Speaking just for myself it comes down to this...I've always enjoyed hockey, but there was never a source of hockey cards for me, or anyone who would have traded hockey in the neighborhood. So while I could catch an NHL game once in a while growing up on TV it wasn't until the Avs arrived in Colorado that I got an interest (and a nearby source for hockey cards) to get into the hobby.
So, while the players names are familiar from the years prior I never had enough attachment or opportunity to pursue the cards when they would have been more affordable. I'm sure I passed by many a box of "vintage" at yard sales in my youth...
