Collector Club
All we seem to be talking about right now at Collector Club is Alexander Ovechkin… But with good reason. Just weeks after surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goalscoring record, the Washington Capitals legend has set another milestone, this time in the world of sports collectibles.
On Monday night, Ovechkin’s 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup Hockey Autographs Rookie Patches Gold Rainbow card, numbered /8 and graded BGS 8 with a 10 autograph, sold for a staggering $381,000 at Sotheby’s as part of its “Timeless Titans | Legendary Sports Cards” auction.
This sale not only shattered the previous record for any Ovechkin card, which stood at $182,400, but also became the third-highest public sale for a hockey card and the highest for any modern-era hockey card.
A landmark card in a landmark season
The timing of the sale couldn’t be more fitting. Earlier this month, Ovechkin scored his 895th NHL goal, officially passing Gretzky’s long-standing record and cementing his status as the league’s greatest goalscorer.
Upper Deck has been quick to honour this legacy, recently launching the Ovechkin 895 card set, a tribute to his record-breaking career, alongside the GR8 Moments insert series which highlights iconic moments from his scoring journey.
The card itself is one of the most coveted in hockey collecting circles. The Gold Rainbow parallel from Upper Deck’s The Cup series is limited to just eight copies, making it exceptionally rare. The combination of a game-used patch, on-card autograph, and low serial number has long made this card a grail for serious collectors.
Its sale at Sotheby’s underscores the growing recognition of hockey cards in the broader sports memorabilia market, traditionally dominated by baseball and basketball.
Ovechkin’s momentum in the card world keeps building
This record-breaking auction result is further proof of Ovechkin’s rising profile in the hobby. With Upper Deck actively celebrating his career and collectors eagerly chasing his cards, his presence in the market feels stronger than ever.
Whether it’s headline-grabbing auctions or limited-edition sets flying off shelves, the hobby world can’t get enough of the Great 8, and based on current momentum, that doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.