Say you have a football card collection sitting around somewhere. Do you know which cards are likely to be so valuable that you won’t want to risk losing them in some way? I asked myself that same question, so I did some research and put together this article for anyone else wondering. In this article, we’ll review 15 of the most expensive and valuable football cards ever made.
I scoured the internet for some of the most valuable and expensive football cards out there. The following list includes 15 of them, each presented with a brief explanation and history of where they stand in the world of collectible football cards.
Table of Contents
Top 15 Most Expensive And Valuable Football Cards Price List
No. |
Football Cards |
Year |
Price Sold |
1 |
Patrick Mahomes Ii Ssp Red Rookie On Card Auto 2017 Leaf |
2017 |
$25,000.00 |
2 |
Rob Gronkowski Auto/Rookie Card |
2010 |
$25,000.00 |
3 |
Wild Card Deion Sanders Stat Smasher – 1000 Stripe |
1992 |
$21,992.00 |
4 |
OJ Simpson Topps Football Progressive Proof Test Set |
1976 |
$19,995.00 |
5 |
Jalen Hurts Autographed Philadelphia Eagles Card |
2020 |
$2,699.99 |
6 |
Topps Football Card Complete Set High-Grade |
1969 |
$2,499.99 |
7 |
Topps Triple Threads Tom Brady Football Card |
1975 |
$2,250.00 |
8 |
Troy Aikman Signed Rookie Card BAS 9.5 Auto |
2009 |
$39,999.00 |
9 |
Graded Tom Brady Auto Game Used Jersey Card |
2008 |
$40,000.00 |
10 |
Tom Brady 2000 Prestige Spectrum Red |
2000 |
$49,500.00 |
11 |
Panini National VIP Patrick Mahomes II Autographed Gold Shimmer Card |
2018 |
$49,999.00 |
12 |
Panini Megacracks Campeon Lionel Messi Rookie Card |
2004 |
$56,342.25 |
13 |
Upper Deck Vintage Tom Brady JR Redmond Football Card RC |
2001 |
$95,000.00 |
14 |
Tom Brady Rookie Card RC Pristine Auto BAS |
2000 |
$125,000.00 |
15 |
Justin Herbert Rookie Card-Phoenix Orange Dual Patch Auto |
2020 |
$250,000.00 |
1. Patrick Mahomes Ii Ssp Red Rookie On Card Auto Leaf
Year: 2017
Price: $25,000.00
This is one of the rarest Football Trading Cards on our list today, the SSP Red Rookie Card. It features the amazing Patrick Mahomes, an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League.
This card not only features this amazing superstar but it has been graded 10 by the biggest grading service in the world Beckett Authentication Service (BAS), it is very rare to get a perfect grade from Beckett Authentication. This card was also autographed by Patrick Mahomes himself, it is a truly rare one and should be in any collector’s collection, for only $25,000.00 you can have this card.
2. Rob Gronkowski Auto/Rookie Card
Year: 2010
Price: $25,000.00
Another Rookie Card on our List Today, if you are a collector, you should be familiar with Rookie cards, they are the most sought after. Now, this is not only a rookie card but also a Short Print and Autographed card. The feature of this card makes it even more valuable with its 10/10 grade score. This Panini original Football Trading card is most worthy to be in any collector’s collection.
It features the American Football player Rob Gronkowski in the 2010 Playoff Contenders where he played for the New England Patriots. This card is in a Mint Condition, and it sells for $25,000.00 on eBay.
3. Wild Card Deion Sanders Stat Smasher – 1000 Stripe
Year: 1992
Price: $21,992.00
Ever heard the name ‘wild card’ meaning an unknown or unpredictable factor? The wild card team is recognized by the NFL postseason, it is a team that received a spot in the through what is called a wild card.
This Card features Deion Sanders in the 1992 game where he played for Atlanta Falcons. It has been also authenticated by the Professional Sports (PSA) where it earned a grade score of 10/10. This Football Trading Card is unique because it is a limited edition and its marked number #14, the name of the card is called Wild Card Stat Smashers. For only $21,992.00 you can get this card on eBay.
