The thread on the 74-75 set got me thinking about the 73-74 set, no doubt the homeliest hockey set of the 70's. The photography was bland, the design less than imaginative and the good folks at O Pee Chee couldn't make up their minds as to the color of the card backs.

I'm wondering how much of a premium, if any, there would be on the value of a set with all cards having the same colored backs? I was lucky enough to purchase a set that has all light colored backs, except for two of the checklists. Does anyone remember if individual packs came with a mixture of dark and light colored backs?

Good day John,

I have been collecting this set for the last 15 years, in the first
years at Sports Cards Show and recently in high PSA grade. Why this set?
Certainly not because of its eye appeal! It's probably for some, the
ugliest set ever printed. But it's the first year I was buying cards
at the corner store of my neighborhood.

73-74' OPC cards were printed on two different types of carton:

LB: Light Back
DB: Dark Back

Dark Back command a premium because a few collectors consider LB and DB
as two different cards AND the Dark Back carton has weaker physical
properties than the Ligh Back carton. There was way much more cards
printed on the Light carton sheet. I believe when they ran out of it,
they used Dark carton sheet although I would need confirmation on this
theory.

I do not collect the two version but I appreciate having a few DB in
my set. If I had a choice between a set made of LB vs DB in similar grade,
I would easely pay 50% more for the DB.


Have a nice day!

the dark backs are a lot tougher because they only came in the opc production packs.
the white backs also came in packs but was also used for vending boxes which a few hundred of these boxes was dicovered a few years back and all those vending boxes had the white back cards.
the dark back cards that came out of packs only are true cut sized cards,were as a lot of the white back vending cards were cut short many times from side to side or top to bottom.
it would be a lot tougher to put a dark back set together in high grade compared to a white back set.
also i am pretty sure the dark back cards were produced first and opc ran out of that paper stock and started using the white stock.
the second series cards are very tough to find with the dark back cards as thats when opc switched there card stock,so there is a ton of white colored back cards from the second series. but always look at the white back cards when buying them raw as they may be a little short in size.

I'll have to agree the 1973's aren't the most attractive, but they did have a few notables inc. the first fight card aka Phil Roberto, Barclay Plager giving it to the Ref. Tracy Pratt ~ interesting Red on Red ..... also (not pictured) Richard Martin #173 shows a really cool looking 3D style of picture.

Leafs program vs the Blues - does the front cover look familiar ??

I actually prefer it to the 1974 set. I upgraded the first series not that long ago and when that set is in a well-maintained state, I don't find it unattractive at all.

It just wears really really badly and looks ugly when it does.

I actually really like this condition sensitve set. I was lucky enough to put the complete set together from packs and trading back in 1973 and all dark backs.
Dan's info. is bang on with everything I have heard and learned of this set over the years. I purchased a few mint cards from a vending box a few years back and some cards are up to 3/32" short top and sides from the same box. But they were all stars cards and cheap.

Hi,

I had both dark and light back sets completed but have since sold one. Each series had many more printed of one back or the other. I cannot remember which is which. My experience was that Series 1 was easier to collect in light back and Series 2 easier to collect in dark back if I remember correctly. I could have them backwards but there was a definate difference in production. I looked through all my singles and it leads towards what I stated above.