A Wayne Gretzky rookie card has sold for US$465,000 鈥� about $612,000 鈥� smashing the previous record for the most expensive hockey card ever sold.
The previous record was set by a copy of the same 1979 O-Pee-Chee card, which shows an 18-year-old #99 in an Edmonton Oilers jersey. That card sold for US$94,000 in 2011.
The copy that sold Thursday was in better condition, however. In fact, it was the only copy of the card ever graded a 10 out of 10 by a company that examined about 3,500 copies.
Ken Goldin, whose Goldin Auctions sold the card in Atlantic City, N.J. on Thursday, told 麻豆传媒 Channel that the rookie card sold for so much because it is the 鈥渘umber one hockey card of all time, by far.鈥�
鈥淚t comes down to bragging rights between really rich people,鈥� he added. 鈥淥ne person wants to be able to say 鈥業 own the best and most desirable hockey card of all time.鈥�
Goldin called the amounts Gretzky memorabilia can fetch at auction "an extraordinary statement" about his popularity. After all, 鈥楾he Great One鈥� is only 55 years old. The card is just 36.
Goldin said 21 bids were placed for the card, but two individuals fought back and forth, placing several bids each before one of them gave up.
Goldin said he thinks the huge price will cause a lot of people to start digging up old hockey cards. 鈥淭his will usher in a new wave of exponential growth in value and collectability of all hockey cards,鈥� he said.
He added that Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe rookie cards are probably the next most valuable.
鈥淏obby Orr鈥檚 an unbelievable player, extremely popular,鈥� Goldin added. 鈥淚f you think about it, there were much fewer Bobby Orr cards produced in the 鈥�60s than Wayne Gretzky in 鈥�79.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press
