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The O-Pee-Chee brand dates back to 1911 and was a candy manufacturer in Canada. The company’s involvement in the trading card market has been well documented with their first releases coming in the 1930’s in the form of sets for hockey, baseball and entertainment. The company produced a limited number of trading cards in the 1940’s but refocused their efforts significantly in the 1950’s after contracting with the American company Topps in a marketing and licensing agreement.
By the late 1950’s, O-Pee-Chee was producing hockey and Canadian football cards. These vintage sets are extremely popular with collectors and can command huge sums on the secondary market to this day. While the O-Pee-Chee brand became synonymous with hockey cards it was their eventual entry into the Major League Baseball card market in 1965 that the company really began to profit from its relationship with Topps. Starting that year, O-Pee-Chee branded baseball sets were produced exclusively for distribution in Canada. The cards themselves often mimicked if not entirely replicated the Topps designs sans the brand name which was always visibly noticeable on the card fronts.
Due to regulations regarding language passed by Canadian Parliament in 1970, O-Pee-Chee, was required to produce all their trading card text in both English and French. This quirky subtly in the trading card market now provided a distinct difference to the O-Pee-Chee branded card from that of their Topps counterparts. As a result, collectors responded by treating the O-Pee-Chee products as entirely different sets, which correlated to an increased demand for the Canadian version.
Over the next couple of decades, the O-Pee-Chee brand name was utilized across a wide range of entertainment and sports genres. The company once again produced Canadian football cards, baseball sticker albums (with the stickers themselves manufactured by the Italian company, Panini), and when the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA), got its start in the mid ‘70’s, O-Pee-Chee quickly contracted to produces cards for that league as well.
The labor struggles that hit baseball and hockey in the mid ‘90’s were extremely damaging to the company. Coming on the heels of the era of over-production that saturated the trading card market with a number of new competitors in the market, O-Pee-Chee ceased producing trading cards at the end of the 1994-95 hockey season. However, due to some lucrative licensing agreements made between the itself and Topps and Upper Deck, the O-Pee-Chee brand was insured of being a notable commodity for years to come.
After the strained labor relations were resolved in the NHL, the number of licenses was contracted to a single licensee. The Upper Deck company was awarded that license and shortly after those events transpired, the company announce it had acquired the branding rights for O-Pee-Chee. Upper Deck has used the name on a regular basis, including, this season, in their hockey card portfolio. The name alone carries with it a great deal of nostalgia and equity, particularly in Canada where hockey is the national sport.
Browse our database of O-Pee-Chee card sets, which feature product reviews, set checklists, expert analysis, price comparisons, and more.
O-Pee-Chee baseball cards are overlooked by many in the hobby. Delve into the history of the Canadian brand on the diamond with this overview. Includes details on the brand’s beginnings, evolution, comparisons to Topps cards and more.
Upper Deck’s 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee Hockey release maintains the long-running tradition of the popular NHL set. Boxes offer multiple parallels and inserts.
One of the most popular sets of the era, 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey is led by a very strong checklist. Rookies include Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin, Sergei Fedorov and Mike Modano.
Although they’re not worth a lot due to overproduction, 1989-90 O-Pee-Chee Hockey is an otherwise strong set. The rookie crop includes Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Brian Leetch as well as Theo Fleury and Trevor Linden.
1988-89 O-Pee-Chee Hockey is the sport’s last great set before the massive overproduction of the Junk Wax Era. A strong checklist includes rookie cards of Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Pierre Turgeon and Joe Nieuwendyk.
1987-88 O-Pee-Chee Hockey boasts one of the deepest rookie lineups in the sport’s history. Luc Robitaille, Adam Oates, Ron Hextall, Vincent Damphousse and Mike Vernon are among the first-year highlights.
Anchored by the Patrick Roy rookie card, 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee Hockey has another loaded checklist. Other notable rookies include John Vanbiesbrouck and Wendel Clark.
Mario Lemieux and Al MacInnis rookie cards lead a stacked 1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Hockey checklist. Over the years, the strong lineup and clean design have made it one of the best sports card sets of the 1980s.
1985 O-Pee-Chee WWF Pro Wrestling Stars partially mirrors the popular set released by Topps around the same time. However, Canadians got a second series that is notable for the first cards of many wrestlers, most notably Randy Savage.
1984-85 O-Pee-Chee Hockey has one of the most impressive rookie card lineups of the decade. Led by Steve Yzerman, other key cards include rookies of Chris Chelios, Tom Barrasso, Cam Neely, Pat LaFontaine and Doug Gilmour.
