1979 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card is Headed for a New Record Sale
If you take a look at the highest card gross sales for hockey, they’re all going to have one factor in frequent: Wayne Gretzky.
The 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card It is some of the iconic playing cards in historical past, no matter sport. There are two copies of the Gretzky rookie graded PSA 10 which were bought a few instances in latest historical past, however none for greater than the March 2021 sale of $3.75 million.
Wayne Gretzky Releases | Card Ladder
There’s a new public sale that is trying to set a document of it is personal.
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Top PSA 9 Sales for 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card
So the million-dollar card gross sales in hockey are restricted to the PSA 10 copies of Gretzky’s document card, however there are solely two. According to the PSA Population Report, there are 95 PSA 9’swith the highest sale being $265,200. There are a few gross sales throughout that $265k mark, because it appears to have settled on that because the ceiling.
That was till a PSA 9 with an in-person autograph surfaced within the newest Fanatics Collect May Premier Auction.
The PSA 9 with an auto is the one one among its sort. With over 24 hours to go, the newest bid is $400,000, together with the customer’s premium. It would make it the costliest PSA 9 sale and the best autographed model of the Gretzky rookie. In truth, there are 847 PSA 8’s and solely 7 have been graded with an auto.
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The energy of the auto supplies shortage to an asset that is already tremendous scarce.
The query now is, how excessive will it go?
How the PSA 9 Gretzky Rookie (With Auto) Compares to Other Top NHL Sales
The high PSA 9 sale for a Gretzky rookie at $265,200 was already larger than a number of the best gamers of all time ever achieved. Sidney Crosby’s high sale is $210,000. Meanwhile, latest NHL up-and-comers like Nathan MacKinnon ($29,283), Austin Matthews ($55,200), Macklin Celebrini ($85,400), and Connor Bedard ($123,220) all fell wanting their high card reaching the PSA 9 sale for Gretzky.
1966 Bobby Orr Rookie Card | Card Ladder
Only a few playing cards have ever topped the PSA 9 sale for Gretzky. The earlier document holder was a 1966 Topps Bobby Orr Rookie Card graded BVG Pristine 10, which bought for $276,000 in February of 2021. It was the second-highest hockey sale behind the PSA 10 Gretzky’s ever till 2025.
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Twice within the matter of a few months, the Bobby Orr Rookie Card was completed. This BGS 8 Alex Ovechkin The Cup Gold Rainbow Rookie Patch Auto /8 bought for $381,000 as The Great Eight was chasing the NHL’s all-time goal record in March of 2025. The sale that topped that, and the present No. 2 sale ever for a hockey card, is Connor McDavid’s 2015 Upper Deck The Cup Rookie Patch Auto /99 in a PSA 10 that sold for $405,000 in December of 2025.
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Now the Gretzky PSA 9 with a automotive is inside hanging distance of the Conor McDavid sells at $400,000 with 24 hours to go. There are some large McDavid’s that have not modified fingers publicly that ought to put up a larger quantity than the $405,000.
Meanwhile, each time the subsequent large McDavid hits public sale, we all know it can have its sights set on this Gretzky Auto.
This article was initially printed on www.si.com/collectibles as 1979 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card is Headed for a New Record Sale.
