This Shohei Ohtani card is going for $60,000 and it isn't even out yet

If you’ve fallen out of collecting baseball cards the past few years, now would be a good time to pick up that habit again. If you find a certain Shohei Ohtani card in a soon-to-be released pack of cards, you could walk away $60,000 richer.

[Still not too late to join a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league]

On Wednesday, Bowman will release its 2018 baseball cards. If you happen to find the Ohtani Superfractor autograph card, BlowoutCards.com is willing to pay you $60,000 for it.

You’ll only get that price if the card is graded at a 9.5 of higher by Beckett Grading Serves. Basically, it has to be in great condition. You can’t find it, let your dog chew on it and then expect to sell it for $60,000. It also much be delivered to the Blowout offices by May 11.

That’s it. Just be lucky enough to find the card, keep it safe enough for it to receive a strong grade and then send it to Blowout Cards.

Why is the company offering that much for an unreleased Ohtani card? It’s because the company believes in the Los Angeles Angels’ phenom.

Why the offer? Blowout is sold on the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way phenom from Japan who’s 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 19 Ks in 15 innings pitched so far — and the star who’s hitting .333 with three homers and 11 RBI in just 11 games this season at the plate. Blowout co-owner Thomas Fish said he’s fielded a number of calls from international buyers seeking to own this one-of-a-kind card, too.

That last sentence speaks loudly, too. The company believes it can make a lot of money selling the card. Possibly more than $60,000.

Still, it seems extreme that an unreleased card is already being valued at $60,000. Not only that, but it’s an unreleased card of a player who hasn’t even been in the majors for a month. Ohtani has looked awesome, but that’s a lot of money for a guy with a short track record in the majors.

The whole thing is reminiscent of Willy Wonka and the golden tickets. Only, in this case, there’s just one. And the prize isn’t a chocolate factory. It’s cold, hard cash.

We can’t wait to see who finds the golden Ohtani ticket. And if they decide owning that unique piece of baseball history is worth more than $60,000.

One website is willing to pay $60,000 for an unreleased Shohei Ohtani card. (AP Photo)
One website is willing to pay $60,000 for an unreleased Shohei Ohtani card. (AP Photo)

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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