"When he first came out with his Young Guns card, there was a huge amount of people that were joining into the hobby just to start collecting. And I think that was one of the earlier times that I had seen that happen where people that weren't collecting before really started to join in because they saw how good of a player that he was and wanted to be part of that history."
On April 18, 1999, one of the best athletes to ever play the game of hockey took his final bow. That would be Wayne Gretzky, whose professional career came to an end when his New York Rangers played the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the years since then, he has - as many retired athletes tend to do - invested in sport teams and become more involved in politics.Gretzky remains a legend in the sport where he earned the nickname "The Great One," so it's not surprising to learn that memorabilia from his career is in high demand.
Miller and Miller Auctions recently auctioned a rare game-issued hockey stick owned and signed by Bill Barilko for a record $60,000, far exceeding expectations.
