✹The PERENNIAL Shohei Ohtani Thread✹

[Rage]

117.9 MPH Hardest Hit HR this year in MLB

[Hayder2309]

Hi everyone,
My name is Hayder, and I’m writing from Norway. I recently got into collecting baseball cards—specifically Shohei Ohtani—and I'm absolutely hooked. However, I’m finding myself pretty overwhelmed by the sheer amount of variations and parallel sets out there.

A little background:
I’ve been collecting Pokémon cards for over a decade, mainly PSA 10s and high-end cards. Lately, the hobby has felt a bit bloated—lots of newcomers just flipping for profit, which has taken some of the fun out of it for me. That led me to look for a side hobby, and that’s when I discovered baseball cards.

Baseball isn’t a big deal here in Norway, but like many Europeans, I was introduced through the Moneyball movie. I finally attended my first MLB game last year and completely fell in love with the sport. Shohei Ohtani’s story and his two-way ability blew me away—so naturally, I started collecting him.

So far:
I’ve picked up a few packs locally (very limited selection here), and grabbed some of the Topps Project70 Ohtani cards because I loved the artwork. Now I’m looking to get more serious, similar to how I approach Pokémon—focusing on eye appeal, graded condition (preferably PSA 10s), and cards that will at least hold value long term.

I’ve been told by a Chatgpt that 2018 Ohtani rookies are the key starting point, especially for long-term value. That makes sense, and I’d love to pick up a flagship Topps RC and maybe a Topps Chrome RC soon.

That said, I’m also interested in:

On-card Ohtani autographs

Serial numbered parallels

High-end inserts (Kaboom, SSPs, Topps Chrome Black, etc.)

Unique or artist-driven designs that stand out visually


I’ve got my eye on a Kaboom Ohtani as my next big pickup, but I’m open to suggestions. What else should I be looking at? With all the parallels, refractors, and subsets, it’s been a bit much to wrap my head around coming from the more structured world of Pokémon.

What I’m looking for:

Cards that blend visual appeal with value retention

Suggestions for specific sets, brands, or years that are worth pursuing

Warnings about overprinted or “hype-only” cards that I should avoid


I’m not in this to flip—I genuinely enjoy collecting—but I also don’t want to be stuck holding cards that could tank in value by 80% if I ever want to trade up or shift focus.

Any insight from fellow Ohtani collectors or baseball card veterans would be massively appreciated. It’s a lonely hobby over here in Norway, but it’s been exciting to connect with this community. Thanks in advance!

—Hayder

[livfreely]

Don’t get the Kaboom if you don’t want to invest in overhyped cards. His 2018 Bowman Chrome “Batting” (I would say) is his go to card, and I believe will maintain its value. It’s a great pose of him, and people recognize it easily. Get the highest graded parallel of that card you can afford. Start there

[seanrs1]

Hayder...welcome to the place where everyone enjoys collecting Ohtani. With that being said collect what you like! Also, do you have a budget in mind? Do you prefer having one or two really expensive "investment" cards, or do you like having a lot of different cards? My other advice is sometimes the "best" cards to buy value wise are not the same as the most visually appealing cards. In general I would stick to 2018 RC cards.

It might also be a good idea to read over the last year of this thread to see what cards others buy and collect before making any big purchases. Everyone on here collects a little differently due to budget and preferences.

Hope this helps!!!

[ThoseBackPages]

i would pass on Kabooms. those are for NBA/NFL which are probably more popular in your area, but not here in MLB land. Fanatics has tried to push out anime in Bowman, but blah.

stick to the tried and true 2018 MLB stuff imo

[BoSoxFan1999]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

i would pass on Kabooms. those are for NBA/NFL which are probably more popular in your area, but not here in MLB land. Fanatics has tried to push out anime in Bowman, but blah.

stick to the tried and true 2018 MLB stuff imo

For non-rookie year cards, the 50/50 set looks like it'll have good value proposition. I mean FFS PSA 10s of the paper base card of HR#50 are selling for $300+. I feel like sending in my 4 cards to PSA....only 1 10 gets me my money back and then some. Lol

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by livfreely

Don’t get the Kaboom if you don’t want to invest in overhyped cards. His 2018 Bowman Chrome “Batting” (I would say) is his go to card, and I believe will maintain its value. It’s a great pose of him, and people recognize it easily. Get the highest graded parallel of that card you can afford. Start there

Legit question, who hypes baseball Kabooms? I would be interested in hearing the rationale behind it.

