Pull of a lifetime! Cool story

5pujols5 · 02-11-2025, 08:51 AM

I realize this should be in the "box breaks" tab but the story is too good not to share here. My brother and I enjoy busting boxes from the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. They were the cards we grew up on and we just enjoy them more. My brother had done research on a few products and realized the 1998 Upper Deck Retro product had some pretty nice value. On card autos of a large variety, numbered inserts and rookies, and it was possibly the first product to ever have a cut auto in it. Richard McWilliam, the founder and owner of Upper Deck, purchased 3 autographs of Babe Ruth to have inserted in the product. From what my brother could find in research only 1 of the cuts had been pulled. It's a pipe dream at best BUT it's fun to imagine the idea of pulling Babe's first ever cut. Up until this past Friday we had opened maybe 10 boxes of the product and really beaten the odds to be honest. We pulled a Chipper Jones Quantum Leap /50, a Griffey Big Boppers /500 that graded PSA 10, and a Griffey Jr on card auto which was nearly impossible to find, but Friday was the granddaddy of them all.

We were playing pack wars with different stats for winners each pack....most career home runs, shortest last name, lowest number in the set...etc, when my brother picked up a pack and said "this one feels thicker than any of the others ever have" so he set the parameters and said "most Babe Ruth autos". He opened the pack and slid the top couple of cards slowly out of the way and then started freaking!!!! Running around the house. Even jumped up on the counter top and sat for a brief moment. Then he came over and showed me the card. Sure enough, it was one of the 3 Babe Ruth cuts. The auto in the window was possibly the best looking Babe cut I had ever seen!! Also, as an added bonus Richard McWilliam had signed the back of the card. The card is not FS. It is tucked away in a safety deposit box possibly forever, but the story was too good not to tell.

SleepyWill · 02-11-2025, 08:53 AM

WOW! Congrats!

Nostalgia · 02-11-2025, 08:55 AM

Thats incredible!

BabaORiley · 02-11-2025, 09:00 AM

Woooooooow! Congrats and awesome story!

Skipscards · 02-11-2025, 09:24 AM

Wow! That is an awesome card and a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing both.

kaisersoze · 02-11-2025, 09:33 AM

easy hold of a lifetime. congrats on such an epic pull! we need a better picture though lol

Boo · 02-11-2025, 09:40 AM

Beautiful!

Big35Hurt · 02-11-2025, 09:41 AM

WOW! Congrats on the pull of a lifetime.

Mister2Bits · 02-11-2025, 09:44 AM

That's incredible. Congrats!

hermanotarjeta · 02-11-2025, 10:03 AM

Unbelievable and what we all dream about. I can’t imagine the odds of that happening over 25 years later since the product release!

dhcollecting · 02-11-2025, 10:13 AM

you guys must be well off because at auction with the significance of that card, I can see it doing north of 500k.

akaus21 · 02-11-2025, 11:56 AM

Awesome card and story. That is a dream pull!

fabiani12333 · 02-11-2025, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5pujols5

We pulled a Chipper Jones Quantum Leap /50, a Griffey Big Boppers /500 that graded PSA 10, and a Griffey Jr on card auto which was nearly impossible to find, but Friday was the granddaddy of them all.

You opened only ten boxes and pulled all of that? A CT scanner didn't happen to be used as part of the box selection, did it?

fungi2510 · 02-11-2025, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

You opened only ten boxes and pulled all of that? A CT scanner didn't happen to be used as part of the box selection, did it?

Why do you have to be that guy? Just gross.

shanks25 · 02-11-2025, 12:49 PM

Amazing story and incredible card. Thank you for sharing!

kingofsnake · 02-11-2025, 12:50 PM

Wow the Ruth Cut and a Griffey Jr. Auto also - lucky guys. Thanks for sharing.

Boo · 02-11-2025, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhcollecting

you guys must be well off because at auction with the significance of that card, I can see it doing north of 500k.

Ok then.

fabiani12333 · 02-11-2025, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fungi2510

Why do you have to be that guy? Just gross.

Because I know how rare those cards are. The Griffey is the product chase autograph card -- numbered to only 100. The Quantum Leap cards are numbered to only 50 each -- 30-card set.

And those were pulled in only ten boxes? Plus the insanely valuable Babe Ruth? Wow.

773cards · 02-11-2025, 01:07 PM

Congrats. Research rewards!!!

Bosoxfan5990 · 02-11-2025, 01:10 PM

Do we think there will be a website created for this card?

JustRachel · 02-11-2025, 01:15 PM

I'm a little disappointed in the Pit over this thread. Where are all the conspiracy theorists? Why has nobody demanded a video of the pull? Shouldn't the seller be disclosed? Don't clectors have some right to know these things?

Congrats on an epic pull, OP. Woooooo!

Baseball4life90 · 02-11-2025, 01:17 PM

Very cool- saw this posted by Grand Slam collectibles on IG. What a card!

TimBuckTwo · 02-11-2025, 01:20 PM

You win the YEAR !
Congrats!

eastbayak · 02-11-2025, 01:24 PM

Congratulations!!

