The WNBA’s Million-Dollar Offer Isn’t What it Seems
Fifteen minutes away from Dodger Stadium, Burbank Sportscards houses two large showcases dedicated to graded Shohei Ohtani baseball cards. But although the displays have slots for 180 cards, only a dozen remained following the Dodgers’ Game 3 victory in this year’s World Series.
“To say there’s been a 50% increase [in the value of Ohtani cards] probably isn’t overstating things,” says Rob Veres, owner of Burbank Sportscards, which is the U.S.’s largest card shop. “That’s just in the sub-1,000-dollar market. As far as really big pieces go, we sold a couple cards at 100K apiece that have gone up probably 60% since the postseason started.”
After Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings in Oct. 17’s clinching Game 4 win of the National League Championship Series, these cards hit another level. And they will almost certainly spike even higher if the Dodgers secure back-to-back World Series titles—especially if the Japanese superstar is named the National League MVP for the second straight year.
The market for these cards has surged as international buyers—notably in Japan—have joined Americans in the rush for the coveted collectibles. “People are looking for the best of the best of his stuff,” says Jesse Craig, CEO of Acquir, which helps clients buy, sell, fund, and manage high-end cards. (The morning after the magnificent NLCS Game 4, Craig woke up to six or seven text messages from people looking to either sell or buy Ohtani cards.)
But these cards have been climbing in value well before the Dodgers’ dominant run of the past two years.
The price of Ohtani rookie cards from 2018, when he played for the Angels, have particularly escalated quickly. They are selling big now: In October 2024, a 2018 Bowman Chrome Blue Refractor Rookie Auto with only 150 in existence and graded a 9.5 for the card and a perfect 10 for the autograph by Beckett Grading Services (BGS) sold for $18,000. In April 2025, it went for $32,500. Five months later, two copies sold for $67,100 and $63,000. On Oct. 18, the card captured $84,000.
Some jumps are even more dramatic. In 2019, an Ohtani 2018 Bowman Chrome Autograph BGS 9.5 sold for $560. On Oct. 28, that card went for $46,500.
Craig brokered a private deal for a client earlier this year for a 2018 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Rookie Auto. There were only 50 cards made of the Gold parallel. The card sold for around $150,000, and it’s now valued at $300,000. He says the most in-demand Ohtani cards come from the Topps and Bowman brands, since they are MLB licensed.
Ohtani cards signed in his native Japanese kanji—which Craig says are quite limited—have particularly high prices. He points to one signed 2018 Bowman Chrome Blue Refractor card: “That card is a seven-figure card if that person decides to sell it.”
The market is hot, but many collectors with Ohtani cards are holding on tight. Two years ago, Tyler Joseph wanted to build a collection he could share with his soon-to-be first child. He decided to go after Ohtani cards, mostly graded perfect 10s by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).
The first Ohtani card he picked up was a 2020 Diamond Icons Autographs featuring a pair of multi-color patches. It is graded BGS 8.5 with a 10 auto. Numbered to just five, the other four have never surfaced publicly. Joseph bought the card for $2,200. Just a few weeks ago, he received an offer of $13,000. He now estimates that card to be worth between $18,000 and $22,000. (Joseph tells Front Office Sports he will never part with the card because it holds sentimental value with his son.)
The most valuable Ohtani card he owns is the hitting version of the 2018 Bowman Chrome Autograph in a PSA 10. There are only 13 examples of that card in that grade. Joseph picked it up earlier this year for $13,000; two weeks ago, he received a cash offer of $90,000.
Yes, his collection has turned into a business—but, he says, “It’s still a hobby first, because I have stuff for my son, Tanner, that I’ll never sell.”
Nate Thompson started collecting Ohtani cards during the 2018 rookie season. But when Ohtani missed a significant chunk of time in 2019 and 2020 due to injuries, Thompson scooped up his cards at rock-bottom prices. He also traded a stack of rookie cards of other players for an Ohtani card—a 2018 Topps Series 2 Negative—and came out on top.
“The whole stack of cards I gave out was nothing special. It was just a whole bunch of raw cards worth maybe $40,” says Michigan-based Thompson, who estimates his card is now worth upward of $2,500. “I’m glad I executed that deal.”
Thompson’s Ohtani rookie collection—which is more than 250 cards—is mostly ungraded. He also collects for the love of the hobby. However, he says he certainly doesn’t mind seeing his collection skyrocket in value.
Like any other collectible, there’s no limit to the value of Ohtani’s cards if he continues to play at such a high level, Craig says. But he also has a warning: “We’re in high-risk territory from a buy perspective. The expectations are now astronomic. We’re expecting this guy to hit 50-plus home runs per year for the rest of his career, while being Sandy Koufax on the mound.”
For now, the Ohtani card market is humming—especially amid the World Series. “Nobody wants to sell them and everyone wants to buy them,” Burbank Sportscards’s Veres says. “That is supply and demand at its finest.”
