2011 Top 20 Under $25 - #4 - A Pair of 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee

At #4 in the 2011 Top 20 Under $25 countdown we have a pair of '80s O-Pee-Chee superstars:

What is it? Two of the top four cards from the '87-88 O-Pee-Chee set, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemiuex
When and where did I get them? At the local hobby shop, way back in July
How much did it cost me? $22 total ($10 for the Gretzky, $12 for the Lemieux).

You could make an argument that at $22 for the pair I may have overpaid slightly for these cards. I'm sure that had I spent hours scouring the web I could have found them for a bit cheaper. These are truly mint, well-centered copies though. Besides, I like giving business to the local hobby shop when I can, in the same way that I'll spend $15 on something at the family owned hardware store down the street that I could have purchased at Home Depot for $10. Don't forget the best part about purchasing at the shop, no shipping.

I don't have very many '87-88 O-Pee-Chee cards, and this was a good way to knock off two of the more valuable cards from the set in one fell swoop. I have to say that I like Mario's '86-87 card better.

What a start to Lemieux's career with back-to-back-to-back 100 point seasons. Still not as impressive as this guy though:

Always nice to add a new Gretzky to the collection. While I don't collect him actively, I've got over 100 unique Gretzky cards now. Sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.

The statistics on the back of this card are just insane. 1,520 points in his first 8 NHL seasons. There will never be another scorer like this.

Three spots to go in the countdown, coming up next is an on-card autograph of a Hall of Famer.