White Whale... only took 20 years!

[Mozzie22]

Well after 20 years of looking I finally got one of only two remaining Ozzie Smith cards needed. Let me tell you a little bit about this card. It is the 1996 Collectors Choice Gold Signature #404 checklist card. This damn card is impossible! I know of 3 known copies and to my knowldege it is one of two to ever come up for auction. Why is this card so difficult? None of Ozzie's other gold CC cards are this difficult. The answer is I don't know. This card holds special meaning for me beyond simply being difficult. First, it was one of only two known remaining Ozzie cards I still needed. The other reason it is special to me is because about 10 years ago I purchased a huge Ozzie collection from an all-time Ozzie Smith collector who had never seen this card. This man had cards not known to the collecting world and have since been added to checklists. He was literally the man that founded the "Ozzie Smith Collectors ring" back in the late 1990's and had a collection that was humbling. We became friends after my purchase and he was a wealth of information for me in my own collection.

I may never know why this particular card is so rare but it is finally home. It isn't overly flashy and the gold doesn't scan well but I couldn't be happier. In case you were wondering what that one card still needed is, it is the 96 Select Certified Mirror Gold. There are a few out there but they are simply out of my price range. Maybe some day.

thanks for reading

 

[MrMet]

Congrats!

 

[Yanks2151]

As soon as I read the title I knew you found one. It still drives me nuts not knowing if I still have my copy here or if it sold in my lots from The Bench. I really was hoping to find it and surprise you with it in your mailbox. I know I had it at one time. Mine came from a baseball card shop I bought out. He had opened tons of that product. I have a few golds of my Yankee one picturing Boggs. Well congrats on adding that one! Kevin in CT.

 

[goobmcnasty]

Were the 1996 Checklists issued without an actual "gold signature"? That might be a reason they are so tough to find... people just don't know they have them

 

[RStadlerASU22]

Awesome, I've hoped you land it. Now time to bite the Mirror Gold bullet

Ryan

Sent from my SM-G920V using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[mouschi]

That's awesome congratulations!

 

[DeliciousBacon]

Were the 1996 Checklists issued without an actual "gold signature"? That might be a reason they are so tough to find... people just don't know they have them

They have the team name stamped in gold. A few years back, I picked up about 20 different Gold checklists at a show, and they sold very very well on COMC for $3-$5 each. Wouldn't be surprised to find out these were SPed for whatever reason.

 

[finestkind]

Nice !

 

[fordman]

Glad you can cross that one off your list. Now that the hunt for that one is over, you can concentrate on the next one.

Fordman

 

[Therion]

While I have way more than two cards left, I had this exact issue with finding a 2002 Topps Gold Darryl Kile. Other than the one I found in a random inserts lot, I have never seen another copy. In 14 years, I have seen one copy. Crazy.

 

[16christensen16]

Glad you finally got it. If you don't mind me asking, what is the single card you are missing now?

 

[Lancemountain]

96 select certified mirror gold, it's in the OP

 

[BiggioBrooks755]

Congrats!!!

 

[Matthew J Burrows]

Congrats on the Whale pickup! That's a beauty of a card right there and an even better story!

 

[u2me57]

Congratulations on the Ozzie Smith card. That's awesome!

 

[bongo870]

Congrats on the find. I bought tuns of these packs/boxes when they were coming out but I don't remember these cards.

 

[r2d2]

Kudos!

 

[thatsawinner]

Congrats! I still can't believe the price that this card brought, for a checklist. Then again, if I didn't have one already, I would have been right there with you bidding. Shows how rare this card has to be.

I would love to see more of your rare stuff and different variations posted on the Ozzie Thread. I've learned a lot on Ozzie cards over the past several years from you on this site. Thank you for your knowledge!!!

 

[gracecollector]

Love a good player collector tale, I'm happy you found it!

 

[Hawk8]

Congrats!