[Rage]

If you have the budget for it, stick to 2018 Autographed cards or serial numbered parallels from Bowman/Topps/Chrome for the big ones of your Sho PC.
Sounds like you collect PSA 10s so you might as well pick up some of his base RCs in PSA 10, most are pretty affordable under $200 or less besides the Bowman Chrome #1. For the BC #1 I wouldn't suggest a base PSA 10 personally as the price is too close to rarer parallels of that card but that will be up to you and your collecting style. Like Sean mentioned you need to figure out a budget, and whether quantity or quality is what you are looking for. Just know it's a marathon not a sprint, there's so many cards out there it's easy to get overwhelmed or FOMO. Take your time to read as much as you can and learn learn learn before you spend big money. The off-season comes every year and is usually the best time to buy...

[Cardsandcoffee]

Welcome Hayder! Have a budget and create a defined focus. Most importantly, collect what brings you joy. 2018 Shohei is the “best” but most expensive. My personal advice would be to stick to the legacy brands at first (Topps, Topps Chrome, Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Heritage, Finest) and work from there. If you can afford it, shoot for a numbered parallel, with or without an autograph. Finding the best grade you can afford is important but becomes a little less so, the higher in rarity you go. A little more affordable autograph option would be to look at his second year autos that exhibit his initial auto style. 2019 Heritage is popular and less expensive. Hope this helps and enjoy your journey!

[shaqobe]

Panini cards don't hold as much value because they are unlicensed. However, only one Ohtani Kaboom! was ever produced.

Being a case hit, there are only 54 PSA 10 and 7 BGS 9.5 in existence, so it's still a pretty rare card.

[seanrs1]

Was just thinking...are there any 2018 RC cards/brands that Japanese collectors tend to prefer vs American collectors? I think Trueblue has said before the Japanese collectors he knows tend to buy 1 very highend/expensive card vs. collecting many cards.

[Rage]

It's also never too late to start the consolidation play from ground zero. You can slowly acquire cheaper or budget friendly cards that are still desirable to stack up throughout the year(s) which will be easiest on the wallet. There are plenty of non 2018 cards and even unlicensed cards that are in demand for Shohei. This is more quantity over quality but you can always consolidate up into nicer cards this way without having to spit up a large amount of $$ at once, just takes more patience. By consolidate I mean selling/trading the cards you have been stacking up once you have a bigger target to move them towards. Also nothing wrong with having a bunch of cards you enjoy that don't break the bank. As they say, collect what you like! You are at the fun and exciting stage where you are figuring out what that is for baseball cards. You picked the right player to start with and this a good place with a lot of knowledgeable Ohtani collectors. Good luck, enjoy the journey, and please share in here what you do pick up!

[Rage]

Originally Posted by shaqobe

Panini cards don't hold as much value because they are unlicensed. However, only one Ohtani Kaboom! was ever produced.

Being a case hit, there are only 54 PSA 10 and 7 BGS 9.5 in existence, so it's still a pretty rare card.

Definitely, the Whammy isn't too shabby either. Shohei is a funny case with unlicensed cards due to the teams he played on. Yes there are no team logos they just say Los Angeles without the Angels, but since he stayed in LA for the Dodgers it still works out with Los Angeles and the Dodger fans don't have to worry about the Angels logo showing, just a red uniform lol. Not sure if any of that affects value but thought it was interesting with the city name being the same and no logo/team name mentioned on his Panini cards. Some of his 2018 Donruss cards even show him in his Blue uniform from Japan with Los Angeles as the team name.
I know I said unlicensed but technically Panini cards are licensed by the MLBPA, just not MLB...

