut guy," but he was a lot more than that! He was a nightmare to play against and helped the Maple Leafs dominate the league during the 1960s. This card is often found with centering issues (as seen in the image) and collectors will pay a premium for nice examples.

7) 1957 Parkhurst #4 Henri Richard



A member of the famous Canadiens and the younger brother of Maurice Richard. The 'Pocket Rocket' was a magican with the puck and helped his team to eleven Stanley Cups. This card is a short print, so it doesn't show up frequently.

8) 1954 Topps #8 Gordie Howe



Many collectors consider this to be Gordie's most attractive card. It is also his first Topps card. This is a condition sensitive card due to the colorful borders found on both sides. Even the slightest wear can be an eyesore.

9) 1951 Parkhurst #61 Terry Sawchuk



One of the greatest goalies of all-time. By the time of his death, he had set numerous records including an incredible 103 regular season shut-outs. It would take decades for his records to be broken.

10) 1957 Parkhurst #17 Frank Mahovlich



One of the greatest power-forwards of his era. The Big M is known for being a member of the Maple Leafs. He played for twenty-two professional seasons in both the NHL and WHA and has six rings.

[daves_resale_shop]

Looking forward to the next installment: The 1960’s

[Peter_Spaeth]

Doug Harvey over Horton or Mahovolich, no?
Ranked 6th all time by 1998 Hockey News. Mahovolich 27 and Horton 43.

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Doug Harvey over Horton or Mahovolich, no?
Ranked 6th all time by 1998 Hockey News. Mahovolich 27 and Horton 43.

First of all, Harvey was a defenceman and Mahovlich a forward, so I don't really think you can compare the two. Horton was a defender, and yes Harvey was better than him, however, his rookie card isn't. Compare the prices and you'll see that there is way more demand for the Horton rookie.

Now putting the Harvey rookie in 10th place (instead of Mahovlich) wouldn't be a bad thing, but keep in mind that there are already three cards from the 1951 Parkhurst set that made this list, so I went with the Big M instead. It is definitely a close one though!

[irv]

Great post, Samosa.

Thanks for the info and picks.

[fisherboy7]

Great post. So many great 50's cards to choose from. That Jacques Plante rookie is one of the best looking cards from any era.

[samosa4u]

I'm glad you guys like this thread. There is hardly any action over here, so I decided to spice things up a little.

Now I want to add something: when coming up with this list, I decided to focus on mainstream rookies. This means that non-rookies, food issues and other oddballs were excluded. The Quaker Oats Jacques Plante card is very popular, but it's a food issue. The 1952 Royal Desserts Gordie Howe is very nice too, but again, a food issue. And finally, Gordie does have a few mainstream issues from this decade that are popular with collectors, especially his 1954 Topps card. None of them are on the list either.

[Jim65]

Great list. My personal favorite is the 1954 Topps Gordie Howe.