One For the History Books

I've been waiting to write this post for what seems like ages, though in reality it's only been about 3 days. The Chris Sale real one autograph from 2019 Topps Heritage foreshadows what's to come, possibly the greatest Baseball card purchase that I've ever made in my life.

I celebrated my birthday last Friday and, throughout most of the week, planned to visit my LCS and purchase a hobby box of cards to open, which has become somewhat of a tradition for me.

My plan, however, was totally altered once I saw a listing on Thursday by one of the collectors whom I follow on Twitter, promising a huge lot of Red Sox autographs for around what I figured to spend at my LCS the following day.

Because of all the cards that he had to include, 24 in total, I couldn't make out exactly what the serial numbering was or what set the autograph was from. I knew, however, that this was a once in a lifetime deal, and I'd take this over a 2019 hobby box in a heartbeat.

So, I messaged the user and asked if the autograph lot was still available. 5 days later, it arrived in the mail.

As far as I know, the collector was trying to clear out some of his inventory, which is why he listed the group of cards for such a low price.

I thought it was too good to be true, but everything lined up perfectly, and now that I've had them in my collection for a couple of days, I'm dying to share them on the blog.

Behold, what will probably rank as that best Baseball card purchase of my entire life.

2018 Bowman Chrome 1st Bowman Autograph Darwinzon Hernandez

The only real issue that I have with this entire lot is something totally out of the seller's control, to begin with. That is the centering of Darwinzon Hernandez's 2018 1st Bowman Chrome autograph.

He might not be as well known as the rest of the guys on this list, but with Rick Porcello's departure all but confirmed, I envision Hernandez, who will be 23 by Opening Day in 2020, joining the rotation of Sale, Price, Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez.

Having his 1st Bowman auto is a huge plus because I have faith in Hernandez's talent after seeing him pitch a few times this season. Whether he stays in the bullpen or becomes a starter, I'm eager to see what the future has in store for the Venezuelan native.

2017 Topps Pro Debut Green Parallel Autograph Jason Groome

One of the autographs not pictures but, nonetheless, included was a 2017 Topps Pro Debut green parallel auto of Jason Groome, my first ever signature from this set.

Currently sitting at #6 on the Boston Red Sox top 100 prospects list, Groome has been plagued by injuries throughout his minor league career. During this time, however, he's also shown that he has significant potential.

Groome was drafted #12 back in 2016 and is expected to make his major league debut in 2022. For the sake of the future of the Red Sox as well as the following few cards in this post, I want nothing more than for the 21-year old to thrive going forward.

2017 Bowman's Best of 2017 Autograph Jay Groome

I also remember Groome being one of the more sought after autographs back when 2017 Bowman's Best was released. His injuries have hurt the value of his cards, but he has the potential to bounce back and become what the Red Sox envisioned he could be when they drafted him back in 2016.

I love chrome autographs not only because of how beautiful they look, but they're on-card 9 times out of 10. The best thing I can do with these Jay Groome autos is holding onto them and seeing what happens a few years from now.

2017 Bowman High Tek Base Autograph

Just like the Pro Debut Groome auto was my first signature from that set, the Bowman High Tek autograph above is my first ever card from this high-end product. The scan doesn't do the card justice, for in-hand, it's much clearer and modern rather than translucent.

Every autograph thus far has been signed on-card, something that is symbolic of the lot as a whole. While there are some sticker autos mixed in here, that's not a huge deal to me, especially when they're a bunch of new Red Sox autographs for my collection.

2017 Bowman Chrome 1st Bowman Refractor Autograph Jay Groome

The final Jay Groome autograph of the lot is my favorite of the four, and that's not only because it's a 1st Bowman auto (though it helps) numbered out of 499.

Rather, I just love the look of Bowman Chrome autographs, both rookie and prospect, are absolutely beautiful, no matter how plain the base design might be. In-person, the card, like the High Tek auto above, is less translucent and shinier.

There's something about chrome cardstock that almost always elevates the quality of the card, and this 1st Bowman auto is a prime example of that.

2018 Topps Tribute Autograph Craig Kimbrel

He might not be a member of the Boston Red Sox any longer, but I'll take any chance that I can get to add a new Craig Kimbrel card to my collection, let alone an autograph numbered out of 199.

I've always appreciated how detailed and gorgeous Kimbrel's signature his. Along with Mariano Rivera, I'd have to rate it as one of the best of the 21st century, though that's not a huge statement when you consider guys like Chris Sale's autograph which is basically 3 circles.

Topps Tribute is a fantastic high-end set with glossy cards and some beautiful on-card autographs. As you'll see, this product makes a couple more appearances as this crazy lot of Sox cards continues.

2012 Topps Tier One On the Rise J.D. Martinez Autograph

There was only 1 non-Red Sox autograph in the entire lot, and it featured a guy's signature who, hopefully, will remain a member of the team and exercise his option for the 2020 season.

