Turning $5 into $1,500 at Wawa
A recent 2024 Bowman Paul Skenes Chrome Auto Green Lava /99 card pull proves collectors don’t need to shell out massive dollars to score a major hit.
This card, which recently sold for an eye-popping $1,500 on eBay when graded PSA 10, illustrates that casual, impulsive purchases can yield incredible results. Imagine stopping at your local Wawa, grabbing a coffee, and deciding to rip into a $5 pack of Bowman baseball cards on a whim. That’s all it takes for a chance at an ultra-rare pull when every pack has the same odds.
Paul Skenes was one of the most promising pitching prospects this century. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft made it to the big leagues like his fastball — with lightning speed. In MLB, he struck out 70 batters and compiled a 2.06 ERA in his first nine starts. Then he somehow got even better, becoming the second pitcher ever with a sub-2.00 ERA in his first 22 career games. In November, he was named the winner of the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
All Packs Are Created Equal
His cards, scarce ones like the Green Lava auto, numbered to 99, are highly sought after. But while Bowman’s set offers exclusive parallels, getting your hands on a specific one like the Skenes Green Auto is an incredibly rare feat—and that’s part of what makes pulling one so electrifying.
Any Auto Green Lava, which each had only 99 prints, are pulled in 1 in 7 packs. But with 142 of them in the set, the odds of pulling the Paul Skenes Green Auto are a wild 1 in 994 packs.
Anyone lucky enough to get one would be wise to send it for grading, given the high gem rate. According to PSA, about 71% of Bowman Green Lava cards get this perfect 10 grade. While raw versions of this Skenes card sell for $375, the recent PSA 10 version went for a 400% premium.
Trending on Social Media
Collectors and fans lit up Instagram with reactions when the card hit the market. Comments like “How did Sheets let this happen?” and “$5 pull, $1,500+ card? Unreal!” reflect the excitement and shock this card generated. “My cousin pulled the 1/1 Elly rookie printing plate out of a Wawa pack,” CWebb_Cards said on the social media platform. But to be clear, you have just as good a chance at Sheetz.
The Skenes pull is about the rush of a big hit and the certainty that any pack anywhere, even at your local convenience store, might contain something truly special.
