# Christmas Miracle for 11-Year-Old Fans: Draw a unique Squim card

In Los Angeles, there was an 11-year-old boy who had a passion for baseball card collections. Last Christmas, he had only one wish on his wish list: a collector's box for the 2024 Topps Chrome Update. However, the 24-pack box is expensive, about $320, so his parents told him that this only wishlist item would also be his only gift under the Christmas tree. The little boy gladly accepted this offer.

Finally, Christmas morning came, and the little boy couldn't wait to rush to the presents under the Christmas tree and start unpacking. As he opened the fifth pack, a Christmas miracle struck him at about 6 a.m. – he drew that highly sought-after 1-of-1 Paul Skenes MLB debut signature patch card.

In fact, the boy draws not a real card, but a "redemption card" that needs to be sent to Topps, after which they send the real card. Because of this, the boy's father did not realize what was happening at first, after all, the redemption card sometimes looks like a checklist or other refill card at first glance. But the little boy knew what he had won. "I was stunned," he said in an exclusive interview with The Athletic.

Despite the attention that the skins cards have, that's not what motivated the little boy to want this box of cards. He confessed to The Athletic: "I didn't think I'd win it, I thought it was going to be picked up by some big-name card splitter. So I said to my dad, 'Dad, I won Paul Skins' card. He didn't believe it and said, 'No, you didn't draw it.'" ”

My father's suspicions were understandable. However, when his father put the card under the light to look at it, he was shocked to realize, "Oh my gosh, I think it's real." "I was stunned, then excited, and then a little dumbfounded." ”

When the father realized the significant impact of the incident, and the concerns that the family might face if the news became public, he immediately entered the mode of responsible parenting. He contacted several auction houses while working to protect the family's anonymity. He doesn't want his family's name to appear in the news, let alone his youngest son to become a little celebrity, not only to avoid exposure, but also to ensure the safety of his family. In addition, community members are struggling with their lives due to the recent devastating wildfires, and they don't want to be too public. The boy's mother said: "The community has been having a hard time lately, and now is not the time to go around and show off, 'I got the golden ticket.'" ”

Shortly after Christmas, the family sent out redemption cards. About three weeks later, Topps announced that an 11-year-old boy had drawn the highly sought-after card, and the family remained anonymous throughout the process. Fanatics Collect, one of the auction houses contacted by the father, will auction the card, which has received a 10-point rating from PSA, in March.

As for the Pirates' offer to exchange cards for the 30-year season pass, the family decided to give it up because they lived in Los Angeles due to geographical inconvenience. The father told The Athletic that they might arrange a trip to Pittsburgh to see a game, but were hesitant because such a trip might inadvertently reveal their identities, which they tried so hard to protect.

The secrecy of the incident sparked resentment among some in the collecting community, with some even accusing the whole thing of being planned or fabricated. Even Mike Mahan, the CEO of Fanatics Collectibles, didn't know who the boy was. "In this case, you can understand that this is the most high-profile card of the year — and arguably this century," he said. The father of an 11-year-old boy wants privacy...... We want to work with him in a way that he feels comfortable with. ”

And the 11-year-old collector drew the cards without any hint and instantly decided to share this possible wealth with his family and brothers. The father revealed that they decided to divide the proceeds of the auction between the little boy and his brother and use them for investment in education. In addition, Fanatics will donate a portion of the proceeds from the auction to local charities that help with fire recovery.

When the dust settles, the 11-year-old boy and his family will have the wealth from the auction, a certain amount of financial security, and at the same time, that Christmas in 2024 will be a memory they will remember for a lifetime.