Record-setting Mcdavid card up for auction
‘This card might not ever surface again’
Despite the 2019-2020 NHL season being on hiatus, Connor Mcdavid is on pace to best one of his own records.
The Edmonton Oilers captain has a rookie card up for online action at Lelands Auctions this week with a current bid surpassing $70,000 US, which would make it the most expensive modern-day hockey card.
The Upper Deck card, issued during the 2015-2016 NHL season, features the phenom’s autograph and a patch of game-worn jersey from Mcdavid’s rookie season on the front. The back of the card details Mcdavid’s 2014-2015 Ontario Hockey League season with the Erie Otters, recording 120 points in only 47 games before he was selected by the Oilers first overall during the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Bidding began at $2,500 on May 17, with nine subsequent offers pushing the price to $6,486 on May 28. The bidding increased dramatically later that day, rising to $52,797. Bids of $58,077 and $63,885 followed on June 10, and the current winning bid, placed on June 11, sits at $70,274. The online auction closes Friday at 9 p.m.
Why such a high-priced appetite for a Mcdavid rookie card? It’s number 97 in a series of 99, matching the player’s jersey number. The card is officially listed as 2015-2016 Upper Deck The Cup #197 Connor Mcdavid Rookie Patch Auto on Lelands.com.
“If this card wasn’t one of 99, and if it wasn’t his jersey number, I’ve seen them sell for $25,000 or $35,000 for a similar grade,” says Jordan
Gilroy, director of acquisitions at Lelands. “It’s really interesting how the jersey number printed on the card can turn this from $35,000 to possibly $100,000.”
The card currently up for auction has been graded Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Mint 9. Card condition is assessed on a scale ranging from PSA PR 1 (Poor) — missing pieces or displaying significant creasing, discolouration or dirtiness — to GEM MT 10 (Gem Mint), which has a virtually perfect appearance.
A PSA Mint 9 exhibits “only one of the following flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly offwhite borders,” according to the PSA.
“The only thing that could make this card better is if it was a 10,” says Gilroy. “Obviously, it would be worth a little less if it was an eight or lower, but nine is a good mark for a modern card because every card is pulled fresh out of the pack, so it’s not like it’s been sitting around for 50 or 60 years, acquiring dust and getting creases.”
Mcdavid currently holds the record for highest-priced modern-day hockey card. A Gem Mint card from the same Upper Deck ‘The Cup’ series, numbered 75 of 99, sold for $55,655 US on May 24, 2018, with the winning price topping 80 bids.
Gilroy notes that Mcdavid’s popularity helps him rise above other hockey stars on the trading card market.
“He’s the man in hockey right now and there aren’t that many valuable stars in hockey. I’m on some Facebook groups where people are doing six-figure deals every day and it’s incredible the trust they have in each other,” he said.
“In baseball, you have Mike Trout and all the rookie stars, even players who haven’t played in the majors, their cards are worth a ton of money, but in hockey Mcdavid is the king.”
The Oilers won the NHL draft lottery on April 18, 2015, securing the rights to Mcdavid, who has been a fan favourite ever since.
“This Connor Mcdavid card, I thought it was going to go for $50,000 to $70,000 and it’s already surpassing that. Plus, the price online is before our 20 per cent buyer’s premium,” says Gilroy. “Highend collectors have enough money to spend and put the card away for years, so this card might not surface ever again. It could go for a quarter-million dollars, you never know.”