Gretzky Rookie Sets New Standard at $465K

The National Sports Collectors Convention served as the backdrop of a new standard for the Hobby, as a 1970 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie graded PSA 10 sold for a record $465,000 in Goldin Auctions' $3.1 million sale.

Author:
Tom Bartsch
Publish date:
Aug 8, 2016

It was a record-setting night at The National Sports Collector's Convention on April 4, as bidders both in the Atlantic City, N.J., hotel ballroom and online via www.GoldinAuctions.com spent more than $3.1 million on 90-plus items of sports memorabilia in the Goldin Auctions 2016 Premium Live Auction.

As expected, Lot #25 – the O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie graded PSA GEM MT 10 – established a new standard for hockey trading cards by selling for $465,000, which is more than five times the previous record of $94,000.

Not to be outdone, Lot #38 – Babe Ruth's 1935 contract with the Boston Braves – sold for a whopping $360,000. Other prices realized included:
• Lot #20 - Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC 86 NM+ 7.5 ($180,000)
• Lot #48 - Michel Jordan 1998 Chicago Bulls Playoff jersey ($168,000)
• Lot #12 - T206 Eddie Plank White Border PSA EX 5 ($102,000)
• Lot #22 - 1955 Sandy Koufax #123 Topps SGC MINT 9 ($96,000)
• Lot #42 - 1956 Stan Musial game-worn Cardinals jersey ($84,000)
• Lot #21 - 1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays SGC 96 MINT 9 ($74,400)
• Lot #15 - 1933 Goudey Baseball 24-card uncut sheet ($66,000)
• Lot #23 - 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente PSA NM-MT ($62,400)
• Lot #81 - 2011 NY Giants Super Bowl XLVI Player (Parker) Ring ($61,200)
• Lot #37 - Babe Ruth's Final "Farewell Letter" to Yankees owner Dan Topping ($60,000)
• Lot #4 - 1947 Ted Williams Triple Crown season game-used bat ($60,000).

"The National Sports Collector's Convention is the biggest event in the sports memorabilia industry, which makes our annual auction here truly special," said Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions. "With more than 200 people packing the room and hundreds more bidding via phone and online, it was an electric atmosphere. We thank all our bidders and consigners for their participation."

A handful of items that did not sell in the live auction will remain open for bidding, along with 1,500+ other lots of memorabilia, in the corresponding catalog auction through Aug.13 online at www.GoldinAuctions.com.