Any Bobby Orr collectors here
Goldenage
Posts: 3,278 ✭✭✭✭✭
Certain cards are really moving higher, or just my imagination ? Many of the desirable ones aren’t even coming up for sale like they used to. This one that ended last night was a $200 card not too long ago and sold for 3x that. I decided to follow this one below because I paid $475.00 for a dead centered opc PSA 7 last year during the craze. I don’t follow prices too much, but have noticed that his tougher cards don’t show up on eBay as much as they once did.
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Short answer, yes, it's crazy. Check out the 1974 OPCs
I collect PSA 6, PSA 7 Orr cards that I ultimately send to GNR for his autograph. I find all of his cards have increased to the point where I no longer look for his rookie or 2nd year card regular card. Glad I got the others...
Here’s the PSA 7 I paid $475 during last years craze. I got this other OPC one signed years ago from GNR. The 74 opc is going higher too. Oh boy.
How have you done with GNR ?
Of the 50 things I’ve sent in I’d say 40 have come back pretty nice. Now and then some disappointments can come back too.
Sent about 50 cards for my personal collection over the past decade... maybe only 1 or 2 were signed with the wrong color. Orr always signs beautifully and in the proper place. I would rate my experiences with them as professional and business like. Make no doubt about it, it's a PHENOMINAL money maker for them
Post pics if you ever feel like it. Glad to see another signed Orr collector.
Is the 1970 opc All Star card in PSA 8 selling for over $500 now ? The one that’s all black background. That used to be a $200 card.
I see one listed on eBay for $1000
Orr has always been one of the most expensive guys to collect.
It will only get worse!
That is a beautiful card and a great signature. You don’t happen to know what the PSA 8 or 9 black bottom print sold for for that card ? I can’t find any sales history anywhere.
I believe that Bobby Orr's 1966 Topps rookie card has become to hockey what 1952 Topps Mantles are to baseball... not in comparable dollar value of course but as the most iconic and arguably the most desirable vintage card in its sport. Their current population in PSA 8 and higher (without qualifiers) is identical: 49 Mantles and 49 Orrs (regular set, not USA Test Set). Amazingly, during the past eight years only three new Bobby Orr rookies (regular set) have been graded PSA 8 (with no new ones grading higher; there's one 8.5 and one 9 that have been around for at least eight years). Only two PSA 8 rookie Orrs came up for auction last year (getting $42,000 and $51,660) and none so far this year.
Good point. Will be interesting to watch. I’m one of the few who think his 1967 Topps and 1967 General Mills are better cards of Orr. Even sold my 1966 PSA 8 for 5k about twenty years ago. Good point though.
1967 Bobby Orr. General Mills
5 authentic . 3 PSA 1s. 2 PSA 2s. 1 PSA 3. None higher. That’s just insane.
Not sure if one day it will catch fire the way some of those unknown Babe Ruth cards did. There are so few of the General Mills that it takes a hard core collector to pursue them.
My favorite 19 year old photo of Orr on this game program cover. Would of made a great rookie card imo. His rookie card is just a head shot. This program cover and his 1967 Topps and General Mills have the Bruins uniform in a full pose. Anyway, to each his own.
That Gretzky/Orr Cup card is amazing. I love seeing it.
Gretzky is on record saying that he collected cards as a kid. Wonder if this was one of his favorites as an 8 or 9 year old, because I’d love to see a better Gretzky signature on an older card. I was amazed and delighted when I got it. You can see the pride he took putting his signature on this card.
Agreed about the General Mills. I scanned mine below. I would actually put the 1965 Crown Life Spotlight as his Holy Grail right now. The advanced collectors I talked to say that only about 10 are publicly known to exist. Very few vintage minor league cards around but this one would have to be the "ONE" ( even though it's more a photo than a card ). I see it as the 1914 Baltimore News Ruth for comparison. An SGC 2 sold for over $6K not long ago at Heritage. I have a PSA 5 for auction right now at Heritage so if anyone wants it this might be the only chance of getting it for a very long time. I have a PSA 8 that's staying in the PC. I went after his rarer stuff since I think that kind of stuff is extremely underappreciated. Don't sleep on his 1971 Bazooka Panel either. Only 3 in PSA's pop report. I scanned my Orr collection below for the Hockey collectors, only 4 items but worth it. Took over 10 years to obtain but can't complain. If I had to buy any of this stuff in today's market I would be priced out completely. Enjoy.
Great cards. Does the GM have the back stain that gives it a PSA 2? Or is it another issue with the card ?
Love the General Mills card because you rarely see that uniform on Orr.
What year is that uniform from ?
For me Orr’s best cards are these and not in any particular order……
1971 OPC double trophy
1967 Topps #92
1968 #2
1970 AS black bottom
1978 opc team Canada
1974 opc AS
I don’t collect anything Chicago/Orr.
No fan of his rookie, 71 opc #100,
75 opc.
