If you’re a hockey card collector, it doesn’t get much more challenging or fun to chase down truly vintage, rare cards from a set issued nearly 90 years ago. This week, we've posted some cards from the 1920s V128 Paulin’s Candy set. While the cards are labeled 1923, many believe they were actually issued from 1924-1926. These cards show players from the Western Canadian Hockey League, an early competitor of the fledgling NHL. This was the first hockey card set produced after 1912 and was targeted mostly to kids. Therefore, they often were handled quite a bit and high grade examples are extremely scarce. The cards we have available are among the best known on the PSA Population Report. The 1 3/8” by 2 5/8” black and white cards could be collected and redeemed for prizes. An entire set would get you a hockey stick or a box of chocolates. Send them in and the company would return them—with a stamp on the back or a hole punch—along with your prize. Many of the cards were indeed redeemed so examples that don’t have the stamp or hole punch are worth a premium. Ours do not! The PSA Population Report shows only five complete sets, all grading less than EX. These cards are true classics. The photos may be black and white but the portrait cards are especially well done and portray players who took to the ice primarily for fun. In fact, some of the cards in the set represent players who never rose above amateur status. Some of the ‘action’ shots show the players in an outdoor setting. We hope you’ll check out these scarce examples. We’re offering some in auction format while others are available for immediate sale via Buy it Now.
