Bobby Orr Rookie Card Value: 1966 Topps #35 Price Guide

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Bobby Orr’s rookie cards are among the most valuable hockey cards ever produced, with his 1966 Topps rookie card commanding thousands of dollars even in lower grades. This comprehensive guide covers all Bobby Orr rookie card variations, current market values, and investment analysis.

1966 Topps Bobby Orr #35 Values by Grade

Grade	Condition	Approx Current Mkt Value
PSA 1	Poor	$2,000+
PSA 2	Good	$4,000+
PSA 3	Very Good	~$4,500+
PSA 4	VG-EX	$6,500+
PSA 5	Excellent	$8,000+
PSA 6	Excellent-Mint	~$16,000+
PSA 7	Near Mint	$20,000+
PSA 8	NM-MT	$60,000+

The 1966 Topps Bobby Orr #35 Rookie Card

Orr’s 1966 Topps rookie card is certainly one of the most sought-after for vintage hockey card collectors. Orr’s rookie card features the young Bruin inside a brown-bordered TV set. It is actually the same design used in the 1966 Topps Football set.

PSA has graded Orr’s 1966 Topps card over 1600 times, so they aren’t scarce by any means. However, given the demand, higher-graded copies will certainly set you back a few bucks. Even a VG copy (PSA 3) sells for $4,500 or more.

1966 Topps vs. 1966 USA Test Bobby Orr Comparison

The 1966 Topps USA Test issue was a narrowly distributed set, issued in the US only, and is considered to be one of the rarer hockey card issues. The set has only 66 cards, compared to the Topps set, which has 132.

The design is identical to the Topps issue, with the only differences on the front being a lighter wood border and a white-bordered edge on the right side of the TV frame.

The back of the USA TEST issue is written only in English, whereas the Topps OPC card has a French translation of Orr’s bio. 

Why This is the Best Investment Of All Of Orr’s Rookie Cards

Here’s why: If we examine the graded population, PSA has graded roughly 1/10 of the Topps Orr rookie. And then, if we discuss pricing, the Test issue has only a minor premium. It should be higher, in my opinion. 

1965 Crown Life — Is This Actually Orr’s True First Card?

This 5×7 photo card represents Orr’s true first card, issued during his junior hockey days with the Oshawa Generals.

Extreme Rarity Alert

The card is the rarest of all Orr cards and one of the rarest hockey cards of all time; PSA has graded only two copies.

The last known sale at auction was back in 2019 for a PSA 8 copy at $11,700. Today’s price could potentially be near six figures. 

How to Identify Fake Bobby Orr Rookie Cards

Just like any other valuable rookie cards, the Orr rookie is a target of counterfeiters and thus collectors must be careful when purchasing any raw, ungraded copies. Orr rookie card fakes aren’t as common as say the 86 Fleer Jordan but they definitely exist.

Here is one of the more common fake Orr rookie cards, and for most collectors this should hopefully be a noticeable fake. If you compare this to the original card, the borders both front and back are too sharp and too clean. In addition, the font on the front of the fake card lacks clarity and is very low quality.

The back of the card is an even bigger tell, as the black background is not printed with the same dark, bold colors as the original. The borders on the back of the card are also a dead giveaway as the paper stock of the card appears very white and doesn’t have the same sort of color and aging as an original card, now over 60 years old.

Under magnification, the black background on a Orr card will look like bold printed ink, whereas on a fake, the card will show all kinds of pixelation, evidence of a copied card.

I will also point out another notable fake is even worse, and if you see one like this with that little dot on the line under the 1965-66 its evidence of a fake, as the original cards do not have this dot.

Which Grade Should You Buy?

If looking to purchase an Orr rookie card, I’d stick to a graded copy. PSA graded Orr Rookies sell for a premium versus SGC, BVG, BGS or other graded copies. There can be an opportunity to purchase an Orr graded by another non-PSA entity, and potentially regrade wth PSA, but this all depends on your ability to eyeball grade with good accuracy.

Let’s start by saying that I think all Orr rookie cards are a solid investment now. Looking at the PSA population for Orr’s rookie card below, and if including qualifiers there are only about 1600 PSA graded copies in existence. Not rare, but not plentiful, and for one of the all time hockey greats, Orr’s rookie remains a GOAT buy for collectors.

PSA 8 would be my top choice, only about 50 PSA graded copies, but we’re talking $60,000 or more. I know most readers here, unless taking out a second mortgage, aren’t going to be able to afford this.

