Rick Mirigian's annual reminder popped up in his calendar Monday morning.
The note comes up every year on the same day, Dec. 3, for what he says has been at least a decade.
"I do it just to make myself miserable," Mirigian said.
So, what happened that was so painful Mirigian feels compelled to revisit it on a yearly basis?
I understand his pain because I was there to report about Mirigian's exploits in the early 2000s.
From 2000-2006, I covered the business of sports for ESPN and, occasionally, reported on the card market. It wasn't too often, however, because cards just weren't popping enough to generate headlines.
But along came Mirigian, a concert promoter in his late 20s, who was the big gambler in the market.
In 2003-04, Upper Deck put out its famous NBA Exquisite set, a game-changer that ushered in the era of modern chase cards.
Exquisite cost an eye-popping $500 a pack, with five cards coming in each pack in a wood box. The price point was universally ripped by everyone as being obtuse, grandiose and outrageous.
The prize cards were three dual "Logomans" — cards that featured the NBA logo from a game-used jersey of the players featured.
The set featured three total Logomans that paired NBA superstars — Kobe Bryant with LeBron James, Michael Jordan with Bryant, and James with Jordan.
Within a short period of time, Rick Mirigian had acquired all three.
Seriously.
"I got the first one within the first couple days of it coming out," recalled Mirigian, who initially spent $1,500 on three boxes. "It was Kobe/LeBron, and it was from a box I got at my favorite store in Fresno. There was no market for it, so I put it up on eBay and called you."
I actually didn't recall the conversation, so I looked back and found it in a June 15, 2004, article on ESPN.com.
"The card is now on eBay, its most current bid up to $25,000 with more than five days left at auction," I wrote at the time. "Just another lucrative transaction in the waiting for Mirigian, who peddles between $60,000 and $100,000 worth of cards on the site every month."
The auction immediately popped.
"Your story made the eBay auction go viral, and it went, I think, to $62,100," Mirigian said. "We thought the card was $3,500, maybe $5,000 tops. We didn't know why it went for so much."
At $62,100, it was the most expensive modern card ever, and it was purchased by an Indiana man named Kerry Bird, who used it to promote his line of gyms.
"The next thing I know, I was getting spammed by this guy from Japan, who said he was my cousin," Mirigian said. "Had the same last name. Told me he had a case with three boxes and asked if we wanted to split the cost. I said, 'Sure.' Well, it turns out he got the second Logoman — the Kobe/MJ."
The Mirigian duo then bought the last Logoman — LeBron/MJ — which turned out to be a redemption — for $27,000 on eBay.
So, why is Mirigian in pain? Because those became some of the biggest cards ever, and he sold them in the early 2000s.
All three cards eventually ended up with Nat Turner, chairman & CEO of Collectors, which owns PSA, around four years ago in deals negotiated privately by Goldin. Only one -- the Jordan/LeBron — had its price revealed ($900,000).
"I just wish I would have kept one of them," said Mirigian, who thinks the three cards he sold for less than $200,000 are now worth more than $15 million.
But don't feel sorry for him. Now a boxing promoter, Mirigian has an incredible side business in collectibles. Years ago, he identified Type 1 photos as the next big thing.
"I bought some of these photos for $100 or $200 and have gotten $20,000 or $30,000 so many times," Mirigian said. "Even still, it doesn't allow me to stop thinking about those three cards."
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.