Just days after Shohei Ohtani won his first World Series, a key rookie card for the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar sold for $533,140 at Goldin, a public record for any Ohtani card.
Among Ohtani’s best rookies, the 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs Orange Refractor /25 BGS 10 Black Label topped the previous high of $336,000 that was paid for a 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Superfractor 1/1 at the “Holy Grails” auction in September.
"I am thrilled that this incredible rookie card was able to set a record at Goldin tonight," Goldin founder Ken Goldin told cllct. "The $533,140 for an Orange Refractor limited to 25 is an astounding number. It is a credit to the popularity and worldwide acclaim of Shohei Ohtani, and also a credit to the worldwide reach of the Goldin Auctions user base."
The previous high for the record-setting Orange Refractor /25 in any condition was the $200,000 paid for a BGS 9.5/Auto 10 example via private sale in October.
The auction comes alongside a number of records for Ohtani in recent weeks, including his 50th home run ball from earlier this season, which sold for a home run ball-record $4.39 million at Goldin in October.
That home run ball, which made Ohtani the only player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, was purchased by Taiwanese investment firm UC Capital.
Ohtani’s success was also captured as part of the Topps NOW program, with the card commemorating his 50-50 season selling a NOW-record 653,737 copies. One order for that card included a Gold 1/1 parallel that featured a “50/50 CLUB 9/19/24” autograph inscription.
Topps followed its NOW release in September with a 100-card set to celebrate Ohtani’s 50-50 season, which includes chase cards featuring a 1/1 Logoman patch from the pants Ohtani wore when he hit his 50th home run. Ten-pack boxes of 2024 Topps 50-50: Shohei Ohtani originally retailed for $239.99 but have since sold for more than double that price on the secondary market.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.