Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Canadian former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky is present for the game between Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Canadian former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky is present for the game between Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
A new Wayne Gretzky card sale once again showed why “The Great One” is still the biggest name in the hockey collectibles market. An autographed 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card sold for a whopping amount at Fanatics Collect’s May Premier Auction, setting a new record for the highest-priced autographed hockey card ever sold.
The autographed Wayne Gretzky rookie card, which sold for $540,000, received a PSA 9 grade for the card and a perfect PSA 10 grade for the autograph.
Several PSA 10 Gretzky rookie cards have sold for higher prices in the past, including $720,000, $1.2 million, $1.29 million, and the famous $3.75 million sale in 2021. But none of those cards had Gretzky’s autograph.
Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Canadian former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky (left) and Canadian former hockey player Paul Bissonette are present for the game between Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Canadian former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky (left) and Canadian former hockey player Paul Bissonette are present for the game between Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
According to Fanatics Collect vice president Kevin Lenane, the card is so rare that almost nobody can match it.
“I played hockey growing up, I collect a lot of vintage, and I’ve never seen one of these before — there’s just one,” Lenane told ESPN.
If you think that Sidney Crosby’s card is the most expensive one in the market, you are wrong. Wayne Gretzky is still far ahead of other NHL stars in the card market. Sidney Crosby’s most expensive card sold for about $210,000, which is much lower than Gretzky’s record.
Connor McDavid’s famous 2015 Upper Deck rookie card also sold for $405,000, but it still did not pass Gretzky’s signed rookie card.
This big gap shows how much Wayne Gretzky still means to hockey and sports card fans. Even many years after retirement, his success on the ice still makes his cards very valuable.
Wayne Gretzky Record Card Sale Raises the Bar for McDavid and Modern NHL Stars
Gretzky’s record card sale has also raised the bar for Connor McDavid and other modern NHL stars, making their cards more valuable in the market. Before this, a 1966 Bobby Orr rookie card graded BVG Pristine 10 was one of the biggest non-Gretzky sales, selling for $276,000 in 2021.
More recently, Alex Ovechkin’s The Cup Gold Rainbow Rookie Patch Auto /8 sold for $381,000 during his goal-scoring record chase. Connor McDavid later went higher when his 2015 rookie patch auto card sold for $405,000 in late 2025. Still, neither of them could beat Gretzky.
The $540,000 sale is now the second-highest hockey card sale ever, behind only Gretzky’s own PSA 10 rookie card record. It also shows that vintage Gretzky cards still hold a special place in the sports memorabilia market, even with modern stars like McDavid and Connor Bedard rising.
Read more at the NHL Fan Central
Written by
Kapil Manghnani