I need a lesson in collectible hockey cards.

Factual Questions
1

My little sister has requested a Hasek hockey card for Christmas, from the year he was with the Wings.

Knowing next to nothing about hockey cards, I need some help. I’ve been cruising around eBay and it seems there are a bunch of different cards, manufacturers, etc. So what do I need to know?

Here’s what I assume:

  1. Mint condition is good.
  2. Signed is good.
  3. Mint and signed is like the holy grail as long as it’s manufactured by the right company.

Keep in mind that this is a 12 year old kid who I would prefer to look like a hero to. I have to come through on this.

Thanks!

2

I used to collect baseball cards, but the same rules apply:

  1. Condition is king, the better the shape, the more valuable. You can pick an alignment tool (a plastic sleeve with grid markers) to see just how perfectly square the picture(s) is(are).

  2. Signed isn’t always good since, technically, ANY writing on the card can be considered defacing. Unless you have a duplicate card, I would consider getting an autographed picture to be framed with the card.

  3. If you buy an-already autographed card, get a COA (certificate of authenticity) so, that if the signature is a fake, you can get your money back.

  4. Check out a copy of Beckett’s Guide to Hockey Cards. Beckett’s is genrally acknowledged to be the bible of card collecting. You’ll find plenty of info there. You can usually find a copy at any well-stocked bookstore.

  5. Collect only what you like (or, in this case, what the kid likes). Do not try to buy everything (unless you’re Bill Gates or Jimmy Thudpucker).

  6. Mostly, enjoy the cards and don’t hide them away in boxes like the Holy Grail.

3

Sue. If I read you right, you want a card from his last season, the one spent with the Wings?

If the question was which rookie card to get it would be the Upper Deck rookie from '91-'92. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1574751207
But you specifically want a card showing him as a Wing?? A card that late in the career of a sports figure usually isn’t all that valuable. (Not that his rookie card was either).

I’d go with an autographed item. Wouldn’t even have to be a card. Maybe a puck. Buy from a major seller. While fakes exist everywhere, it’s just playing the percentages to do so.

4

Yep. She’s a Wings fan, which is normal since she lives in MI, and she wants a Hasek card as a Red Wing. She specifically requested it, so it doesn’t matter if it’s not valuable.

5

Be very careful of forged cards. They are quite lucrative and getting more and more common.