It’s hard to argue against this kid being one of the coolest — and soon-to-be one of the richest — 11-year-olds in Los Angeles.
A young baseball card collector, who pulled what’s being called a “one-of-a-kind offering,” has turned down a mega deal from the Pittsburgh Pirates, instead opting to send a unique card to auction.
That card, the Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch card which contains the jersey patch worn by the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year in his first career start, was highly sought after. The Pirates, Skenes’ team, offered the following for the card:
- Two Pirates season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years
- Meet & Greet with Paul Skenes
- Two Paul Skenes signed jerseys
- Pirates game with Livvy Dunne, Skenes’ girlfriend and LSU gymnastics star, in her suite
The young collector turned down the package. Instead, according to card manufacturer Topps, it’ll head to auction.
The Paul Skenes 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card. (Topps)
The card will be auctioned off by Fanatics Collect in March, the company announced. In addition, Fanatics’ slice of the pie from the sale will go toward L.A. wildfire relief funds. The card has already received a mint-condition 10/10 grade from card-grading company PSA.
It’s not clear how much the card will fetch in auction. It’s sure to provide the pre-teen and their family a life-changing amount of cash, however, and it doesn’t appear that’s lost on the young baseball card fanatic.
The unnamed child’s family shared their journal entry about the event with Topps, which then posted it to social media. The entry tells a humorous story about the kid’s pursuit of an expensive box of baseball cards, which ultimately contained the even-more expensive Skenes card.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
The box was initially $200, the journal entry says, but prices skyrocketed soon after launching in November.
“I started begging my mom for Christmas,” the entry reads. “[My parents] said the price would drop at Black Friday. Fast forward to Black Friday… THE PRICES DID NOT DROP – infinite rage.”
On Christmas Day, however, the young collector’s holiday was made and they received the box as a gift. After opening a few packs, the kid’s Christmas was made.
“I quote, ‘Hey dad, I got the Paul Skenes redemption card.’ He was like, ‘No, you didn’t,’ the child wrote. “Then I showed him the card and me, my brother, and my dad were like OMG!!!”
The child mentioned the excitement throughout their family after landing the unique card. Now, because of their fun baseball-card collecting hobby, the family’s life is changed.
“I am 11 years old,” the journal reads. “So pulling this card is a dream come true.”
