As hard as it is to believe today, there was a time when Wayne Gretzky was a budding hockey prospect ready to embark on a journey which would take him to the highest places in sport itself. A skinny teenager with incredible skill that had grizzled fans and pundits spouting off doubt and insults, he already had a year of pro experience under his belt when the Edmonton Oilers … [Read more...] about Becoming The Great One: Remembering Wayne Gretzky’s Earliest Collectibles
1979-80 Topps Hockey
1 of 2 PSA 10 Gretzky Rookie Cards Expected to Bring Seven-Figure Price
One of just two copies of Wayne Gretzky’s 1979-80 Topps rookie card to be awarded a PSA 10 grade will be on the market later this month. Heritage Auctions will offer one of them in its Summer Platinum Night Auction and it’s expected to sell for a record price. Overall, Gretzky’s rookie card isn’t rare. PSA alone has graded about 8,600 of them in the past 20 years. In … [Read more...] about 1 of 2 PSA 10 Gretzky Rookie Cards Expected to Bring Seven-Figure Price
Wayne Gretzky Rookie Cards: A History
The year was 1979. Back when you bought wax packs of hockey cards along with a piece of really bad bubble gum. Back when most of the people who bought hockey cards were kids, and the cards were more likely to be played with than carefully preserved. Even those rare collectors who understood the potential value of collectible cards turned their collective eyes to baseball. Who … [Read more...] about Wayne Gretzky Rookie Cards: A History
Gretzky Rookie Card Sells for $1.29 Million
A1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA has broken its own record as the most valuable hockey card ever sold. Heritage Auctions sold one of the two copies of the card for $1.29 million early Friday morning. The card last sold in 2016 for $465,000. Part of an auction of over 3,700 lots of sports cards and memorabilia playing out … [Read more...] about Gretzky Rookie Card Sells for $1.29 Million
The Cardboard Legacy of Gordie Howe’s Goodbye Goal
Gordie Howe's final days as an NHL player saw the 52-year-old legend in a Hartford Whalers uniform and his last goal came 40 years ago this week. This monumental moment was not properly covered in the next season's hockey card sets, but there are still options out there for collectors to relive the end day of an incredible career.Gordie was already by far the NHL's all-time … [Read more...] about The Cardboard Legacy of Gordie Howe’s Goodbye Goal
Whale of a Tale: Program Confirms Date of Hockey Card Photos
Heading into the 1979-80 season, the game of hockey was undergoing tremendous change. Four clubs from the World Hockey Association (WHA) were being absorbed into the National Hockey League and as a result, hockey card manufacturer O-Pee-Chee had to call in some quick favors while making its set for that year. Joining the NHL at the time were the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec … [Read more...] about Whale of a Tale: Program Confirms Date of Hockey Card Photos
1979-80 Topps Hockey Ushered In New Era
It was the first Topps hockey card set to feature The Great One, and the final one to include Mr. Hockey. In some ways, the 1979-80 Topps set ushered in the modern era of National Hockey League cards. Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card (No. 18) is the key card in the set, and the 264-card product is the final main run appearance of Gordie Howe (No. 175). Even the design signaled … [Read more...] about 1979-80 Topps Hockey Ushered In New Era