All Vintage Cards Small Cap Hockey Portfolio
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The All Vintage Cards Small Cap Hockey Portfolio is a collection of ten Small-Cap (or ‘lower priced’) vintage hockey cards that we think have strong long-term investment potential.
As we discussed in our introduction piece, we are launching three portfolios for each major sport–Large Cap, Mid Cap, and Small Cap.
For those not familiar with the lexicon, this corresponds to mutual fund portfolios in the investment world. Small-Cap within the investment space equates to a portfolio of the equity market’s smallest companies.
For this All Vintage Cards Small Cap Value Hockey Portfolio we have selected ten cards, each with a value of $1000 or less.
Note that these selections are based on what we perceive as ‘relative’ value in the marketplace, meaning that we think these cards offer a good value versus other comparative cards.
I will also note that this information is not investment advice, nor are we making any promises in relation to future performance. Please use your own judgment and budget when accounting for any acquisitions of cards in this portfolio.
Please also see our All-Vintage Cards Mid-Cap Hockey Value and All-Vintage Cards Large-Cap Hockey portfolios.
Total Value (as of 6/30/2021) = $5,650Average Price Per Card = $565
1951 Parkhurst Doug Harvey (RC)
Estimated Cost – VG Condition: $400
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: The 1951 Parkhurst hockey set is chock full of hockey rookie cards of many all-time greats. Doug Harvey isn’t well known by many younger hockey fans, but he should be. Harvey was one of the best defenseman to ever play the game, and a great playmaker, notching 447 assists over his fourteen year career. Ranked as the sixth best player of all time, I think Harvey’s rookie card is really undervalued by collectors.
Current PSA Population: Not only do I think Harvey’s rookie card is overlooked, if we consider the low population on the card, and the low relative price point, it makes it even that more attractive. PSA has graded less than 300 copies of the card.
1951-52 Parkhurst Doug Harvey #10 Ksa 4 Vge Rookie Card
 | $881.61 Buy It on eBay for only: $881.61 Buy It Now on eBay |
1951 52 Parkhurst #10 Doug Harvey KSA 3 Rookie Card - Montreal Canadiens HOF
 | $330.60 End Date: Wednesday Oct-09-2024 14:40:42 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $330.60 Buy It Now on eBay |
1951/52 Parkhurst Hockey #10 Doug Harvey Rookie Card RC PSA 1.5
 | $499.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $499.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1957 Topps Glenn Hall (RC)
Estimated Cost – EX/MT Condition: $450
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Named as the 16th best player of all time by The Hockey News, Hall was without a doubt one of the best goaltenders of all time. What Hall accomplished was simply amazing; playing every single regular season game from 1955 through 1962, along with an additional 49 playoff games with the Black Hawks and Red Wings. All in all, he reached an astonishing 551 consecutive games played in net, all without a face mask! Often referred to as ‘Mr. Goalie’, Hall amassed 407 wins, 84 shutouts, and a career 2.49 goals against average.
Current PSA Population: Like many other early Hockey issues, the Hall card is not very plentiful, yet still quite affordable. PSA has graded less than 320 copies in total, and mid to high grade copies can be found for less than $500.
MUST SEE PICS!! 1957 Topps #20 Glenn Hall
 | $300.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $300.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1957 Topps #20 Glenn Hall Blackhawks RC HOF PSA 6 - EX/MT
 | $1,100.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,100.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1957 TOPPS Glenn Hall Rc Rookie #20 PSA 6 EX MT
 | $1,250.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,250.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1965 Topps Phil Esposito (RC)
Estimated Cost – EX/MT Condition: $650
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Named as the 18th best player of all time by The Hockey News, Esposito was one of the best centers and goal scorers to ever play the game and a dominant force during his playing days. He got off to a slow start in his first few seasons with the Black Hawks but really came into his own after being traded to the Boston Bruins. From 1970 to 1975, Esposito has five straight seasons of 60+ goals and is ranked #7 all time in goals scored. His rookie card is in my eyes a relative bargain based on his successful career and the relative low population of the card.
Current PSA Population: PSA has graded less than 450 Esposito rookie cards, making this one still in my mind quite attractive from a supply/demand perspective.
