The Acuna Sapphire Tribute Thread

[dream34]

Priceless.

That’s how I would describe the 2 cards I’m posting here today, but not for the reasons you may think.

This is the first time I’ve shared an image of either card. I think there are some that would value the card above in the $50,000-$100,000 range but I’m going to tell you why I’ve never entertained selling the card despite it’s massive ascent and what the card has come to represent for my family and I.

For those of you who do not like long reads or stories, this thread is probably not for you. This story means the world to me and my family and has created a different life for us, one that we would not have ever wished for and now one that we could not have imagined. It means a lot to me to be able to share it with a community that I have come to appreciate.


October 18, 2018…

I still remember the day. It was a day after my wife’s birthday and after kissing our daughter and leaving her at home with her grandmother we got into the car to head to the hospital. It was going to be a long day. Dropped her off in front and parked the car. She checked herself in and we shared a nice embrace before she went in.

I had brought my laptop this time. Choosing to be a stay-at-home father, that computer had suddenly become our only source of income. No matter how anxious the situation, work still had to be done in hopes of better tomorrows. Right after giving her that hug and watching her walk through those double-doors, I sat in the waiting area and powered on that machine. I pulled it out and saw the new product Topps had dropped that morning, I had read about it a few days earlier on Blowout. I rushed a little, added 3 of the new product to my cart and immediately checked out. I was happy to grab 3 of them before they sold out.

She texted me from the inside saying they gave her a small break. This was always her. She always cared about the people around her more than herself. If you knew her, you knew you were blessed with a person so kind, caring and thoughtful. That this happened to her when it did, was absolutely heartbreaking. Texted her right back that I was right outside if she needed me.

I went back to the product page and was happy that there was a link to the checklist up so fast, many times they would take a bit longer to get them up. I clicked on it and was surprised to see that they had included both the NL ROY favorite’s Card and another huge RC superstar’s card who played in the biggest market in the world. They were late inclusions in the normal sets and it would be very understandable if they didn’t make it in time for this release. I plugged in all the new information and was shocked at the final result. I purchased 4 more.

She finished up, I brought the car around and we headed back home to our little girl & grandma. We settled back at home and after doing a round of dishes I asked if she needed anything before getting back to work. She told me go for it, she could watch our girl for a bit.

I jumped into the makeshift office we had made out of our spare bed/storage room and started getting back to it. I would sit there, do some other work and eventually come back to the calculations of the new product. After going over them a few times, I started to ask myself how does this make any sense? I pulled the trigger and bought another 4. I was done and a little over budget for the week but felt it was all worth it. Earlier in the year, I had sold my favorite and most expensive card ever so I had some funds to operate with.

Topps would amazingly not sell out of the product for a few days. They did ship almost right away though and as there was news on Blowout of it arriving to a few members I remember looking on eBay and being absolutely shocked that they used THAT image for the Ronald Acuna Jr #698 card. I had always assumed they would use the same image as both his Factory set and Update RC cards, or maybe even a Sapphire version of his Topps Chrome #193 RC. After they had passed on using it for Topps Chrome & Topps Update, it never crossed my mind that they would make another version of THAT image. I had always thought maybe there was a specific reason they did not use THAT image much, maybe an error that made Topps shy away from using the image ever again? I immediately grabbed my calculations and readjusted everything, raising my projection for the card to $250-300. Did they really just make the 1st (and eventually Only) Chrome version of his 1st Topps RC Card??

To my surprise, the first few copies of the Acuna sold for just above $100. I remember looking at my projections and wondering if I had got it all wrong. Was I too tired? Maybe all my numbers were wrong? I thought about it for quite a while and decided that I hadn’t. I doubled down and pursued a few more, trusting that I had done the right work to understand the card’s value and what it was. The 1st Red /10 to come up for sale was actually listed as a lot with a Base Auto Acuna and after a nice negotiation with the seller, I was able to pick it up for a nice price. The 2nd Red /10 ended a few days after the 1st, I remember putting in a bid just under $1500 praying that no one else was seeing what I was and being thrilled that it ended for $569.99 with free shipping.

We all know how the rest of this story played out.

Back to the important part.

Earlier in 2018…

2018 was THE toughest year of both of our lives. 4 years into our marriage and with a 1 year old girl, we absolutely were not ready for it.

