Ticket to Paradise: UD Ruth Gem Unearthed!

[fuser]

In Mike Calvanico's 24 years as owner of East Coast Connection in Lyndhurst, N.J., he's never witnessed anything close to the golden-ticket moment that transpired last Saturday morning when loyal customer Mike DeNicola beat the odds on a 10-box case of 2007 Upper Deck Premier.


The card in question is nothing less than the piece de resistance of UD's first super premium baseball product of the season: The UD Premier Babe Ruth Cut Autograph Ticket Stub 1/1.

It took DeNicola just four boxes into his 10-box case to unearth the gem. It'll take him from now on to get over the feeling he experienced when he realized what he had. "My initial reaction was of shock," says the 54-year-old DeNicola. "It's a one-of-a-kind card. It's the only one out there. It's unbelievable, you know."

Yes, Mike, we do.

A veteran collector of 25 years, DeNicola has an affinity for cards of players from baseball's bygone days, so sentiment tells him to keep the card. But as the vice president of sales for an East Coast transportation company, DeNicola also knows a thing or two about making money. His business sense tells him to liquidate the card while he can.

As of now, he's still undecided.

"This is obviously the No. 1 item in my collection; anything older means a lot more to me," he says. "Being a collector, I'll most likely keep it. Sight unseen, people have mentioned this card could go for $15,000 to $20,000. But if I got $30,000, I'd probably have to sell it."

[holycowcubswin10]

the card is awesome.

Beckett Media LP