4. OJ Simpson Topps Football Progressive Proof Test Set
Year: 1976
Price: $19,500.00
This football trading card features the American former player Ok Simpson, Ok Simpson was known for his amazing skills on the field, and he is a prominent man, although he was charged with some crimes in 2007 for the death of his wife and her best friend. He was found “not guilty”.
Ok, Simpson was a great man & this trading card deserves a slot in any collector’s collection. It was captured during the 1976 Topps (Football) for the National Football League (NFL), this card has been created and Is in mint condition. It sells for $19,500.00 on eBay.
5. Jalen Hurts Autographed Philadelphia Eagles Card
Year: 2020
Price: $2,699.99
A Panini Classic Trading Card. This card is encapsulated by Fans to warrant a Gem Mint 10 grade. For its fantastic features, it sells for only $2,699.99 on Etsy. This 2020 Panini Flawless Rookie Card has been autographed by Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.
This card is a limited edition, and it is very rare to find, this is the third of ONLY five of these cards produced! The card is created with an actual emerald and is a brilliant card that would go great with any card collection.
6. Topps Football Card Complete Set High-Grade
Year: 1969
Price: $2,499.99
Talking about an all-time favorite of ROOKIES, this is a 1969 Topps Football Card Complete Set. It features the American Professional Football player Brian Piccolo; he was a halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL).
Unfortunately, Brian died at age 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma, a contentious form of germ cell testicular cancer. He will forever be remembered by Football fans and lovers. This card colors him and I think is worthy to be in any collectors collection, it is High Grade by PSA, and it is in a Near Mint condition. This Rookie Card sells for $2,499.99 on Etsy.
7. Topps Triple Threads Tom Brady Football Card
Year: 2009
Price: $39,999.00
This is a Topps Triple Threads Card produced by Topps and was made in the United States in 2009, the quality of this card speaks for itself, with 35pt thickness and metal as its material surface design.
This Card Number #28 from Topps features the American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL), none other than Tom Brandy. He played for teams New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers. However, the card has not yet been graded but it’s in near-mint condition. It sells for $39,999.00 on eBay.
8. Troy Aikman Signed Rookie Card BAS 9.5 Auto
Year: 1989
Price: $1,699.99
The price doesn’t degrade its quality, $1,699.99 for this Rookie Card is good money if we are being pragmatic, it would be worth a lot more in the future. You are looking at one remarkable representation of 1989, Rookie Card which has been autographed by Aikman Troy.
This Card features Troy Aikman, a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. This Football Trading Card has been graded by one of the biggest trading services in the world, Beckett and it was given a grade score of 9.5 with a 10 Grade for the autograph! With its nearly perfect score, it is also in mint condition.
9. Graded Tom Brady Auto Game Used Jersey Card
Year: 2008
Price: $40,000.00
Don’t we all just love Tom Brandy, this is another trading card that features the American Superstar Tom Brandy, but this card is unique in the sense that it is a serial numbered patched card, it comes with patched item collectibles gotten from the person the card stars or features which in this case is Tom Brandys Jersey.
As you can tell from the picture it has the letter B holding patched and guarded in this trading card. This trading card was produced in 2008 by Topps in the 2008 Topps Letterman set; it has also been graded 9.5/10 by Beckett Grading Services (BGS). This card is a perfect selection for your collection, with only $40,000.00 you can get this on eBay.
10. Tom Brady 2000 Prestige Spectrum Red
Year: 2000
Price: $49,500.00
When you see a 10/10 grade score by Beckett Grading Services (BGS) you should know that the card is worth every of your investment. With its high-grade score and perfectly mint condition, this sports trading card from the Playoff in the 2000 season of MVP set where Tom Brandy was featured as he played for the New England Patriots team.
This rookie original is also autographed and authenticated; I think that’s some card worth having in any collection. $49,500.00 and it’s all yours
11. Panini National VIP Patrick Mahomes II Autographed Gold Shimmer Card
Year: 2018
Price: $49,999.00
The name Panini National VIP Patrick Mahomes II Autograph-Gold Shimmer was given to this card which makes it even more unique, with its Autograph Authentication from Professional Sports (PSA/DNA) this card was graded 9/10.
