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BOBBY ORR Hockey Card Collecting



 


How To Spot A Fake Bobby Orr 1966 Topps Rookie Card

 

The Bobby Orr RC is definitely the hardest counterfeit to spot, as there are many different variations and very minor imperfections compared to the authentic RC. 

On one batch of reprints there is a circle interupting the grid lines on the back of the card, underneath the 1965-66 text.  Other reprints will show the traditional dotted black lines, although it is not as blatant as other reprint cards.  Another area of the card you can look at for counterfeit detection is the “Bobby Orr” on the front of the card.  If the yellow text is not solid, but shows some red dots in the background, I would question the authenticity.  Overall be very careful when buying this card, it is very easy to overlook authenticity issues.

 

 

 


Even Harder To Find Than A Rookie Card

 

Even more elusive for collectors is a Topps Test version of the Orr rookie.
Part of a rare 66-card, U.S. test set reportedly introduced in California, this Orr single was printed in limited quantities (some reports have the production run as low as 100 sets).


The design is similar to that of the regular 1966-67 Topps set. The only differences are that the borders on the test cards are a lighter shade and the information on the back is in English only. Like several other singles in the test issue, the Orr is hampered by a white stripe on the right side of the front of the card. Experts say that this white stripe is an indication of authenticity. Counterfeit Orrs reportedly exist without the stripe.


According to the records and the bottoms of the boxes, it is believed this test set was released during the 1967-68 campaign.  Regardless of when it was released, the Orr test rookie is very rare.

 

 

 


The Next Hardest To Find After A Rookie Card

 

Another card that's difficult for collectors to track down in flawless form is Orr's 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee card (#2). This single is the third card in the bottom row of the 1st-Series sheet.


It's miscut on the left side and on the bottom of the card. On the bottom left corner, there's excess cardboard and there are centering problems.
The 1968-69 Orr #2 is notoriously difficult to find in high-grade condition because of its poor centering.


Because of the number of the card, it was at the top of the deck.  The cards at the top received more abuse than the ones in the middle.

 

 

 


More Hard Items To Find In Good Condition

The toughest part about collecting some of the early Orr cards is finding all of the scarce oddball and insert cards and stamps. 


These had smaller production numbers than the regular issue Topps and O-Pee-Chee cards, and because many of these were stamps, they were often taped or glued into collector books.


The 1969-1970 O-Pee-Chee double stamp is one such item.  The double stamp is, by far, the hardest item to find.
One of 22 pairs of stamps distributed in 1st-Series packs of 1969-1970 O-Pee-Chee cards, Orr was issued in tandem with Minnesota North Stars forward Ray Cullen.


Finding a double stamp that hasn't been torn apart, that hasn't been stuck anywhere, is very difficult. People would pull them apart and stick them on the back of the cards.




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