With the addition of the J.D. Martinez auto from 2012 Topps Tier One, this lot is beginning to heat up. If I couldn't have his signature on a Red Sox card, I'm glad it's the Astros where he spent the first few seasons of his career before being released.

It seems that he has at least 2 On the Rise autographs from 2012 Tier One, both of which are numbered out of 350 copies. He hasn't, to my knowledge, had an autograph (Topps or Panini) since joining the Red Sox in 2018, so the next best thing would then be an Astros auto.

1998 Bowman Blue Autograph Nomar Garciaparra

The only autograph on this list not from the 2010s, I was pretty impressed to find a Nomar Garciaparra auto included in this lot. He may not have ended Boston on a high note in 2004, but had some incredible seasons and, at one point, was the most popular athlete in the city of Boston.

This on-card signature dates back to right around the time when guaranteed autos were starting to be inserted into packs. It may not be as flashy as the autographs of today, but given all the 2010s players featured in this group, it's nice to have one guy from a couple of decades back.

2017 Topps Tribute Autograph David Price

I'll try to pick up the pace a little bit since there's a lot of material to cover and I don't want this post to take forever to read. Moving past Nomar, we're now getting into the heart of the 2018 World Series team, particularly the guy who came up big in the ALCS and Fall Classic last season.

This is the first David Price auto to make its way to my collection, but it's far from the last. That's because there's a lot more to come of the 5-time All-Star, autos that I'll be showing off momentarily.

2016 Topps High Tek Pattern 1 Gold Autograph David Price

Come to think of it, I don't recall having a Topps High Tek autograph in my collection until these cards came in the mail 2 days ago. Something about the combination of Price's red jersey and glove with the sleek High Tek design makes for a spectacular modern card, especially with the gold parallel.

2017 Topps Tier One Prime Performers Autograph David Price

The lowest-numbered card on the list thus far, this on-card autograph is out of 40 copies and features a design perfect for a high-end product like Tier One.

The cardstock has a glossy finishing while not being too thick like some Tier One and Five Star autos tend to be. I'd say it would fit in an 80-point top loader, maybe 100.

The numbered (#/40) is a little strange, but Tier One is oftentimes known for that. I've seen other autographs out of numbers like 367 and 110, so I guess 40 isn't too odd. Plus, the card is absolutely gorgeous.

2018 Topps Tribute Autograph Orange Parallel David Price

Aside from the occasional box break that I watch on YouTube and the base cards I find in the dime bins, I'm not that familiar with high-end sets like Tribute, Triple Threads, and Museum Collection.

This lot, however, features a reasonable number of cards from those sets, and that's going to continue until the end of this post. This is the 3rd Tribute card so far, a bright orange parallel from 2018, and the 4th David Price card thus far.

2017 Topps Tier One Dual Relic Autograph David Price

This is an instance where I'm more than willing to look past the sticker auto because this card features a couple of gorgeous 2-color patches to accompany the 5th David Price auto of the lot.

Numbered out of 25 copies, this is the first autographed relic thus far. Don't worry, though, it will not be the last.

Also, this is the 3rd card from Topps Tier One included in the lot, and it's just made me appreciate this product even more. You only get 3 cards in a box for around $100, so I'd never buy one myself, but that doesn't mean I can't love the look of these fabulous hits.

2017 Topps Diamond Icons Autograph David Price

One box of Topps Diamond Icons, regardless of the year, typically sells for ~ $1,000. To think that I have even just a single card from this unfathomably expensive product is crazy. After all, you only get around 9 cards, and they're all hits numbered out of 25 or fewer copies if I remember correctly.

There are colored parallels in this set like red, purple, and, I believe, gold 1/1s, but there's something to say about the plain white base autographs. The card is simple, yet there's so much to appreciate about it because of what the price point is for a box of these cards.

I'll never, as long as I live, buy a box of Diamond Icons or any of these unbelievably expensive releases, but I'm thrilled that this lot has allowed me to add one of these autographs to my collection.

2018 Topps Museum Collection Dual Relic Autograph David Price

I suppose I should just let you all know now that out of the 24 Red Sox autographs in this lot, 9 of them (a little over 1/3) are David Price's signature.

Though he makes up a significant portion of the lineup, I'm glad that, if nothing else, there's an extensive variety of cards, ranging from ultra-modern High Tek parallels to a Fanatics Authentic patch in his Museum Collection dual relic autograph above.

Just like the Tier One auto-relic, a lot is going on with this Museum Collection card, so I barely notice the fact that the autograph is on-sticker instead of on-card.

2016 Panini National Treasures Game Dated Signatures David Price

As I've previously mentioned, I'm not an expert, by any means, on high-end sets, so I have no idea if this game dated David Price relic is actually from April 5th, 2016, his first start as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Regardless, I feel the same way about National Treasures as I do Diamond Icons; I'll never buy a box, but it's awesome to have one of these cards in my collection.

This is my first NT card and, like Diamond Icons, the card relies on simplicity and while it may not have the MLB license, I'll rank it as one of the best cards out of the 24.

