1979 Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card is Headed for a New Record Sale
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If you look at the top card sales for hockey, they are all going to have one thing in common: Wayne Gretzky.
The 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card is one of the most iconic cards in history, regardless of sport. There are two copies of the Gretzky rookie graded PSA 10 that have sold a few times in recent history, but none for more than the March 2021 sale of $3.75 million.
There's a new auction that is looking to set a record of it's own.
Top PSA 9 Sales for 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card
So the million-dollar card sales in hockey are limited to the PSA 10 copies of Gretzky's record card, but there are only two. According to the PSA Population Report, there are 95 PSA 9's, with the top sale being $265,200. There are a few sales all around that $265k mark, as it looks to have settled on that as the ceiling.
That was until a PSA 9 with an in-person autograph surfaced in the latest Fanatics Collect May Premier Auction.
The PSA 9 with an auto is the only one of its kind. With over 24 hours to go, the latest bid is $400,000, including the buyer's premium. It would make it the most expensive PSA 9 sale and the highest autographed version of the Gretzky rookie. In fact, there are 847 PSA 8's and only 7 have been graded with an auto.
The power of the auto provides scarcity to an asset that is already super scarce.
The question now is, how high will it go?
How the PSA 9 Gretzky Rookie (With Auto) Compares to Other Top NHL Sales
The top PSA 9 sale for a Gretzky rookie at $265,200 was already higher than some of the greatest players of all time ever achieved. Sidney Crosby's top sale is $210,000. Meanwhile, recent NHL up-and-comers like Nathan MacKinnon ($29,283), Auston Matthews ($55,200), Macklin Celebrini ($85,400), and Connor Bedard ($123,220) all fell short of their top card reaching the PSA 9 sale for Gretzky.
Only a few cards have ever topped the PSA 9 sale for Gretzky. The previous record holder was a 1966 Topps Bobby Orr Rookie Card graded BVG Pristine 10, which sold for $ 276,000 in February of 2021. It was the second-highest hockey sale behind the PSA 10 Gretzky's ever until 2025.
Twice in the matter of a few months, the Bobby Orr Rookie Card was topped. This BGS 8 Alex Ovechkin The Cup Gold Rainbow Rookie Patch Auto /8 sold 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 current 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.
Now the Gretzky PSA 9 with an auto is within striking distance of the Conor McDavid sale at $400,000 with 24 hours to go. There are some big McDavid's that haven't changed hands publicly that should put up a higher number than the $405,000.
Meanwhile, whenever the next big McDavid hits auction, we know it will have its sights set on this Gretzky Auto.
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Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
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