1970 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Shaw #87 Grey Cup Champion Calgary Stampeders VG 3

Description

1970 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Shaw #87 Grey Cup Champion Calgary Stampeders VG 3 A second example of the set's most kinetic image, this 1970 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Shaw #87 gives collectors the chance to own the Calgary Stampeders offensive end in full throwing motion at a working-man's grade, perfect for a team set builder who wants the image without the premium price. Shaw coils into his follow-through with the empty bowl of McMahon Stadium rising behind him and the CKXL Boosters Club sign marking the era, while the riding horse logo and crisp name plate below complete the classic 1970 O-Pee-Chee presentation. Anyone assembling the Stampeders team set will welcome a 1970 O-Pee-Chee Gerry Shaw #87 at this accessible level, because the pose is one of the few true action shots in the entire series. The 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL series from O-Pee-Chee of London, Ontario remains a cornerstone of Canadian collecting thanks to its black backs, lime green cartoon panels and bilingual English and French typography, and this card carries a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back. The cartoon celebrates Shaw's 36 receptions in 1967, the season that established him as a proven CFL star according to the card's own bio, and his reliable hands and blocking kept him in the lineup through the Stampeders' greatest era, including the 1968 Grey Cup win, the mud-soaked 1970 final loss to Montreal and the 1971 championship season whose roster lists Shaw among the champions. Shaw's Washington State background placed him among the wave of American-trained players who raised the CFL's technical standard in the 1960s, and his versatility as an offensive end who could block and catch made him a coach's favorite in Calgary's balanced attack. For modern collectors his card doubles as a time capsule of McMahon Stadium's original configuration, with the light towers, the exposed concrete bowl and the radio-station booster signage all visible behind him, details that static portrait cards simply cannot offer. Duplicate examples like this one also matter to set builders because the 1970 series is condition-sensitive, and a lower-grade copy lets a collector slot the card now and upgrade later without breaking the budget. the front shows a faint surface scuff trailing across the middle of the photograph plus corner wear at the bottom left tip where the white paper shows through, and the borders carry light dulling from handling. Centering remains acceptable at approximately 55/45 left to right with a slightly larger bottom margin, while the reverse tells the grading story more bluntly because the black background exposes pronounced edge chipping along one long border and fraying at a single corner, along with scattered light scuffing across the dark field. No creases or writing are visible, and the structural integrity of the card remains sound with no bends or folds. The conservative estimate below reflects the heavier edge wear and the surface scuff, placing this copy honestly in mid-grade collector territory. Grade Estimate: VG 3