1965 Topps #116 Phil Esposito Blackhawks HOF RC PSA 5 - EX
 | $970.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $970.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
PHIL ESPOSITO RC Auto 1965 Topps #116 Signed HOF Rookie PSA Auto 10 Gem Wow!!
 | $1,750.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,750.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
PHIL ESPOSITO RC Auto 1965 Topps #116 Signed HOF Rookie PSA Total Pop 35 All In
 | $995.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $995.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1971 OPC Guy LaFleur (RC)
Estimated Cost – NM Condition: $800
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Named as the 11th best player of all time by The Hockey News, LaFleur was one of the best centers and playmakers to ever play the game. Also named as the second best player of the 1970’s (behind Bobby Orr) by the The Hockey Writers. LaFleur was an absolute force, but he did it with style and grace. Nicknamed ‘The Flower”, LaFleur was a part of five Stanley Cup Championships with the Canadiens. His rookie card is a must own for vintage hockey collectors.
Current PSA Population: PSA has graded roughly 1200 copies, so not rare by any means. I should also note that LaFleur is not a part of the 1971 Topps Hockey set. Even with the rather sizable population, we opted for a NM copy, of which PSA has graded less than 600 at NM or better.
1971 O-PEE-CHEE GUY LAFLEUR ROOKIE RC #148 KSA 3
 | $217.43 Buy It on eBay for only: $217.43 Buy It Now on eBay |
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Guy Lafleur #148 PSA 8 Rookie RC HOF
 | $2,231.10 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,231.10 Buy It Now on eBay |
1971 O-PEE-CHEE Hockey NHL #148 Guy Lafleur HOF Rookie PSA 7 NM Canadiens RC
 | $599.99 End Date: Wednesday Oct-09-2024 20:59:55 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $599.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1978 OPC Mike Bossy (RC)
Estimated Cost – NM-MT Condition: $400
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Considered to be one of the best snipers to ever play the game and ranked as the 20th best player overall by The Hockey News. Bossy was a big time scorer, stringing together eight consecutive years of 50+ goals, while winning four Stanley Cup Championships with the NY Islanders. Bossy is the #22 Ranked goal scorer of all time, a number that would have likely been a lot higher if his career wasn’t cut short due to injuries at the age of 30.
Current PSA Population: We went with Bossy’s OPC rookie card versus his Topps card — due to the slightly lower population — there are roughly 920 OPC copies that have been graded versus over 1300 Topps copies.
Mike Bossy ~ 1978-79 O-Pee-Chee ~ PSA AUTO SIGNED Rookie Card ~ Rare Inscription
 | $624.47 Buy It on eBay for only: $624.47 Buy It Now on eBay |
1978-79 Topps Rookie Mike Bossy Rookie KSA 9 #115
 | $221.69 Buy It on eBay for only: $221.69 Buy It Now on eBay |
1978/79 TOPPS NHL HOCKEY CARD #115 MIKE BOSSY ROOKIE RC PSA 9 MINT SHARP+ OPC
 | $699.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $699.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980 Topps Wayne Gretzky #250
Estimated Cost – NM-MT Condition: $400
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Why not stock up on the non-rookie cards of the ‘Great One’? I still like the non rookie cards for some of the big time hockey players and this is a perfect example of one that is still relatively affordable in higher grades. This is a rare example where we chose the Topps version over the OPC.
There is one major difference–on the Topps card, on the bottom right, the puck has an area where the player’s name can be scratched off. This doesn’t exist on the OPC card (the player’s name is shown) and it makes the Topps cards harder to find in good (unscratched condition).
Current PSA Population: The 1980 Topps #250 Gretzky has a lower population versus the 1980 OPC Gretzky (~1700 Topps vs ~2200 OPC) and the Topps card is harder to find in high grade. Oddly enough, OPC copies tend to sell for a bit more, but we’re here to say the Topps in higher grades is a better investment.