Hobbyboxer · 02-11-2025, 01:24 PM

Amazing. Congratulations

02-11-2025, 08:51 AM	#1
5pujols5 Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 995	Pull of a lifetime! Cool story I realize this should be in the "box breaks" tab but the story is too good not to share here. My brother and I enjoy busting boxes from the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. They were the cards we grew up on and we just enjoy them more. My brother had done research on a few products and realized the 1998 Upper Deck Retro product had some pretty nice value. On card autos of a large variety, numbered inserts and rookies, and it was possibly the first product to ever have a cut auto in it. Richard McWilliam, the founder and owner of Upper Deck, purchased 3 autographs of Babe Ruth to have inserted in the product. From what my brother could find in research only 1 of the cuts had been pulled. It's a pipe dream at best BUT it's fun to imagine the idea of pulling Babe's first ever cut. Up until this past Friday we had opened maybe 10 boxes of the product and really beaten the odds to be honest. We pulled a Chipper Jones Quantum Leap /50, a Griffey Big Boppers /500 that graded PSA 10, and a Griffey Jr on card auto which was nearly impossible to find, but Friday was the granddaddy of them all. We were playing pack wars with different stats for winners each pack....most career home runs, shortest last name, lowest number in the set...etc, when my brother picked up a pack and said "this one feels thicker than any of the others ever have" so he set the parameters and said "most Babe Ruth autos". He opened the pack and slid the top couple of cards slowly out of the way and then started freaking!!!! Running around the house. Even jumped up on the counter top and sat for a brief moment. Then he came over and showed me the card. Sure enough, it was one of the 3 Babe Ruth cuts. The auto in the window was possibly the best looking Babe cut I had ever seen!! Also, as an added bonus Richard McWilliam had signed the back of the card. The card is not FS. It is tucked away in a safety deposit box possibly forever, but the story was too good not to tell. Attached Thumbnails

02-11-2025, 08:53 AM	#2
SleepyWill Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Boston Posts: 2,591 Wilstok_0	WOW! Congrats! __________________ Shohei Variation Chaser @Forbidden Donut on IG

02-11-2025, 09:24 AM	#5
Skipscards Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: In Tribute To The Great Ryno Posts: 30,241 jlankf2 jmp4	Wow! That is an awesome card and a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing both. __________________ Go Royals!! #RoyalsIn2015 <---It Happened!! #TEAMZinck Sometimes it is astounding that we are able to persist in a world so full of morons.

02-11-2025, 09:40 AM	#7
Boo Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: PA Posts: 57,796 klay22	Beautiful! __________________ I have found that flicking through a few threads on my smartphone is a great way to pass some time while "stocking the pond."Hairy 6/7/12 “ I feel you, brother. Welcome to East Berlin, circa 1963.” Hairy 5/9/20 "No one said I was smart." BoSux 12/18/25

02-11-2025, 09:44 AM	#9
Mister2Bits Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Florida Man Posts: 5,374 mistertwobits mistertwobits	That's incredible. Congrats! __________________ Collecting: Ohtani, Judge \| Skateboarding Cards, Autographs & Decks

02-11-2025, 08:55 AM	#3
Nostalgia Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: New York Posts: 2,042	Thats incredible!

02-11-2025, 09:00 AM	#4
BabaORiley Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: ATX Posts: 3,892	Woooooooow! Congrats and awesome story!

02-11-2025, 09:33 AM	#6
kaisersoze Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 743	easy hold of a lifetime. congrats on such an epic pull! we need a better picture though lol

02-11-2025, 09:41 AM	#8
Big35Hurt Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 9,700	WOW! Congrats on the pull of a lifetime.

02-11-2025, 10:03 AM	#10
hermanotarjeta Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 22,618	Unbelievable and what we all dream about. I can’t imagine the odds of that happening over 25 years later since the product release!

02-11-2025, 10:13 AM	#11
dhcollecting Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 3,497 dhsportscards	you guys must be well off because at auction with the significance of that card, I can see it doing north of 500k. __________________ Collecting Tony Gwynn High End and Bat Barrel and Logoman cards

02-11-2025, 11:56 AM	#12
akaus21 Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: South Dakota Posts: 748	Awesome card and story. That is a dream pull!

02-11-2025, 12:49 PM	#15
shanks25 Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 716	Amazing story and incredible card. Thank you for sharing!

02-11-2025, 12:50 PM	#16
kingofsnake Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Napa Valley Posts: 4,571	Wow the Ruth Cut and a Griffey Jr. Auto also - lucky guys. Thanks for sharing. __________________ I collect Joe Johnson - 2,834 different cards, 529 1/1's. www.ilocust.com/hobby.htm

02-11-2025, 01:07 PM	#19
773cards Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,343 773cards	Congrats. Research rewards!!! __________________ Looking to trade for Panini Points!

02-11-2025, 01:10 PM	#20
Bosoxfan5990 Member Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: MA Posts: 14,920 rossisportscards	Do we think there will be a website created for this card? __________________ X & IG: rossisportcards. Bethel Johnson & A. Vinatieri. "A Goldin Shower of sorrow and regret." -ninjacookies (11/25/24) "never did, never will" - Delta5 (9/25/24)

02-11-2025, 01:15 PM	#21
JustRachel Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 5,663	I'm a little disappointed in the Pit over this thread. Where are all the conspiracy theorists? Why has nobody demanded a video of the pull? Shouldn't the seller be disclosed? Don't clectors have some right to know these things? Congrats on an epic pull, OP. Woooooo!

02-11-2025, 01:17 PM	#22
Baseball4life90 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Philly Posts: 2,079 baseball4life90	Very cool- saw this posted by Grand Slam collectibles on IG. What a card! __________________ Flickr Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197630172@N02/albums I collect: Phillies/HOFers- AU's, GU, and numbered.

02-11-2025, 01:20 PM	#23
TimBuckTwo Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 10,175	You win the YEAR ! Congrats!

02-11-2025, 01:24 PM	#24
eastbayak Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 16,632 eastbayak	Congratulations!!

02-11-2025, 01:24 PM	#25
Hobbyboxer Member Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Washington and Arizona Posts: 247 hobby_boxer Hobbyboxer	Amazing. Congratulations __________________ Looking for 2015 Prizm Basketball Bobby Portis Black 1/1 and Gold /10 to complete my rainbow.