Sealed Case of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Sells for Record $3.72 Million

Heritage’s Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction realized nearly $26 million.

Heritage’s latest auction was meant to be the biggest of 2024 so far, and it didn’t disappoint.

Highlighted by a sealed case of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey, Heritage announced Monday afternoon that the Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction realized nearly $26 million across two days.

Possibly containing as many as two dozen Wayne Gretzky rookie cards, the sealed case of O-Pee-Chee Hockey sold for $3.72 million Sunday morning.

A sealed case of 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey set a record for the most valuable sealed case of trading cards. 

According to Heritage, the O-Pee-Chee sale sets a record for the most valuable case of unopened cards sold at auction, topping a $1.8 million mark set by a 12-box case of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball in 2020.

“We knew from the moment we heard this O-Pee-Chee case existed that it would get the attention of hockey card collectors worldwide,” Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, said in a press release. “And those hockey collectors played an integral part in the success of this Winter Platinum Night event with world record results achieved for both the O-Pee-Chee case as well as the Mike Bossy collection. We’re just so proud to have been a part of presenting these treasures to the collecting world.”

A 1952 Mickey Mantle PSA 8.5 set a record for the grade.

Heritage Auctions

Beyond the O-Pee-Chee Hockey sale, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle set another record. This time a PSA 8.5 sold for $2.37 million, more than doubling the previous high for the grade set in 2016.

Previously considered the major draw of the auction, a twice-signed, game-used Babe Ruth glove was pulled from the auction early. According to a statement to Darren Rovell, Heritage pulled the glove to conduct additional research.