
Card-ripping sites offer a fun way to discover valuable NHL trading cards, including the most valuable NHL card editions collectors seek. Most packs contain one card that you can reveal online. If you don't want it, some platforms offer buybacks.
Certain features make some hockey trading cards more valuable than others. Some companies may only release a single copy. Even if there are multiple copies, valuable cards tend to be graded in mint condition. This improves their value. Some even include tiny pieces of a hockey player’s jersey, setting them apart from standard NFL cards.
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We’ve gone through dozens of sales and found the five highest sales for NHL trading cards. Some of the most valuable Premier League cards can go for several thousand dollars. However, you’ll see the ceiling is far higher for NHL cards.
| Card Info | Sales Price |
|---|---|
| 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card | $3,760,000 |
| 1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card | $720,000 |
| 1966 Topps Bobby Orr Rookie Card | $276,000 |
| 2015 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid Rookie Card | $135,811 |
| 2006-07 Upper Deck The Cup Dual NHL Shields Wayne Gretzky/Mario Lemieux | $91,200 |
Every sport has its most famous players. It’s no surprise to find the most valuable NFL card includes an image of Patrick Mahomes. That trading card sold for $4.3 million.
The biggest name in hockey for many is Wayne Gretzky. He enjoyed a 21-year playing career, and held 61 records when he retired in 1999. His success meant that rookie cards featuring his first year in the NFL became much sought after by collectors.
No matter what kind of NHL trading cards you’d like to collect, you should keep the following three features in mind. They’ll help you more easily identify cards that could be worth something.
Every collector wants cards in mint condition. It’s the best rating a grading company can give. The most valuable NBA card was in mint condition when it sold for $12.9 million, so it doesn’t just apply to hockey-themed cards.
Here are three companies best known for providing sports trading card grading services:
Grading gives a number between one and 10, which tells you the condition of the card. Ideally, you should look for grading between nine and 10 to find the best quality.
A card’s rarity isn’t just related to how many copies a company released. It can mean there is just one copy - presented as 1/1 on the card itself - but that’s not always the case.
We’ve seen that the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card has achieved by far the biggest sale for any hockey card so far. Yet according to our research, around 14,600 cards have been graded so far.
While the card itself isn’t rare, only two copies have ever been viewed and confirmed to be in mint condition. That’s because the card manufacturing process at the time reduced the chances of getting a mint trading card. Many aren’t centered and have rougher edges than desired.
Trading cards might be small, but they can still feature a tiny piece of hockey memorabilia. Indeed, many top sales involve cards with a small piece of the player’s jersey on it. If the player was confirmed to have worn it during a game, even better. You should also watch for pieces of NFL shields. Some of these cards may also have player signatures on them, pushing up the value still further.
They’re certainly a potential source. Some sites have general sports card rip packs available rather than providing different categories for different sports. They can also give varying amounts of info before you buy a pack to rip.
If you’re going to try these sites, make sure you ask yourself these questions first:
Even though the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card went for a seven-figure sum, most of the thousands of available copies wouldn’t sell for anywhere close to that. Many suffered from rough edges and a poor print quality. Two cards have been seen, graded, and confirmed to be in mint condition. If you tried to sell an ungraded (raw) version, you might receive a few hundred dollars.
This is a solid example of how important quality is when considering how valuable certain NHL cards can be. Cards offered via mystery packs at card ripping sites are typically already graded. However, you can also get any ungraded cards you might have reviewed by a professional grading service. That’s certainly a good point to remember if you’re looking to make a sale or two. Ready to explore some NHL collectibles? Check out the card-ripping sites featured on this page and see what rare, high-quality cards you could uncover in your next rip.
Yes, most cards will be worth something, but the exact price depends on a card’s rarity, condition, and the player featured on it.
Yes, there are cases where thousands of copies of a card were printed. However, issues with quality and printing have led to just one or two cards being graded at the highest level of 10.
Yes, many of the top sales for NHL cards are rookie cards. However, high prices won’t apply to all rookie cards. They’ll only apply to cards featuring a player who later went on to become famous for their skill and success.