It was produced by Panini in 2018 but it features a 2017 season of Patrick Mahomes in the National Football League NFL where Patrick played for the Kansas City Chiefs team, it was signed by Patrick himself and it has a certification number of 43056543.
12. Panini Megacracks Campeon Lionel Messi Rookie Card
Year: 2004
Price: $56,342.25
Talk about the Greatest Player in the world Lionel Andrés Messi, an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. In the world of Football Messi is one of the most prominent players there is, who wouldn’t want his football card?
This football card is a must-have in any collector’s collection. It doesn’t only feature the world’s greatest player in Football History, it is a rookie card manufactured in Italy around 2004 and of course, it got a perfect grade score of 10/10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).
Panini manufactured this Football Card and gave it the number #35. Lionel Messi was featured in this card playing for the FC Barcelona team in the 2004 Panini Megacracks set, La Liga League. For $56,342.25 I think this card is worth its value.
13. Upper Deck Vintage Tom Brady JR Redmond Football Card RC
Year: 2001
Price: $95,000.00
Tom Brandy is loved in the Football World, and he is incredibly featured in this Trading card from 2001. This card was manufactured by Upper Deck in the year 2001 Upper Deck Vintage Preview set during the National Football League NFL. Tom Brandy played for the New England Patriots in this card feature and it is only $95,000.00 on eBay.
14. Tom Brady Rookie Card RC Pristine Auto BAS
Year: 2000
Price: $125,000.00
This is another Rookies special starring Tom Brandy, this trading card got a fair grade by the biggest grading services in the world Beckett Grading Services (BGS), it was graded 8.5/10 which isn’t totally bad at all. This card has been autographed by Tom himself and he was beautifully featured during the 2000 Playoff Contenders set and the National Football League (NFL) season of 2000.
15. Justin Herbert Rookie Card-Phoenix Orange Dual Patch Auto
Year: 2020
Price: $250,000.00
I know what you are thinking, $250,000.00 for just a trading card? Well, this isn’t just any trading card, this trading card features Justin Herbert who is a riding superstar in football history, he is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Oregon Ducks. This card got a perfect grade score of 10/10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), It was manufactured in the United States of America by Panini and was given a unique card number “RDA-JH”. This Rookie Card features Justine Herbert in the National Football League (NFL) where he played for the Los Angeles Chargers team in 2020.
History Of Football Trading Cards
The football card is a kind of collectible trading card commonly printed on paper stock or card merchandise that stars one or more football players or other related sports images. These cards are most frequently found in the United States and other countries where the sport is prominent.
Many football cards give prominence to National Football League (NFL) players but can also star college football players. Player cards commonly record the player’s statistics and a narration about their play. Some unique version packs of cards comprise actual signatures or jersey cards.
The first football cards were incorporated into cigarette packets in the late 1800s. In 1888 Yale player Henry W. Beecher was enclosed as the only football player in a set of 50 tickets circulated in stacks of “Old Judge” and “Gypsy Queen” cigarettes by Goodwin & Company, coming to be the first American football card ever. In the earlier 1900s, trading cards were published in different sports pairs, and the football players were commonly from college football.
They were undertaken to facilitate additional things in extension to tobacco commodities such as Spalding’s sporting interests, breakfast cereal, ice cream, doughnuts, and gum.
In 1962, a grain factory, Post Cereal, announced its first football card set, which could be bought instantly from the company or usable from cereal cartons. Following the cereal company, Kellogg’s published its first pair in 1970.
Kellogg’s would launch sets yearly until 1983. Following that a new brand, Score, infiltrated the market in 1989 with its compilation of football cards. Two years later, Upper Deck received authorizations from the NFL to manufacture trading cards.
Upper Deck solidified itself so rapidly that it challenged Topps. Upper Deck manufactured cards under the authorization of the NFL In 1992, Skybox International developed its first batch of football cards. Collector’s Edge was another corporation that developed football cards in the 1990s.
Finally, Donruss, a corporation not associated with the trading cards market since 1961 manufacturing commodities pertained with movies or TV shows, revealed its football batch in 1995, continuing in the industry until March 2009 when Italian Panini Group bought assets of the business’s second-oldest trading card company, Donruss, and established the new underling, “Panini America”.
