O-Pee-Chee (OPC) is a brand of trading cards produced by the Canadian company O-Pee-Chee Company Ltd. The brand is best known for its hockey cards, but it has also produced cards for a variety of other sports and non-sports subjects over the years.
One of the most important OPC sets of all time is the 1951-52 OPC Hockey set, which is considered the brand's first true hockey card set. The set featured 66 cards, each measuring 2-3/4" by 3-3/4", and included players from all six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). The cards were sold in packs of five for a few cents and were highly sought after by collectors at the time.
In the years that followed, OPC produced a number of other popular hockey card sets, as well as sets for other sports such as baseball, football, and basketball. The brand is known for its high-quality card stock and colorful design, as well as its inclusion of exclusive autograph and memorabilia cards in many of its sets.
One of the unique features of OPC cards is that their design has matched the design of Topps cards every year since the 1970s. This means that OPC cards feature the same player images and team logos as Topps cards, but are produced by OPC and distributed in Canada. This arrangement allows OPC to produce cards for the Canadian market while also allowing collectors to have a consistent look and feel to their cards regardless of the brand they are collecting.
In recent years, OPC has continued to produce popular hockey card sets, including its flagship "OPC Hockey" set and specialized sets such as "OPC Platinum," which features premium card stock and exclusive autograph and memorabilia cards. The brand has also produced sets for other sports, including baseball and football.
Here are a few examples of some of the most important OPC cards:
- 1979 OPC Gretzky card. This card, featuring Wayne Gretzky as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, is considered one of the most iconic and valuable OPC cards of all time. It is highly sought after by collectors and is considered an important part of any comprehensive OPC collection.
-
1951-52 OPC Hockey #66 Maurice "Rocket" Richard: This card, which features the legendary Canadiens player, is considered one of the most iconic O-Pee-Chee cards of all time.
-
1967-68 OPC Hockey #66 Bobby Orr: This card, which features the legendary Bruins defenseman, is highly sought after by collectors.
-
1971-72 OPC Hockey #50 Bobby Hull: This card, which features the legendary Blackhawks player, is highly sought after by collectors.
-
1978-79 OPC Baseball #18 Nolan Ryan: This card, which features the legendary pitcher, is highly sought after by collectors.
-
1986 OPC Football #1 Joe Montana: This card, which features the legendary 49ers quarterback, is highly sought after by collectors.
Again, this is just a small sample of the many important and valuable O-Pee-Chee cards that have been produced over the years. OPC has produced a wide variety of sports and non-sports card sets, each with its own unique value and appeal to collectors.
