Gretzky, Orr, Howe, Hull – Which Rookie Card Would You Choose?

Over three years ago, I published an article at HubPages featuring the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey card set. It was titled ‘1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards – Beyond Wayne Gretzky’. The article looked at a set of hockey cards that will forever be known for the rookie card of Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers.

Yet, the set also featured the final hockey cards of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, both who finished up their National Hockey Careers with the Hartford Whalers. Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders was at the peak of his NHL career and his 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee card is valued highly but just not anywhere near the Gretzky RC.

However, I don’t mean to make this article a review of an article I wrote three years ago. I used to write quite a bit for HubPages but seldom do anymore. There was a time when I used the site to create links to send traffic back to this website, or others that I own and operate. Articles on HubPages can actually earn money but hockey articles are just not the big thing in the age of Miley Cyrus, fad diets and reality TV.

What I want to share with you today is the results of a poll I attached to that article. I had completely forgotten about it until I took a look at the article last week after a sudden spike in traffic. Polls and other gadgets added to articles at HubPages help raise your ratings which can ensure that your article is indexed by Google and your work to create a link back to sites like this is worthwhile.  It turns out, there had been a bit of participation in the poll.

The poll question was: If you could possess just one hockey card, which would it be? There were four choices given:

• 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky RC
• 1966-67 Topps Bobby Orr RC
• 1951-52 Parkhurst Gordie Howe RC
• 1958-59 Topps Bobby Hull RC

The results are interesting but not highly unexpected. Gretzky currently has 40% of the vote with Orr second with 33% and Howe third with 23%. Bobby Hull’s rookie card is desired by just 5% of the participants.

Now, the vote is unfairly skewed in favour of Gretzky since visitors to the article most likely had an interest in the card when to clicked on it.

What would make you decide on which of the four you would take? There would be several deciding factors.

• Value. If it’s purely for investment, book value of the Gretzky card is about a third of the other three. Orr, Howe and Hull are typically valued the same for their rookie cards.
• Scarcity. I’m not sure of the numbers but I would have to think that the rules of supply and demand favour the 1951-52 Parkhurst Gordie Howe card. Both the 1966-67 Orr card and the Gretzky RC have been subject to fraud. Besides that, those two are probably the most circulated of the four cards.
• Personal Preference. If you love Gordie Howe, you’re going to want the Howe RC. If you love Wayne Gretzky, you’re going to want the Gretzky RC. Et cetera. Et cetera. Value doesn’t so much come into play in this situation.
• Aesthetics. There are collectors that collect for the pure art involved. I remember when that 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee set first came out and, as an eleven year old kid, I was disgusted. I hated the blue borders. I hated the big stupid skate on the back. I hated that the only stats shown were from the past season and a career total. However, when my Grandmother gave me her 1966-67 Topps Gordie Howe card, I was instantly in love with that old-style, woodgrain television design. Next, I would choose the 1958-59 Topps set design over the one-sided typewriter crap that Parkhurst put out in their first year.

Regardless, an individual’s choice between these four legendary hockey cards is a discussion with no end. I’d love it if you visited the HubPages article and cast your vote as the poll remains open.

I would really love to hear from you in the comments section which of the four cards you would choose and (especially) why. If none of these four would be the one card you would possess if you could only possess one, what is you actual choice?

Visit the original article here: 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee