hckycdn93
Verified Trader,
This is Part 2 of my Top 10 of 2025 countdown. If you’d like to revisit entries #6–#10, you can find them here.
And with that out of the way—on with the show!
#5 - 1933–34 O-Pee-Chee V304A & 1935–36 O-Pee-Chee V304C Wrappers
At number five in the Top 10 countdown, I’m straying from the 2005–06 core of my PC, but these two pieces were simply too significant to pass up. This entry features pre-war 1933–34 O-Pee-Chee V304A and 1935–36 O-Pee-Chee V304C wrappers, graded icert 5.5 and 3.5, respectively.
It’s remarkable that wrappers from the 1930s have survived more than 90 years, let alone in the exceptional condition these examples exhibit. Unlike the cards they once housed, wrappers were never meant to last—they were purely functional, designed to advertise gum and cards before being discarded. The foresight to preserve them, or the circumstances that spared them from the trash, is something I find endlessly fascinating.
The 1933–34 V304A issue is widely regarded as the first hockey card set produced by the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company, which would later issue some of the hobby’s most iconic rookie cards, including Lemieux, Lafleur, Yzerman, and Gretzky. Key rookies from that inaugural release include Howie Morenz, Eddie Shore, and King Clancy. The 1935–36 V304C wrapper is even more elusive than its V304A counterpart and originally housed cards featuring key rookies such as Lynn Patrick and Wilfred Cude.
Both wrappers share nearly identical designs—aside from their color schemes—and feature vibrant cartoon depictions of hockey as it was played in the 1930s. At the time, a pack would have sold for just one cent, roughly equivalent to about 25 cents today, a stark contrast to the cost of modern hobby packs.
These wrappers represent a unique and historically significant addition to my collection, making them a well-deserved entry at the midway point of my 2025 Top 10 countdown.
#4 – 2005–06 UD The Cup Gold Parallel #178 Dion Phaneuf Rookie Patch Autograph (2/3) PSA 6
The 2005–06 Gold Parallel set from Upper Deck’s inaugural The Cup release has been one of my favorite sets to collect for well over a decade. In addition to boasting one of the strongest rookie checklists ever assembled, the jersey-numbered Gold Parallel concept created an almost mythical level of rarity across both star rookies and short-lived NHL players alike.
At the time of release in 2006, the consensus chase rookies in the product were Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Dion Phaneuf. All three finished as finalists for the 2006 Calder Trophy, with Ovechkin ultimately claiming the award. Interestingly, these three rookies were assigned consecutive card numbers—#178 through #180—and were the only cards in the set to feature white borders on both the base and Gold Parallel versions.
Because the Gold Parallels were limited by jersey number, Phaneuf—who wore #3—had only three Gold Parallel Rookie Patch Autographs produced, making his the most limited RPA in the entire set. I was fortunate enough to finally secure a copy of this infamously rare rookie, with my example serial numbered 2/3.
#3 – 2005–06 UD SP Game Used Autographed Parallel #101 Sidney Crosby Rookie (3/5) BGS 9
In 2005, Sidney Crosby represented the NHL’s hope for a brighter future following the 2004–05 lockout, and he quickly met—then exceeded—the immense expectations placed upon him. The hobby mirrored that anticipation, with Crosby’s rookie cards commanding unprecedented attention and value. His Young Guns rookie card debuted on the secondary market at $100–$150 upon release, an extraordinary figure at the time and roughly equivalent to $160–$250 in today’s dollars.
As his base rookies set record prices, Crosby’s scarcer rookie parallels began pushing the ceiling even higher. This 2005–06 SP Game Used Autographed Parallel, limited to just five copies, was among the most coveted. In March 2007, this exact card sold for an astonishing $1,913—approximately $3,000 in today’s dollars—before disappearing from public view.
Earlier this year, I was finally able to track it down in a private collection. Secured through a cash-and-trade deal, adding this elusive Crosby rookie to my collection was an especially gratifying achievement.
#2 – 2005–06 UD Victory Black Parallel #77 Wayne Gretzky (3/5)
This past summer, a search that had spanned well over a decade finally came to an end. When I set out to build the 2005–06 Victory Black set in 2014, I knew the Gretzky would be difficult to track down—but I never anticipated going more than ten years without even seeing a photo of one. There were no images, no leads, and even seasoned Gretzky collectors had never encountered the card. At one point, I even created a mockup of the card—ironically serial numbered 3/5—to signal that I was actively searching for it.
