Untouched Gretzky rookie cards anyone??

[lobo1969]

https://youtu.be/y679dshFa2k?si=rs6JmNRNMNYJDWS4

[Axeman33]

I saw this on the news last night. It's a gamble that there's even one Gretzky rookie card in those boxes, but there should be at least one, if not many. The problem is, you have to open them to find out.

I am lucky that my mom bought me a "hockey locker" to keep my cards in back then when I was a kid. I was 10 years old in Gretzky's rookie year and thankfully I had one of his cards kept in that hockey locker. It's in a much better case for protection now.

[RizzeeDizzee]

I've followed this since it came to light. Hard to believe this was forgotten about, but I suppose it can happen. Some have concern that the contents were validated by Baseball Card Exchange (BBCE), which (in)famously validated the case of First Edition Pokeman boxes that turned out to have GI Joe cards in them. Also, while all Gretzky's will indeed be untouched, and there should be nearly two dozen of them if indeed the contents are legit, there's still the issue of centering and the notoriously non-smooth edges. My guess is it gets bought by an entity that in turn sells fractional shares, then opens them.

[2014olympicgold]

If it wasn't hockey cards but baseball or football cards, I would say some streamer would buy them and create a video about it pretty much covering the cost of acquiring the cards.

But because it's hockey, you won't nearly get the same amount of clicks. Whatever it is, it's likely not worth what it'll go for in my eyes.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Whatever it is, it's likely not worth what it'll go for in my eyes.

Right now there are two PSA 10 Gretzky's that exist in the entire world, with one being sold - admittedly during the COVID boom - for $3.7M. So on the one hand you can say that if the case yields even one more PSA 10, then the buyer has hit pay dirt. But with each additional PSA 10 Gretzky, the lure of those that exists wanes somewhat, although it'd still likely remain enough of a white whale card that a seller could still expect huge money. Where this likely would have a bigger impact is in the price of PSA 9s, as out of over 10000 graded by PSA fewer than 100 PSA9s exist. I'd expect the case to yield perhaps up to a handful of PSA 9s, and that could skew things enough to likely soften the market.

[2014olympicgold]

Right now there are two PSA 10 Gretzky's that exist in the entire world, with one being sold - admittedly during the COVID boom - for $3.7M. So on the one hand you can say that if the case yields even one more PSA 10, then the buyer has hit pay dirt. But with each additional PSA 10 Gretzky, the lure of those that exists wanes somewhat, although it'd still likely remain enough of a white whale card that a seller could still expect huge money. Where this likely would have a bigger impact is in the price of PSA 9s, as out of over 10000 graded by PSA fewer than 100 PSA9s exist. I'd expect the case to yield perhaps up to a handful of PSA 9s, and that could skew things enough to likely soften the market.

Would adding cards to the existence lower everyone's value?

https://www.psacard.com/cardfacts/ho...retzky-18/2583

Looks like the most recent price is $1.29m. The avg value of the card is $12,855. So even if it's a Mint 9, it's "only" $130,000-$150,000. You're gambling on the Gretzky card being a Gem10. Which is about a 5-10% chance a fresh card has 0 imperfections from the print.

[SeaDawg]

If I was stupidly rich, I'd buy these cards just for the sheer excitement of opening them up to see what's inside. I wouldn't even care about making money (though I'd want to at least break even).

Not that spending money on hockey cards is a noble gesture, but in this hypothetical scenario in which I am stupidly rich, I'd like to believe that I also give millions to charity and that I'd promise to give all profit I make from re-selling the cards in the boxes to charity!

[RizzeeDizzee]

At first I figured this would be bought by an entity which would immediately sell all the boxes, as the pool of buyers for those is far broader. So you pay X, then sell the boxes to you net 1.5x, covering your taxes and fees and still making a nice chunk of change. But it's no secret that could be done, which in turn has me thinking the price for the case will be higher than expected. Either way, I suspect there is virtually a zero percent chance this will be kept as a case. These boxes will be sold; it's just a question of how soon and how many at once. If this wasn't hockey, I'd figure a company like WhatNot would be in on it, and then have huge, high profile box breaks. But hockey just isn't big enough for that.

[Invictus]

I opened a Wayne Gretzky rookie card in one of those packs I bought. Unfortunately it was a reprint one

[Pengwin7]

Mercy.
I checked out the internet on this last night.
Holy cow... unopened 79/80 O-Pee-Chee boxes... crazy.
What timing too... with inflation... great time to have these discovered.
What.a.rake!

I'd be curious if there are other gems in the 79/80 set.
(Don't feel like researching, but it would be cool to know what the 2nd-10th most coveted cards would be.)

1 case = 16 boxes
16 boxes x 48 packs/box
768 packs x 14 cards/pack
10,752 cards in total
/396 cards per set [Odds of a GretzkyRC in a pack = 3.535%]
~27 Gretzky Rookie Cards!!!

Gretzky is the #18 / 396.

[Man... I loved when packs had like 14 cards... I remember when I started collecting in 1983...ish... and the baseball/hockey had around 10 cards. That was nice. It got down to like 5-7 in recent years... I think. Ugh.]


Interesting Side Fact:
Card #15 is Walt Tkaczuk. (Some will know why I find this "fun")

[doulos]

Collectibles market has cooled a bit since covid craziness. A little unfortunate they didn't find it a couple years ago. Hopefully its legitimate. Will be interesting to see where it ends up. Risky gamble for someone at these prices.

[Pengwin7]

^Doesn't matter.
Market is probably up 1.5x-2x since 2020.
Those who had money/assets invested... have even more now.
Those'll be the people buying.
Plus... the "risk" here... is going to excite a certain group of collectors.
[Packs in a sealed box... that's the best opportunity towards a PSA10 that can possibly exist.]
Shit... might even be a PSA11!
[Point being... the NICEST GretzkyRC... in the history of collecting... is possibly... dare-we-fairly-say... "likely"... in there.]


It's going to be insane.
I think it goes above/beyond what anybody is even speculating.


Anybody reading what a re-offered single "pack" is going to go for?

[SeaDawg]

I'd be curious if there are other gems in the 79/80 set.
(Don't feel like researching, but it would be cool to know what the 2nd-10th most coveted cards would be.)

This is what I've been told/very quickly researched (all prices are PSA10s and top selling price):

Mike Bossy - $12,600
Gordie Howe - $1400
Bobby Hull - $1250

[Axeman33]

I've got the #15 Walt Tkachuk from that year too.

PXL_20240131_195702619.jpg


PXL_20240131_195907028.MP.jpg

My Gretzky rookie card is cut off center but she's crisp.

My collection from that Gretzky rookie year. Bobby Hull's, Gordie Howe's to name a few in there.

PXL_20240131_200129481.jpg

[Pengwin7]

Amazing Axe.
If I ever come across a badly damaged Gretzky RC... I'd probably buy it. $100 or so. Just legendary.


Additional to the rarity of the "perfect" Gretzky rookie card (RC)...
I wonder - if anywhere - there exists a game-used Gretzky WHA Oilers jersey.
In that final WHA year (when they had Gretzky) the logo had Oilers written in orange with the blue oil drop.
They inverted those colours when they came into the NHL.

So the "orange" logo on the blue jersey isn't something I'm used to seeing.
It always reminds me that the Gretzky rookie is a photo from a WHA season with the Oilers - which makes it even more special.

The detailed bottom of neck 'v' hem is also something that they had only for the WHA.
They shifted to more stand neckline for their first NHL season.



ps. Check out that single wrap of tape on the Koho 221!