Cancer comes and, if you are lucky, it goes. Either way, it leaves devastating effects in it’s wake. I could go on and on about her strength and courage through it all but for the purpose of the thread I will do it privately if we ever meet in person. I will never be able to feel the amount of hardships that she went through but trying to be her rock and support her through everything definitely had it’s difficulties. I became a lesser man, an impatient man and changed in many ways that I would have never imagined.

You see 2 years earlier we had committed to buying a new development property, one that would require us to come up with a six figure down payment by the end of 2018. It was nothing lavish, actually an affordable unit that was specifically priced for young working families in Hawaii. That was the real reason I sold the best card I ever had at the time. It was before the cancer came. At the same time she was also pursuing her medical career and I was supposed to be there supporting her and our baby girl. I could make a small amount of money on the side doing sportscards casually and I had enough saved up over the years to take care of our girl and provide for our family while she would be at school.

Everything changed with a phone call in early March 2018. I met her outside the doctors office and with her eyes already full of tears she told me the heartbreaking news. We embraced for a bit knowing that she was most likely about to embark on a fear filled journey. Test after test, positive thinking met with devastating news after devastating news, it’s a journey that every patient goes through and she was no different. Hit after hit came and by April we had restructured everything to center around just her survival and our baby girl.

I would like to say that I was strong enough to be that pillar of support that she needed but this is where I absolutely started to lose my mind. When it first hit, there was just panic and the feeling of needing to do all that is possible to make sure everything will be okay. The collateral damage of this after 2 months became an exhausted stressed out man who could not function properly. There were days filled with begging our daughter, who had no control over it, to please give dad a break and just sleep on his chest while he gets a few minutes of rest. There were so many mornings where I’d want to show them both a smile while she sat and recovered, trying to mask that there would still be a 15 hour day full of washing dishes, feeding, driving, and working.

The Unexpected Light in the Dark

I don’t remember exactly when it started happening. A few months in and late one night I logged onto the Blowout message boards and read as I normally do. I had created an account in 2014 when I first started doing cards again on the side. Most of my posts were to complete transactions and nothing more, something along the lines of a 200+ iTrader rating with less than 600 total posts over the 4 years. I don’t even remember what thread it was but after reading post after post, for the first time in quite a while I decided to chime in with an opinion. Eventually I went to bed but woke up the next morning eager to look if there were any responses. There were, and I decided I’d monitor it and even ended up responding back a few more times that day.

Over the weeks and months that would pass, I would log on late at night and have a little fun reading good and bad takes, always laughing at the levity that some members bring to heated discussions (TBP, you've been an absolute blessing). The days or the hardships would not change, but slowly I found a place that I could go to instead of worrying about myself or my family. I could even post opinions that may help others. It’s hard to explain but this has always brought me joy. I started to post a lot more here and there. I still remember my first post about the Acuna Sapphire. It was met with a few questions and of course one guy claiming it was a “pump!”. Still, I was happy that a few listened to the “good advice” as I called it at the time in response to the only criticism it received.

I’ve been a regular poster since and am extremely happy that the advice I gave a few years ago was right and everyone involved has done great. I still try to come back and post here and there where I think it’s warranted, especially if I feel there needs to be more opinions on a topic.

I still don’t know how to put this into the proper words but this space became therapeutic for me. When I needed it, I would check in on the message boards and make posts and try to share what I had always done privately. It made me feel helpful at a time where I felt absolutely helpless. An escape from a normal world that was full of much deeper challenges with much deeper consequences. It didn’t bother me much to see strangers aggressively typing at each other. I enjoyed the back and forth, and when you dug deeper the support and the encouragement from everyone. There have been many private DM’s from quite a few of you over the years, all of it became part of what I needed. For those of you that call this place a cesspool, know that it can and actually has helped a person and his family through life’s difficult times.

At the very end of it all in 2018, the Acuna Sapphire really turned into a beacon of hope for a better future for my family. For years, I had never been able to catch a break. Always good with the process of buying/selling cards but never good enough to actually have any great wins. It became somewhat of a running joke over a decade that it was great to buy cards from me as only after I sold them would they immediately skyrocket in price. Whether it was selling the numerous Tiger Woods SP Authentic RCs I had in early 2007, Aaron Judge the summer of 2016 or even the Lebron Chrome Gold RC I sold in early 2018 (that later someone sold for over $1 million!). For the first time ever for me, all the research and hard work had finally paid off on a big win. After months and months of feeling helpless and taking so many defeats things turned around for us that October day. Starting with her health and continuing on to my work.


