GOATS and Grails: A Personal Dream (Outside the “Big Three” Edition)

If you have been collecting sports cards for any length of time you have likely thought about cards that you would like to own someday.  This is often referred to as a “grail list” in reference to the Chalice of Antioch (aka the Holy Grail) that is frequently sought by treasure hunters in books and movies.  For sports card collectors, a grail list is as unique as the individual making it.  Inclusion of players on lists can be influenced by quality of play, long-term investment potential, card aesthetics, and emotional factors.  A list of this type can be useful in that it adds focus and goals to the collecting process.

Below is my list outside the “big three” of baseball, football and basketball.  Given unlimited time and money, these are the cards I would search out and buy.  Hey, it is ok to dream sometimes!

Wayne Gretzky 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18

Known as “The Great One”, Gretzky is widely regarded as the best hockey player in history.  He is the leading goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in National Hockey League (NHL) history.  Gretzky won the NHL’s Hart Trophy as league Most Valuable Player 9 times, won 4 Stanley Cup Championships as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, and is the only player to have scored 200 points in a single NHL season.  He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.  Please note that there is a Topps version of the 1979 Gretzky.  The Topps card looks like and is less costly than the O-Pee- Chee, but most collectors consider the O-Pee-Chee to be the more prestigious and desirable edition.