If you’ve ever idly wandered through the aisles of a Goodwill, sizing up an old pair of bell-bottom jeans, pondering an ancient VCR, or contemplating a dusty stack of unloved board games, you might dream of perhaps stumbling upon a treasure—something rare that could turn your casual visit into a thrilling tale. For Christopher Kidney, a seemingly ordinary trip to a Goodwill store in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, transformed from routine second-hand-shopping into the stuff collector legends are made of.
Under the indifferent fluorescent lights of the thrift store, Christopher Kidney unearthed a jackpot of authentic, autographed baseball memorabilia. For a modest sum of less than $20, Kidney snagged a cache of signed cards featuring notable names like CC Sabathia, Don Mattingly, and Chuck Knoblauch. He even picked up a Super Bowl XLII card signed by Plaxico Burress, which, while not baseball-related, was still a notable addition to the find. But the pièce de résistance of his discovery was undoubtedly a baseball graced with the signature of legendary Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra.
Kidney recalled the moment of discovery to Newsweek, describing how the cards caught his eye and he quickly recognized their authenticity. Upon further inspection and with corroboration from his circle of trusted and passionate collectors, Kidney confirmed that the signatures were indeed genuine. He then orchestrated a private sale, walking away with over $500 to show for his sharp eye and serendipitous fortune.
It wasn’t just any baseball identity that he had stumbled upon; Kidney’s find included a nod to Yogi Berra, the celebrated catcher whose unforgettable “Yogi-isms” and Hall of Fame career still cast a long shadow over the sport. Yogi Berra, who was inducted in 1972, holds the record with 10 World Series titles with the Yankees. Discovering a ball signed by Berra abandoned on a thrift store shelf wasn’t just a stroke of luck—it was a minor miracle for any collector worth their salt.
After the triumph of his Goodwill haul, Kidney took to Reddit, a familiar platform where he frequently engages with fellow memorabilia enthusiasts. His post, aptly captioned “Incredible, still shaking,” rapidly gained traction, garnering more than 1,500 upvotes and sparking a lively conversation among collectors and sports aficionados. When you scroll through the comments, you can’t help but chuckle at the humorous observation of one fellow enthusiast who quipped, “Thank goodness your Goodwill doesn’t have an in-store Googler pricing these near eBay comps.”
Some remarked on the joy and tinge of jealousy they felt upon seeing Kidney’s incredible find, echoing the thrill of the chase that is intrinsic to collecting. Who wouldn’t want to uncover such treasure amidst plastic cutlery and mismatched dinnerware?
Remarkably, this wasn’t Kidney’s first brush with Goodwill greatness. Not long before this find, he had managed to procure a signed 1949 book by Honus Wagner, a player whose legacy still reverberates in the annals of baseball history. Such a treasure was his for a mere $1.59, propelling Kidney further into awe-stricken disbelief and confirming that Lady Luck had indeed found her way to Kentucky. To Kidney, it was more than simply finding an autograph—it felt like an inherited blessing, a celestial gift from his late grandfather, who had ties to teams like the Reds and the Cardinals and with whom Kidney shares a profound connection through their mutual love of the sport.
While the monetary reward from selling rare pieces is certainly satisfying, for Kidney, the victory is multifaceted. It’s about sharing the excitement and giving credit to his loved ones, his supportive wife Ashley, and best friends Brad and Christopher Davisson, who all play a role in his collecting journey. For Kidney, collecting is a narrative of passion and connection, where each autograph isn’t just ink on a surface but a thread that ties together history, family, and the undying passion for baseball.
The enchanting allure of collectibles resonates with the part of us that delights in stories that intertwine history with the present. For the casual thrift shopper, perhaps Kidney’s tale serves as a reminder that treasures of the past are waiting to be discovered, offering the promise that just next to that pile of misplaced silverware, history might be quietly tucked away, waiting for the right eyes to find it.
