#Great #Discoveries #Ice #Hockey #Cards #Sold #3.7M #WorthPoint
Image Source: Heritage Auctions via BBC
A family recently discovered an unopened case of ice hockey cards in a basement office in Saskatchewan, Canada, BBC reported. The discovery has been called “the greatest unopened find of the 21st century,” according to Heritage Auctions.
One of the family members previously purchased the case many years ago. This individual planned to open the case and create sets of cards to sell but never did. In retrospect, this may have proven to be a great decision since the value of the cards has increased significantly since that time.
The case dates back to the 1979–80 NHL season and includes cards produced by O-Pee-Chee, a candy and trading card brand that’s now defunct. It features 396 cards, along with more than twenty rookie cards of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
On its own, a Gretzky rookie card may fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, BBC pointed out. As such, when the family that discovered the case put it up for auction, bidders were ready to spend big on it.
Jason Simonds, a sports cards specialist at Heritage, said the family hosted a small viewing party as it watched bidders compete with one another for the case.
Ultimately, a Canadian bidder agreed to purchase the case for $3.1 million. Including the 20 percent buyer’s premium, the individual ended up paying $3.72 million for the case.
Once the sale was finalized, the family was “ecstatic,” Simonds said.
Those who want to view ice hockey trading cards and other sports collectibles can see over two million such items in the WorthPoint Price Guide.
Dan Kobialka is a self-employed content writer and editor with about a decade of experience. He produces content across a wide range of industries, including antiques, insurance, and real estate. To learn more about Dan, please visit his website.
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