This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2014
If there was any hockey card that could compare to the famed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in terms of importance, it would have to be the pasteboard appearance of "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe in the 1951 Parkhurst series. Like many other sports icons, the legend of Gordie Howe is virtually unbelievable! A rookie at age 18, Howe became one of the best players in the league by his third season. Anchoring the Detroit Red Wings for 24 seasons, Howe retired at age 42 as the leading scorer in NHL history. This is normally where the story ends, but not for Gordie Howe! Three years later, Howe decided to come out of retirement at age 45 and played seven (yes, seven!) more seasons in the WHA, winning two AVCO Cup Championships with Houston and the WHA MVP Award (later renamed the Gordie Howe Trophy) in 1973. In his final season, the Whalers rejoined the NHL and Howe scored 15 goals and 26 assists ... at the age of 51! We are proud to offer the 1951 Parkhurst Gordie Howe rookie card in NM PSA 7 condition, a rating that seems all too conservative given the absolute dead-on centering and above-grade condition of the lower corners. This is an extraordinary opportunity to acquire not just the cornerstone of the '51 Parkie set, but of the whole hockey card collecting world!