Who is the man in this card?
Another trading card has become a Holy Grail in the world of sports collectibles. And that was the Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee Base 18 card.
But before anything else, who was Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky, entitled “The Great One.” Many people consider him the best ice hockey player in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). Gretzky started skating at two and a half and learned hockey from his father. He was an all-star in beginner hockey with boys 10 and 11 years old when he was only six.
In 1977, he was the youngest player and the leading goal scorer at the Junior World Cup. Finally, Gretzky became pro for the 1978–79 season.
Gretzky led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup titles as a center and team captain. As a result, he possesses a bevy of records that are unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future.
Why is this one considered rare?
Even after retiring from the NHL, Wayne Gretzky remains considered one of the game’s all-time greats.
By honoring hockey’s best player, O-Pee-Chee (a Canadian confectionery company) popularized colored backgrounds and angular shapes on cards. It illustrated the hockey players wearing their complete uniforms and clutching their sticks.
One of their creation is Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee Base 18. It has a fussy blue border that is prone to chipping, so mint cards are expensive. Nevertheless, PSA has rated Gretzky’s rookie O-Pee-Chee card 7,298 times. Unfortunately, only two copies received a PSA 10 grade.
In dollars, how much is this card?
Heritage Auctions has sold a rare 1979 Wayne Gretzky rookie card in Gem Mint 10 condition for $3.75 million. It was breaking the record for the most expensive hockey card ever.
Last April 2021, the card price was $94,160 when it sold. The card’s worth has climbed by 3,882 percent in just over ten years, with a significant surge in the last year.
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