Dust off your baseball caps and adjust your collector’s monocles, as this tale of baseball fervor and extravagant memorabilia purchases takes center stage. Paul Skenes, a promising pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has seen his name etched into collectible folklore, not for his remarkable on-field antics, but for a spicy slice of baseball history cut in cardboard. You guessed it – his 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB debut patch autograph card just fetched a monumental $1.11 million dollars. Yes, that’s seven ones in succession, folks.
This eye-watering sum, buyer’s premium included (presumably so buyers will think they’re getting a deal), makes it the priciest contemporary baseball card on the market that isn’t emblazoned with a certain Mike Trout. Trout’s one-of-a-kind rookie card sold for a jaw-dropping $3.9 million back in August 2020 – a towering benchmark to any collector’s wish list. Skenes’ card, autographed and bearing a bona fide patch from his Pirates debut uniform, doesn’t quite attain Trout’s dizzy heights, yet still firmly ensconces itself in the annals of baseball card royalty.
Topps, the purveyors of this now legendary collectible, crafted it under Major League Baseball’s exclusive trading card license during the 2023 season. At the time of sale, the highest recorded exchange in this domain was $150,000, achieved in a rather more discreet private transaction for an Anthony Volpe card. Before even the ink could dry on Skenes’ sale, Jackson Holiday’s MLB debut patch autograph card was auctioned off for a cool $198,000, showing that collectors’ appetites are as healthy as ever.
The catalyst behind this fervent interest might well be Skenes’ remarkable rookie year accolades – a National League All-Star Game starting position, Cy Young finalist nod, and the prestigious 2024 Rookie of the Year award. These don’t just elevate a player’s career; they elevate the value of anything linked to them – including a mere piece of glorified cardboard.
This story takes an especially heartwarming turn when you discover an 11-year-old Dodgers supporter from sunny Los Angeles was the lucky recipient of a Skenes redemption card as a Christmas present. A gift that would make Santa blush red and white, the card’s value promised transformation, both monetary and magical. The Pittsburgh Pirates, recognizing the card’s significance, initially tried to woo the youngster with a tantalizing bounty, suggesting an irresistible trade: 30 years of season tickets, exclusive meet-and-greets, signed jerseys, and intimate behind-the-scenes souvenirs at PNC Park and spring training events. Skenes’ girlfriend, noted for her own acrobatics, Livvy Dunne, even intervened, offering to host the young fan at a Pirates game from her own suite, believing a personal touch might do the trick. But when late-night visionary, Seth Meyers, threw a VIP experience into the deal, the stakes reached amusingly unexpected heights.
The family, standing by tradition, graciously declined these incredible offers and instead invited auction houses to the ballot in January, culminating in their decision to engage Fanatics Collect for the sale. Behind the scenes, Kevin Lenane, the vice president of Fanatics’ Marketplace division, took to the skies, personally delivering the card to Los Angeles and ingratiating it to the PSA for prudential grading, before returning it home to Fanatics’ New York City headquarters. An amusing interlude arose mid-flight when the pilot, piqued by curiosity, mused over the card’s heavily insured passage through the skies.
Displayed like a revered heirloom at Fanatics’ Super Bowl LIX extravaganza in February, the card entranced attendees, drawing crowds evocative of bespectacled art enthusiasts, according to CEO Nick Bell. Upon announcing the auction, Fanatics was inundated with calls and social media engagement, marking a surge in enthusiasm reminiscent of fevered anticipation for the season’s next great game.
And now, as the metaphorical dust settles, the Skenes card’s incorporation back into the annals of collectible history sets the stage for future endeavors, supported by the generosity of its buyer. Most proceeds are to nourish college dreams for the young fan and his brother, though some funds are earmarked for future collectibles, a testament to their profound reverence for the keepsakes of sports history.
This narrative of cardboard dreams come true, wrapped in vibrant tales of sportsmanship and youthful innocence, underscores yet again that within the world of sports collecting, it’s not just about the stats or the fame, but the stories that captivate the imagination of fans young, old, and forever enamored.