In 2015, Panini endorsed a long-term partnership with the NFL that safeguarded the firm limited trading card and sticker liberties of the league.
How To Authenticate A Football Trading Card
The Football trading card is gradually becoming a prominent business for investors, fans, and collectors.
However, authenticating your trading card adds more value and trust to it than just any non-graded or non-authenticated trading card.
It is important to have your cards authenticated especially if your cards are worth over $100,000, no one is going to pay that amount of money for just any card so to earn more trust from your buyers you may need to get it authenticated and graded.
Getting your trading card authenticated isn’t as difficult as it used to be because we have trusted Grading and authentication services all around the world, but there are a few that stands out Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett Grading Services (BGS) These companies will both authenticate your card and assign it a grade before sealing it in their tamper-proof cases.
Where To Buy Football Cards Near Me
There are a few places to purchase a football trading card, the internet has made it very easy for buying and selling products to be made effortless. There are a few sites online where you can purchase some trading cards.
- eBay
- Esty
- Walkers.com
- Target.com
- Topps.com
- Stockx.com
- Card market
Apart from these online stores, you can also walk into a collectible store to purchase a football trading card.
How To Determine Your Football Cards Value
Defining the quality and value of a football card is the first step in creating a remarkable collection. There are many components to put up with before you can tell the value of your cards.
Oftentimes, collectors think their cards are worth more than they are because they hold great nostalgic significance but evaluating the value of your cards established on the major factors below will help deduce the reasonable market price of your compilation.
Condition
The condition of the card is very important in determining its value. If a card is in good condition, that means it has not been worn or damaged over time. If a card is in poor condition, that means it has scratches and tears on it which can affect its value. You can use online guides like Beckett Grading Services or PSA Grading Guide to determine the current condition of your cards.
| Name | Value |
| Pristine | 10 |
| Gem Mint | 9.5 |
| Mint | 9 |
| Near Mint-Mint | 8 |
| Near Mint | 7 |
| Excellent-Mint | 6 |
| Excellent | 5 |
| Very Good | 3 |
| Good | 2 |
| Fair | 1.5 |
| Poor | 1 |
Year Of Card
Player Featured
The value of your trading card depends on the player it features. If it features a prominent player in the sports world, it’ll have more value. If it’s an older card and has a prominent player then it will be worth more than if it didn’t have one. But if the player isn’t all that great then this may affect its value as well.
Player’s Signature
If there is no signature on your card, it is probably not worth much money. A signed card will be more valuable than an unsigned one because it can be authenticated by experts at PSA or JSA, which means that they will ensure that it is real and not fake.
Special Features
| Parallel | A card that is a rare version of another non-rare card. |
| Patch | All patch cards are one of a kind in that no other card has the same section of the jersey |
| Memorabilia | A memorabilia card is a special kind of insert card that features a piece of equipment used by a professional or college athlete in an athletic event. |
| Refractor | A refractor’s shiny, rainbow-like reflection indicates that it is a special kind of prism. |
| Rookie | A rookie card is a trading card that features an athlete who plays in the highest level of competition. |
Frequently Asked Quetions
Are Football cards from the “90s” worth anything?
Yes, Trading Cards from the 90s is worth a good month of money, in fact, trading cards that feature popular players are worth more than cards that feature recent or upcoming stats in recent times. If the card is in mint condition, graded, or authenticated, there’s a very great chance that it would be worth a lot of money.
What Football Cards from 1989 is worth money?
We have this 1989 score Troy Aikman Auto/Rookie Card!! HOFER Perfect Card!!On eBay worth $8,000, Football cards from 1989 are still worth a lot of money if the cards are in good condition, graded, authenticated and they feature a prominent player from the era and time. Using our guide on how to determine the value of your football card above you can compare the qualities and grade your 1989 football card to determine if they are worth any money.
Final Words
Football cards have a long and storied history as one of the most popular sports collectibles. Many football card collectors started collecting when they were young and have grown with the hobby. As a result, many old cards are worth a lot of money, but new releases are also very valuable too. Check out the most expensive football cards available on the market today. With a little bit of luck and research, you may be able to score a deal on one of these rare, valuable cards!
