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The first goaltender to regularly wear a mask, Jacques Plante (1929-1986) has always been a top-rated investment when looking at his rookie cards.
He revolutionized the sport for future generations as an integral part of the mighty Montreal Canadiens team that won a record five successive Stanley Cups (1956–60).
Here’s a rundown of three of the best Jacques Plante rookie cards on the market right now, along with an outlook for the next few years.
Buy Jacques Plante Rookie Cards on eBay
There are several early 1950s Plante cards, but which ones are worth watching?
Here’s everything you need to know about some of his best early cards, while we’d always recommend options wrapped in a PSA sleeve.
1955 Jacques Plante Parkhurst RC #50
The undisputed king of Plante collectibles has to be the 1955 Parkhurst RC, which also has an interesting parallel.
Everything from the colored image to the red tab at the bottom causes it to pop compared to the drab alternatives, although that does lead to issues relating to the overall condition.
It features an illustrated likeness of the goaltender as he stretches to make a save.
In 1955-56, Quaker Oats issued a virtually identical set to the Parkhurst collection.
The only differences are the distinctive greenbacks and a Quaker Oats advertisement in place of the ‘Did You Know’ tip on the back of the card.
The Quaker Oats version is even rarer than the Parkhurst card.
1951 Jacques Plante Laval Dairy QSHL RC #92
The Quebec Senior Hockey League is where Plante found himself in 1951.
A reserved design sees a simple black-and-white profile photo set against a thick white border, with basic stats listed in French at the bottom in plain text.
You’ll also find a black reverse, which was fairly common then.)
As for the name, the set is commonly known as Laval Dairy, but research shows that it was produced by Bedard and Donaldson, Ltd.
“In any case, the set is a rarity, with gaps in the checklist, and few copies remaining in the present day.”
1952 Jacques Plante St. Lawrence Sales RC #1
The final card to make a list was released in 1952.
St. Lawrence Sales is another niche set compared to Parkhurst but contains another early Plante RC.
Once more, there’s a simple black-and-white profile photo of the player in full gear, with a plain background and no hard border.
The reverse contains the card number and a brief roundup of the player in French.
Investment Outlook
There’s no denying that “Jake the Snake” is an exciting player from an investment perspective.
He would often leave the net behind to intercept the puck, innovating with a style that shaped the careers of many future goaltenders.
Plante would also bark orders at his teammates, as he understood that he had the best view of the game from his position.
He has a unique story, while the Parkhurst RC is one of the best hockey cards from the decade.
As they’re from the 1950s, we’d opt for graded versions of any of the abovementioned options. However, they’re likely to be challenging to find at higher grades.
Take the ‘55 Parkhurst. The best grade is a PSA 8, and only 11 copies have earned the sleeve. The last sale for a PSA 8 copy was midway through 2021, as it went for $24,600.
The same grade sold for less than $9,000 in 2013, highlighting the potential for a decent ROI.