The National Sports Collectors Convention floor is always buzzing but in a quiet corner near PSA's booth on Thursday afternoon we spied one collector surrounded by opened packs of.... what? Was that really a 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey box? The one with Wayne Gretzky's most valuable rookie card potentially inside? The ones that usually sell for around $50,000 on … [Read more...]
1979-80 OPC Pack Break Yields Greatness
A Las Vegas collector turned $150 into a potentially nice payday--or the crown jewel of just about any hockey collection--Wednesday night. He bought a $150 spot in a 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey pack break conducted by Vintage Breaks and despite some relatively long odds, it was his spot in the 14-card break that came up when a Wayne Gretzky rookie card came up. "Thad" is … [Read more...]
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Box–Still Sealed–Coming to Auction
Unopened boxes of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee hockey don’t come to market very often. Those that still have the rudimentary but familiar piece of the company’s signature tape over the front lid are virtually non-existent. You knew there was a “but” coming, didn’t you? Collectors who’ve been searching for the whitest of vintage hockey wax white whales can stop looking. … [Read more...]
1951 Mantle Contact Proof Photo Tops Huggins & Scott Auction
He would become synonymous with the number 7, but for the first three months of Mickey Mantle's career, he wore a different digit on the back of his Yankee uniform. A one-of-a-kind contact proof image of the teenage star and his earliest big league uniform from the files of noted photographer Bill Jacobellis has sold at auction for $20,912. The 4x5 image carrying … [Read more...]
PSA 7 1952 Topps Mantle, Trout Glove Bring Bids in Goldin Auction
A PSA 7 near mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for $183,750 as Goldin Auctions closed out its Holiday Auction early Sunday morning. The card was part of Alan "Mr. Mint" Rosen's historic find of high numbers from the landmark set that took place 30 years ago. Prices for 1952 Mantle cards in all grades have skyrocketed in the last couple of years with prices … [Read more...]
O-Pee-Chee Gretzky Rookie Now Most Expensive Hockey Card
After the National Sports Collectors Convention closed Thursday evening, the action shifted to a hotel ballroom where bidders spent over $3.1 million on over 90 high-end sports cards and sports memorabilia with Goldin Auctions. As expected, the O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card PSA 10 established a new standard for hockey trading cards by selling for $465,000 -- … [Read more...]
Lone PSA 10 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky Rookie Card Set for Auction
The only O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card ever graded PSA GEM MT 10 will go on the auction block for the first time in five years this summer. Goldin Auctions will offer the card as part of its Premium Live Auction held during the National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City on August 4. The event will feature 100 lots of memorabilia, each valued at … [Read more...]
Celebrate Hockey’s Return With 10 Great Cards
Every sport has iconic collectible cards. Basketball has the 1986-87 Michael Jordan rookie. Baseball has the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and the T-206 Honus Wagner. Pro football has the 1935 Bronko Nagurski National Chicle card. Hockey is no different. As the puck drops for a new regular season, here is a look at 10 rare, interesting, landmark or simply fun hockey cards to … [Read more...]
Long Live the 80s: BGS 10 Jordan Rookie, ’79-80 OPC Hockey Box Drawing Big Bids
Those who remember the decade may protest calling it ‘vintage’ but some 1980s material could fetch prices more akin to ‘deceased legends’ at an upcoming auction. What some believe is the best Michael Jordan rookie card in the world joins a rare unopened, sealed box of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey cards in the Platinum Night event conducted by Heritage Auctions. Heritage … [Read more...]