The holy grail of the 2024 baseball card collecting hobby was the Paul Skenes RDPA card. An RDPA card is a Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card.
Topps, the leading baseball card producer, began printing these cards in 2023. They include a game-worn debut patch from the players’ jersey and their signature from their first MLB game, which means they’re also 1-of-1.
We’ll get to Skenes’ card, but let’s get the suspense rolling, and go over the history of RDPA cards and card auctions.
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: The Paul Skenes 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card has been pulled by an 11-year-old collector from Los Angeles, CA. pic.twitter.com/tYZe5KuqM2
— Topps (@Topps) January 21, 2025
An expensive hobby
The most expensive debut patch card (other than Skenes) was Masyn Wynn’s from the St. Louis Cardinals. The card set the record at a buy-now price of $75,000 on Fanatic Collect’s Buy Now marketplace, just last month. The card holds a PSA 10 grade, meaning it’s in the best possible condition.
The record-holder for a card sold on the marketplace, where Skenes’ card is listed, dwarfs that. The 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card, graded PSA 8.5, sold for $1.6 million. Pretty impressive.
The chase
The chase for the Pirates pitchers’ card was incredible. Everyone wanted it, including the Pittsburgh Pirates!
They offered whoever found it season tickets for 30 years, two signed Skenes Jerseys, and other memorabilia. Further, the ante was upped by Skenes’ girlfriend and gymnast, Olivia Dunne, who offered seats in her booth to the lucky collector who found the card.
Who found it?
On Christmas morning, an 11-year-old opened a gift to see a 2024 Topps Chrome Update set. Not expecting to find the card in his box, the family was shocked to see they pulled it. This card may have fallen fell into the hands of those who needed it the most.
The family who decided to stay anonymous due to the heavy media attention, had to relocate twice due to the LA wildfires in early January this year. The family shared their child’s journal, noting his gratitude and calling it a “dream come true.”
The 11-year-old collector who pulled the Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch card just shared his journal entries…
It’s an absolute MUST-READ 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/PldkJMS06W
— Topps (@Topps) January 24, 2025
Big time money for a big time card
Kevin Lenane, the Vice-President of Fanatics Collect, is the gatekeeper for the card. He picked up the card from Topps’ printing facility, brought it to the family’s house, and delivered it to PSA’s operations facility, where graders assigned it a PSA 10.
As of Saturday, March 1, the card reached 56 bids, sitting at $660,000, including the buyer’s premium. The card’s current location is in Fanatics Collect’s vault, outside of Portland, Oregon.
Typically, Fanatics will keep their cut from the buyer’s premium. However, this time they’re donating their proceeds to the LAFD and Red Cross.
The card collecting world awaits the end of the auction on March 20, where the landscape of baseball cards will have added to its history books. Oh, and a kid will have his life changed!