Great thread! I collect Orr too, here are a few of my favorite pieces. Also added a link to my Orr collection if you guys want to check out everything else I have!
Jeff
https://imageevent.com/jeffintoronto/number4bobbyorr
Love the 71 card with the print showing through. How’d that happen ?
Love the Macs Milk. Have a PSA 9 and a signed one. Signature is horrible because of the card texture. Love that card.
Love the BBP vgex 4. Have a signed 4 myself. Beautiful card.
Love the team Canada photos.
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Bobby Orr talking about the 72 Summit Series.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/bobby-orr-misses-1972-summit-series-game-8-anniversary-40-years/
He won tournament MVP in 76 on one good leg. Imagine if he were healthy in 72.
Thanks! The 71 Topps is actually a wet sheet transfer. The ink on the back of the sheet on top of the sheet with my Orr card must not have been totally dry when they were stacked.
The uniform is from his rookie year as they changed it the following year.
No stain on the GM on back. The card would be NM to Mt if it wasn't for a pressed area by his head. It looks like someone took a pen with no ink and tried to scribble something. You can only see it when card is angled. Other than that small area the card is incredible.
Here's an oddball 76 OPC Orr, the "flaming armpit" variation!
Yep. Couldn’t remember why I felt the GM was a better true rookie card for me. I believe it’s his only “card” with his rookie uniform.
I believe I have the only signed PSA copy. Haven’t checked the pop lately nor do I really care. That’s too bad about yours, but I can see it’s an awesome card. Presents great. One of my favorite cards of him.
I don’t have a picture of it on my phone, but locked away with all my Orr stuff is his 1969 opc trophy card #209 with the missing black ink like this Stanley cup card. I actually pulled this Stanley Cup card from a vending case many years ago, and bought the Orr soon thereafter. Did not pull the Orr myself. Based on collector history it appears there are very few copies that exist. I’ve only seen five in my lifetime. The two I own plus three common players. The only high series cards I’ve seen like this are this Stanley Cup one and the #209 Bobby Orr.
Where would Orr collectors put the 75/76 Linnett 4 x 6 Orr card? There were two 3 packs, a Bruins pack (Espo, Orr and Gilbert) and an All-Star pack (Clarke, Parent and Potvin). I believe there were similar ones for football and basketball, where one pack was Boston and the second not Boston (the basketball may have only been the Celtics). The borders consisted of mixed sports scenes in one color. The Bruins are yellow, Celtics are green, Patriots are blue and the hockey All-Stars are orange. I will post pictures later.
Also, I believe the Bruins may also have had the "Pee Wee's" strips. Similar to the Red Sox, Reds and Dodgers baseball, the Flyers and Sabres were featured. These were wood-grained bordered vertical strips of six players per pack. Both teams had at least 2 packs. Unlike the baseball, these are not
perforated. Again, I think the Bruins also had 2 strips.
I will post pictures later.
As promised. The Orr by itself is not mine, but it is in the pack.
Somewhere, I have the Clarke and Parent. I remember getting the all-star pack at the King of Prussia Plaza as a kid.
I have these items up now in the May Heritage Auction. Figured I'd post to get the pics in this thread. Hope they find a great new home. The menu is just crazy rare. Very few have even been seen in person.
The Orr by itself is my copy, it was really tough to find!
After I posted, I realized your link above was the site I had found the photo. You have some incredible items.
IIRC, I first remember seeing that when it was linked in the old Vintage Hockey Card website.
I wish there was an archive of some of the threads.
Good luck with the auction and I hope it goes well. Never seen that menu. For me Bobby Orr collecting is mostly OPC, Topps and Bruins, with some game programs and game tickets or game used Bruins.
For others it’s Oshawa, pens, lighters, dolls, pinball machines and others.
I went to the Boston Garden as a kid in the 70s. Sat way up high. Getting to the players was impossible, so most of my collection is taking the cards from that era and getting the autographs I never could in the 70s.
The great thing is that there’s so much Orr stuff to collect, but that can be a bad thing too.
Stick to what you like and sell the rest. I even sold a signed USA test rookie years ago because I know what I like and don’t like, even though it probably didn’t help the check book. Lol.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Here's the Bruins Pee Wee set. I took a quick pic of the Orr / Sheppard panel
love his 68 card - so tough in higher grades
A 1979 Oshawa program a seller asked $100 for with no bids. He then asked for $50 and again no bids. A nice rare program too.
This SGC 7 opc card ends tonight. Will be interesting to see if it clears the PSA 6 that ended last week.
A 1969 opc #24 Bobby Orr PSA 7 sold for $330 in April 2020. $630 in April of 2021. Last night this off centered SGC 7 ended at $760 in April of 2022. With the PSA 6 selling for $630 this month also. Which matches last years PSA 7 price.
On a side note the 1971 opc #100 in PSA 8 has doubled to tripled in price since March/April of 2020.
