How to Become a Hockey Collector
Every collection starts the same way: one piece that means something. Maybe it's a jersey from a game you actually went to, a signed puck from a player you grew up watching, or the first cap you ever wore to a game. Whatever it was, it's the thing that made you start looking for the next piece. Here's how to build on it without losing the plot (or the closet space).
Pick a Focus First
The collectors with the most satisfying collections almost always have a theme, even a loose one. Some go by team: everything Canadiens, everything Leafs. Some go by era: the 80s dynasties, the Original Six years. Some go by player: one favorite, followed across every team and format they ever wore. A focus doesn't lock you in forever, but it gives you a reason to say yes to one piece and no to another, which is the difference between a collection and a pile.
Start Small and Build Out
You don't need a signed jersey to start. Trading cards, pins, and wearable collectibles are all real entry points, and they're a lot easier to store than game-worn equipment. A lot of long-time collectors say the same thing looking back: they wish they'd started with what they could actually afford, rather than waiting to "do it right" with a big first purchase. The collection grows either way. Starting small just means it starts sooner.
Know What You're Collecting
Not all memorabilia is the same, and it helps to know the difference before you buy:
- Game-worn or game-used: items actually used in an NHL game. Usually the most expensive category, and the hardest to verify without documentation.
- Autographed: signed by the player, on anything from a puck to a jersey to a photo. Value depends heavily on who signed it and how it was authenticated.
- Officially licensed replica or wearable: made under a real license (like the NHL Alumni Association license behind ZippyBack), rather than sourced from an actual game. This is where a lot of collectors start, since it's usually the most accessible price point while still being the real, licensed thing.
None of these is the "right" way to collect. They're just different categories with different price points, different care needs, and different reasons to want one.
Shop by Position with a Series Set
If you'd rather build a collection around a style of play than a single city or era, ZippyBack™ also offers series sets grouped by position: nine officially licensed players who all excelled at the same job on the ice.
Display It, Don't Just Store It
A collection boxed up in a closet stops being fun pretty fast. Shadow boxes, wall-mounted cap racks, and simple shelving all work, and the right display depends entirely on what you're collecting. Wearable pieces have an advantage here: they're built to be used, not just looked at, so part of "displaying" a cap collection is just wearing it to the next game.
Find Your Community
Some of the best parts of collecting have nothing to do with the objects themselves. Fan groups, trading threads, and local collector meetups are where people compare notes, swap pieces they've outgrown, and hear the stories behind other people's collections. A lot of collectors say this is what actually keeps them in the hobby long after the first piece stopped feeling new.
About ZippyBack
ZippyBack is a patented, serialized wearable collectible that snaps onto the strap or side of a cap, officially licensed by the NHL Alumni Association and minted in Canada. Wear it, collect it, showcase it, trade it, or gift it: a different era of hockey history for every ZippyBack you add to your collection. Browse the full collection to start (or build on) yours.
Every ZippyBack™ collectible you buy directly funds NHLAA health, wellness, and transition programs, real support for the men who gave everything to the game. The legends didn't stop mattering when the final whistle blew. Neither does your purchase. Be part of what keeps them supported.
