1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Bill Collins #265 Detroit Red Wings EX-MT 6

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Bill Collins #265 Detroit Red Wings EX-MT 6 Few issues capture the bilingual charm of Canadian hockey collecting quite like the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee series, and this bright Detroit Red Wings single of Bill Collins is a wonderful entry point for anyone building the set. The design is pure early seventies joy, with a saturated green backdrop, vertical team lettering running down the left border, and that cheerful yellow name banner that makes every card pop off the page. Collins is shown in his road white uniform, stick in hand and leaning into the frame, while the circular winged wheel logo anchors the lower right corner. For collectors who chase the Canadian printed sibling of the American Topps issue, the O-Pee-Chee version is always the more desirable cousin thanks to its smaller print run and its wonderfully bilingual storytelling on the reverse. Bill Collins arrived in Detroit through one of the most famous transactions in hockey history, the January 1971 deal that sent superstar Frank Mahovlich to Montreal, and the card back proudly notes that heritage for any collector who flips the card over. A native of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, Collins earned his living as a relentless penalty killer and trustworthy checker who could slide between any of the forward positions, the kind of glue player every bench needs and every coach adores. His printed career record traces his route from the Minnesota North Stars to the Red Wings, and after his playing days he remained around the game for decades as a coach, adding a quiet second chapter of hobby appeal to his vintage cardboard. this example presents with impressively sharp corners for a card that is more than fifty years old, showing only faint softness at the lower right tip, clean edges with no meaningful chipping, a glossy surface free of creases or wrinkles, and centering that sits just a touch toward the left border yet remains comfortably within excellent to mint tolerance. The reverse confirms the Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back rather than a puzzle back, with crisp English and French text, warm cream toning that is even and attractive, and only trivial perimeter wear. Because O-Pee-Chee stock from this era typically shows rough cuts and print debris, and because I grade conservatively to protect buyers, this card earns an honest EX-MT 6 estimate instead of an optimistic mint call, giving you a card that photographs beautifully and prices fairly. Whether you collect Red Wings team sets, Ontario born players, or veterans of the Mahovlich era, this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Bill Collins #265 is a clean, affordable, and genuinely attractive addition to the collection. Grade Estimate: EX-MT 6