One-of-a-Kind Ichiro Card is Headed to Auction Block

In just over two weeks, the baseball world will welcome one of its most beloved and unique superstars into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Headlining a Class of 2025 that also includes Dave Parker, Dick Allen, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner, the great Ichiro will take his place among baseball's immortals as a Hall of Famer.

For collectors, however, the real Ichiro fun will begin two days later when one of the Japanese baseball legend's most coveted cards hits the auction block, courtesy of REA.

2001 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor (Japanese) Ichiro | Image courtesy of REA

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Not surprisingly, the card in question is a rookie card. However, that's only a small part of the story. While the card is numbered to 99, the true number of these cards is less than half that. Only the 49 even numbered specimens are of the Japanese variety while the 50 odd-numbered specimens are the standard English variation. For that reason, the card is sometimes listed as /49.

Card reverse showing 52/99 and Japanese text | Image courtesy of REA

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Of course, the rarest number associated with the card is the 10 grade from PSA. To date, this is the ONLY gem mint copy of the card that PSA has ever slabbed. At present, the card is nearly impossible to comp. Per the industry tracking site Card Ladder, the most recent sale of a PSA 9 was for $15,000 in May. However, the population for PSA 9 currently stands at 21, underscoring the uniqueness of the PSA 10. Without a doubt, the REA Ichiro is THE card to buy for the Ichiro collector who has everything, but be warned. Good chance this card, much like Ichiro himself, sets some records on its way out. Top dollar paid for any Ichiro card thus far has been $207,400. Follow the REA Summer Catalog Auction from July 29 through August 17 to see just how high this one goes.