1979 Rookie Cards
9 rookie cards across Hockey, Baseball, Football, Basketball. Sorted by estimated gem mint value.
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18
The Great One's rookie card. Gretzky rewrote every NHL record and his O-Pee-Chee rookie is the most coveted card in the hockey hobby, with PSA 10 copies setting auction records.
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18 PSA 10
The PSA 10 copy of Gretzky's iconic OPC rookie is arguably the most valuable hockey card on earth. With no confirmed PSA 10 copies in the population, any that surface generate enormous auction interest. This entry documents pricing context for the ultimate hockey trophy card.
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky #18
The Great One's rookie card. 2,857 career points — 970 more than second place. Gretzky's OPC RC is hockey's most important card.
1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky #18 RC
The Great One's RC. 2,857 career points — 970 more than #2. More assists alone than anyone else had total points. The most dominant athlete in any sport.
1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky #18
The US Topps version of Gretzky's rookie card, slightly less scarce than the O-Pee-Chee version but still commanding significant premiums in all grades.
1979 Topps Ozzie Smith #116
The Wizard's rookie card. Smith won 13 Gold Gloves and redefined the shortstop position with acrobatic plays that required an entirely new athletic vocabulary. His backflips became part of baseball mythology.
1979 Topps Earl Campbell RC #390
The rookie card of the Tyler Rose, who won the Heisman Trophy at Texas and then Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP in his first professional season with the Houston Oilers. Campbell ran with a combination of power and speed that terrorized NFL defenses throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.
1979-80 Topps Dennis Johnson #59
Dennis Johnson was a 5x All-Star and 3x NBA Champion. Larry Bird called him the best player he ever played with. His 1979-80 Topps card is a key vintage basketball issue.
1979-80 Topps Maurice Cheeks #28
Maurice Cheeks was the engine of the 1983 NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers. His 1979-80 Topps rookie card captures the smooth point guard who would rank among the all-time leaders in steals. He played alongside Moses Malone and Julius Erving on one of the great teams ever.