Wayne Gretzky was a record machine when he played in the National Hockey League. When Gretzky finally retired in 1999, he took home a total of 61 National Hockey League Records. He had a total of 2,857 points and 894 goals in his entire career. There is a reason why he is called The Great One. In 1999, he was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame as well. A holder of so many records, it is clear he was not a stranger to breaking records or even making new ones never made before. But this one record that he made in 2021 was so astonishing that it put him right up there with the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

So what exactly was that record? Let us find out.

Wayne Gretzky Shattered a Million-Dollar Record

In 2021, even after being retired for more than two decades, Gretzky surprised everyone by making another record. According to ESPN, a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card got sold for an astronomical amount of $3.75 million. The card was brokered through a private sale facilitated through Heritage Auctions.

Only the greatest of the greats attract such hefty bargains when it comes to rookie cards. Dam Imler, an official of Heritage Auctions was amazed by the price at which the rookie card was sold and said, “There are just a handful of cards out there to reach such stratospheric heights, and they bear such names as Mickey Mantle, LeBron James, Mike Trout, Honus Wagner and Michael Jordan.” He added, “It’s only fitting that the greatest hockey player of all time, and one of the most beloved and revered athletes of the 20th century, join their estimable ranks.”

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One of the reasons the rookie card attracted such a hefty price was that the buyer, who wished to remain anonymous, had actually been searching for this particular card for a long time. The buyer described attaining the card as a ‘lifelong family dream’. Hailing from a family of collectors, the buyer described having the privilege of guarding that card as the thrill of a lifetime.

The exorbitant price at which the card was sold has catapulted Wayne Gretzky to the level of merchandise kings like LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Gretzky, James, Jordan: The comparison

In the same year, LeBron James’ and Michael Jordan’s rookie cards also got sold, and they went for sky-high prices too. LeBron James’ rookie card sold for a record $5.2 million, and Michael Jordan’s rookie card sold for $2.7 million. LeBron James’ rookie card broke the record for the most expensive basketball rookie card ever sold.

In hockey, that privilege rests with The Great One. The O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card is the most expensive hockey rookie card to be sold to date. Not only in 2021 but this card has been sold for record-breaking prices before as well, like in 2016 for $465,000. It seems like Gretzky has a habit of breaking records. What are your thoughts on the same?

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