How Many Wayne Gretzky Rookie Cards Were Printed

The Wayne Gretzky 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee rookie card (#18) is hockey's most famous card, but here's the crazy part nobody knows exactly how many were printed. Not O-Pee-Chee, not collectors, not even the experts (seriously). Yet we have major clues. Over 10,000 graded copies exist through PSA alone, proving the card was mass-produced in huge numbers. So how many Wayne Gretzky rookie cards were printed? The answer is locked away, but the evidence tells an amazing story.

The mystery of the missing numbers

O-Pee-Chee never published an official print run for the Gretzky rookie. That's the real problem here. Cards came off the press in full sheets of 132 and got randomly packed into wax packs sold across Canada and the US. The company kept no public record of the total production run. What we know instead comes from detective work grading data, auction results, and collector records piecing together the puzzle. PSA's population report shows over 10,000 graded copies, which represents only a fraction of all cards ever printed. Many cards never made it to graders. Do the math and you're looking at hundreds of thousands of cards in circulation.

Why the O-Pee-Chee version matters more

The O-Pee-Chee card beats the Topps version for one key reason: thinner cardstock. That sounds bad, but it's actually good news for high-grade collectors. The thin cardboard and printing flaws meant fewer cards survived in pristine condition. Rough cutting, color misregistration, and bent edges plagued production. Cards that survived in mint condition became genuinely rare and valuable. The Topps version was thicker and easier to grade high, making it more common in top condition. Collectors prefer O-Pee-Chee for its Canadian heritage and scarcity in grades PSA 9 and 10. PSA 10 copies have sold for over $1 million.

What collectors need to know right now

Stop believing the "first print run" myth. Some collectors claim blue lines on card backs mark an earlier printing. Experts now say that's wrong. The blue lines came from normal printing variations, not a separate run. Instead, look for real autentication markers. Genuine O-Pee-Chee cards show a tiny yellow dot on the shoulder and rough, uneven cutting. These "imperfections" actually prove authenticity. When buying or selling, get professional grading from PSA or Beckett. High grades remain rare because the cardstock was so delicate (I mean really delicate). A PSA 10 copy represents an incredible find. The market rewards condition heavily, so authentication matters more than ever when dealing with hockey's most iconic rookie card.