2017 Topps Triple Threads Autograph Relic Sapphire Parallel

I don't have any Red Sox 1/1s in my collection, so this spectacular David Price autograph relic, numbered 3/3, from 2017 Topps Triple Threads is officially the lowest-numbered Red Sox card that I own.

I had a couple of Triple Threads hits in my collection before purchasing these cards, but this only increases my appreciation towards the product. The autograph relics in this set draw collectors in each and every year, and the inclusion of star veteran players like David Price gives this set a ton of appeal.

Triple Threads isn't quite as crazy as Diamond Icons and Definitive, but the price point is, nonetheless, incredibly high for a hobby box. For the time being, I'll stick to affordable hits, including their iconic relics.

2016 Panini Diamond Kings DK Signatures Xander Bogaerts

Not only did I not have a single David Price auto before making this purchase, but I didn't have a Xander Bogaerts signature either, 2 key members of the 2018 World Series team.

As if the lot didn't impress me enough, the Twitter user included multiple Xander Bogaerts autos, another monumental addition to my Red Sox collection.

Bogaerts, who's coming off an MVP-caliber season, continues to improve year in and year out. Now is the best time to sell valuable cards of the 2-time All-Star, so I'm shocked that these were included in the first place.

2017 Panini Diamond Kings DK Signatures Xander Bogaerts

The 2nd Bogaerts auto is pretty similar to the first, only it's from 2017 Panini Diamond Kings instead of 2016. Other differences include the layout (horizontal vs vertical), the color of the 2 relics (red and blue vs grey and white), and, finally, the serial numbering (#/49 vs #/25).

It's a toss-up as to which one I prefer. I'm not a huge fan of Diamond Kings, so I was impressed, for starters, that I took such a liking to these cards. Then again, he was a top 2 player on the team in 2019, so that'll definitely help.

2013 Bowman Inception Autographed Relic Xander Bogaerts

As if it wasn't enough to have 2 Xander Bogaerts autos from Panini Diamond Kings, there's a 3rd, this time a licensed autograph, back when he was in the minor leagues.

At first, I preferred the 2 Diamond Kings cards solely because of the design, but the more I think about, the more I realize how special this Bowman Inception autographed relic is. For starters, the product is no longer made, and it's a licensed autograph of one of the game's most talented shortstops.

I'm not focusing too much on value when it comes to these cards. I know that I got an insane deal, which I'll touch on later, but it's worth noting that this card is going a pretty penny on eBay, though the range of different prices is fairly large.

2017 Panini National Treasures Player's Collection Signatures Andrew Benintendi

The name of the card may be a mouthful, but this gorgeous Andrew Benintendi card is my 2nd look at Panini's highly sought after National Treasures brand. 

The card, presumably a redemption that was filled and, thus, placed in a magnetic top loader, features 2 small jersey pieces, a colossal red uniform relic, and an on-card autograph from the 25-year old's rookie season.

Serial numbering isn't always uniform throughout a set which is why I was a little surprised that 99 copies of this card were printed. Still, that's been my biggest complaint about the lot thus far, so I'd say I'm going pretty well.

In all seriousness though, the Benintendi card is a gem, easily one of my favorites along with the David Price from Triple Threads and the 2 cards remaining from this purchase.

2018 Topps Tribute Autograph Green Parallel Rafael Devers

Seeing a Benintendi card in the picture didn't shock me, for he's coming off a year in which he had more struggles than any year of his career thus far. But Devers? He just turned 23 years old today and recently finished a historic season that will certainly garner MVP votes and consideration.

If not for his sensational performance, the Boston Red Sox would've been eliminated from playoff contention much earlier in the season. His impact on the team was extraordinary as he and Bogaerts led the offense to the top of the MLB.

For these reasons and more, I was shocked to find a licensed, on-card, serial numbered, rookie autograph of Rafael Devers along with the other 23 cards in the lot. 

However, there's still one card left which, even taking everything else in this lot into account, will reign supreme as the greatest card of the purchase.

2017 Topps High Tek Red Orbit Diffractor Autograph Pedro Martinez

This card may rank as one of the most beautiful cards I've ever laid my eyes on in my life. Every single thing about it is breathtaking and near perfect, from the gorgeous shade of red to Pedro's phenomenal signature.

The diffractor makes it hard to see the numbering, but this card is 6/10, a lower print run than the Transcendent auto of Martinez that I picked up at The National. Aside from being Pedro Martinez autographs, those 2 cards couldn't be more different.

I could go on for much longer about each of these cards, particularly the Martinez auto, but I'll leave with this. I don't usually like to give exact numbers on how much I paid for a card/group of cards, but this lot of cards was such a steal that I feel the need to share just this one time.

I got all 24 of these cards delivered to my house for a grand total of $110 including shipping. If you do the math, that's $4.50 per card. That includes the 9 Price autos, the 3 Bogaerts, the Devers, the Pedro, and everything else shown above.

After writing this post, I think it's official; this lot is the best Baseball purchase of my entire life, and it's going to take something huge to dethrone it.