Fast forward to June 2025, when I was stunned to see the card surface on eBay. Still hardly believing my eyes, I immediately contacted the seller to learn where it had been hiding all these years and to begin negotiations. As it turned out, the original owner had pulled the card himself in 2006 and still had the blaster box it came from.
We reached an agreement, and the card now resides in my 2005–06 Victory Black set. While I’m currently just 31% complete on the full 300-card project, no card has been more gratifying to acquire—either within this set or across my entire collection in 2025—than the Wayne Gretzky Victory Black.
And without further ado.... The top card of 2025 is........
#1 – 2005–06 UD The Cup Alexander Ovechkin Limited Logos (7/50)
Alexander Ovechkin is one of the main reasons I became such a passionate fan of hockey. The 05–06 season was my introduction to the NHL, and it didn’t take long for Ovechkin to stand out as my clear favorite player. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to acquire several rare Ovechkin rookies. It’s hard to believe now, but for many years—until his 2018 Stanley Cup win—his rookie cards often traded at just one-third to one-half the value of comparable Crosby rookies. As a high school and university student on a tight budget, that reality worked very much in my favor.
Earlier this year, I decided to go all in when this card surfaced at auction. Beyond having coveted a copy for years, this particular example checked every box and gave me the confidence to bid aggressively. For starters, the patch features a striking four-color section of the Capitals’ shoulder logo, specifically the lower half of the “CA” in CAPITALS, along with the left crossed hockey stick. The detail and eye appeal are exceptional, and—importantly—the patch is confirmed as game-used on the back of the card, a rarity among Ovechkin’s rookie issues.
The hard-signed autograph remains fully intact, which is especially notable given the well-documented manufacturing issues with 2005–06 Limited Logos. The glossy finish used at the time often led to bubbling and flaking signatures over the years. The strong SGC 8.5 grade was a welcome bonus.
This card sparked a meaningful restructuring of my collection, as I consolidated parts of my 2005–06 PC to focus on personal grails from the same season—Limited Logos chief among them. To acquire this card in the same year Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer and the first player to reach the 900-goal milestone made it a year in the hobby I’ll never forget.
That concludes my Top 10 of 2025 countdown. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and—of course—a Happy New Year!
And with that out of the way—on with the show!
#5 - 1933–34 O-Pee-Chee V304A & 1935–36 O-Pee-Chee V304C Wrappers
At number five in the Top 10 countdown, I’m straying from the 2005–06 core of my PC, but these two pieces were simply too significant to pass up. This entry features pre-war 1933–34 O-Pee-Chee V304A and 1935–36 O-Pee-Chee V304C wrappers, graded icert 5.5 and 3.5, respectively.
It’s remarkable that wrappers from the 1930s have survived more than 90 years, let alone in the exceptional condition these examples exhibit. Unlike the cards they once housed, wrappers were never meant to last—they were purely functional, designed to advertise gum and cards before being discarded. The foresight to preserve them, or the circumstances that spared them from the trash, is something I find endlessly fascinating.
The 1933–34 V304A issue is widely regarded as the first hockey card set produced by the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company, which would later issue some of the hobby’s most iconic rookie cards, including Lemieux, Lafleur, Yzerman, and Gretzky. Key rookies from that inaugural release include Howie Morenz, Eddie Shore, and King Clancy. The 1935–36 V304C wrapper is even more elusive than its V304A counterpart and originally housed cards featuring key rookies such as Lynn Patrick and Wilfred Cude.
Both wrappers share nearly identical designs—aside from their color schemes—and feature vibrant cartoon depictions of hockey as it was played in the 1930s. At the time, a pack would have sold for just one cent, roughly equivalent to about 25 cents today, a stark contrast to the cost of modern hobby packs.
These wrappers represent a unique and historically significant addition to my collection, making them a well-deserved entry at the midway point of my 2025 Top 10 countdown.
#4 – 2005–06 UD The Cup Gold Parallel #178 Dion Phaneuf Rookie Patch Autograph (2/3) PSA 6
The 2005–06 Gold Parallel set from Upper Deck’s inaugural The Cup release has been one of my favorite sets to collect for well over a decade. In addition to boasting one of the strongest rookie checklists ever assembled, the jersey-numbered Gold Parallel concept created an almost mythical level of rarity across both star rookies and short-lived NHL players alike.
