Midas Touch: Collector Doug Felber Strikes Vintage Gold in 2012 Golden Age Baseball
Nebraska collector Doug Felber turned 62 yesterday. But his birthday card — hand-picked by Felber himself — actually arrived days before, on Christmas eve inside Sports Center Cards & Collectibles in Omaha. That’s when Felber experienced nothing less than the pull of a lifetime from a box of Panini America’s 2012 Golden Age Baseball.
Admittedly, Felber nearly fell off his stool when he pulled his so-called “holy grail” . . . an original 1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth Rookie Card, the centerpiece of Golden Age’s BuyBack program and one of the greatest sports cards in existence. For the record, the suggested retail price for that particular pack of 2012 Golden Age Baseball was $3. The current Beckett value for Felber’s Ruth? $8,000.
“This is my all-time best pull by far — and I’ve been collecting my whole life,” Felber says. “Rick Griencewic, the owner of Sports Center, said it was also the best card that he had ever seen pulled.”
Not a bad early Christmas present for Felber, who was drawn to 2012 Golden Age Baseball for any number of reasons other than the needle-in-a-haystack chance to pull an original Ruth.
“I love the old-time coverage of Golden Age, the fantastic on-card autographs and the array of possible memorabilia cards available,” Felber notes. “I love the Secretariat possibilities in the memorabilia area.”
The chance at a once-in-a-lifetime collection-maker — illustrated beautifully in the gallery below — was simply a bonus.
Congratulations, Doug.
The Knight's Lance 
Congrats on an awesome pull! Tracy, question to Panini and you. From the Golden Age of Baseball, I pulled a very, very nice Eddie Collins bat card. On the back of the card, it lists Collins name but the narrative on the back of the card describes Charlie Chaplin. I saw on one of the hobby boards where another collector pull a Collins and his card was the same way. Will Panini correct this error? It is still a super pull for me, but it would be nice to have the correct narrative.
This wrong-back or error will most likely not be corrected, Ron.
Awesome pull! Congrats big time!
What an unbelievable pull, congrats Doug! Thanks Tracy!
Who wouldn’t have fallen out of their chair upon seeing that card looking back at you!
Was this $8,000.00 card inserted into a $3.00 pack of cards? Or was it a redemption? That would be an awful expensive roll of the dice to do that. But congrats on the pull. Awesome.
The SRP for Golden Age is $3 a pack. The original Ruth card was bought back and randomly inserted into the product.
Great for you! I almost fell off my chair just reading your luck friend!!
That is a monster pull right there!
What an Amazing pull! Being a Yankees fan I would pass out if I pulled that card!
Same here.
Tracy: Thanks for letting me know and keep up the good work! Recent Panini product have been great! Looking forward to Crown Royale football tomorrow. Maybe I will have some LUCK!
Good luck indeed.
Wow! Congrats to him. I don’t know how I would have reacted if I was to ever get a pull like that!
Does anyone know why this card is referred to as a rookie card? He had played for many years.
I was his first pack-inserted card showing him in a big-league uniform. Thus, it was his first card that met RC criteria.
It was, not I was. Sorry.
Wow. I would have ran a few laps around the store with my hands up in the air screaming “The Babe”. Congrats to him. I hope he keeps the card and not sell it.
haha i go to this shop where it was pulled and trust me there isnt much room to run haha
Amazing pull Doug. Guess you have the Golden touch, Congratulations!
Number one AWESOMENESS on the pull, number two, Tracy you might want to look for some emails that should be waiting for you from myself.
WoW
Congrats Doug! Great guy. Chase is right… Doug could run… but it would be a couple steps, then turn and repeat.
The shop is great and this a tremendous pull for Doug and the shop!
Cheers to Panini for writing and capturing this story!
omg thats my LCS also…wish I could have been there that day of that EPIC pull…congrats Doug !!!!
Congratulations to Doug. I can’t say I know first hand, but I’m sure it doesn’t get much better than that. In hopes Tracy is reading this, I am 57 and will be turning 58 in February. While i am still younger than 62, perhaps lining me up with a slightly less awesome card than Doug got would be doable. If so, thanks. If not, I’ll keep looking for something similar. Once again, way to go Doug. If it were up to me I’d put you on the Sports Center highlights.
Best,
Barry
I just got the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card, authenicated from Beckett Grading Service. It came back a 1.5. Still my pull of a Lifetime.