Ultimate Set Build #4: 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee
I couldn’t hold back any longer in posting this set! The 1971-72 OPC is my absolute favourite set ever produced, regardless of my inability to exactly explain why. It’s part the old school design, part the pasting pictures of players onto brightly coloured backgrounds, the bubble font for team names, the throwback logos and the ungodly combo of all the crazy colours (Yellow, pink and blue on a white background? REALLY!?!?!). They reek of the early ‘70s era and began pushing design changes in the industry and I love them for it.
The fronts of these cards varied with regard to the colour-fill of the “oval” frame as well as the team name intersecting the top of this area. The backs were consistent across the set with basic pastel green and black colouring. As opposed to the Topps release, this set is bilingual, with the player write-up on the back printed in both English and French. Also included on the back is a small cartoon with a small blurb about the player in both languages (i.e., “Jim is a rugged forward. He can also play centre or right wing.”)
The set contained 264 cards in total across two series (Series One: #1 - #132, Series Two: #133 to #264). This set is particularly notable for the rookies present, including:
Dunc Wilson
Ken Dryden
Bob Berry
Syl Apps Jr
Terry Crisp
Marcel Dionne
Guy LaFleur
Butch Goring
Richard Martin
Reggie Leach
Craig Patrick
Brian Spencer
Rick MacLeish
The highest booking cards in the set are the Series One Checklist, the most difficult card in this set to find (if not one of the most difficult mass produced cards to track down, period), at $500, the Dryden rookie at $300, and the LaFleur and Dionne cards at $200 and $100, respectively. High booking base cards include Bobby Orr ($100) and a Gordie Howe retirement card ($100).
Also included in this set are second year cards of Darryl Sittler, Bobby Clarke and Gilbert Perreault.
This set is a breeding ground of “condition sensitive” cards, meaning that something about the way these cards were produced (i.e., poor paper stock, colors susceptible to fading/chipping) and/or the fact that these players were so popular among the kiddies who enjoyed throwing their favourite players against walls and sticking them in their bike spokes, make it difficult to find them in "mint"/”near mint” condition. Indeed, OPC’s cutting (often leaving jagged edges) and centering were issues throughout this period, and certainly play a role here. These include the Dryden and LaFleur rookies as well as card #1....Paul Popeil. Something tells me Mr. Popeil’s card sensitive nature has more to do with the sheet cutting process than anything to do with the kiddie factor likely impacting Dryden and LaFleur!!! As further stated in an article at PSAcard.com by Kevin Glew (Check it out
HERE), given that many of the Popeil cards came from vending cases where he was top of the pile, his cards likely took a bigger beating than others further along the stack.
Another interesting note from the Glew article pertains to the presence of “cardboard ripples” in this series:
"The thing with 1971 in OPC is a lot of the cards that came out of the vending cases have what I call a factory crease. It's not actually a crease. It's more like a ripple in the cardboard. '71 is famous for this and it's usually on the back of the card," he says.
Most hobbyists, Ironside indicates, can't even see this "ripple" and are dismayed when their cards come back assigned a lower grade by a grading company. Although he has no hard evidence, Ironside believes that these ripples are apparent on cards from wax packs as well.
"The ripple problem seems widespread enough that it was most likely simply a trait of the cardboard stock used in 1971," he adds.
Interesting stuff, and a statement to how far along quality control issues have come over the years!
__________________________________________________________________________
Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Twitter: ShawnHockeybuzz
Facebook: Shawn Gates
BBM: 311A4F7D
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Ultimate Set Build
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2010-11 Donruss Hockey
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2010-11 Panini Certified Hockey
2010-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia, 10th Edition
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#1: The “Frankenstick!”
#2: Your desk has the right to remain collectable!
#3: Have Pads, Will Travel
#4: Pick a Pekka (Rinne) Autographed Mask
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#1: Beware the "Factory Sealed Box"!
#2: The Price Guide"
#3: What IS A Rookie Card?
#4: Beware the Money Order!
Previous “Who Am I?” Articles
#1,
#2,
#3,
#4,
#5
Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles
#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?
#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?
#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?
#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE
#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?
#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?
#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?
#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?
#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?
#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??
#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?
#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?
#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?
#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?
#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?
#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?
#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?
#18 Team "X" Did NOT Make Trade "Y" At The Deadline?
#19 Gretzky Had Been Called For he High Stick?
#20 Star Players Hadn't Had Their Careers Cut Short?
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Olympic Gold Medal Game
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January 27, 2010: National Anthems
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February 10, 2010: Hockey Fans
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#2: The Zamboni
#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
#4: Ron Hextall
#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility
#6: The Puck
#7: Don Cherry
#8: Cam Neely
#9: The Early Years of Les Canadiens
#10: Hockey Superstitions!
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Hell, Michigan
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State Dependent Learning
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