1980 Topps #250 Wayne Gretzky Unscratched Signed Auto PSA 8 NM-MT POP 1
 | $2,499.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,499.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980 1980-81 Topps #250 WAYNE GRETZKY EDMONTON OILERS HOF PSA 9 MINT
 | $1,999.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,999.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980-81 TOPPS HOCKEY #250 Wayne Gretzky HOF NHL KSA 8.5 NM-MT Oilers Unscratched
 | $319.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $319.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980 OPC Mark Messier (RC)
Estimated Cost – NM-MT Condition: $550
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: If we’re assembling a portfolio of some of the game’s best, we have to include the rookie card for Mark Messier, one of the best to play the game. Messier is considered one of the best all-around hockey players, and he was often overshadowed by teammate Wayne Gretzky while with the Oilers. However, Messier was a force on his own and is ranked #3 overall in all time points in the NHL.
Current PSA Population: Note that oddly enough, Messier does not have a 1980 Topps card so we are left with his OPC rookie card, which admittedly has a pretty high population–over 2500 have been graded by PSA, although, we have gone with a NM-MT copy–and about 1200 or close to half have a PSA grade of 8 or higher. So not necessarily a rare card, but one that still should continue to have strong demand.
1980-81 OPC O PEE CHEE NHL #289 Mark Messier HOF Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT oc Oilers RC
 | $279.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $279.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980-81 O-PEE-CHEE #289 Mark Messier CGC Graded 7
 | $220.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $220.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1980-81 O-Pee-Chee ~ Mark Messier ~ RC ~ Print Error on Back ~ #289 ~ PSA 9
 | $1,087.31 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,087.31 Buy It Now on eBay |
1983 Vachon Wayne Gretzky
Estimated Cost – GEM MINT Condition: $600
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: This is definitely more of an oddball issue, and might not be for everyone, but this is one that I think should be worth more than it is. While not a rookie of Gretzky, it was issued for the 83-84 season by Vachon Foods, thus making it a fourth year card. Vachon made snack cakes and the cards were issued in panels of two cards inside the box of snacks. Thus, uncut panels of the two cards can carry a premium.
Current PSA Population: PSA has graded only 108 single Gretzky cards and only 5 of the uncut panels with Gretzky and Alan Jere. PSA 10 copies sell for between $500 to $600 which I think is a steal.
1984 OPC Steve Yzerman (RC)
Estimated Cost – MINT Condition: $850
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: Named the #17 Best Player of all time by the USA Today, Yzerman was an offensive force, and ranks as the seventh overall all-time scorer in the NHL.
Current PSA Population: PSA has graded over 4000 copies, so it can be hard to get excited about a card with such as a large supply, but if we look at the cards graded at PSA 9 or above, the total is only 1100+. Still a widely available card, but I like the longer term potential due to Yzerman’s place in the history books.
1984-85 O-Pee-Chee OPC Complete Hockey Set Nrmt Sharp Yzerman Gilmour RC
 | $200.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $200.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Steve Yzerman First 7 Seasons (8) Card Graded Hockey Lot OPC and Topps
 | $575.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $575.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1984/85 STEVE YZERMAN O-PEE-CHEE DETROIT REDWINGS PSA 9 MINT ROOKIE RC #67
 | $202.50 (14 bids) End Date: Thursday Oct-10-2024 13:38:52 EDT Bid |
1990 UD French Jaromir Jagr (RC)
Estimated Cost – GEM-MINT Condition: $450
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: There’s no question that Jaromir Jagr was one of the best to play the game. In the early 1990’s, hockey card companies started producing US and French versions of cards, similar to Topps and OPC. The 1990 UD French Jaromir Jagr Rookie card is the most valuable of all Jagr rookie cards and in my mind, the one to own (in high grade) for good long term investment potential.
Current PSA Population: If we examine the difference between the US and French UD sets, the Jagr US version has been graded nearly 3000 times, whereas the French version has been graded only 400+ times. And only 135 PSA 10 French Jagr cards have been graded. In my opinion, at the current value ($500), I think it’s a steal.
1990-91 UPPER DECK UD FRENCH JAROMIR JAGR BECKETT BGS 9.5 MINT PENGUINS RC 356
 | $900.91 Buy It on eBay for only: $900.91 Buy It Now on eBay |
Jamomir Jagr 1990 UD French #356 Rookie Card Gem Mint 10
 | $550.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $550.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
