Sports card collecting has reached new heights in recent years, with some cards fetching extraordinary prices well into the million-dollar range. While a multitude of top players have cashed in on this trend, one standout has been conspicuously absent from the million-dollar club: Shohei Ohtani. Despite his stellar performance and widespread popularity, Ohtani’s highest card sale remains below $400,000, marking him as a rare exception in the era of lucrative sports card transactions.
In light of the World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, Topps has unveiled a visual presentation spotlighting the priciest cards of key players in this season’s series:
– Jasson Dominguez: $474,000
– Aaron Judge: $324,000
– Juan Soto: $300,000
– Anthony Volpe: $150,000
– Mookie Betts: $123,000
The dominance of Yankees players is evident at the top of the list, with Jasson Dominguez leading the pack with an astounding $474,000 sale for his 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph. Anthony Volpe follows closely behind, with his red Bowman Chrome autograph, limited to just five copies, fetching a substantial $150,000 for a PSA 10 card, solidifying his status as another high-value asset in the Yankees’ lineup.
Juan Soto’s 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph card has an intriguing backstory, as the autograph was reportedly altered and subsequently regraded. Speculation suggests that PSA repurchased the card, effectively removing it from circulation in the market.
Earlier this year, Fanatics and Sotheby’s joined forces for an auction that featured some of the most sought-after cards in the industry, including several cards highlighted in Topps’ graphic. However, there appears to be a discrepancy in Topps’ reported figures for Shohei Ohtani’s card. Recent data from eBay and CardLadder indicates that a 2018 Topps Definitive Gold Framed Shohei Ohtani Rookie Auto BGS 9.5, numbered 13/30, was sold for $350,000 on October 15. This suggests that Ohtani’s highest card sale may indeed be inching closer to the half-million mark after all, challenging the notion of his exclusion from the elite million-dollar club.
