SCARBOROUGH, Maine —A rare autographed trading card of Duke basketball star and Newport native Cooper Flagg changed hands in a cash deal this week at Double Play Collectibles in Scarborough.
The card, a Topps Chrome McDonald’s All-American autographed edition, was originally pulled from a “break” by a seller from Maine. That collector brought the card to Double Play, where local sports card enthusiast Mathew Thornton — a Nokomis Regional High School graduate and Newport native — heard about the find from shop owner Dave Harding.Harding connected the two collectors, and after an initial meeting last week, they finalized the deal on Monday.
Comparable Flagg cards have recently sold for as much as $85,400 and $28,800, adding intrigue and excitement to the transaction.
Flagg, who led Duke to the Final Four this year and swept five national player of the year honors, signed an exclusive trading card and memorabilia deal with Fanatics in January. Fanatics owns the Topps brand.
