Phillies prospect Aidan Miller (SS/3B) is quickly gaining attention as one of the organization's most promising young talents. MLB.com currently ranks Miller as the top prospect in the organization, ahead of Andy Painter, Justin Crawford, Starlyn Caba, and Eduardo Tait.
Baseball card collectors are taking notice.
On Pattison learned Tuesday that Eric Mandelkern, a high-end baseball card collector, recently purchased Miller's "Bowman 1st Superfractor" autograph card for close to $40,000. For those unfamiliar with sports cards, a player's Bowman 1st card is basically the card that introduces the player to the collecting world for the first time. Over time, a Bowman 1st is the card that will likely accumulate the most value over a player's career.
Mandelkern, then, is banking on Miller's career taking off. If it happens, his $40,000 investment in the card could pay serious dividends.
In May, Mandelkern placed a $50,000 bounty on the card for whoever "pulled" it (collector parlance for finding the card in its original packaging).
A sports card company in China, Bo Breaks, pulled the card in October via an app called Hobbystocks. And the sale to Mendelkern was completed in November.
COLLX VIDEO EXCLUSIVE 🚨
The 2024 Bowman Superfractor auto of Aidan Miller (@aidanmiller__) was just pulled in China from Bo Breaks on the breaking platform @HOBBYSTOCKS_!@DavidGrzyTV reports! How much do you think this card will sell for? pic.twitter.com/zi8ESrdGLE
Sports card collecting is wild these days. MLB rookie cards such as Miller's require massive upfront investments and represent risky gambles. If a player doesn't pan out, his card value will decline in tandem with his real-life career.
But if Miller turns out to be the star that many expect him to be, Mandelkern will be in line for a huge payday. Phillies fans may not share in the card's profits, but they'll be thrilled as well.
