The 10 Best Gretzky Cards
 

Curious to hear everyone's take on the top 10 Gretzky cards of all time? Outside of the obvious 1979-80 RC's not many people talk about there inserts or key cards from the 90's? Im thinking about starting a Gretzky PC to get back to child hood roots.

What do you mean by "best"? Most valuable, or best-looking?

Because most of his best-looking cards are low-value early 90's base and inserts.....

[QUOTE=mfw13;18304827]What do you mean by "best"? Most valuable, or best-looking?

Because most of his best-looking cards are low-value early 90's base and inserts.....[/QUOTE]

Either / or. Best can be a lot of things. Maybe I should have said favourite

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I stopped collecting Gretzky in 1996, but
I'll throw some out there just for convo starters, no particular order...

88-89 Topps - His first card with a Kings jersey
1990 Upper Deck Promo Card
1991 Team Pinnacle B-11
1993 Stadium Club 1st Day Issue
1994 Be A Player Signatures #108 - First Gretzky auto in a pack
1995 Topps Mystery Finest Refractor
1995-96 Be A Player Die Cut Signatures #97 - Only 234 made
1996 Topps Finest #180 Gold Refractor
1996 Pinnacle Zenith Z Team Insert

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Right-shiny is kewl

Gretzky was not a rookie in 1990

1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Auto /99

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/oq9Sz2n.png?1[/IMG]

[QUOTE=jmarascojr;18305032]I stopped collecting Gretzky in 1996, but
I'll throw some out there just for convo starters, no particular order...

88-89 Topps - His first card with a Kings jersey
1990 Upper Deck Promo Card
1991 Team Pinnacle B-11
1993 Stadium Club 1st Day Issue
1994 Be A Player Signatures #108 - First Gretzky auto in a pack
1995 Topps Mystery Finest Refractor
1995-96 Be A Player Die Cut Signatures #97 - Only 234 made
1996 Topps Finest #180 Gold Refractor
1996 Pinnacle Zenith Z Team Insert

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nyLYZu][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52223089190_25177ffb07.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nyKNVC][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52222860214_51d70046fd.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nyLWH5][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52223081510_318c8a75f6.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nyJuHM][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52222603863_70749c3a32.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mXuENP][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51823828867_d5286a26dd.jpg[/img][/url]

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[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nyDfty][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52221580382_22d103d9c2.jpg[/img][/url]

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Those are awesome, I always wanted that Z Team.

1983-84 VACHON

[url]https://www.ebay.com/itm/155081164961?hash=item241b8ec8a1:g:oT4AAOSw4EFi0LXJ[/url]

[QUOTE=forest;18305202]1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Auto /99

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/oq9Sz2n.png?1[/IMG][/QUOTE]

That one is good, but this one is better:

[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/s9kFmHZ/Gretzky-GJ.jpg[/IMG]

I love how this one looks, great design in my opinion: 1996 Topps Finest #180 Gold Refractor

Wayyyy more than ten answers to this question lol. And it will be completely different depending on who’s answering. My top ten would probably be auto and game used cards and others will be all playing days inserts and everything in between.

One 90’s card I think has to be on there is that StarQuest gold /100. That’s a legit grail-type card IMO. Better than any of these modern PMGs that are only popular because they’re riding the coat tails of the basketball hype. Basketball PMGs have organic popularity. Hockey PMGs do not.

98-99 UD3 GRETZKY Three Star Spotlight Die Cut Numbered 48 / 100
1998-99 GRETZKY / GRETZKY Mystery Finest Double-Sided REFRACTOR
1998-99 Black Diamond Winning Formula Platinum
96-97 Black Diamond Triple Gold
97-98 Black Diamond Quad Horizontal

I love this one:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mcFvEi][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51328018505_ba82699a7e_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2mcFvEi]1996-97 Zenith Artist's Proof Wayne Gretzky[/url]

Also love this one:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mcFvDM][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51328018475_bf422b368c_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2mcFvDM]1998-99 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor Wayne Gretzky[/url]

Also love how these look:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nqANJ2][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52130571565_51c01158e4_z.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2nqANJ2]Gretzky Front[/url]

I think they used the same photo on all of the Gretzky's in this set. This happens to be the Gretzky/Gretzky.

That 98 Bowman refractor is sick. I had those white Nike skates, around the exact same time. Loved them

I think the 1998 OPC Chrome Refractor has to be up there. I love that shiny card

[QUOTE=Charismatic44th;18310571]I think the 1998 OPC Chrome Refractor has to be up there. I love that shiny card[/QUOTE]

VERY good call, the refractor of the rookie is a beautiful card, wish I had one...

A few of my favorite '90s Gretzky's are:

1996/97 SP Clearcut Winners
1994/95 Pinnacle Rink Collection (really underrated parallel)
1993/94 Stadium Club First Day Issue
1997/98 UD Diamond Vision (not really an insert but just cool to have)

I'm partial to this one... Legends Insert, in Oilers Uni, with on-card auto and SSP


[URL="[img]https://i.imgur.com/2Mw8UaG.jpg?1[/img]"][img]https://i.imgur.com/2Mw8UaG.jpg?1[/img][/URL]

[QUOTE=sportsyard;18304708]Curious to hear everyone's take on the top 10 Gretzky cards of all time? Outside of the obvious 1979-80 RC's not many people talk about there inserts or key cards from the 90's? Im thinking about starting a Gretzky PC to get back to child hood roots.[/QUOTE]

I'm partial to his 80' OPC First Team all star card it has a cool image and is affordable in decent shape.

for Gretzky collectors out there, would a low print Gretzky The Cup be the equivalent to a Jordan Exquisite? Basically the top Gretzky Auto brand?

[QUOTE=sportsyard;18348043]for Gretzky collectors out there, would a low print Gretzky The Cup be the equivalent to a Jordan Exquisite? Basically the top Gretzky Auto brand?[/QUOTE]

Yes, that would be the hockey equivalent. The most popular ones would probably be the Limited Logos. He only has a handful and most of them are #/10 including just one version that has game used Oilers patches. Those are being hoarded by one collector and the remaining ones would probably be six figure cards if ever sold publicly. He also has an LA Kings version from 2007-08 that is numbered out of only five. A couple of All-Star versions as well that are #/10. I think the only LL he has with a full 50 copy print run is the 2006-07 version with Kings patches.

The Emblems of Endorsements #/15 are also very popular and go for big $$$. Most are Kings patches, a couple are Rangers patches, and some are All-Star patches. No Oilers version of EoE has been made to date and likely never will.

And there’s an assortment of auto cards numbered #/50, #/25, #/10 etc etc. Enshrinements, Stanley Cup Signatures, and so on.

Sadly I don’t have any of the patch autos, I missed the boat on those long ago, but I do have this one Cup auto that is probably my favorite PC card:

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/KwyNgMQ_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium[/IMG]

[QUOTE=sportsyard;18348043]for Gretzky collectors out there, would a low print Gretzky The Cup be the equivalent to a Jordan Exquisite? Basically the top Gretzky Auto brand?[/QUOTE]

The Cup Enshrinements Auto probably has the most continuity across years at this point, so one of those would be something to look for

i was looking for these type of Wayne's at the show this year, didnt find any!

My favorite.