A 13-year-old Seattle Mariners fan turned a free ballpark giveaway into a five-figure payout by selling her “Jimothy Rookie Card.” The young girl picked up the one-of-one gold trading card on Aug. 5 when the Mariners celebrated “Jimothy Night.”
The card belonged to 13-year-old Mariners fan Abby, who snagged the coveted gold version of the trading card when the team capitalized on Jimothy’s unexpected notoriety. People have been spotting and tracking Jimothy on social media around the Seattle area for several weeks. Area residents have compared the raccoon to cryptids like the chupacabra because of his deformed spine and rambunctious attitude.
Since going viral a couple of weeks ago, the spunky raccoon has quickly become not only a local celebrity but a worldwide superstar thanks to the internet. He has even become the Seattle Mariners’ pseudo-mascot with Julio Rodriguez handing out Jimothy shirts to teammates to wear during batting practice. Jimothy has also been winning the Salmon Races at T-Mobile Park.
The teen’s family had no idea how much the card was worth
Jessie Nino, Abby’s mother, told the Seattle Times that the family didn’t realize the trading card’s significance until local fans noticed it and told them it was unique. A Mariners employee reportedly tried to negotiate a sale on pitcher George Kirby’s behalf, and the family received cash bids for the card throughout the game.
“I was just like, ‘Look, guys … nobody’s trying to get rich off this,” Nino told the Times. “But if we can leverage this for Abby’s college or Abby’s future home purchase, we’re going to be smart about it.”
The teen eventually listed the card for sale on eBay, where collectors quickly drove up the asking price. The auction began at $0.99 and gradually rose into the thousands, concluding on Sunday at $21,100 after 100 bids. According to several Jimothy and Seattle Mariners fan pages, the sale of the card will go towards Abby’s college fund.