It's hard to put into words how much Bee Hive photos meant to hockey-crazed Canadian youth in the postwar era. Young Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull were big-time collectors long before their careers begin, and perhaps more than any card issue of the time, Bee Hive's mail-redemption photo inspired legions of boys to dream of making it to the pros. St. Lawrence Starch Company created the ingenious promotion to market their Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup. A recent book, The Golden Years: Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup Hockey Picture Promotion 1934-68, was written by two Society for International Hockey Research members and tells you everything you could possibly want to know about Bee Hive history. Offered here is a treasure trove of Groups II (1947-1964) and III (1964-1968) with numerous Hall of Famers. Condition averages EX-MT overall.
Group II (140): Al Arbour (#150 Detroit Red Wings), Al MacNeil, Alan Stanley, Albert Langlois, Alex Delvecchio, Alex Faulkner, Allan Johnson, Alvin McDonald, Andre Pronovost, Andy Bathgate, Andy Hebenton, Bernard Geoffrion, Bert Olmstead, Bill Gadsby, Bill Hay, Bill Hicke, Billy Harris, Bob Armstrong, Bob Baun, Bob Nevin, Bob Perreault, Bob Pulford, Bob Rousseau, Bob Turner, Bobby Hull (#16 on jersey), Brian Cullen, Bruce Gamble, Bruce MacGregor, Camille Henry, Carl Brewer, Cesare Maniago (2), Charlie Burns, Charlie Hodge, Chico Maki, Claude Provost, Cliff Pennington, Danny Lewicki, Dave Balon, Dave Keon, Dean Prentice, Dick Duff, Dick Moore, Dollard St. Laurent, Don Head, Don Marshall, Don McKenney, Don Simmons (card name should be #66A Norm Defelice), Doug Harvey, Doug Mohns, Earl Balfour, Earl Ingarfield, Ed Chadwick, Eddie Litzenberger, Eddie Shack, Elmer Vasko, Eric Nesterenko, Fern Flaman, Forbes Kennedy, Frank Mahovlich, Fred Glover, Gary Edmundson, Red Sullivan, George Armstrong (light background card), Gerry Ehman, Gerry Odrowski, Gilles Tremblay, Glen Hall, Gordie Howe (#178A Detroit Red Wings), Gordon LaBossiere, Gump Worsley, Guy Gendron, Hank Bassen, Harry Howell, Harry Lumley, Howie Glover, Howie Young, Ian Cushenan, Jack Evans, Jack McCartan, Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau, Jean Guy Talbot, Jean-Claude Tremblay, Jerry Melnyk (name should be Gerry), Jerry Toppazzini, Jim Mikol, John MacMillan, John Ratelle (first name should be Jean), John Wilson, Johnny Bower, Johnny Bucyk, Ken Schinkel, Ken Wharram, Kent Douglas, Larry Cahan, Larry Hillman, Larry Popein, Larry Regan, Len Lunde, Leo Boivin, Leo Labine, Lou Fontinato, Marcel Bonin, Marcel Pronovost, Maurice Richard (2, #284 Montreal Canadiens), Murray Oliver, Murray Balfour, Norm Ullman, Parker MacDonald, Pat Stapleton, Peter Goegan, Phil Goyette, Pierre Pilote, Rocket Richard, Ralph Backstrom, Red Berenson, Red Kelly, Reg Fleming, Richard Meissner (2), Rod Gilbert, Ron Murphy, Ron Stewart, Rudy Horvath, Stan Mikita, Ted Hampson, Ted Kennedy, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, Tod Sloan, Tom Johnson, Turk Broda, Val Fonteyne, Vic Stasiuk, Warren Godfrey, Wayne Connelly, Willy O'Ree (#53 Boston Bruins).
Group III (43): Arnie Brown, Bernard Parent, Bob Dillabough, Bob Leiter, Bob McCord, Bobby Hull, Claude Larose (reverse negative), Dennis DeJordy, Dennis Hull, Doug Barkley, Ed Johnston, Ed Westfall, Eddie Joyal, Floyd Smith (home sweater/reverse negative), Gary Bergman, Gary Dornhoefer, Jacques Laperriere, Jim Neilson, Jim Pappin, Jim Roberts, John Ferguson, Johnny McKenzie, Larry Jeffrey (away sweater), Lou Angotti, Marcel Paille, Matt Ravlich, Murray Hall, Orland Kurtenbach, Paul Henderson, Peter Stemkowski, Phil Esposito, Pit Martin, Rod Seiling, Roger Crozier, Ron Ellis, Ron Schock, Ted Green, Ted Harris, Terry Harper, Tom Williams, Vic Hadfield, Wayne Hillman, Yvan Cournoyer.