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  #1  
Old 12-03-2020, 10:02 PM
Eric72's Avatar
Eric72 Eric72 is offline
Eric Perry
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Default The curious tale of my Gretzky rookie

Pictured here is my copy of Gretzky's iconic 79/80 Topps card. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

How I came to own this card and the love/hate relationship I've had with it are an interesting little story. Since this hockey forum section is new, and there is not yet a ton of content, I figured now would as good a time as any to regale the group with the curious tale of my Gretzky rookie.

It was about six years ago. I drank back then - quite a bit - something which I thankfully no longer do. One evening, after knocking back a few, I had enough "liquid courage" in me to take a chance on a card. It was expensive, for me, and something wan't quite right. This Topps Gretzky was in a PSA slab, one which read, "O-Pee-Chee" on the flip.

Still, I was enamored with the idea of once again owning a rookie card of the Great One. It would be my third, although the other two were long since gone. Plus, the card was being offered here on the Net54 BST. Of all the online places where I have bought and/or sold, this was the one with which I easily had the greatest comfort level. So, I swallowed my fear (and probably some more of a substance with a considerably higher proof) and committed to buy the card.

After making the purchase (by check...the seller didn't have PayPal) and receiving the card, I got to work. Poring over every inch of the card and PSA holder with a loupe, making high-res scans, analyzing, scrutinizing...doing everything possible to make sure the card was legit. I even compared it to a 79/80 Wayne Stephenson.

Show of hands - who else here has made a 2400 dpi scan of a Wayne Stephenson card? Well, I did...and compared it to the Gretzky.

My last step in the verification process was sending the card off to PSA and have them re-holder it. Times were different back then. You could send a card, call to check up on it, and get the card back in less than a year! Ah, the good ol' days. It passed muster, was slabbed with the correct label, and returned to me. I really was quite happy with everything. After a little while, I took the card off my desk and stored it away properly. For a few years, I thought about it occasionally but didn't handle it.

And then, there was Slabgate.

After hearing enough to feel some genuine concern, I systematically went through all my PSA graded cards. When I got to the Gretzky, my world came to a screeching halt. Instead of fitting snugly in its holder, the card rattled around inside its plastic tomb. There was (and is) a small gap between the edges of the card and the rails inside the PSA case.

Given the news that was breaking hobby-wide, my mind instantly went to a sad but logical thought. "Holy $h!t, do I have a trimmed card?" After coming to grips with that possibility, my next question was, "what am I going to do with it?"

Several scenarios raced through my head, some of them admittedly out of character for me. I figured it would be best to put the whole thing on pause, think things through, and revisit the topic at a later date. My rationale was this: I could always sell the card later; however, I'd never be able to un-ring that bell.

Fast forward a few years, and I still have the card. In an odd way, it has become one of the most interesting pieces of my collection.

Is it trimmed? PSA says no. They said it twice, actually. However, that carries very little weight these days.

Is it just short, a byproduct of variance with cards printed 40 years ago? Perhaps. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. I am a bit of a flake, and getting older by the day.

I'll never know for sure, one way or the other. Curiously, though, I care much less about that as time goes in. The longer I've had this card, the more attached I've become to it.

So yes, there are many Gretzky rookies, but this one is mine. For all its flaws, either real or imagined, I would rather have this one than any other Gretzky in the world.
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Eric Perry

Currently collecting:
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  #2  
Old 12-04-2020, 07:43 AM
Squints Squints is offline
Amund
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Great story, thanks for posting. And this, at the end of the day is the problem with TPG-that someone else is telling us whether our card is nice or not and the peace of mind that it either does or does not bring.
Glad you like your card cause in the end that's what this is all for!
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  #3  
Old 12-04-2020, 08:50 AM
Kurri17 Kurri17 is offline
Rob
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Love it. The story AND the card. As “Squints” said., as long as you’re happy...... I myself am perfectly content with my BVG 6 Gretz RC. Yeah, the slab says “6”, but it’s got an 8 for surface and 9s for corners and edges. That 5 for the o/c top to bottom bothers me not one little bit. Thanks for the story, always fun to hear about others card adventures.
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  #4  
Old 12-04-2020, 04:08 PM
strohman99 strohman99 is offline
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Default PSA Holder

