One-of-One “Fire Ohtani” Card That Survived House Fire Heads to Goldin Auction
A one-of-one Shohei Ohtani card with one of the more unusual stories in the hobby is heading to auction at Goldin after surviving a house fire that left the card heavily damaged but still intact.
The card is a 2021 Topps Dynasty Autographed Patches Gold #DAP-SO3 Shohei Ohtani, a one-of-one featuring Ohtani’s autograph and a Majestic logo patch. It is now encapsulated by CGC with a special “Fire Ohtani” designation and is being offered in Goldin’s 2026 Monthly Sports Elite #8 auction, scheduled to conclude September 26.
Collector Ryan Fick originally pulled the card from a box of 2021 Topps Dynasty at The Sports Card Shop in New Buffalo, Michigan, in February 2022. Fick and his wife, Moarine, quickly had the card graded, receiving a 9 for the card and a 10 for the autograph, and planned to keep it as a centerpiece of his collection rather than sell it. Only months later, that plan changed dramatically.
In late October 2022, the Fick family’s home caught fire. The family initially believed the Ohtani card had been lost along with other belongings, but weeks later it was discovered beneath debris near the edge of the deck. The card had suffered water damage and singed edges, although its autograph and jersey patch remained surprisingly well preserved.
Fick placed the damaged card in a hard case and kept it out of sight for several years. It did not reemerge publicly until the 2026 National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, where Fick brought it with him and the story of the one-of-one Ohtani that survived a house fire quickly drew attention around the show.
After meeting with several grading companies at The National, Fick decided to have the card authenticated and encapsulated by CGC. The company authenticated the card, assigned Ohtani’s autograph a CGC 9 grade and created the special “Fire Ohtani” designation for the label, documenting the unusual history that now forms an important part of the card’s provenance.
That same card is now being offered through Goldin, bringing the story full circle from a once-in-a-lifetime pull, through a devastating fire, to one of the hobby’s highest-profile auction platforms.
The card itself dates to Ohtani’s early years with the Los Angeles Angels. Its large Majestic logo patch recalls the MLB jersey brand used before Nike, while Ohtani’s signature remains clearly visible despite the damage around the edges of the card. CGC described the one-of-one as one of the notable rarities from the early portion of Ohtani’s career.
Fick told CGC that he had never seriously considered selling the card until the attention it received at The National. After years of keeping it stored away following the fire, he said the reaction from collectors helped convince the family that it might finally be the right time to let it go.