Florida collector pulls 1-of-1 Ohtani card, then sells for $10M+
A rare 1-of-1 Shohei Ohtani trading card has sold for more than $10 million, marking one of the highest prices ever paid for a single sports card. The card, which features two gold patches from uniforms Ohtani wore during his back-to-back MVP seasons, was discovered in a box of 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball at a hobby shop in Boca Raton, Florida.
The buyer is Matthew Allen, a principal at Secure Collectibles who partnered on the deal with Kevin O'Leary and Paul Warshaw. The card contains autographs in both English and Kanji, alongside patches from jerseys Ohtani wore during specific home run performances in 2025 and 2026. Because Ohtani earned MVP honors, he wore a special gold logo patch on his uniforms, which makes this specific card unique.
This sale puts the Ohtani card alongside the most valuable sports collectibles in history, trailing only high-profile sales of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Mickey Mantle memorabilia. The market for Ohtani trading cards has grown rapidly over the last year, with this transaction representing the fifth time one of his cards has sold for over $1 million since last December.
The discovery of the card triggered a nationwide search among collectors immediately after the 2026 Topps Chrome series hit the market on July 22. With the sale finalized, the card now ranks among the most expensive sports artifacts ever traded, highlighting the intense interest in high-end baseball collectibles.