The 3 Holy Grails of Sports Cards CGC are Unveiling at Fanatics Fest

An early look at the three holy grails that CGC are unveiling at Fanatics Fest this year.

CGC Unveiling Gretzky and Mantle | CGC

When you think of Holy Grail's in the sports card market, a few names come to mind. Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle, Wayne Gretzky, Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson, to name a few. Now, thanks to CGC, three of those will be on display at CGC's booth at Fanatics Fest later this July.

While details are known about the Honus Wagner card, the grade and other details remain unknown, but more details will be available on July 9th.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Type 1 #311 Rookie Card

Mickey Mantle CGC 8 | CGC

The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 rookie card is one of the most iconic cards on the market, up there with the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card. High-grade copies are super rare across all of the grading companies.

PSA 10 Population: 3
PSA 9 Population: 6
PSA 8.5 Population: 5
PSA 8 Population: 35

SGC 9.5 Population: 1
SGC 9 Population: 2
SGC 8.5 Population: 2
SGC 8 Population: 4

BGS 8 Population: 1

Now add one from CGC to the mix as they unveiled one of their own and will be showcasing it at Fanatics Fest this season.

What could a seller be looking at as far as price? The BGS 8 has never been publicly sold. An SGC 8 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle last sold for $600,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2023. Meanwhile, a PSA 8 sold for $1.83M on June 20, 2026 at Goldin Auctions.

1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card

Wayne Gretzky CGC 10/Auto 10 | CGC

So this is the Topps version of the Gretzky rookie card, not the O-Pee-Chee, but the combination of the CGC 10, the autograph, and the autograph also getting a 10 from JSA makes this a one-of-a-kind piece.

PSA 10 Population: 1
PSA 9 Population: 127

BGS 9.5 Population: 4
BGS 9 Population: 25

SGC 9.5 Population: 1
SGC 9 Population: 7

The top sales of any 1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky cards with an autograph was a PSA 7/Auto 10 that sold for $17,093 in January of 2026 and then again in April of 2026 for $22,570.

Fanatics Fest Grail Showcase

CGC, the world's fastest-growing card grading company, is unveiling its CGC Graded Grail Showcase, featuring three legendary pieces of sports history that collectors rarely, if ever, have the chance to see together:

• The only authenticated Wayne Gretzky-signed 1979-80 Topps rookie card known to combine a CGC Gem Mint 10 card grade with an Auto 10 grade ("The Great Grade")
• A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Type 1 graded CGC 8, one of the hobby's most iconic and valuable post-war baseball cards
• A 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner, widely considered the Holy Grail of sports cards, authenticated and preserved by CGC.

The cards will be on public display at CGC Booth #137 during Fanatics Fest NYC (July 16–19) at the Javits Center, offering fans a museum-quality opportunity to experience some of the rarest pieces of sports history ever brought together.