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Slam Dunk: 8-year-old collector Andrew Zonneveld scores rare USA Olympic basketball card
Eight-year-old Andrew Zonneveld, from Laton, Calif., recently made headlines after pulling a rare gold Olympic trading card featuring three members of the 2024 U.S. men’s basketball team. This unique card, showcasing NBA superstars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, was part of a limited-edition set commemorating Team USA's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Andrew has been collecting trading cards for the last two years, as his father did when he was young. For the duo, collecting didn’t start as a way to get rich—it was something that they bonded over.
The Zonneveld family was watching the United States men’s Olympic team win gold. Topps was offering a sale on Olympic card packs, so dad Andy decided to purchase a pack of five for $49.99 for his son. However, when the cards arrived, there were two packs rather than just the one he had ordered. The second pack was heavier than the first.
Andrew’s first thought was, "Why is this card so heavy? We might have got the autograph..." However, upon opening the package, what they found wasn’t the autographed card. They received a one-of-a-kind gold Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant team USA Olympic trading card.
According to Zonneveld, the card is so rare it could feasibly be worth six figures. "My mom said, 'Look it up, see how much it's worth,' and my dad was like, 'No, there's only one made in the world, and we got it!" Andrew told Fox26News in California.
Andy wants Andrew and his younger brother to hold on to this memory as long as possible.
"My kids are still young, and the youngest might not remember this when he's older, but we were just trying to soak it all in and get the experience more than any value of this card," he told Fox26News.
Zonneveld contacted Goldin Co., home of the Netflix special “King of Collectibles.” The card will be shipped to Goldin and appear in a Goldin auction at the end of September.
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Kele Johnson is the Digital Content Editor of the Collectibles Group at AIM Media. She has a fondness for mid-century ceramics, glass, and atomic design, walking a thin line between collector and hoarder. She has never met a swung vase, Tiki mug, or Shag print she didn’t want to add to her cache. While not a sports collector beyond the odd jersey or snap back cap, she is an avid Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys fan. Kele has been researching, writing, and editing in the collectibles field for several years. Reach her at kelejohnson@aimmedia.com.
