Rare case containing coveted Wayne Gretzky rookie cards sells for $3.7M

Photo: The Canadian Press

A case of old hockey cards containing the game's Great One has fetched more than $3.7 million after it was uncovered in a Regina home. Heritage Auctions says a winning bidder bought the case of 16 sealed boxes of O-Pee-Chee's 1979 hockey card collection, amounting to more than 10,000 cards.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Heritage Auctions 

A case of old hockey cards containing the game's Great One has fetched more than $3.7 million after it was uncovered in a Regina home.

Heritage Auctions says the winning bidder bought the case of 16 sealed boxes of O-Pee-Chee's 1979 hockey card collection, amounting to more than 10,000 cards.

The auctioneer says the case could include 25 or more highly coveted Wayne Gretzky rookie cards.

A man in Regina had kept the case in a packed storage room.

The auctioneer says the longtime collector has asked to remain anonymous.

A company spokesperson has said he doesn't expect the winning bidder will open the boxes, as they are rarer than the rookie cards.