Lot # 12: 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie PSA 9 MINT

Category: Hockey

Starting Bid: $25,000.00

Bids: 40 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring 2021 Rarities Auction",
which ran from 2/27/2021 10:00 AM to
3/20/2021 7:00 PM




(LOT 12)
1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie PSA 9 MINT

There are a handful of standout athletes that stand tall as the best at their respective sports with some of those including Babe Ruth in baseball, Michael Jordan in basketball, Pele in Soccer, Muhammad Ali in boxing, Secretariat in horse racing and none other than Wayne Gretzky in hockey. True, while some enthusiasts still cite Bobby Orr as hockey's finest "peak value" player, Wayne Gretzky's seemingly infinite number of records leave little room for argument. Amazing as it may seem, "The Great One" holds 61 "official" hockey records…61 records…including the most lifetime goals (894), assists (1,963) and total points (2,857), with Gretzky's closest competitor nearly 1,000 points behind! This remarkable disparity has never been realized in any sport, with Gretzky also accumulating single season records as well (92 goals; 163 assists; 215 points). Yet one of his most miraculous feats was achieved between the 1981 and '85 seasons whereby Gretzky tallied 1,036 points in a five season stretch, netting over 200 points four of those seasons and averaging 207 points per season!

Over his 20 NHL seasons, he won four Stanley Cups (w/Edmonton), and accumulated an amazing 9 Hart MVP Awards including 8 consecutive MVPs between 1980 and 1987 which stands as an all-time record for all North American Professional Sports. While we can probably cover half this catalog with Gretzky's hockey achievements, the aforementioned records leave virtually zero doubt as to his "king of the ice" stature, synonymous with this miraculous PSA MINT 9 Rookie card. Every technical quality contributes towards the well-earned assessment including a pristine skating image of the "Great One" that exhibits the finest possible resolution and vibrant hues, encompassed by the breathtaking and flawless blue bordered hues. Virtually perfect centering, pinpoint corners, razor sharp edging and gleaming surfaces complete this magnificent cardboard jewel that easily merits its hallowed MINT grade.

It is no secret that extremely "low pop" iconic sports cards are achieving staggering figures, with no end to this tsunami-like pricing point escalation seemingly in sight. Gretzky '9's" are already part of that pricing surge, breaking records with each and every passing sale. "While a PSA MINT 9 fetched $84K in a December 2020 public auction, due to the on-going rising market prices for iconic rookie cards (e.g., a PSA 10 Jordan Fleer rookie card recently realizing $738K), we would highly expect the "Mint 9" Gretzky rookie to follow suit and bolt past the six-figure mark"!

MIN BID $25,000
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