So, let’s look at the PSA 5 Orr rookie card. Almost the same exact population as the PSA 6. And about half the price as a PSA 6, $8,000 for the PSA 5, versus around $16,000 for a PSA 6. This seems like a good place to start if you have the funding.

Of course, if you can’t afford the PSA 5, shoot lower and find the best eye appeal Orr you can find in low grade that fits your budget. Ungraded is an option, but see the above section on fakes, and lookout for trimmed copies.

Splurge pick: PSA 8 (~$60,000+, only ~50 graded)
Best value: PSA 5 (~$8,000, similar population to PSA 6 at half the price)
Budget pick: Low-grade with strong eye appeal
Avoid: Ungraded copies unless you can confidently spot trims and reprints

Other Valuable Bobby Orr Cards (1967-1972)

While rookie cards command top dollar, Bobby Orr’s career cards from 1967-1972 offer more affordable entry points for collectors. These cards showcase Orr’s championship years and provide excellent value for building a complete Orr collection.

Year	Card	PSA Population	Best Value Grade	Approx Price
1967	Topps #92	500+	PSA 7-8	$500-1,500
1968	Topps/OPC #2	600+/260+	PSA 6	$400-700
1969	Topps/OPC #24	550+/290+	PSA 7	$300-800
1970	Topps/OPC #3	740+/430+	PSA 7	$200-600
1971	Topps/OPC #100	1050+/520+	PSA 7	$200-400
1972	Topps/OPC #129	1500+/420+	PSA 7	$150-300

1967 Topps Bobby Orr #92 – Best Investment Potential

We named the second year 67 Topps Bobby Orr card to our All Vintage Hockey Mid Cap portfolio. We like it most importantly for the fact that its graded population is only half that of the Orr Topps rookie card. 

In my opinion, Orr’s 1967 Topps card is a great way for collectors to get a much more affordable Orr card, while also appearing to be a strong investment.

I’m also a big fan of the design of the 67 Topps set and this card catches Orr with a big smile. In fact, Topps loved the photo so much that it was re-used year for both Orr’s Topps and O-Pee-Chee issue.

Value Highlight:

• Selected for All Vintage Hockey Mid Cap portfolio
• Population half that of rookie card
• Great smile photo that Topps reused
• Strong long-term investment potential

Current Market Range: PSA 7: $500-800 | PSA 8: $1,200+ | PSA 9: $3,000+

1968 OPC/Topps Bobby Orr #2 – Best Design/OPC Value

Topps and O-Pee-Chee utilized the same image for Orr in their 1968 Hockey set, and the issue introduced a horizontal design, and in my mind, a very attractive design.

The background is a shot of an old-time hockey game and the contrast with Orr and the colorful borders is fantastic.

There is a fairly big difference between graded populations; more than double the number of Topps cards have been graded, a trend that has been fairly typical over the years. 

The OPC card does have a premium, roughly 15-20% across grades, but it can differ. The card is pretty affordable; a PSA 6 OPC sold for around $700 back in early 2021, which I think is an attractive value. 

From a value perspective, the 68 OPC Orr is the second-best card, only behind the 67 Topps Orr.

Design Highlight:

• Introduced horizontal format
• Beautiful old-time hockey background
• Attractive colorful borders with great contrast

OPC vs Topps Value Play:

• OPC population: 260+ (much scarcer)
• Topps population: 600+ (more common)
• OPC carries 15-20% premium but excellent value

Current Market Range:

• PSA 6 OPC: ~$700 | PSA 6 Topps: ~$500
• PSA 8 OPC: $1,500+ | PSA 8 Topps: $1,200+

1969 OPC/Topps Bobby Orr #24 – Affordable Quality Option

I at first thought the photo used for this card was the same as the two prior year issues, but it’s not the same shot, but VERY similar.

It features Orr with that classic smile, like the year prior, nearly the same grading difference between Topps and O-Pee-Chee, with almost the same exact PSA-graded population as the 1968 set.

Making this card either Topps or OPC a nice affordable Orr card for any collectors looking for something that isn’t his rookie or second and third year cards. 

