Collector Nabs Two RDPAs in Four Days
Meet Alec Word, quite possibly the world’s luckiest collector.
Within four days, the University of Southern California student defied the astronomical odds and pulled two Rookie Debut Patch Auto (RDPA) cards from his local card shop, Jaspy’s Sports Cards & Collectibles, in Hermosa Beach, California.
“It doesn’t feel real, I’m not going to lie,” Word told RIPPED. “I feel like I won the lottery.”
This year’s RDPA checklist includes 251 players who made their rookie debut between June 1, 2023, and the end of the 2023 season and from the start of the 2024 season until May 31, 2024.
Pulling one RDPA is insanely difficult. To pull two, that’s extremely fortunate. Some might even say it is a case of beginner’s luck.
“It was my first time buying Topps Chrome,” Word said. “I’m an avid sports fan. I was into cards as a kid, but I never really wanted to follow it.”
Pulling the First RDPA
The 23-year-old made his way into Jaspy’s on December 7. Word was aware of the RDPAs in 2024 Topps Chrome Update, but he was just hoping for some rookie autographs. He also wanted some cards of players from his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, especially Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
Word decided to buy some jumbo packs of Chrome Update. Each box contains 12 packs, each with three autographs. He purchased nine random packs and headed home. After ripping the final pack, Word realized he’d only pulled two autos.
“I called Jaspy’s and was like, ‘Hey, can you put the rest of those packs on hold? There’s an auto in there, and there’s three packs left,’” Word said. “I got in my car, and five minutes later, I went to Jaspy’s. I opened the remaining three packs there, and low and behold, the Westburg redemption was in one of those three packs. If I hadn’t called and put those on hold, the Westburg probably would have gone to someone else.”
It was the last pack in which Word pulled the RDPA redemption card of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg.
“Alec is still fairly new to the hobby. He knew this was a big card, but when he showed our store guys and some of the other customers in the store, they were like, ‘That’s huge,’” Jaspy’s marketing director, Maren Jaspersen, told RIPPED. “They were going crazy with him.”
Alec Word pulled his second RDPA in a four-day span on December 10. (Photo Courtesy of Jaspy’s)
Pulling the Second RDPA
Word pulled the Westburg RDPA on a Saturday, and he had an itch to see if he could pull another. With Jaspy’s being closed on Sunday and Monday, Word returned to the shop on his first opportunity on Tuesday, December 10.
Jaspy’s was pretty cleaned out of Chrome Update hobby and jumbo boxes, but three Breaker Delight boxes remained. Word scooped up all three.
“I was like, ‘Wow. These are expensive, but I’ve got to test my luck,’” Word said.
The Breaker Delight boxes include 12 cards with two autographs. Word cracked the first two boxes without much luck. However, in his final box, like with his first RDPA pull, Word struck gold again. This time, it was the RDPA of Washington Nationals pitcher Jose Ferrer.
“I was on a FaceTime call with all my friends from home, and we saw the patch, and everyone was losing their minds, running up and down the stairs,” Word said. “They were screaming. I was just absolutely over the moon, losing my mind.”
“This whole Debut Patch Rookie Cards are pretty cool to me,” Word said. “Now, I’m Jose Ferrer’s number one fan.”
Eight days after Word pulled his second RDPA, he had more exciting news. He completed his last final at USC to earn a business administration and finance degree from the Marshall School of Business.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest person on the planet—with everything, with life, with this,” Word said. “I just feel very blessed. I’m thankful for everything that’s going on.”
