Nearly a decade ago, a collector created a short list of cards he considered to hold a combination of significance and scarcity that indicated what he perceived to be significant financial upside.
One of those cards was a 2001 Bowman Chrome Japanese No. 351 Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Gold Refractor 52/99 PSA 10.
As Ichiro’s induction into the Hall of Fame is slated for next month, the collector has decided to consign the card — the only PSA 10 in the world — to auction at REA for it Summer Catalog Auction running from July 29 to Aug. 17.
The top sale thus far for any 2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro card — an English version graded PSA 10 — is $43,200. The most expensive sale of any Ichiro card at public auction is the $207,400 paid for his 2001 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Autographed card in October 2023.
Currently, the top price paid for a PSA 9 copy of the Japanese Gold Refractor is $15,000.
According to Market Movers, Ichiro’s card sales volume has cleared $750,000 in the past year with more than 5,000 individual transactions. Volume has surged 41% in the past 180 days as his Hall of Fame enshrinement approaches.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.