Over the last few years, the world of sports cards has witnessed an unprecedented surge in sales, with a significant number of cards hitting the million-dollar mark. Despite the staggering sales figures of numerous top players in the industry, one notable absence from the exclusive million-dollar club is the immensely popular Shohei Ohtani. Despite his unparalleled skill on the field and a massive fan base, Ohtani’s highest card sale still lingers below the $400,000 mark, setting him apart in an era defined by high-value transactions.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees gear up for an epic showdown in the World Series, Topps has revealed a compelling graphic highlighting the most expensive sports cards for some of this season’s key players. Topping the list is Jasson Dominguez, whose 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph set a new record with a jaw-dropping sale price of $474,000. The Yankees players dominate the upper echelons of the sales chart, with Aaron Judge following closely behind at $324,000, while Juan Soto’s card fetched an impressive $300,000. Anthony Volpe’s rarity in the form of a red Bowman Chrome autograph, limited to just five copies, commanded a hefty sum of $150,000 for a PSA 10 version, solidifying his position as another valuable card in the Yankees roster.
Interestingly, Juan Soto’s 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph comes with a hint of mystique as the autograph underwent alterations and received a regrading. Speculations suggest that PSA repurchased the card, effectively wiping it out from the market and adding an element of intrigue to its already impressive value.
Earlier this year, a collaboration between Fanatics and Sotheby’s resulted in an auction featuring some of the most sought-after cards in the sports card industry, with several pieces aligning with the cards highlighted in the Topps graphic. However, a slight discrepancy in Topps’ reported figures arises with Shohei Ohtani’s card sales. Recent data sourced from eBay and CardLadder shed light on a 2018 Topps Definitive Gold Framed Shohei Ohtani Rookie Auto BGS 9.5, numbered 13/30, which exchanged hands for a substantial $350,000 on October 15. This sale suggests that Ohtani’s highest card sale might indeed be approaching the coveted half-million-dollar mark, challenging the narrative of his exclusion from the upper echelons of the sports card sales hierarchy.
