81/82 OPC Wayne Gretzky Super Action

Patience is something I always talk about during my posts and here is yet another case. I probably have been on the title card a dozen times over the last 7 years and never won one. I never sure about the condition, or the price was too high or I didn't have enough in the budget to bundle it with something else. 

A while back I stopped off at my LCS and had a small pile of change I didn't really have ear-marked for much so I went in looking for cheap deals. Sure enough Wayne was in the display case with a very very fair price on it. So after chatting with the boys for a bit I asked if they could do a better deal on Wayne (almost feeling guilty but not quite). Sure enough they slashed the price in half and I said sold!

81/82 OPC Wayne Gretzky Super Action

Rather than go over the things I love about 81/82 OPC/Topps for the 50th time, I am instead going to just focus on this card. For starters you get a cool design with an all action shot of Wayne Gretzky. See that blurry white jersey in the background? Yet another photobomb by Mike Gartner! The backsides of these cards are very well utilized and they give you a different look at a players career rather than the usual regular season stats.

Here is the back side and please excuse the "scan". I have a new desktop and I have been pretty slow at installing software and peripherals so as a result no scanner and no good software to prep the pictures for show. I instead left it in its toploader and took a photo with my camera. But I still think you can catch the gist of what I am saying.

Love the big player in the background and the fact the card is focused entirely on playoff performance and highlights. When Wayne was just a kid he tore up the WHA playoffs, 10 goals, 10 assists in just 13 games in insane. How about 21 points in 9 games? Check out those highlights, I am sensing a theme.

A couple neat facts, Wayne Gretzky was the WHA Rookie of the Year in 1979 as you can plainly see, but he could have easily won the Playoff MVP too as he lead the WHA playoffs in Goals and Points. Wayne's 21 points in 9 games gave him the highest points per game average in the playoffs and given Edmonton only scored 35 the entire playoff means he was directly responsible for 60% of all their goals.

Some day I just need to bit the bullet and get a complete OPC set from 81/82! After I get through the 20 or so posts I have in my mind, I am going to try and do a post about my favourite 10 Gretzky cards. Hopefully I will get there some day.