Signed Gretzky rookie jersey heading to auction with unheard-of price tag
He was “the Great One,” so you’d figure his memorabilia would be worth the most, right?
That’s apparently the case — and by “the most” we might be talking close to half a million dollars.
A Wayne Gretzky game-worn jersey from his rookie season is hitting the auction block, with bidding expected to rise as high as $400,000.
Goldin Auctions is listing the uniform with a starting price of $125,000.
As you catch your breath, there are a few things to consider.
Gretzky was technically a rookie in the 1979-80 season, but in reality he had already played a year in the old World Hockey Association.
To say he burst onto the NHL scene would be an insult to the term “burst.”
How about 51 goals and a league-leading 137 points?
It marked the first of his league-record nine Hart Trophies as most valuable player (including eight in a row).
Oh yeah, he also won the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play (he took that one home “only” four times).
Owning the jersey is cool enough, but the Great One also signed on the first “9” in the No. 99.
Before you gasp at the potential $400,000 price tag, consider what history has taught us.
Back in 2016, Goldin auctioned off a hockey card from Gretzky’s rookie season.
Bidding started at $100,000 — and finished at $465,000.
So really, even if the game-worn jersey goes for $400,000, it’s a bargain!
Sure, if that’s too rich for your blood, you can buy an autographed Gretzky Rangers jersey (not game-worn) for about $1,300, but this is from the Oilers when he was in the prime of his career.
In for a penny, in for a pound, right?
Dad, are you still listening?
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