Of all the new concession items added to ballparks around the country for the new MLB season, none were more talked about during opening weekend than a plastic cup introduced at Dodger Stadium.
The limited edition Shohei Ohtani souvenir cup was made to look like one of the reigning NL MVP’s uniforms, even with a textured feel to it, and listed for sale at concession stands for the Dodgers’ season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday for $74.99 with “fountain soda refills day of purchase” included in that price. The price quickly sparked discussion on social media and by Saturday’s game, the listed price for the cup was dropped to $68.99 and the refill policy was changed to a season-long proposition.
With a fountain soda in a normal souvenir cup costing $12 at Dodger Stadium, some fans saw that buying the Ohtani cup presented a bargain for anyone attending games throughout the season (and willing to commit to bringing the cup with them each time). After six refills, the cup has justified its cost from a usage standpoint. But there was another part of the equation that seemed to be getting lost in the conversation around this cup: that it was a “limited edition” Ohtani collectible in a time when Ohtani collectibles are surging in value.
While the exact number of Ohtani souvenir cups produced is unclear, they reportedly sold out during Saturday’s game. On Sunday, several were listed on eBay, with two quickly selling for $250 each. A third sold at $290.
It’s just the latest example of the ravenous demand for Ohtani items right now. Last week, one of his game-used World Baseball Classic jerseys sold for $1.5 million, exceeding the previous record for an Ohtani game-used jersey by $1.25 million. Signed copies of his new children’s book, Decoy Saves Opening Day, were originally sold for just $25 each by the publisher and are now going for more than $1,000. He also has the top selling MLB jersey since the end of the World Series.
But the heightened demand for Ohtani collectibles is most evident in the sports card world right now. Over the last three months, more than 37,000 Ohtani cards have sold on the secondary market, according to sales database Market Movers via The Athletic contributor Ben Burrows — over 20,000 more than Paul Skenes, who is No. 2 on the list. After an Ohtani card sold for north of $1 million for the first time in March of last year, two have sold for more than $2 million each in the last four months. Even on the lower end values are rapidly rising. Ohtani’s 2018 Topps Chrome rookie card in a Gem Mint PSA 10 grade has risen in value by 89 percent, selling for more than $900 in recent days despite having a population of more than 15,000, the second highest for any Ohtani card in a PSA 10. In December 2024 this card was selling for under $200.
So while $75 seems like a lot for a plastic cup, the math is different for anything with Ohtani’s name on it.
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