Beckett Hockey Collector - Lighting the Lamp Again and Again

I have been reading, and collecting, this magazine since Wayne Gretzky graced the cover of the first issue. I have been a big hockey fan for a number of years and a hockey card collector for almost as many. I even got my license and became a dealer for awhile in the early to mid 90s. While there have been several changes in the format in the one hundred thirty issues, the magazine has maintained its position as the hobby leader.

Photography and Art
The photography and artwork used on the covers and in the magazine is absolutely stunning. A photograph of a currently hot player generally provides the background for the cover. Unfortunately, one of the changes they have made throughout the years has meant the downfall of the artist rendering that formerly graced the inside covers. In some of the older issues you can still find the Artist’s Gallery, where they would devote a spread to works of art that readers had created and sent in photos of. If you ever hear of this section being in the current issue, it is well worth the price of the magazine if you like hockey art.

FEATURES

The Price Guide
As much as this is a magazine about hockey, it is first and foremost a price guide. Beckett proclaims itself “The Hobby’s Most Reliable and Relied Upon Source.” It has gained this popularity by being the most accurate price guide on the market. They do extensive research on a monthly basis to ensure that accuracy. The price guide is arranged by year and then sorted alphabetically by brand. The following is listed for each set: Complete set, factory set (if there is one), semi-stars/goalies, commons, where the insert cards can be found and their odds of being found in a pack, and the individual cards that are more than a common. In addition to the breakdown that they have, they list both a low and a high price, showing the range that the cards should be able to be found in.

Recently Beckett has started to respond to some of the newer trends in the market. First they added minor league sets to the price listing. Later they added graded cards, a very popular, and pricey, trend in the hobby. Another aspect of the hobby that has been gaining momentum and Beckett finally responded to is the Starting Line-up collectibles. They made their way into the price guide just last year. Beckett has shown a great ability to adapt to new trends in the hobby in this section and should be poised for whatever comes next.

Featured Articles
Beckett has some of the best articles about hockey around. They seem to find writers with an uncanny ability to capture the essence of the individual and tie it to the hobby at the same time. The articles are well written and timely. Mario’s return was well covered as was his retirement and that of another legend who recently retired, Ray Bourque. They were able to capture the raw emotion of a forty year-old man weeping as he hefted a silver cup over his head. If you are a hockey fan, you are weeping right along with him. While the featured articles are not the selling point of the magazine, they do add a good value to your purchase.

Reader’s Write
This has long been one of my favorite parts of this magazine. In this section the editors respond to reader’s questions about all aspects of the hobby. They tackle all sorts of questions from prices for variations of cards to current hobby trends. The best part about it is that they talk on a level with the reader, not in the condescending manner than many letters to the editor are handled with. They also seem to enjoy a very good relationship with the card manufacturers and are able to get a lot of information directly from them for the readers.

Show Schedules
Beckett generally only prints the show schedules in their Baseball version of the magazine. However, since hockey is such a unique sport and has many fans that collect only hockey and not all types of sports, Beckett caters to these fans with a Hockey Show Calendar. To qualify to be listed in this magazine, the show must have something that makes it uniquely hockey related. The usual way in is to have a hockey player or former player signing memorabilia at the show. This is a nice touch, especially for those collectors north of the border that aren’t all that interested in the other major sports.

Short Prints
Short Prints is basically a section of short features. Entertaining and useful, they take up only a portion of a page. One of my favorite Short Prints is the By the Box section. In these articles the author has purchased a random box of a current item and opens it. They then list a breakdown of what they found in the box. This provides the reader with valuable information such as collation (how well the cards are mixed - good collation means that you get few doubles) and expected versus actual insert rates. Some of the other Short Print Features include: Junior Gems, highlighting a junior player who is likely to be a future NHL star, the Bargain Bin, highlighting a card or cards that can be found of a popular player at a reasonable price. They also feature a Little Shop of Honors, honoring a local shop that is helping contribute to the hobby in some special way. Last, C-Note: readers are encouraged to write in and tell what cards they would purchase with an imaginary C-Note. Selected lists appear in the magazine and of those that appear a randomly selected winner at the end of the year wins a C-Note ($100) to spend on any hobby item(s) they choose.

Changes
Having read the magazine since its inception I have seen them adapt to a changing market. Beckett has never shied away from change. The whole premise of a monthly price guide is that prices change on a regular basis so they needed something more than an annual guide. Some of the changes have been for the better, such as the additions. Others have barely been noticed. The section on misprints disappeared with barely a whimper as that aspect of the hobby came and went fairly quickly. Still other changes have been necessary but unwanted. The decision to accept advertising is just such a change. Business needs dictated an increase in revenue, it meant accepting advertising or raising the cost to the end users. Beckett made the better decision for the pricing of their magazine. Unfortunately it meant the demise of the fantastic artwork that used to fill the inside covers and of some of the content as the space was now filled with ads. Beckett has even taken the step of changing their name. Changing from Beckett Hockey Card Monthly (with the emphasis on Beckett) to Beckett Hockey Collector (shifting the emphasis to Hockey). By doing this they recognized that their niche had changed and that more of the hobby needed to be addressed. Beckett will surely be ready to adapt to any future changes needed to maintain its role as the industry leader.

Wrapping it Up
Beckett Hockey Collector magazine is a must for the serious hockey collector. It is filled with great articles, the best price guide available and eye-catching photography. Since dealers often use this magazine for pricing their cards, it will come in handy to anyone wishing to make a hockey memorabilia purchase. For the casual fan, there are great articles and the price guide can be used to see who is truly hot in the eyes of the fans. This can sometimes allow the casual fan a glimpse of the future! I would recommend this magazine to every hockey fan out there.