Looks like the trend remains up for nice OPC Bobby Orr cards.
The 71 OPC Orr is coveted because of the set is iconic and quite possibly the greatest set of the 70s with big time rookies in Dryden, Lafleur and Dionne plus many great second year cards of hall of famers.
Totally agree. Sold a 1971 opc Orr in PSA 8 with a PSA 10 auto to a guy in Canada for $1500 last year.
I did not love the auto on it.
Card lasted about one week on eBay and gone.
For me there are many challenging OPC Orr cards from the 70s to find centered. Notably the 74 AS and base, and this 73 dark back version that came from packs, has the ragged cut, and no black streak down the right side. Pictures a little blurry, but I keep searching for high grade centered ones.
Holy crap, Tomi. That is the most amazing Orr Bazooka panel I've ever seen. For those that don't know, these are impossibly rare and when found they are mangled and have tape residue. Whoever cut that from the panel has some next level steely nerve.
Great to see so many Orr collectors on these boards.
Here's a few from my Orr registry set. We are lucky to have class acts like Orr and Gretzky as ambassadors of the game.
-Nathanael
Having pulled 1968 opc cards from vending, I can attest to everyone here that you are the owner of a beautiful example of card #2, and realistically the highest grade that card should ever receive.
I was the middle man in the first ever sale of the dead centered PSA 9 for that card. It came from the Mastro auction opc vault sheet sale. It is dead centered, and 68 opc Orr #2 never came that way from vending or wax.
So nice to see those vending Orr’s again Nathaniel, and I hope you PM me if you ever decide to sell the 68. Brings back memories, and it’s a genuine card produced, cut, and packaged from the 1960s.
For those who care to know the side story to the first ever PSA 9 opc #2 Bobby Orr from 1968,
It was “produced” out west. My uncle Greg met the guy in Oregon and shipped the card to me. From there it went to the first owner who lived in NY state, who outbid another serious set collector.
The first sale price of the card was $5,000.
I'm the one that cut it and the rest of the set also. You can view the whole set with images on the registry.
Tomi. I’m guessing those came from factory sheets ? Store boxes had tape on them, didn’t they ?
Please educate me 😊
Not all had tape. I cut these because they were all SGC graded and the cuts were horrible. Fortunately there was still enough left to cut.
Caribou that 68 Orr is incredible. They all are but 68s are impossible.
Hey Goldenage. Thanks for the props on my 68 OPC Orr. I went through a learning process on that set, and along the way was the underbidder on that PSA 9. Small world. At the time I thought I was bidding on a pack pulled PSA 9, so am glad I didn't spend $12k on it.
Another PSA 9 was in a BVG 9 holder beforehand. Sold by AJ sportsworld and within a few months was in a PSA 9 holder.
Certainly lots of learning goes into making the most educated purchases.
-Nathanael
Anytime. Sounds like you and I want cards in their purest form.
The first owner was Quo Vadis on the Orr set registry, who outbid JH at 5k.
I guess you got in the next one when AMS or Quo Vadis, sold it along with his other great stuff.
I have mixed feelings about that PSA 9. It’s opc. It’s from the factory. It’s a great card. But I’d much rather take your 8 because I know where it came from. It came from me !!!
I handled that card in raw form 25 years ago. It made its way to Boston, and then into a PSA holder.I handled three of them, and I believe 2 are in holders.
There’s a guy in NJ who still has a raw one, but probably a 7. There’s a small chance that isn’t my card, but I wouldn’t wager on that. That card was purchased from Woody Gellman from Topps Inc. in the late 1960s from a gentleman who is now 85. Gellman would call Bill to his hotel room and Bill would spend all the money he could. Then the next guy would come in after Bill, and so on. I’d go over Bills house and look through 200-300 mint 69 opc Mr. Hockeys. I submitted so many MINT 9 copies from 68-73 opc hockey that my head would spin looking at the grades. All from Gellman to Bill. The stories I can tell. Just amazing stuff.
Sorry to ramble. Just enjoy old stories. That’s all. Beautiful cards.
Final story about this 85 year old gent. He resided in Ocean City NJ where the sea air is not kind to sports cards.
He had metal filing cabinets stacked upon each other in four rooms in his home full of hockey and baseball.
I opened one cabinet filled with around 2000 easily of 1968 opc puck stickers in mint condition. That’s over 100 mint of each player.
Ready for this. They’re all stuck together. I was able to salvage 10 sets only.
Brought them to the Toronto show many years ago and guys were all over me. Gone within the first night.
For me it was fun just getting them into collectors hands and seeing my Canadien friends like Mike, Bobby, and Michel.
Final word on that 68 opc puck insert set is don’t chase the 9s or 10s with big money. There are quite a few oversized ones that can easily be trimmed into gem mint condition.
The size on those are all over the place from undersized to oversized.