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1979

Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee

1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey · #18

Hockey O-Pee-Chee
Version1 with data
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Market price
Insufficient
0 of 5 sales needed in 90 days
Last sale
$3,750,000
May 27, 2021 · Heritage Auctions
Record
$3,750,000
May 27, 2021
Population
2
PSA · as of May 27, 2021
Graded market value
—
Needs price + population
Sales, 12 months
0
Qualifying only

Values as of Sep 26, 2026 in USD. Market price = median of at least 5 qualifying sales of this exact version and grade in the last 90 days. Methodology

Sales history

DateVersionGradePriceVenueStatusSource
Aug 25, 2026 O-Pee-Chee base PSA 8 · cert 103848611 $4,600 Fanatics Collect
best offer
Cross-checked Open
May 22, 2026 O-Pee-Chee base PSA 2 · cert 74213679 $942.88 eBay
best offer
Cross-checked Open
Feb 28, 2026 O-Pee-Chee base PSA 8.5 $50,020
incl. premium
Heritage Auctions
auction
Cross-checked Open
Feb 28, 2026 O-Pee-Chee base PSA 9 $106,750
incl. premium
Heritage Auctions
auction
Cross-checked Open
May 27, 2021 O-Pee-Chee base PSA 10 $3,750,000 Heritage Auctions
private
Cross-checked Open

Verified: an editor or automated check confirmed the figure on the source page. Cross-checked: an independent second research pass reopened the source and confirmed it. Reported: cited by research but not re-checked; never used in metrics. Asking prices are never listed here.

Price chart

O-Pee-Chee base · PSA 10

Fewer than two qualifying sales for PSA 10; no chart.

Graded population

VersionGraderGradeCountAs ofSource
O-Pee-Chee basePSA102May 27, 2021Open
O-Pee-Chee basePSA8857Sep 26, 2026Open
O-Pee-Chee basePSA21,328Sep 26, 2026Open

Population counts copies graded by one company in one grade. It is not a print run and it grows with every submission. Why population is not print run

Grading math for this card

Prefilled with the latest qualifying sale for each grade where one exists. Replace any value with your own. We never suggest what grade your copy will get.

Break-even chance of a PSA 10
—
Enter a grading cost to calculate.

Formula from Grading: condition, uncertainty, and economics: grading pays only if your honest chance of the high grade exceeds (raw net + cost − other-outcome net) ÷ (high-grade net − other-outcome net). The 13% fee is an editable assumption, not a quoted tariff.

About Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee

The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18 is the Canadian rookie card most associated with Gretzky collecting. Searchers often compare it with the U.S. Topps version, but O-Pee-Chee sales and population data must be kept separate.

Why this card matters

Verified factThe O-Pee-Chee Gretzky #18 is the central hockey rookie card for the player most associated with NHL scoring records and Edmonton Oilers history. Heritage’s 2021 press release documents a $3,750,000 private transaction for one of two PSA Gem Mint 10 O-Pee-Chee examples, after another PSA 10 had sold for $1,290,000 five months earlier. That source makes clear the record was tied to grade, version, and a very small top-grade PSA population, not to all Gretzky rookies generally. [1]

Identifying the exact version

Verified factSeparate the Canadian O-Pee-Chee issue from the 1979-80 Topps #18 version before searching sales. The PSA cert pages for O-Pee-Chee examples identify year 1979, brand/title O-Pee-Chee, subject Wayne Gretzky, and card number 18. O-Pee-Chee examples commonly draw attention for the Canadian issue and rough-cut edge context, while Topps has its own population and sales history. Do not mix autographed cards, qualifiers, or miscut examples with straight-grade base copies. [2][3]

What moves the price between versions and grades

Verified factThe sourced sales show grade spread clearly. A PSA 10 private Heritage transaction was reported at $3,750,000 in 2021, while Heritage sold a PSA 9 for $106,750 and a PSA 8.5 for $50,020 on February 28, 2026. PSA cert sales history for PSA 8 examples also shows lower 2025-2026 transactions on eBay and Fanatics. Those are not contradictions; they are different grade levels, venues, and possibly different eye appeal within the same card identity. [1][4][5][3]

Authenticity checks

AnalysisCompare against the exact O-Pee-Chee #18 reference and not the Topps version. Confirm the logo, back design, print quality, dimensions, edge characteristics, and any qualifier such as OC or MC. For slabs, match the cert record to the card number, brand, grade, and seller images, while recognizing that cert lookup alone is not enough to authenticate a physical holder. Do not trim rough edges, press, recolor, or perform destructive tests; those actions can create alteration issues. [2][3]

Identity note: Use variant key for the O-Pee-Chee issue only; Topps #18 is a separate comparable set.

What people get wrong about this card

Topps #18 and O-Pee-Chee #18 sales can be merged because the photo is similar.
They are separate manufacturer versions and must be comped separately under ch09 and ch03.
Only two O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookies exist.
The “two” claim in the opened source refers to PSA Gem Mint 10 examples, not all copies. Population is not print run under ch02.
A rough cut automatically means damage or a fake.
Rough-cut edges are associated with O-Pee-Chee context, but authenticity still requires multiple exact-version checks, as ch06 explains.

Based on the claims our guides decline to adopt: Risk and strategy · Case studies and corrections

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest sourced sale for the O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie?
Heritage reported a $3,750,000 private sale of a PSA Gem Mint 10 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky #18 on May 27, 2021. [source_ids: 1] [1]
How is O-Pee-Chee different from Topps for this Gretzky card?
O-Pee-Chee is the Canadian issue and must be separated from the U.S. Topps #18 version in sales and population work. [source_ids: 2,3] [2][3]
What did a PSA 9 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky sell for recently?
A Heritage PSA Mint 9 example sold for $106,750 on February 28, 2026. [source_ids: 5] [5]
How many PSA 10 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookies exist?
Heritage reported on May 27, 2021 that there were two PSA Gem Mint 10 O-Pee-Chee examples. [source_ids: 1] [1]
What did a PSA 8.5 sell for recently?
A PSA NM-MT+ 8.5 example sold through Heritage for $50,020 on February 28, 2026. [source_ids: 4] [4]

Sources

  1. Wayne Gretzky’s 1979 Rookie Card Skates to a New World Record With $3.75 Million Sale — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
  2. PSA Cert Verification 97303491: 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky — PSA (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
  3. PSA Cert Verification 16189408: 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky — PSA (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
  4. 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie #18 PSA NM-MT+ 8.5 Lot #80088 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)
  5. 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie #18 PSA Mint 9 Lot #80089 — Heritage Auctions (accessed Sep 26, 2026)

Not yet established

  • A complete current PSA population table for all grades was not captured.
  • No official O-Pee-Chee production quantity was found.

Research: Codex research pass (live web) · automated source checks · independent cross-check · generated Sep 26, 2026 · awaiting editor review · updated Sep 26, 2026. Found an error? Report it.

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