A Lucky Find
Mason Deane, a nine‑year‑old from Arizona, was browsing the aisles of DNA Cards and Collectibles with his father, Bradley, when a flash of color caught his eye. The boy’s instinct told him to grab a pack, and inside lay a one‑of‑a‑kind redemption card featuring a signed rookie portrait of Chicago White Sox prospect Munetaka Murakami.
The card, part of the Topps Chrome Black series, was immediately recognized by the shop’s owner, Adam Sidoti, as a rare gem. Sidoti, who curates a wide range of collectibles from sports to pop culture, noted that the store had never seen a sale of this magnitude, making the discovery a historic moment for the boutique.
After a nerve‑wracking decision to put the card up for auction, the Deane family watched as bidders from across the country vied for the prized piece. When the hammer finally fell, the final price settled just under $75,000, a sum that stunned both the shop and the young collector.
Bradley Deane, who has turned card‑shopping into a regular father‑son outing, recalled the excitement of the hunt and the simple rule his son follows: "If it feels lucky, I buy it." The experience, he said, has become more than a hobby; it is a shared adventure that blends nostalgia with modern collecting.
While Mason initially dreamed of using the proceeds for more cards and a stash of V‑Bucks, his father steered the money toward a more enduring goal: a college fund that will support the boy’s future studies. The family now reflects on the episode as a reminder that sometimes the greatest reward lies not in the cash, but in the memories forged together.