Collector Appeal:

• Classic Orr smile (similar to 1967-1968)
• Consistent population patterns with previous years
• Very affordable entry point to Orr collecting

Special Mention: 1969 OPC 4-1 Bobby Orr

• 4-player perforated sheet format
• PSA Population: 100+ (scarce due to separation)
• Unseparated copies under $600 for higher grades
• Hidden gem for budget-conscious investors

Current Market Range:

• Regular card PSA 7: $300-500
• 4-1 unseparated PSA 7: $400-600

1969 OPC 4-1 Bobby Orr

PSA Graded Population: 100+

Similar to the 4-1 football issue from the 1969 Topps Football set, these full-size cards featured four players with perforated edges, which allowed collectors to remove the cards and paste them into collectible team albums.

Here is an example of a Bruins album in which the cards have been separated and pasted into the album.

Since many kids did tear these apart, finding full unseparated copies is tough, however not impossible. PSA has graded about 100 copies. Given the dearth in graded copies, I actually like this one for an investment as the card is definitely still quite affordable. Higher grade copies can be found usually for less than $600.

1970 OPC/Topps Bobby Orr #3 – OPC Premium Play

The 1970 set isn’t quite as eye-pleasing as the previous Orr issues, but I still like the design with an image of Orr flanked by a red background with specks of light.

Personally, I would have loved to see this card with colors matching the Bruins’ yellow and black—maybe a black background with black and yellow lettering on the bottom?

The OPC version sells at a premium compared to the Topps card, but this is especially true the higher the grade; for example, a PSA 9 OPC copy recently sold for $3600, whereas a similar Topps copy sold for only $1600. 

OPC Premium Strategy:

• Significant price gap between OPC/Topps at high grades
• PSA 9 OPC: $3,600 vs PSA 9 Topps: $1,600
• Premium increases dramatically with grade

Design Notes:

• Red background with light specks
• Less eye-pleasing than previous years
• Still attractive and collectible

Current Market Range:

• PSA 7: $200-400 | PSA 8: $600-1,000 | PSA 9: $1,600-3,600

1971 OPC/Topps Bobby Orr #100

Topps and OPC made a big change in design in 1971, adding more colors and cartoon text for the team name. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the design, as it does feel a bit cartoonish, although maybe I’m in the minority. 

The Topps population dwarfs the OPC card, more than double the amount have been graded. And from a price perspective the OPC version carries a rough 20-30% premium, especially on the higher end.  

Still, a higher-grade version of both cards is quite affordable: for example, a PSA 7 (Near Mint) copy sells for around $200.

Population Reality Check:

• Topps population: 1,050+ (highest of any Orr card)
• OPC population: 520+ (still substantial)
• High supply keeps prices very affordable

Design Assessment:

• Major design shift with more colors
• Cartoon-style team text (polarizing design)
• More modern look compared to earlier issues

Budget Collector Opportunity:

• Most affordable high-grade Orr card av

1972 OPC/Topps Bobby Orr #129 – The “Ugly Duckling” Value Play

Orr’s 1972 Topps/OPC card wins the award for the ugliest design on this top ten list. I hate the colors and the text used for the team name. I bet Topps wishes they could have this one back. 

The Topps population is nearly quadruple that of the OPC card, so as you can imagine there is a rather big disparity in pricing between the two.  For example, a PSA 9 OPC Orr card recently sold for $1300, more than 4x the price of a similar graded Topps version.

The Design Everyone Loves to Hate:

• Wins “ugliest design” award on this list
• Poor color choices and team text font
• Even Topps likely regrets this design

The Value Opportunity:

• Topps population: 1,500+ (highest ever)
• OPC population: 420+ (4x price difference potential)
• Massive disparity creates arbitrage opportunity

OPC vs Topps Pricing Gap:

• PSA 9 OPC: $1,300+
• PSA 9 Topps: $300+
• 4x multiplier for identical card, different manufacturer

Contrarian Investment Case:

• Ugly design = lower demand = better value
• OPC scarcity still commands respect
• Population difference is extreme

Current Market Range:

• Topps PSA 8: $150-250 | OPC PSA 8: $600-800
• Topps PSA 9: $300+ | OPC PSA 9: $1,300+

Bobby Orr Card Collecting Strategy

For Rookie Card Focus: Start with 1966 Topps or USA Test
For Budget Building: Target 1971-1972 Topps in PSA 7-8
For Investment Upside: Focus on OPC versions and 1967 Topps
For Design Lovers: Prioritize 1968 horizontal and 1967 smile cards

Ready to start your Bobby Orr collection? Each card tells part of the story of hockey’s greatest defenseman.

So, if money was no object, which Orr would you buy?

The 66 Topps USA Test?

The 66 Topps?

The 1965-1966 Crown Life Spotlight Oshawa Generals?  

Let us know in the comments below!