09-05-2025
DICK's House of Sport officially unveils one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes rookie card
Remember that Paul Skenes MLB Debut Card? The one that people were shelling out so much money to try and find?
Well now, DICK's House of Sport in Ross Township gets to house the card that everyone was looking for.
Pirates fans gather to get the first look
The line before opening wasn't around the block.
"I really wanted to see the card," Amy Boyle of Ross Township said.
This is still a dedicated bunch. Travis Rogan of Beaver County was first in line at 7:30 Friday morning.
"I was driving down into the city – and then I had some free time this morning after that, so I figured, why not come up here?" Beaver said.
At 9 a.m., it was time to file in towards the shrine for the prized possession. Rogan, of course, got to walk up first.
"I was really taken – blown away at the level of care that went into the display of it," he said.
The display the card is in is made of tempered glass.
"It is actually non-breakable, it's ballistic proof – and in the actual casing around it is a 1500 pound safe," Toni Roeller, EVP of Store Experience and Design at DICK's Sporting Goods, said.
Among the caps and jerseys in that part of the store are also odes to our city.
"There's like the steel plate – as like a nod to Pittsburgh," Roeller said.
The people at DICK's say it means a lot for them, and the community.
"The fanhood of sports is so important for us – and we feel like this brings a special piece of sports history to our house of sports store in Pittsburgh," David Progar, Dick's Sporting Goods SVP of Team Sports, Licensed, and golf.
It's something the people in the bunch outside were amazed by.
"Really nice, it's great that it's here for everyone to see," Boyle said.
There could be a lot of people coming this weekend to see this card.
Just know that through the weekend – Dick's House of Sport in Ross Township will have a wristband process if you do want to come and see it.
Card nets $1.1 million at auction, comes home to Pittsburgh
In March, the card headed to auction, where bidding took place in a frenzy with prices rising quickly.
It would ultimately sell for $1.11 million to, at the time, an anonymous bidder.
Just hours after its sale was finalized, DICK's Sporting Goods announced they were the ones to pony up the more than $1 million.
"DICK'S is passionate about bringing fans closer to the game," said Ed Stack, Executive Chairman, DICK'S. "Acquiring the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card enables us to celebrate his incredible talent while giving our athletes a unique opportunity to experience a piece of baseball history up close. We're thrilled to bring this special card home and display it in our Pittsburgh House of Sport store, where it can inspire the next generation of athletes and collectors."
California Collector turns down Pirates' massive offer for card
Early in 2025, the card that had been so coveted by millions since late 2024 was officially pulled by an 11-year-old card collector in California.
The Pirates stated on social media that if the person who found the card was willing to return it to the club, they would get:
Two Pirates season tickets behind home plate for 30 years
A softball game at PNC Park for 30 with coaching from Pirates alumni
A spring training experience that would include a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two Skenes autographed jerseys, and the chance to take batting practice and warmups with the team.
Dunne upped the stakes, saying that whoever found the card and returned it to the team could watch a game in her suite with her at PNC Park.
