The only known sealed case of 1979–80 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards realized $2.52 million at Heritage Auctions, becoming the most valuable wax case sold at auction.
The case led Heritage’s Dec. 5–7 Winter Sports Catalog Auction to $23.77 million. Authenticated by Baseball Card Exchange, it contains 16 unopened boxes with 48 packs each, for a total of 768 packs from the set that includes Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card.
Its status as the only known case was central to the result. The original owner acquired Canadian cards during the 1960s and 1970s, and his son later found the case behind stacks of other stored material. No additional sealed cases were reported after its discovery.
Individual cards also established new benchmarks. A 1915 Cracker Jack Shoeless Joe Jackson graded SGC Mint 9 realized $504,000, setting a record for the card and tying the record for any card in the 1915 Cracker Jack set.
A 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson graded PSA Mint 9 brought $432,000. The sole finest 1933 World Wide Gum Babe Ruth graded PSA 8 sold for $360,000.
Interest extended beyond baseball and hockey. A 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Hulk Hogan card graded PSA Mint 9 reached $132,000, setting records for the issue and for any wrestling card at the time.
The auction reflects the value collectors place on unopened material, low population grades and cards tied to the defining names of their sports. These results demonstrate why Heritage Auctions is the best place to sell sports collectibles, particularly when rarity, authentication and access to specialized bidders are essential to establishing value.
Source: Heritage Auctions press release (December 9, 2024).