The baseball card of the year, Paul Skenes's one-of-one rookie debut patch autograph, has a surprise new owner. The card was pulled by an 11-year-old collector who received a hobby box of Topps' Chrome Update product as a Christmas present.
Although the Pittsburgh Pirates put out a strong bounty for the card's finder, the collector decided to auction the card through Fanatics Collectibles. The auction recently ended with a $1.11 million sale, netting more than Skenes's $875,000 salary in 2025.
The buyer was later revealed as sporting-goods chain Dick's, who plans to make the card available to the Pittsburgh community by displaying it at their "House of Sport" store at Ross Park mall.
BREAKING: The buyer of the $1.11 million Paul Skenes RDPA card was revealed to be … Dick’s Sporting Goods.
— cllct (@cllctMedia) March 21, 2025
The retail giant appears to be making a shift into the collectible space.https://t.co/whr703aj4I
"Acquiring the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card enables us to celebrate his incredible talent while giving our athletes a unique opportunity to experience a piece of baseball history up close," Dick's executive chairman Ed Stack said in a statement. "We're thrilled to bring this special card home and display it in our Pittsburgh House of Sport store where it can inspire the next generation of athletes and collectors."
The card features the patch that Skenes wore on his jersey sleeve during his Major League debut, making it a one-of-a-kind artifact for baseball fans. The Pirates offered season tickets for 30 years, to host a softball game at PNC Park, two autographed jerseys and a meet and greet with Skenes for the card. Skenes's girlfriend Livvy Dunne upped the ante by chipping in a spot in her luxury suite at a Pirates game.
Pittsburgh wanted the card. Ultimately, it ends up in the city. Just in a roundabout way.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sporting Goods Store Issues Statement After Purchasing Paul Skenes Card for $1.1 Million.
