An Arizona Boy's Rare Topps Rookie Redemption Baseball Card Sells for Nearly $75,000 at Auction

An Arizona father and son duo make an incredible discovery while enjoying their hobby of card collecting that nets them almost $75,000 USD.

Mason and Bradley Deane

Channel 4 NBC Los Angeles reported an incredible story of a father and son who were enjoying their hobby of collecting baseball cards, when they made a discovery of a lifetime.

Father and Son Find a Rare Redemption Card in a Box of Topps Chrome Black

Hobby card collectors Bradley and Mason Deane like to go to DNA Cards and Collectibles regularly for fun -- there is one at 10654 N 32nd St. in Phoenix, Arizona. While on one of their regular trips, Bradley asked his son if he was feeling lucky. This is one of their common rituals while making a trip to the card store.

On this particular trip, son Mason was feeling lucky, so they decided to buy a box of Topps Chrome Black baseball cards. After opening the packs, they were lucky, indeed. 

Inside a pack, they found a rare redemption card redeemable for a signed rookie card of Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami. An image of that redemption card (can be seen below).

"You are due to receive a Autograph Superfractor Parallel of Munetaka Murakami Chicago White Sox"

Deane Family Put the Topps Redemption Card Up for Auction

After much thought and deliberation, the Deane family decided to put the rare card up for auction. Bradley wondered if he was doing the right thing.

He said, "I was sweating bullets as a father. Like, 'Is this teh right thing? Is this the right thing? Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Is it gonna work?'

They watched the auction closely, and it ended up at almost $75,000 USD. DNA Cards and Collectibles was also excited for the Deane family and their success with the auction.

Bradley Deane wants to set aside the auction winnings to go towards his son's college education.

Murakami Card Auction

Post Recap & Summary

A routine father-and-son trip to a local card shop in Arizona turned into a life-changing moment when 9-year-old Mason Deane pulled a one-of-a-kind redemption card for a signed rookie card of Chicago White Sox star Munetaka Murakami from a box of Topps Chrome Black baseball cards. The unique card—Murakami's first American MLB rookie autograph release—was later authenticated and placed up for auction.

The auction exceeded the family's expectations, with the card ultimately selling for nearly $75,000. Mason's father, Bradley Deane, admitted he was anxious throughout the auction process but was thrilled by the final result. The owner of DNA Cards and Collectibles, where the card was purchased, said it may be the biggest sale in the store's history. 

The Deane's plan to use the auction winnings for Mason's college fund.

Florida Man Caught Stealing and Reselling Trading Cards Using Taco Meat Seasoning Packet Scheme at Self-Checkout

A Florida man is caught by Target stealing thousands of dollars worth of trading cards from multiple stores using $0.99 taco seasoning packets.

Target store; credit: by Mike Mozart, CC BY 2.0

Florida Man Caught Stealing in Self-Checkout Scheme Involving Taco Meat Seasoning Packets

Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier reported that 39-year-old Keith Wallis of Pompano Beach, Florida was arrested after he allegedly engaged in an "organized retail fraud scheme" that took place in Target stores from Miami to Orlando, Florida.

Keith Wallis mugshot

Wallis was accused of 75 retail thefts at multiple Target stores between July 2025 and February 2026. 

His scheme involved grabbing large boxes of trading cards and an equal amount of 99-cent taco meat seasoning packets. At the self-checkout, Wallis would only scan the taco meat seasoning packets and then resell the stolen trading cards on eBay. His scheme generated "almost $40,000 USD in revenue" while the stolen merchandise totaled "over $10,000 USD."

Florida Man will be prosecuted to the 'Maximum Punishment' of the Law

The Attorney General's office reported that Wallis was charged with three counts of felony dealing in stolen property, felony organized retail theft, and one count of felony money laundering. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the Office of Statewide Prosecution led the investigation with help from Broward and Martin counties.

Attorney General James Uthmeier said:

"Florida has the number one economy in the nation because of our commitment to law and order. Organized retail theft drives up prices for consumers, and that is not a result we are going to tolerate. These schemes will be met with the maximum punishment allowed under the law."

The Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw made the following statement:

"This arrest sends a clear message that organized retail theft, no matter how coordinated or far-reaching, will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted."

Keith Wallis has Prior Thefts on Record 

Wallis is also being investigated for more thefts at Publix and Walmart locations in Florida. He has a history of theft, noting the example below. 

An example:

In Nov. 2025, Wallis pled guilty to petit theft that took place in Sept. 2025 at a Palm Beach Publix. He exited the Publix without paying for two steaks valued at $77. He returned to the store and stole two loaves of bread and scanned two packs of gravy in place of the bread barcodes. The store manager confronted Wallis at the self-checkout register for his prior transaction, and informed him to "return the steaks to correct the transaction and pay for the steaks."

The store manager stopped the transaction with the bread, and Wallis left the store immediately, leaving his debit card behind on the payment terminal.

Palm Beach Police Department then confronted Wallis, asking if he was at the Publix on Sept. 9, 2025.

Wallis responded: "Uh, I am going to pay for the steak, uh, yeah," and told the detective he had "no problem returning to the Publix and paying for the steaks."

In a guilty plea, he was ordered not to return to that Publix, and to pay for the steaks and the court costs.

Sources:

Cervantes Jr., Fernando. "Man accused of using taco meat seasoning packets to steal $40K from Target." USA Today. 27 Feb. 2026.

Shields, Malcolm. "Florida man accused of stealing trading cards, selling them online for nearly $40,000." ABC 25 WPBF News. 27 Feb. 2026