TRADING CARD EXPLOSION Twenty-Five Years Ago, Licensing Rights for Hockey Cards Were a Contentious Issue During the Players’ Strike
INSIDE HOCKEY TRADING CARD EXPLOSION Twenty-five years ago, licensing rights for hockey cards were a contentious issue during the players’ strike T IS HARD TO IMAGINE A TIME The new cards were well when people would line up received not only for their aes- outside a store to buy new thetic improvements. Specula- I hockey cards, especially to tors stockpiled rookie cards those who have never been col- of players like Sergei Fedorov, lectors. It’s also hard to fathom Jaromir Jagr and Jeremy something seemingly as trivial Roenick, hoping their first cards as trading cards would become would one day match Gretzky’s one of the main factors in a rookie card in value. To keep up players’ strike. with the demand, companies Hockey cards hit the big-time produced cards like a license by 1990, evolving from fun col- to print money during the lectible keepsake to valuable 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. investment commodity. In 1982, Suddenly, royalties were worth Dale Weselowski, owner of Ab fighting over, swelling to $16 D. Cards in Calgary, sold Wayne million per year. “Trading cards Gretzky’s 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee in the early 1990s was a really rookie cards for $1.50 each. big business,” said Adam Larry, By 1990, he was getting $500. director of licensing for the NHL “Everybody and his dog started Players’ Association. “It brought collecting hockey cards,” in not just collectors but inves- Weselowski said. “When Upper tors. When there’s demand for Deck hockey cards first came a product, you will see more out in 1990, we had people lined companies get into it.” up outside our door, waiting for According to reports our store to open.” published in 1992, the NHLPA Established players Topps received $11 million of the $16 with the players keeping their FAT CATS FATTEN COFFERS and O-Pee-Chee were joined by million in royalties generated by share of the trading card royal- Cards were a big deal in the early Score, Pro Set and Upper Deck cards that year.
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