[CMCFan22]

I was looking at Sam Darnold autos on a certain auction site and found a 2021 Illusions Ink Blots auto auction. The card listed is /10 and I have an Ink Blots Darnold auto that I didn't know if it was numbered or not. I checked, and, lo and behold, it is /20. I didn't know this before today nor when I won the card some time back (plus a clearly marked Darnold card /8).

I had something similar happen to me with a Taylor Kelly 2015 Prizm DP Tie Dye auto /49. Didn't know it was numbered, found another tie dye auto online, and found mine was numbered.

Which leads me to my question: Have you ever had a like accidental surprise within your collection? Found a card you forgot about worth a pretty penny, find a card numbered lower than you remembered? Something else?

[ZSDOne]

I once looked through my cards and saw a Roman Gabriel on card Upper Deck (college uniform) autograph card /10 that I had absolutely no idea I had it and have absolutely no idea when or where I got it for my Eagles collection.

Another card I found that I did not know I had was a rookie year Longevity R&S Travis Kelce autograph - I had forgotten I had that card

[rjcj2017]

Besides my kids? LOL

There are a bunch of crazy retail auto pulls (Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis, Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, etc.) but perhaps my favorite retail pull was back in the day, a mega box of 2015-16 Prestige basketball ...

https://www.beckett.com/forums/thread-1578804.html

Long story short, I pulled a LeBron James base card and noticed it had a shimmery "foil" look to the nameplate on the front.

"Oh cool, I wonder if it's numbered," I said as I flipped it over.

Yes, it was numbered .. to 1.

As a HUGE LeBron fan, suffice it to say I was elated.

[kerryandbeth]

I don't usually subscribe to football price guide but last year I paid for a month and was going through my box of commons. When I came across Adam Thielen prizm RC card I figured it might be worth putting in a toploader. What I realized two minutes later is that it was the prizm version and became one of my top valued football cards that I very casually collect.

[ZSDOne]

As far as pulls go, I think my best accidental surprise was a Low Series hobby box of 2017 Sage Hit.

That box had two autographs of the same player - which normally is very annoying - but in this case, it worked out pretty well (the fact that it is a 2017 box probably does spoil the surprise)

Patrick Mahomes Gold Autograph /250

Patrick Mahomes Peak Performance Autograph (Base/Unnumbered but if I remember right (nobody seems to have recorded the posted odds of the unnumbered Peak Performance autos), but if I remember correctly the odds of an unnumbered Peak Performance Auto were about the same as the odds of a Gold Auto which would likely also put that in the around 250 range)

[jplarson]

For me it was when I was casually going through a late 2010's box of commons and pulling out 3 Mahomes rookie cards (nothing epic) and seeing the absolutely bonkers prices they were going for. I still have good memories selling a 2018 Donruss Optic holo/prizm/silver Mahomes for $160 (and not having it returned AND getting positive feedback) and using that money to buy a 2004 Finest Phillip Rivers auto rookie.

[rjcj2017]

For me it was when I was casually going through a late 2010's box of commons and pulling out 3 Mahomes rookie cards (nothing epic) and seeing the absolutely bonkers prices they were going for.  I still have good memories selling a 2018 Donruss Optic holo/prizm/silver Mahomes for $160 (and not having it returned AND getting positive feedback) and using that money to buy a 2004 Finest Phillip Rivers auto rookie.

Just knowing “ah” transaction went well on DBay without any Dee Baggery makes my day.

[jaderock]

A once fierce and competitive Mark Brunell collector contacted me out of the blues because she wanted me to take over her Brunell/Jaguars collection. Years early, she had told me that I drained every ounce of joy out of collecting for her and would never deal with me. However, due to circumstances, she felt I would take care of the cards best. Interestingly enough both of us were in northern California and I drove over and purchased the Brunell/Jaguars collection from her. She practically gave it to me. We chatted and laughed about our ebay battles. I am forever thankful to her, Pam Jackson. RIP.

Her story is somewhere buried in my PC thread.