Maple Leafs Oddball Issues

1973/74 O-Pee-Chee Ring
I've been wanting to post this for a while and finally got around to get pics of these beauties from my collection. I've picked these all up over the years at various collectible shows or off the internet. The first one is probably one of my faves, a Maple Leaf cardboard punch-out ring. These were inserted into O-Pee-Chee hockey card packs for the 1973/74 season and were meant to be worn proudly around the schoolyard by the lucky recipient. Thankfully mine is still intact although I am tempted to punch it out, slip it on my finger and wear it to work one day.
1972/73 O-Pee-Chee Logo
The year before the ring inserts, O-Pee-Chee began the punch-out collectible fad with these logo cards. Each of teh 16 NHL and 12 WHA teams were depicted.
1973/74 Mac's Milk Cloth Sticker
These are part of a 30 card set issued through the NHLPA at Mac's Milk stores in Canada. One would assume that these 3" cloth-textured stickers were meant to festoon your favourite jean jacket or Adidas bag.

1962 Dickson Orde, Sports of the Countries
This was a 25 card British issued set depicting sports from countries around the world. The one for United States shows Babe Ruth representing baseball. The Canadian card obviously shoes ice hockey and depicts a generic Maple Leaf skating up the ice, being chased by what looks like a generic Detroit Red Wing.

1963/64 Toronto Star, Hockey Stars In Action
These over-sized, thin-stocked cards were issued by the Toronto Star newspaper and showed great action scenes along with a write-up on the back of them. There were 42 cards available one per week in the paper although I believe they could be purchased as a set as well.

1964/65 Toronto Star, Stars in Action
These blank-backed cards are part of a 48 card set that was again a weekly issue through the newspaper. These ones also have a cool fold-out album that the photos can be displayed in. I'm still looking for one of those.


1965/66 Coca-Cola
These cool black and white cards were issued with Coca-Cola products in 18 card perforated panels of each NHL team. An album could be purchased by mail order.

1962/63 El Producto Coaster
This was one of six issued in a loosely connected strip by El Producto Cigars. The players were Beliveau, Howe, Keon, Hall, Richard and Mahovlich. They were apparently included in the company's Christmas box of cigars.

1961/62 Wheaties Great Moments in Canadian Sport
The player pictured on the front of this one is purported to be Frank Mahovlich. Could have fooled me. Either way, it's part of a 25 card set put out by General Mills. Five of the cards are hockey related, Bill Barilko, Rocket Richard, Bernie Geoffrion, Mahovlich and the Trail Smoke Eaters.



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