Another variable is the PSA holder itself. We assume that all holders are equal, which isn't the case. The PSA standard holder size has changed many times over the years. Some holders do have a bit of a gap in them, while others seem to hold the card snug, so that is a consideration.
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  #5  
Old 12-04-2020, 04:19 PM
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Nunzio11 Nunzio11 is offline
Tony
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Great story Eric. I've made many a poor decision while drinking and buying cards haha. I'd say you did really well in this instance! Beautiful card. The OC is tough. Plenty of even border on the right side. Doesn't detract from the card at all.

I have my own Gretzky tale. Just last night I participated in a 1979 Topps set break through Vintage Breaks, who I believe is a friend to Net54. I don't get involved in breaks that often but watch occasionally. I was feeling lucky Wednesday so I bought into the break for 10 spots. The break went live last night. We were out getting a Christmas tree so I couldn't even tune in to watch. I checked the break list when we got home and...bang...hit card 18 a PSA 7 Gretzky rookie! I was jumping around the house. I know it's like gambling but $200 for a PSA 7 Gretzky rookie has basically made my Christmas haha. Can't wait to have it in hand and will drop some pictures when it comes in.
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  #6  
Old 12-04-2020, 05:57 PM
Squints Squints is offline
Amund
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nunzio11 View Post
Great story Eric. I've made many a poor decision while drinking and buying cards haha. I'd say you did really well in this instance! Beautiful card. The OC is tough. Plenty of even border on the right side. Doesn't detract from the card at all.

I have my own Gretzky tale. Just last night I participated in a 1979 Topps set break through Vintage Breaks, who I believe is a friend to Net54. I don't get involved in breaks that often but watch occasionally. I was feeling lucky Wednesday so I bought into the break for 10 spots. The break went live last night. We were out getting a Christmas tree so I couldn't even tune in to watch. I checked the break list when we got home and...bang...hit card 18 a PSA 7 Gretzky rookie! I was jumping around the house. I know it's like gambling but $200 for a PSA 7 Gretzky rookie has basically made my Christmas haha. Can't wait to have it in hand and will drop some pictures when it comes in.
Well congrats, Early Christmas!!
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  #7  
Old 12-05-2020, 03:23 PM
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irv irv is offline
D@le Irv*n
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Great story, Eric.

Thanks for sharing.
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  #8  
Old 12-06-2020, 11:53 AM
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D. Bergin D. Bergin is offline
Dave
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strohman99 View Post
Another variable is the PSA holder itself. We assume that all holders are equal, which isn't the case. The PSA standard holder size has changed many times over the years. Some holders do have a bit of a gap in them, while others seem to hold the card snug, so that is a consideration.

Yeah, I don't deal in too much graded, but I got into a 1986 Bruce Smith Rookie kick for a bit. Had a small stack of PSA 8's, and noticed one of them was floating around a bit in the gasket.

Now, why would anybody trim a Bruce Smith Rookie card I asked myself? His card wasn't selling for much until after the 2020 bump (and 8's are still pretty cheap), and these weren't newly graded. I went so far as to pull a millimeter ruler out and eyed it as best as possible, and as far as I could tell the cards all measured exactly the same...........it was the gasket for that one card that was slightly bigger.

Also have a Munson Rookie that looks like it's swimming around in the slab. It's only a 6, and I haven't gotten around the measuring it up, and not sure if that's common for 1970's or not.
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  #9  
Old 12-06-2020, 05:23 PM
jb67 jb67 is offline
D@v!d W@tk!n$
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Great story. Thanks for posting.
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