McDermid Brothers founders of O-Pee-Chee gum and trading cards
On a walk through Woodland Cemetery in London, Ontario, with my Mario Lemieux hockey card in hand, I visited the graves of brothers John McKinnon (J.K.) and Duncan Hugh (D.H.) McDermid—the founders of Gipsy Gum, a company that would later become famous for producing the iconic Canadian sports trading cards known as O-Pee-Chee. These cards, named after an Ojibwe word meaning “robin,” became a cherished part of childhood for generations of Canadian boys and girls.
McDermid brothers buried next to each other.
Before founding O-Pee-Chee, the McDermid brothers worked for C.R. Somerville at a gum and box manufacturing plant in London. In 1910, they purchased the box division of the firm, operating it as Somerville Paper Box Limited.
I went from Woodland Cemetery to the original O-Pee-Chee building.
In 1911, the brothers launched Gipsy Gum, the company’s first major product following the acquisition. Sold in simple paper wrappers for one cent, Gipsy Gum proved to be a success. Its popularity allowed the McDermids to transition from box manufacturing back into the confectionery business they had previously managed for the Somerville family.
By 1921, the McDermids were still using the Gipsy Gum name and branding, but they officially renamed the business The O-Pee-Chee Company Limited, adding Thrill Gum to their product line. During the 1930s, they introduced what would become their most enduring legacy: trading cards.
The Great Depression posed serious challenges, and O-Pee-Chee was operating at a loss. Seeking a creative way to entice consumers—especially children—to choose their gum over competitors, the brothers began including trading cards as a novelty item with their gum.
O-Pee-Chee’s earliest card set was a hockey series released for the 1933–34 NHL season, followed by baseball cards the following year. These cards quickly became beloved across the country to this day.
Though the trading cards are now produced under new ownership, O-Pee-Chee remains an enduring symbol of Canadian childhood, sport, and history—a legacy that began with two brothers, a stick of gum, and a clever idea during hard times.
A 1979-80 Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee card sold in 2021 for US$3.75 million and a sealed case of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards, potentially containing numerous Wayne Gretzky rookie cards set a record in December 2024, selling for US$2.52 million.
John MacKinnon McDermid died in London, Ontario in 1945, he was 79.
Duncan Hugh McDermid died in London, Ontario in 1942, he was 77.
