
The most valuable NFL card we’ve found was sold for $4.3 million to a private buyer in 2021. It featured the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. It was part of the Panini National Treasures range of trading cards.
We’ve found some other big NFL card sales too, including a Tom Brady card that sold for $3.1 million. Your pockets may not be deep enough to stretch to these cards, but we’ll share what to look for when buying any NFL card. Scarcity is a key factor. The fewer copies there are, the higher the price can go.
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You’ll spot some differences between NFL card features and those that factor into the most valuable NBA card sales. However, a few main factors do keep coming up when you’re looking at top NFL sale prices. Some of these are:
Some trading cards are especially rare, and you can spot one-of-a-kind editions by the 1/1 marking on the card slab. This means only one copy of that card was produced, making it highly sought after by collectors. With multiple collectors potentially competing for the same card, these unique editions can command much higher prices.
You may find several copies of a card were released, but they can still bring good prices. For example, a Tom Brady card sold for $3.1 million even though it was one of 100 copies.
What to avoid: Common cards released in large quantities.
You’ll find two kinds of NFL cards available:
Raw cards haven’t been professionally graded to determine their condition. This isn’t necessarily a red flag. For example, if you buy a pack of NFL cards and open it, they’ll automatically be raw.
Both collectors and dealers can choose a recognized grading company to check and evaluate any individual trading card. The biggest sales tend to be graded with the highest number, 10. This indicates that the grading company has checked and confirmed the card is in mint condition.
What to avoid: Ripped or defaced cards and those graded with a low number such as 1 or 2.
Cards featuring certain players will command higher prices. We’ve seen this when researching the most valuable NHL card too, which went for $3.75 million. Here are the main things to look for:
The last point can go either way. A rookie card for a player who later became famous will be worth something. However, a rookie card for a player who no one knows won’t be highly sought after.
What to avoid: Players who aren’t well known, unless they’re rookies and you back them to become famous in the future.
We’ve found that NFL trading cards tend to go for higher prices than some of the most valuable soccer card sales. The current biggest soccer trading card sale reached $1.5 million. As you’ll see below, the top sale so far for an NFL card is almost three times as high.
| Card Details | Card Rarity | Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini National Treasures Platinum Shield RPA | 1/1 | $4,300,000 |
| Tom Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Autograph | 1/100 | $3,107,000 |
| Justin Herbert 2020 National Treasures NFL Shield | 1/1 | $1,800,000 |
Yes, some sites have sports sections, while others include specific sections covering the NFL, NBA, and other sports. It’s unlikely you’d find a card worth millions, but you might land something worthwhile. Make sure you bear these points in mind if you’re going to try them.
Some sites don’t show what you could get in a pack before you purchase it. We prefer ones that do display potential contents. You still won’t know which NFL card you’ll get, but you can at least narrow it to a few possibilities.
Valuable NFL cards will most likely be graded as this can push up the sales price. The condition of a card is the most important factor. Even a one-of-a-kind NFL card won’t be worth much if it’s been defaced or torn.
Card ripping sites can give you a good way to find some more expensive NFL trading cards. You’ll usually get one card per pack, which you can open online to see what you’ve got. If you end up with an NFL card you don’t want, you can always sell it back - usually for 90% of the current market price. That means you won’t be stuck with it, and you could find something worthwhile from your next card rip instead. Check out the NFL card-ripping sites featured on this page, compare their available packs, and see what you could add to your collection!
Patrick Mahomes features on five out of the 10 NFL cards that have brought the highest sales prices in recent years. These range in price from $676,000 to $4.3 million.
Rookie players are those entering their first season. This only happens once. Therefore, rookie cards for players who eventually become household names in the NFL tend to bring higher prices.
You need to look at the grading and rarity of the card, along with who is shown on it. Cards with one or more special features, such as an autograph or refractor finish, tend to be worth more than standard cards with no special features.