Football cards have traditionally taken a backseat to baseball cards in both popularity and value. Though recently, the face of the sports card collecting hobby has changed drastically and football cards have soared in popularity. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns brought about a resurgence in the sports card hobby and football cards are all of the sudden en vogue.
Since this resurgence has taken place, the most expensive football cards have seen their value catch up to baseball and basketball cards. Several football cards have since eclipsed the million dollar mark with one card even selling for over $4 Million.
Because modern sports cards and vintage sports cards are really two different ballgames, we have separated our list into the top 5 modern football cards and the top 5 vintage football cards. Even though cards made in the 90's are not considered “vintage” we will say anything pre-2000 goes on the vintage list.
5 Most Expensive Vintage Football Cards
5. 1976 Topps Walter Payton RC (PSA 10)
Price: $114,000
4. 1965 Topps Joe Namath RC
Price: $264,000
3. 1957 Topps Bart Starr RC (PSA 9)
Price: $288,000
2. 1958 Topps Jim Brown RC (PSA 9)
Price: $336,000
Naming “the greatest NFL player of all-time” seems like a futile task. Comparing players from different positions is an apples to oranges comparison. But if we are going to argue, Jim Brown belongs in the conversation.
Brown's rookie card is one of the most coveted football cards for serious collectors. A PSA 9 sold for $275,000 and there are only 6 such cards. The vignette style card features a helmetless Brown carrying the ball with a sort of frontier style background. His name reads “Jimmy Brown” at the bottom.
The price drops off considerable from PSA 9 to PSA 8.5 as the supply is much higher in the 8.5's. The PSA price guide suggests an 8.5 is worth $50,000, almost a quarter of a million dollars lower than the PSA 9.
1. 1935 Chicle Bronko Nagurski RC (PSA 9)
Value: $750,000
When you think of the all-time football greats, Bronko Nagurski isn't exactly top of mind. However, the Bronko Nagurski rookie card has long been considered the crown jewel of football cards. While Nagurski may not be a modern day household name, he is truly a legend.
Nagurski was a two-way player from the University of Minnesota and then the Chicago Bears. While at Minnesota, he was named an All-American on Offense AND Defense. He would go on to lead the Bears to the first official NFL Championship in 1932.
There is only one known Bronko Nagurski rookie card graded PSA 9, but somewhere around 200 graded copies of this particular card. Prices range from $4000 – $750,000. The rarity and condition of this card have lead to its immense value and make it the most expensive vintage football card ever sold.
5 Most Expensive Modern Football Cards
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4. Tom Brady 2000 Panini Playoff Contenders
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1. 2017 Patrick Mahomes National Treasures Rookie Auto