For ice collectors, 1983-84 O-Pee-Chee Hockey is the only major option for the year. Key rookies include Steve Larmer, Bernie Nicholls and Scott Stevens.
With Topps sitting out, 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Hockey was the sport’s only major release. Key rookie cards include Grant Fuhr, Dale Hawerchuk and Ron Francis.
The 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Hockey has one of the best rookie lineups ever for a sports card set. First-year cards include Paul Coffey, Jarri Kurri, Denis Savard and Larry Murphy.
Ray Bourque and Mark Messier lead a loaded 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Hockey checklist that includes a ton of great rookie cards. Other key cards include Mike Gartner, Michel Goulet and Mike Liut rookies and the second-year Wayne Gretzky.
Made famous for the Wayne Gretzky rookie card, 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey features a bold design highlighted by its blue borders. The set also features the final cards of Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Ken Dryden from their playing careers.
1978-79 O-Pee-Chee Hockey boasts a large 396-card checklist. Several hobby favorite players of the era have rookie cards in the set, including Mike Bossy, Bernie Federko, Dave Taylor and Doug Wilson.
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey is the final set the card maker produced for the failing league. The set has a smaller checklist with no major rookie cards.
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee Hockey closely mirrors the same season’s Topps set. Although the design is somewhat uninspired, the checklist includes rookies of Mike Milbury and Paul Holmgren.
1976-77 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey marked the third straight year a set for the upstart league was made. Without any key rookie cards, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull lead single-card sales.
1976-77 O-Pee-Chee Hockey is highlighted by a 396-card checklist. Bryan Trottier is the key rookie card. The set is also notable for several quirks and subset cards.
1975-76 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey is the company’s second set of the short-lived league. Key rookie cards include Richard Brodeur and Mark Howe.
1975-76 O-Pee-Chee Hockey has one of the company’s simpler designs. The relatively tame checklist includes rookie cards of Clark Gillies and Harold Snepsts.
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee WHA Hockey is the first of four sets made by the Canadian card maker of the rival hockey league. Gordie Howe, Gary Cheevers and Bobby Hull are among the former NHL greats in the set.
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Hockey has a deep rookie lineup that includes Denis Potvin, Lanny McDonald and Bob Gainey. It also has the first cards of legendary coaches Don Cherry and Scotty Bowman. The expanded checklist reflects the NHL’s expansion.
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee Hockey is a colorful set that uses both green and red borders. The rookie card crop includes Larry Robinson, Bill Barber, Billy Smith and Dave Schultz.
Although 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Hockey doesn’t have a headline rookie, the set still boasts a solid veteran core that includes Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull and Ken Dryden.
One of the most attractive sets of the era, 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Hockey also has a loaded checklist. Ken Dryden, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne are among the major rookie cards.
Bobby Clarke, Gilbert Perreault, Brad Park, Guy Lapointe and Darryl Sittler lead a loaded rookie crop in 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee Hockey. The memorable design includes several spotlights in the background.
1968-69 O-Pee-Chee Hockey marked the first time the Canadian company offered its own set to Canadians. Key rookies include Bernie Parent and Gary Unger.
Picking up where the previous year’s set left off, 1940-41 O-Pee-Chee V301-2 includes 50 players. The over-sized cards are highlighted by a sepia design. Several stars are on the checklist, including Milt Schmidt.
1939-40 O-Pee-Chee V301-1 Hockey is a set of 5×7 premiums. The 100-card checklist includes such stars as Eddie Shore, Turk Broda and Sid Abe. The set is also notable for being one of the first impacted by WWII.
1937-38 O-Pee-Chee V304E Hockey was the last hockey card set of the decade from the company. The 48-card checklist includes Toe Blake, Aurel Joliat, Turk Broda and Charlie Conacher.
1936-37 O-Pee-Chee V304D Hockey continues a checklist that started three sets earlier. The 36-card set is distinct for its die-cut design that allowed cards to stand up.
1935-36 O-Pee-Chee V304C Hockey continues from two previous hockey card sets from the company. The 24 cards feature a new design but the numbering carries on from where the earlier sets left off.
Continuing from where the V304A set left off, 1933-34 O-Pee-Chee Hockey features a similar design. However, these 24 cards are considered much rarer, commanding strong amounts on the secondary market.
1933-34 O-Pee-Chee V304A Hockey is the first of five early hockey sets from the iconic Canadian company. Key cards include Howie Morenz, Charlie Conacher and Eddie Shore.
