REAuctions hockey cards Orr Crown Life and Corbeau

[Exhibitman]

I have a similar Connie Hawkins TI from his ABA days. So rare it is known only to specialists.

I love TI's. I more or less treat them as RCs and a growing # of other collectors do too. I think there is tremendous upside to them. But then I've always liked to get TI's, postcards and other issues made at the time of or before the mainstream RCs. Just more fun for me. My collection is...eclectic.

The Zeenuts DiMaggio cards are like a few other minor league issues that have gotten enough traction to be treated as RCs. To do that it seems the card needs to be abundant enough for collectors to have a shot it one. This Oshawa Orr seems to be too scarce for that to happen.

[Peter_Spaeth]

No big deal, but here's a nice team issue a year before the Topps RC.

[irv]

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Originally Posted by samosa4u

This PSA 5 Crown Life Bobby Orr used to be mine. I purchased it ungraded from a well-respected Canadian dealer, however, I wanted it to get encapsulated by PSA. PSA, back then, did not slab these photos, so I had to send them scans from the Charlton Standard Catalogue (16th edition). After PSA reviewed everything, they told us to send it in. It came back a PSA 5 (even though it had a light crease in it) and I was pretty happy about that. Anyways, I didn't keep it too long because I ended up making a huge purchase and I needed all the money I could get. I ended up selling a few items and this Orr was one of them. The guy who bought it from me - who is a good friend of mine - only kept it a short time himself and then he sent it to REA. There are a few more things I want to say about this Crown Life Orr:

- It can't be called a "rookie" or even a "pre-rookie." Why? Because it's a photo (not a card!)

- It is very rare and I would not put it on the same level as the Parade Sportive Maurice Richard and JD McCarthy Wayne Gretzky photos. I have seen maybe three Crown Life Orr examples in my life and I've been in this hobby for a long time. There are lots of Parade Sportive Richards and JD McCarthy Gretzkys out there.

- This Crown Life Orr is a team issue. It was not issued by a company, such as a radio station or a postcard maker. The only way to have gotten these was to attend the Oshawa Generals games (during the years Orr played for them). I believe they were either found inside the game programs or you could buy them at the concession stand.

- This Crown Life Orr is the only Oshawa Generals team issue I am familiar with, however, there might be others out there. There are lots of team issues that were never cataloged.

- Anything that gets inside a PSA holder turns into gold. Because PSA is grading them now, they will be selling for quite a bit of money (especially the high-grade examples). Collectors who are trying to complete a PSA Orr master set are going to be looking for it.

Great info, Ran.

I was only 2 yrs old when Bobby Orr played for the Generals but I had no idea he was only 14 when he did.
http://ontariohockeyleague.com/gener...our-bobby-orr/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQEv1oY1Ips
https://twitter.com/sportsnet/status...669569?lang=ca

[shagrotn77]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I have a similar Connie Hawkins TI from his ABA days. So rare it is known only to specialists.

I love TI's. I more or less treat them as RCs and a growing # of other collectors do too. I think there is tremendous upside to them. But then I've always liked to get TI's, postcards and other issues made at the time of or before the mainstream RCs. Just more fun for me. My collection is...eclectic.

The Zeenuts DiMaggio cards are like a few other minor league issues that have gotten enough traction to be treated as RCs. To do that it seems the card needs to be abundant enough for collectors to have a shot it one. This Oshawa Orr seems to be too scarce for that to happen.

Adam, can you post a scan of the Hawkins? Sounds like a great item.

[Peter_Spaeth]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=205012

Connie is here.

[Exhibitman]

That's the one. Found it in a SF area sports writer's archive that was for sale at a postcard show.

[Peter_Spaeth]

People may not know that Hawkins started playing in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Rens, then went to the Globetrotters. So he had been playing many years and was 25 by the time he debuted in 1967 in the ABA, and proceeded to lead the league in scoring. And at the other end he was gone by age 33.

Apparently he was booted as a freshman from Iowa due to a point shaving scandal involving the team although nobody implicated him, and as a further consequence was (for a time) declared ineligible by the NBA.