Step By Step Guide to Spotting a Fake Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card

The 1979-80 Topps (and O-Pee-Chee) Wayne Gretzky rookie card is one of the most iconic in the hobby but is also among the most counterfeited.

Gretzky’s rookie card holds a special place with hockey collectors, much like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle in baseball. Its easily chipped blue borders make it especially hard to find in top condition.

As demand for Gretzky rookie cards rises, so does counterfeiting activity. While the O-Pee-Chee version is counterfeited more often, this guide will cover both the OPC and Topps cards.

We recommend that novice collectors opt for graded versions of heavily copied cards like the Gretzky Rookie.

That said, we’ve encountered fake Gretzky and Jordan rookies that were PSA-graded. It’s crucial to arm yourself with as much information as possible before spending your hard-earned money.

Now, let’s dive into the guide!

Topps and OPC Gretzky Rookie Card Differences

The front of the Gretzky Rookie card on both versions is (mostly) the same, with one minor point of difference being a small yellow ink blotch on the OPC card (on Gretzky’s left shoulder jersey), which doesn’t exist on the Topps version. See below for comparison.

The most significant difference of the two Gretzky cards is found on the back. 

Here’s the back of an authentic Topps Gretzky:

And here is the back of the 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky. As is customary with the Canadian variations, the back of the card is lighter than the Topps card.   

We can also observe that the OPC version has French text in different spots on the card, including the part about ‘Wayne debuted in the WHA at age 17’ in the top right corner.

Spotting a Fake OPC Gretzky Rookie Card

Let’s outline some common discrepancies between a fake and authentic O-Pee-Chee version of the Wayne Gretzky rookie card.  

The Edges

Because of how the O-Pee-Chee cards were cut, the edges of the Gretzky OPC Rookie card (and others from the set) tend to have rather ragged edges. The cards were cut with wires instead of blades, and they stacked the sheets when cutting.  

Here’s an authentic PSA 9 example, and as you can see, the edges are pretty rough. However, it’s not a deal-breaker for PSA, as they view it as a consequence of the factory cut, hence the Near Mint grade. 

If you find an OPC Gretzky with clean edges, it’s not 100% a counterfeit, as some of these were sheet cut and don’t have the ragged edges. 

But overall, most OPC versions have some noticeable fraying at the borders.  

Blue Print Lines

Due to a defect in one of the early print runs at OPC, some (but not all) of the OPC Gretzky rookie cards have blue lines that run vertically down the entire card.  Here’s an example. If you find one with print lines, you can rest assured that it is likely an authentic Gretzky, as the counterfeiters haven’t produced copies with print lines (as of yet!).  

Print Dot on Gretzky’s Shoulder

An original Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie card will ALWAYS have a yellow dot on his left shoulder. While I haven’t witnessed any fakes with the print dot, I’ve been told that they exist, so just because you have the dot doesn’t necessarily mean the card is authentic. It becomes a part of the puzzle you need to put together! 

Here’s a reprint without the yellow dot:

The Details Are In the ICE

On an authentic Gretzky OPC rookie card, you should only see tiny blue specs if you look closely at the ice next to the Great One’s skates. Blue and red specs are on some of the better Gretzky reprints. 

Under a loupe, it looks more like a red haze. Thus, if you don’t have a loupe, get one! I have this one, and it works pretty well and will only set you back $5.  

Here’s a fake OPC Gretzky card under magnification with really jagged rough pixelation, which shows the poor print quality.

In addition, if you are serious about buying a raw Gretzky RC (although we would still recommend buying a graded version), buy a couple of the reprints readily available on eBay.  That way, you are armed with all the knowledge you need.  

Black Border and Lettering

This is where you will need the loupe again, so get one if you haven’t already! Take a look at the black borders on the card. If they look jagged, it’s likely a fake. The actual card lines will be smooth and solid.   

In addition, look at the white lettering at the top of the card where his name is, ‘Wayne Gretzky.’  If the lettering is fuzzy and blurry under a loupe, it’s a fake.   An old Beckett piece that is no longer in print pointed out some of the nuances of the better fakes:

On the front of the card, the first spot to check is Wayne’s name.  The name text is the blurriest part of the card, as the normally sharp letters have a stair-step appearance.  Looking at the card with a loupe, the letters are outlined lightly in dark purple print dots which do no appear on the original card.  These purple dots are also scattered throughout the blue borders of the original, but not on the counterfeit.  

Identifying a Fake Topps Gretzky Rookie Card

While the OPC Gretzky is more counterfeited than the Topps card, there are some notable points to look out for.

Gretzky’s name is usually the easiest way to determine.  If you’ve handled a bunch of Gretzky rookies, it tends to become somewhat obvious, but there is really where a loupe becomes almost necessary.

You are looking for a definitive separation of the blue and white colors in the name. If you see any fuzziness or pink/purple dots, you will likely have a counterfeit card.   

As with the OPC version,  if the black borders look jagged and like they were printed on a dot matrix printer, it’s a fake. The borders should be solid black. I recommend buying a reprint (readily available on eBay) or grabbing a few standard 1979-80 Topps cards so you can better determine the feel, overall look, and thickness of the cards.

In addition, when you hold the fake in your hands, it will eventually become quite apparent (especially if you have a few real commons to compare) that the card is of lesser quality, feels like a print, and doesn’t compare to an original which was created over 45 years ago. The bad fakes also have a very smooth texture which does not feel like any original card you will examine.