Pirates' Paul Skenes Rare Card Staying Local After Historic Auction
Yesterday morning, the news of the sale of Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes' one-of-one rookie card to an anonymous bidder for $1.11 million made its rounds on the internet. It did not take long for that buyer to be revealed.
The mystery buyer? None other than Dick's Sporting Goods. The retail giant, based out of Pittsburgh, plans to keep the card local by displaying it at their "House of Sport" store inside Pittsburgh’s Ross Park Mall. The card is an addition to their growing memorabilia display that sits towards the middle of their Ross Park store.
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
The card was originally pulled by an 11-year-old collector who received a hobby box of Topps Chrome Update as a Christmas gift. Despite an enticing offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who put together a generous package for whoever could secure the card, the young collector and his parents chose to auction it off through Fanatics Collectibles. The auction closed at a staggering $1.11 million—topping Skenes’ projected 2025 salary of $875,000.
To the lucky person who finds this card… We’d love to bring this card home to PNC Park to share with all Buccos fans.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) November 15, 2024
Here’s our offer: https://t.co/qSDgZg3C8p pic.twitter.com/efNGhjidQ4
"Acquiring the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card allows us to celebrate his remarkable talent while offering the Pittsburgh community a chance to connect with a special piece of baseball history," said Ed Stack, executive chairman of Dick's Sporting Goods, in a press release to the media. "We're excited to bring this card home to Pittsburgh and inspire future generations of athletes and collectors."
The card itself is truly one-of-a-kind, featuring the actual patch Skenes wore on his jersey sleeve during his major league debut, as well as his autograph. The Pirates had gone all out in hopes of retrieving it—offering perks like 30 years of season tickets, a private softball game at PNC Park, two autographed jerseys, and a meet-and-greet with Skenes. His girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, even sweetened the deal by adding a seat in her luxury suite for a Pirates game.
Let's raise the stakes...the person who finds the card can sit with me at a Pirates game in my suite https://t.co/WZTk5SxHW5
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) November 15, 2024
Pittsburgh made no secret of its desire to bring the card back. In the end, it got its wish—just not quite the way it expected.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.