From the bottom of my heart…

I’ve wanted to create this thread for a while now and say thank you to all the members that have contributed to my family’s journey over the last few years. You all helped a stranger get through the toughest time in his life, whether you knew it or not. If any of you are going to be at the National in Chicago, please feel free to stop by the Booth #3612/3513 block (near the Autograph Area) and say hello. Just ask for Mike I’ll have the Acuna Red Sapphire there if anyone wants to see it. If you can show me your Blowout message board account I’ll also have something small there for you.

Thankfully my wife is now fully healthy and enjoys taking care of our daughter every day. We take it day by day now and try to enjoy the smaller things a lot more. They support me as I continue to work in sportscards and hope to continue to help give others the same opportunities I have had through my work. I finally shared this story with her yesterday and she was in tears, hope you all enjoy it also. Appreciate you Blowout community and wanted to end with what has now become my favorite card I’ve ever owned:

[dream34]

*** Saved ***

[ScooterD]

Wow - very moving, brother! Bless you and your family

[scaar]

Truly an amazing story. I appreciate the time, strength and dedication it took for you to share this with everyone. Best of luck to you and your amazing family.

[Phoneboy]

that's amazing and thank you for sharing! As I was reading, I wasn't expecting such a wonderful ending.

[sjorgen5]

Thank you so, so much for sharing your story!

[comicbooksgo]

Man..I'm so glad that this post ended the way it did..I literally had tears in my eyes reading the entire second half of it. Both absolutely amazing cards, and I wish the best for you and your family going forward.

[THE(NEXT)LEVEL]

I don't care about the red Acuna, I care about your wife doing better! Ok maybe I do care about the Acuna a little, lol. Congrats on your Acuna and to your wife being healthy! Great post!

[oddstuff]

Thank you for sharing and so glad to hear your wife is doing good. This forum does help people go through difficult real life situations.

[SaltyCracker]

Thank you for sharing.

[anusinha]

Thanks for sharing, congrats to your family!

[Phoneboy]

I just reread your families amazing while brutal journey. Congrats again on your wife's recovery and prayers for her continued good health.


If I read it correctly, you had 2 reds? I assume that you sold one and kept one?

[boxbuster7]

Thank you for sharing that moving story Dream! I know we've bought and sold many cards over the years to each other. Wishing you continued success!

[Bunny Hop]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[LVDan]

Thanks for sharing that. That’s the real stuff.

[smizu1]

Awesome story Mike!! As a fellow cardboard collector here in the 50th state, I know exactly the struggles of balancing our passion with just "life" expenses. I'm so happy to hear you're wife is doing well and that you have what is now considered the holy grail of Acuna Jr. Also being an Acuna PCer, I could never wrap my head around the fact that a non-auto card could ever be worth so much so I don't even have a base version of his sapphire RC. Timing is everything in this hobby and I wish you all of the luck in deciding when to part with such a beauty....that has been and still is the hardest lesson for me to learn. I hope one day we can talk stories at a local card show if we haven't unknowingly done so already. Don't think I'm making it up to Chicago this year, but I hope you have a blast. Best wishes to you and your family my friend.

- Shane

[Hail2TheVictors]

Wow. What a great story, and thanks for sharing.

[BabaORiley]

Excellent cards and an even better story with the best outcome.

Many cheers for her continued health and for the collective health and happiness of your family.

Wonderful read.

[hermanotarjeta]

I’m so relieved that your story ended on a happy note!

Thanks for sharing and congrats on picking several winners!

[Asian62150]

Thanks for sharing!

If you keep the Acuna Red forever, I hope more and more people can hear the story/memories attached to it.

If you ever decide to sell it, I hope those funds go to towards creating a better life and more happy memories for you and your loved ones.

A good reminder that cards can be a lot of fun, but life is always > cards.

[Triple B]

“What is this salty discharge coming from my eyes?”

I’ll make sure to come say hi, Mike

[here2havefun]

Originally Posted by dream34

....

The 2nd Red /10 ended a few days after the 1st, I remember putting in a bid just under $1500 praying that no one else was seeing what I was and being thrilled that it ended for $569.99 with free shipping.

....

Wow this was your purchase: https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpo...ostcount=46511

What an incredible journey, thank you for sharing this with the forum.

[NYRE2PECT]

Incredible card, and even better story. Thank you for sharing your story!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Writer]

What an incredibly moving journey. Glad to hear your wife is healthy and your family is thriving!

[Eighty8Bros]

Thanks so much for sharing. So happy to hear a positive ending!!! All the best to your family!!!