The first quarter of this year must have been a roller coaster ride of emotion for both Tom Brady’s Fans, the Tampa Buccaneers, and the player himself. But they weren’t the only ones affected by one of the biggest names in football stepping down from the game. It affected the fan memorabilia market massively.

However, a month on and Tom had decided that perhaps his retirement call was perhaps a little premature. As such, he unretired himself a month later and devoted himself to an extended contract with his current Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, in the interim, apparel and memorabilia markets surrounding the player skyrocketed. Prices on Tom Brady’s Rookie Cards went through the roof again. Let’s take a look at what happened in these markets in closer detail.

Price Spikes on Tom Brady Memorabilia

Reports were taken from E-Bay, one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies. Tom Brady collectibles leapfrogged in value between January 23^rd and 29^th. This was just after Brady’s retirement announcement was officially made in 2022. His rookie card sales increased by 198% while jersey sales saw a 341% spike. Searches on the internet alone took off with online rookie card and jersey searches peaking at around 476% and 270%, respectively.

It’s not uncommon for small spikes in sales when stars leave the game – but when the biggest GOAT in the sport does it, the pandemonium increases that much more.

Tom Brady Rookie Card Becomes Third Most Expensive Card to Ever Sell

On the 1^st of February, one of Tom Brady’s most sought-after Rookie Cards sold on eBay for a whopping $2.3 million. It ranks only behind a Patrick Mahomes auto 1-of-1 rookie card and a better-graded version of the same Tom Brady card. In fact, the better-graded version of the same a card sold 2021 for $3.107 million (see pic below)

This Playoffs Contender 2000 card was rated 9 by Becket with a 10-rated autograph, whereas the $2.3 million card carried a rating of 8.5 with a 10-rated signature. These are exceptional values for football cards, which compete readily with top-end baseball and basketball cards.

The Mahomes card still holds the record for the sport, having sold for a massive $4.3 million. However, if Brady really decides to stay out of retirement, there is no telling where the value of his cards may go.

It’s also interesting to note that another 2000 Playoff Contender Tom Brady Rookie Card Auto sold for $1.3 million in March 2021 – see pick below:

You’ll notice straight away that while the picture of Brady is the same as the one on the more expensive card, the Gold Ticket inclusion in the former makes all the difference to the value.

WHY ROOKIE CARDS?

Well, rookie cards are one of the first things card collectors look for when searching out the most valuable memorabilia pieces. The rookie card refers to the pics of the player in their first year in the league and is therefore among the rarest around. It’s a memory of the player’s entry into the sport.

There are other significant additions that push the value of cards up. These include:

• Patches and autos: If a card has a patch of the player’s rookie jersey and/or the signature of the player, the price increases drastically.
• Rarity: In most cases, if there are fewer cards in circulation, the value of the card rises. For instance, the ‘Mahomes’ card that currently holds the NFL world record for sales is a 1-of-1 card. There is none other like it in the world.
• Grading: Grading refers to the condition of the card. This is usually determined by a third-party company like Beckett®, PSA, or SGS, to name some. Each facet of the card (center print, corners, edges, and surface) is rated out of 10 and the average number becomes the card rating. Anything from 8.5 and up is outstanding. So, A Tom Brady Rookie Card PSA 10 is the ultimate find.

All the ratings, signatures, and patches can be found encased on the card for easy viewing.

What Has Made Tom Brady’s Rookie Cards Increasingly Collectible?

If you are an American football fan, you probably needn’t read on further. You know exactly what Brady has done for the sport. He’s been the hottest item in the games since quarterbacks like Joe Montana were on the field.

However, for those of you who do not know, or are new to the sport, Tom Brady is considered one of the top, if not the best quarterback of the last two decades.

Here are some of the accolades that have earned him the highest respect in the game:

• He holds the record for most career wins ever.
• He holds the record for the most playoff wins.
• Brady took the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl trophy in his first starting year with them. He then did the same with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• He has played in 10 Super Bowls (5 more than the next highest player).
• Brady is a 7-time Super Bowl Champion.
• He has won 5 Super Bowl MVP awards.
• Brady has the highest overall win percentage in the league at 76.6% (in-season and post-season games combined).
• Brady has been elected for the Pro-Bowl record 15 times.

We really could go on and on. In short, he is simply the hottest name in the sport right now. With his Buccaneers extension, perhaps he’ll be in line to break more records and earn more awards. All we know is that his rookie cards are only bound to become more valued over time.