Over the recent years, the world of sports cards has witnessed an unprecedented surge in sales, with numerous cards shattering the million-dollar ceiling. However, amidst the skyrocketing values, one notable absence from the million-dollar club is Shohei Ohtani. Despite his exceptional talent and immense popularity, Ohtani’s highest card sale remains conspicuously below $400,000, a rarity in today’s era of exorbitant transactions.
As the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees clash in the World Series, Topps, the iconic trading card company, unveiled a revealing graphic highlighting the most expensive cards for some of the key players in this year’s championship series. Among the notable sales are:
Jasson Dominguez: $474,000
Aaron Judge: $324,000
Juan Soto: $300,000
Anthony Volpe: $150,000
Mookie Betts: $123,000
The Yankees’ roster dominates the top spots on the list, with Jasson Dominguez leading the pack with an impressive sale of $474,000 for his 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph. Anthony Volpe’s red Bowman Chrome autograph, limited to just five copies, commanded a hefty price tag of $150,000 for a PSA 10 edition, solidifying his position as another high-value player in the Yankees lineup.
Notably, Juan Soto’s 1/1 Bowman Superfractor Autograph card has a unique backstory as the autograph underwent alterations and regrading. Speculations suggest that PSA repurchased the card, rendering it unavailable in the current 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 listed in the Topps graphic. However, a recent analysis raises questions about the accuracy of Topps’ reported figures for Shohei Ohtani’s card sales. 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 could potentially approach the half-million mark, challenging his exclusion from the million-dollar realm.
In a world where sports card values continue to soar, the sales figures for key players in the World Series provide a glimpse into the evolving landscape of card collecting, showcasing both the astronomical prices commanded by top athletes and the intriguing narratives that surround each valuable piece within the hobby.
