MONTREAL — Stained clothing, chipped vulcanized rubber and even false teeth.
Whatever the item, if it comes from the personal trove of a retired hockey star it can mean big money. Former pros are reaping cash returns by auctioning gear from their private collections.
Collectors and fans are shelling out more and more for pieces of hockey history — stirring up excitement that has ex-players digging into their own stashes to get in on the action.
This past week, dozens of items belonging to Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, including a pair of Stanley Cup rings, sold for a total of more than $60,000 through a Montreal-area auction house.
In the same sale, Classic Auctions also unloaded personal articles for former NHL all-star Vincent Damphousse and Czech hockey legend Vaclav Nedomansky — earning them around $25,000 each.
“If you won seven Stanley Cups, to sell two (rings) is not the end of the world — you still have five,” Classic Auctions president Marc Juteau said.
But what exactly inspires old pros to unload so much stuff? Some insist it’s simply about reclaiming their homes from the mountains of mementoes.
“I had a freaking garage full — I’m talking like a three-car garage,” Hall of Fame winger Luc Robitaille told The Canadian Press, referring to sports items he has accumulated over the years.
Robitaille hopes to sell part of his personal collection — including jerseys, pucks and a full-size hockey net — in June with the help of Classic Auctions.
He said he will put the money he raises into his foundation for troubled youth in Los Angeles.
Three-time Stanley Cup winner Rogie Vachon, who made about $75,000 for selling more than 30 items, had a similar dilemma.
“The problem is we have so many things that we keep over the years and every time you move to another house . . . things (the mementoes) get broken or you lose stuff,” Vachon said. “After a while, it’s just sitting there and you figure, ‘Well, maybe somebody will enjoy having it in their little trophy room.’ “
In November, Juteau sold game-worn, fake teeth from Canadiens great Yvan Cournoyer for nearly $1,400.
“I don’t want to say that more players want to sell their stuff, but I think the memorabilia market is definitely picking up,” said Juteau, who has been selling sports collectibles since the 1980s. “I think it’s a hot trend right now and there’s more people looking to invest.”
Business has also been good for collectors looking to sell treasures they picked up years ago. This week, an auction house brought in more than $55,000 for the puck Wayne Gretzky used in 1989 to notch career point No. 1,851 and pass Gordie Howe as the all-time NHL points leader.
Juteau’s company made nearly $1.3 million last year for the jersey Canadian Paul Henderson wore when he scored the 1972 Summit Series winner against Russia.