[Hayder2309]

Thank you guys on the good info, I dont want to overreach with my budget but I think would be comfortable spending 3-5k and maybe go up from there hopefully it gets me something cool

[Hayder2309]

Originally Posted by Rage

It's also never too late to start the consolidation play from ground zero. You can slowly acquire cheaper or budget friendly cards that are still desirable to stack up throughout the year(s) which will be easiest on the wallet. There are plenty of non 2018 cards and even unlicensed cards that are in demand for Shohei. This is more quantity over quality but you can always consolidate up into nicer cards this way without having to spit up a large amount of $$ at once, just takes more patience. By consolidate I mean selling/trading the cards you have been stacking up once you have a bigger target to move them towards. Also nothing wrong with having a bunch of cards you enjoy that don't break the bank. As they say, collect what you like! You are at the fun and exciting stage where you are figuring out what that is for baseball cards. You picked the right player to start with and this a good place with a lot of knowledgeable Ohtani collectors. Good luck, enjoy the journey, and please share in here what you do pick up!

Thank you so much! I picked up a 50/50 box last month I should have mentioned that, I am keeping it sealed as I think the box looks really nice and iconic

[seanrs1]

Originally Posted by Hayder2309

Thank you guys on the good info, I dont want to overreach with my budget but I think would be comfortable spending 3-5k and maybe go up from there hopefully it gets me something cool

Are you wanting to spend your budget on 1 card like a RC auto or multiple cards?

[Hayder2309]

Originally Posted by seanrs1

Are you wanting to spend your budget on 1 card like a RC auto or multiple cards?

I kind of want both, but any numbered or autos are probably my highest priority

I think I will eventually drop 15-20k within the year if I find something I really like

But for now I just want to get my foot in the door

I will also be stacking up on 50/50 boxes as I think the box art is just so cool but will ofcourse open some of them too!

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by shaqobe

Panini cards don't hold as much value because they are unlicensed. However, only one Ohtani Kaboom! was ever produced.



Being a case hit, there are only 54 PSA 10 and 7 BGS 9.5 in existence, so it's still a pretty rare card.

I feel like they've held value surprisingly well considering the generally negative sentiment regarding unlicensed stuff. I've got a few Downtowns, and would like to pick up Kabooms of Ohtani and Judge at some point.



Sent from my SM-S156V using Tapatalk

[BoSoxFan1999]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

I feel like they've held value surprisingly well considering the generally negative sentiment regarding unlicensed stuff. I've got a few Downtowns, and would like to pick up Kabooms of Ohtani and Judge at some point.



Sent from my SM-S156V using Tapatalk

Aside from the logoless hat, you can barely tell it's an unlicensed card.

[dunquixote1]

Personally, my Ohtani collection has been narrowed down to either licensed RCs or anything /50 or less from non RC years. A few exceptions such as anything serial numbered with his jersey number or first/last serial in the sequence (like 001/150 or 150/150). Some >/50 exceptions would be Cherry Blossoms, Ginter rip cards, some SSPs, etc. These are just my rules for cards I go after or keep of his. There’s soooo many cards made these days the I have to follow some perimeters or it’ll get out of hand.

[seanrs1]

I don't mind Panini cards, but I would only buy for collecting purposes without any expectation of maintaining value.


Hayder with your budget if I were starting off today I think I would
1. Buy a RC auto (either a bowman chrome or topps chrome)
2. Buy some /2018 Gold RC
3. Buy some SP, and SSP flagship cards and topps chrome RC
4. Buy anything else that you like that won't break the bank and appeals to your eye.

[ThoseBackPages]

im a long time pajama fan, but i love casting a wide net.

if one wants a small collection, its probably in their best interest to stick to MLB stuff

[TGCollector]

Originally Posted by Hayder2309

I kind of want both, but any numbered or autos are probably my highest priority

I think I will eventually drop 15-20k within the year if I find something I really like

But for now I just want to get my foot in the door

I will also be stacking up on 50/50 boxes as I think the box art is just so cool but will ofcourse open some of them too!

50/50 boxes have about a -85% ROI on average. Also lots of boxes didn't have hits by mistake so you could just get nothing at all. If you want to get 1 for fun, sure.

Other than that when it comes to Ohtani for me .. 2018 Bowman, 2018 Bowman Chrome, 2018 Topps Chrome, and 2018 Heritage. High end but has appreciated very well.

If you want expert advice, refer to TrueBlue.

[NYRE2PECT]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

im a long time purple fan, but i love casting a purple net.

if one wants a purple collection, its probably in their best interest to stick to purple stuff

We know how you roll.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by NYRE2PECT

We know how you roll.

i do love me some Flagship Purple!