At the time of release in 2006, the consensus chase rookies in the product were Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Dion Phaneuf. All three finished as finalists for the 2006 Calder Trophy, with Ovechkin ultimately claiming the award. Interestingly, these three rookies were assigned consecutive card numbers—#178 through #180—and were the only cards in the set to feature white borders on both the base and Gold Parallel versions.
Because the Gold Parallels were limited by jersey number, Phaneuf—who wore #3—had only three Gold Parallel Rookie Patch Autographs produced, making his the most limited RPA in the entire set. I was fortunate enough to finally secure a copy of this infamously rare rookie, with my example serial numbered 2/3.
#3 – 2005–06 UD SP Game Used Autographed Parallel #101 Sidney Crosby Rookie (3/5) BGS 9
In 2005, Sidney Crosby represented the NHL’s hope for a brighter future following the 2004–05 lockout, and he quickly met—then exceeded—the immense expectations placed upon him. The hobby mirrored that anticipation, with Crosby’s rookie cards commanding unprecedented attention and value. His Young Guns rookie card debuted on the secondary market at $100–$150 upon release, an extraordinary figure at the time and roughly equivalent to $160–$250 in today’s dollars.
As his base rookies set record prices, Crosby’s scarcer rookie parallels began pushing the ceiling even higher. This 2005–06 SP Game Used Autographed Parallel, limited to just five copies, was among the most coveted. In March 2007, this exact card sold for an astonishing $1,913—approximately $3,000 in today’s dollars—before disappearing from public view.
Earlier this year, I was finally able to track it down in a private collection. Secured through a cash-and-trade deal, adding this elusive Crosby rookie to my collection was an especially gratifying achievement.
#2 – 2005–06 UD Victory Black Parallel #77 Wayne Gretzky (3/5)
This past summer, a search that had spanned well over a decade finally came to an end. When I set out to build the 2005–06 Victory Black set in 2014, I knew the Gretzky would be difficult to track down—but I never anticipated going more than ten years without even seeing a photo of one. There were no images, no leads, and even seasoned Gretzky collectors had never encountered the card. At one point, I even created a mockup of the card—ironically serial numbered 3/5—to signal that I was actively searching for it.
Fast forward to June 2025, when I was stunned to see the card surface on eBay. Still hardly believing my eyes, I immediately contacted the seller to learn where it had been hiding all these years and to begin negotiations. As it turned out, the original owner had pulled the card himself in 2006 and still had the blaster box it came from.
We reached an agreement, and the card now resides in my 2005–06 Victory Black set. While I’m currently just 31% complete on the full 300-card project, no card has been more gratifying to acquire—either within this set or across my entire collection in 2025—than the Wayne Gretzky Victory Black.
And without further ado.... The top card of 2025 is........
#1 – 2005–06 UD The Cup Alexander Ovechkin Limited Logos (7/50)
Alexander Ovechkin is one of the main reasons I became such a passionate fan of hockey. The 05–06 season was my introduction to the NHL, and it didn’t take long for Ovechkin to stand out as my clear favorite player. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to acquire several rare Ovechkin rookies. It’s hard to believe now, but for many years—until his 2018 Stanley Cup win—his rookie cards often traded at just one-third to one-half the value of comparable Crosby rookies. As a high school and university student on a tight budget, that reality worked very much in my favor.
Earlier this year, I decided to go all in when this card surfaced at auction. Beyond having coveted a copy for years, this particular example checked every box and gave me the confidence to bid aggressively. For starters, the patch features a striking four-color section of the Capitals’ shoulder logo, specifically the lower half of the “CA” in CAPITALS, along with the left crossed hockey stick. The detail and eye appeal are exceptional, and—importantly—the patch is confirmed as game-used on the back of the card, a rarity among Ovechkin’s rookie issues.
The hard-signed autograph remains fully intact, which is especially notable given the well-documented manufacturing issues with 2005–06 Limited Logos. The glossy finish used at the time often led to bubbling and flaking signatures over the years. The strong SGC 8.5 grade was a welcome bonus.
This card sparked a meaningful restructuring of my collection, as I consolidated parts of my 2005–06 PC to focus on personal grails from the same season—Limited Logos chief among them. To acquire this card in the same year Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer and the first player to reach the 900-goal milestone made it a year in the hobby I’ll never forget.
That concludes my Top 10 of 2025 countdown. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and—of course—a Happy New Year!
