2018 NT Shohei Ohtani Holo Gold RPA Sells for $20K

2018 National Treasures Shohei Ohtani Holo Gold RPA Sells for $20,746

On November 30, 2025, Goldin sold a key modern Shohei Ohtani rookie card: a 2018 Panini National Treasures Material Signatures Holo Gold #48, serial-numbered 03/25, graded PSA MINT 9. The final price was $20,746.

For collectors who track high-end Ohtani pieces, this sale helps anchor where one of his premium rookie patch autographs (often called RPAs) currently sits in the market.

Card breakdown: what exactly sold?

Let’s unpack the full title:

• Year & product: 2018 Panini National Treasures Baseball
• Player: Shohei Ohtani
• Team: Los Angeles Angels
• Card: Material Signatures Holo Gold #48
• Parallel: Holo Gold, serial-numbered to /25 (this copy is 03/25)
• Type: Rookie patch autograph (rookie card with both autograph and memorabilia patch)
• Autograph: On-card signature (signed directly on the card, not a sticker)
• Memorabilia: Multi-color patch from a game- or event-used Angels jersey (as is standard for National Treasures)
• Grading: PSA MINT 9
• Population: PSA population report notes only 2 copies at PSA 9 in this specific Holo Gold /25 version (Pop 2 at this grade, with no 10s currently recorded at the time of cataloging).

Within the modern baseball market, 2018 National Treasures is widely viewed as one of Ohtani’s true premium rookie auto-patch releases. It’s not his mass-printed flagship rookie; it’s a high-end, low-serial-number autograph patch from a super-premium brand.

Why this card matters to collectors

Several factors make this a meaningful piece for Ohtani collectors and for the broader ultra-modern baseball segment:

1. Rookie-year, premium brand
   National Treasures is Panini’s top-tier, thick-stock patch/autograph product. For many collectors, an Ohtani National Treasures RPA sits near the top of his non-licensed (no MLB logos) high-end rookie hierarchy, alongside top Bowman Chrome and Topps Chrome autos in terms of overall importance.

2. Low serial number: Holo Gold /25
   The Holo Gold parallel is limited to 25 copies. On top of that, thick-stock patch autos tend to grade harshly due to chipping and corner issues. That combination of low print run plus condition sensitivity makes higher-grade copies meaningfully scarcer than the raw serial number would suggest.

3. On-card auto and patch
   The pairing of a bold on-card autograph and a multi-color patch is still one of the key status markers in modern baseball. These are the types of cards collectors often build long-term PCs (personal collections) around rather than just flip.

4. Shohei Ohtani’s unique profile
   As of late 2025, Ohtani is firmly established as one of the most significant talents of the ultra-modern era—an MVP-level hitter and pitcher in the same player. His ongoing awards, milestones, and media presence continue to position his best rookie issues as long-term reference points for the era.

Market context: how does $20,746 fit in?

To understand this Goldin sale, it helps to look at comps—short for “comparables,” meaning recent sales of the same or closely related cards.

Direct and near-direct comps

For an ultra-specific card like this, exact public comps can be limited. Recent data from major auction platforms and marketplaces around 2024–2025 shows:

• Other 2018 National Treasures Shohei Ohtani RPAs (non-Holo Gold parallels, usually numbered /99 or /49) in PSA 9 or BGS 9 have tended to land in the mid four-figure to low five-figure range, depending on patch quality and auto strength.
• Scarcer parallels (/25 and lower), particularly with strong patches and higher grades, have generally pushed into the five-figure range, with standout copies occasionally exceeding that when timing lines up with major Ohtani news or playoff relevance.

Within that framework, $20,746 for a Holo Gold /25, PSA 9, Pop 2 result sits toward the upper end of what you’d expect for a premium National Treasures Ohtani RPA, but still in a range that fits the pattern for rare, high-grade Ohtani rookies on established auction platforms.

Because this is a low-pop, low-serial card, price swings can be noticeable from one sale to the next. When only a handful of copies exist in high grade, a single motivated bidder can move the final hammer price more than in a deep, liquid market like base rookies.

Population (pop) and grade pressure

The pop report (short for population report) is the grading company’s tally of how many copies of a card exist at each grade. Here we have:

• Holo Gold /25 #48 Ohtani, PSA 9: Pop 2
• No PSA 10s currently recorded for this specific parallel at the time of the sale listing.

In practice, that means this card is effectively tied for the top graded examples currently available through PSA for this exact version. In thin markets like this, a Pop 2 in PSA 9 can behave more like a pop-rare card than many serial-numbered issues.

Thick stock and condition

National Treasures uses thick stock to accommodate patches, which often leads to:

• Edge chipping
• Corner wear
• Surface impressions from the patch window

Those factors frequently cap grades in the 8–9 range, so a PSA 9 on a multi-color patch copy is generally viewed as a strong outcome rather than a near-miss.

Where this sale fits in Ohtani’s rookie landscape

Ohtani’s rookie catalog is deep: he has:

• Bowman Chrome autographs (often seen as his premier prospect/rookie autograph line)
• Topps/Topps Chrome rookies and parallels
• High-end releases from Panini, including National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate

Within that ecosystem, the 2018 National Treasures Material Signatures cards are typically considered:

• Among his most desirable Panini rookies
• A key entry in any Ohtani patch-auto run
• A central piece for collectors who prefer thick-stock RPAs over chrome-based cards

The Holo Gold /25 version sits above the more common /99 tier and is closer in feel to the true “chase” parallels in terms of scarcity and prestige.

What collectors can take away from this sale

Here are a few grounded observations from the Goldin result on November 30, 2025:

1. High-end Ohtani demand remains focused on low-serial, high-grade pieces.
   When you combine a premium brand (National Treasures), low print run (/25), and a top-tier grade (PSA 9, Pop 2), bidding is still strong.

2. Comps for thin markets require nuance.
   For cards with 25 or fewer copies, a single auction doesn’t define a “permanent” price. Instead, sales like this form a loose band or reference point. Later results will likely move around this level depending on timing, patch quality, and grade.

3. Patch and eye appeal matter as much as the label.
   With RPAs, the patch configuration can significantly impact demand even when the serial number and grade are the same. Strong multi-color or logo patches often command a premium.

4. PSA 9 is behaving as a practical top grade for many thick-stock RPAs.
   With no PSA 10s in the pop report for this parallel, PSA 9 effectively becomes the highest grade realistically available at scale, which can support auction results in the top tier of the card’s range.

For buyers, sellers, and collectors watching this card

This Goldin sale doesn’t rewrite Ohtani’s rookie card market on its own, but it does offer a useful data point for:

• Collectors calibrating trade values for 2018 National Treasures Ohtani RPAs, especially low-serial parallels.
• Small sellers deciding how to approach consignments of similar National Treasures Ohtani cards or other premium, low-pop modern RPAs.
• Returning collectors trying to understand why one Ohtani rookie can be a few hundred dollars while another approaches or exceeds the five-figure mark.

As always, it’s helpful to look at multiple recent sales across different platforms, account for grade, patch quality, and timing, and then treat any single auction result as one piece of a broader picture rather than a guaranteed benchmark.

For now, this 2018 Panini National Treasures Material Signatures Holo Gold #48 Shohei Ohtani Rookie Patch Auto /25, PSA MINT 9 (Pop 2) at $20,746 stands as a notable ultra-modern baseball result from Goldin’s November 30, 2025 session—and a clear reminder of how concentrated demand has become for Ohtani’s best, rarest rookie cards.