The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hockey Cards. 10th ed.

Al Stray is manager of the Port Credit Public Library.

Charlton’s 10th edition includes a “full listing from 1879” of
hockey cards, “complete with alphabetical index and updated pricing
through 2000.” The book includes all known mainstream cards issued,
encompassing NHL, WHL, and minor leagues, as well as junior and college
leagues. One of the most valuable players to ever wear a jersey for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, defenceman Tim Horton, has 65 cards listed in the
catalogue.

Each of the seven chapters is organized alphabetically by team and then
chronologically by date of issue. A history of the hockey card is
provided in the introduction. The first hockey cards, we learn, were
distributed in cigarette packages starting in 1910. By the 1920s, food
and candy manufacturers were involved in similar arrangements. Readers
also are provided with consumer advice through tips on buying and
selling cards, card care, grading cards, and avoiding fraud.

Hundreds of faded black-and-white photos of hockey cards complement the
informative text.