Depending on why you ask, Tom Brady is the GOAT when it comes to football.
No matter what your thoughts on Tom Brady are, you can’t deny his success and ability over the years. And, if you remove how annoying it was when they won every year – the Tom Brady story is one of the absolute best underdog stories ever told.
Seriously, who’d have ever thought that slow guy from the 40 yard dash… would end up being the best Quarterback of all time?
I’m Australian, so my early memories of Tom Brady was waking up early to watch the Superbowl every year (we didn’t get games every week) – and it felt like the Patriots were playing every year during Tom’s heyday…
With all that in mind, as you can imagine, Tom Brady’s rookie card value is sky high, and will grow over time. In this article, we’ll look at the five most expensive Tom Brady rookie cards, and five more you could invest in at a lower price towards the end of the article.
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Table of Contents
The Top 14 Most Valuable Tom Brady Rookie Cards
Let’s start the list off with the most expensive Tom Brady rookie cards and then take a look at some cards that might be a bit more easily accessible.
1. 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Auto RC #44
There you have it, this is THE cards when it comes to Tom Brady rookie cards. It’s the one card that every football collector wants in their collection.
The card is a parallel of the base Playoff Contenders cards from 2000, and there were only 100 copies of this card originally made. Even back in 2000, this card was super rare but add the wear and tear that comes with age, and the price will only continue to go up.
At the time of writing, the highest this card was sold for was $1.32 million, bought by the FitBit CEO and co-founder James Park.
However, that record is likely to be broken by the time you read this article.
Just extraordinary.
But, if you’ve got a spare few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, this card is a great option.
2. 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC #144
The next most valuable card after the Championship Ticket parallel is the 2000 Playoff Contenders base card with the autograph. But don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a base card – it’s regarded as Tom Brady’s “true rookie” by many, so with that the price is huge.
The fact that TB is probably the best player of all time means that the price is only likely to increase as time goes by.
But my favorite part about this card was a sold listing I once saw for over $45,000 which said the card was “a great gift idea”. I’m not sure about you but I don’t know anyone giving $45,000 Tom Brady rookie cards out as gifts… Maybe I need new friends.
3. 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor Tom Brady RC #236
I don’t often say this, but this card will sell for a more achievable price compared to the two Playoff Contenders cards. This card is the refractor of the base card from Bowman Chrome.
It comes from the time where there weren’t dozens of refractors for one card – you just got one refractor and that was it. Simpler times in the card collecting world.
These days, there are way too many refractors to consider for many.
The one question many people ask is how many of these cards are out there. And it’s really hard to estimate the number of these cards since they weren’t counted and there wasn’t really a set number of cards that were printed, which we’ve seen with most other cards.
PSA estimates that there have been just north of 100 of these cards graded up to now, but the point is that there might be plenty more, they just haven’t been graded yet.
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4. 2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady Rookie Card #118
For the SP Authentic Tom Brady rookie card, we know the exact value of how many of these were made. They were limited to 1250 copies which is not a lot, but certainly much more than the Playoff Contenders cards and other numbered parallels.
This means that even though this card is a high-ticket, premium, Tom Brady card, it won’t cost anywhere near the Playoff Contenders cards.
The card shows a red-shirted Brady in his classical pre-throw position and features a distinct white boarder.
Despite the fact that this card is not as rare as some other cards, it will outsell and outperform rarer cards based on brand power and the appeal that these SP Authentic cards have.
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5. 2000 SPx Football Tom Brady RC #130
The power of branding and scarcity in combination is yet again nicely demonstrated by the SPx Tom Brady rookie card.
SPx, like SP Authentic, is one of the more popular brands for football cards from the turn of the millennium. They were seen as these premium cards with a limited print run and an elegant design, which made them the preferred choice over widely available cards.
And this card also has a limited print run of 1350 copies, which makes it even more valuable, especially in the better conditions.
SPx cards started to implement autographed cards with jerseys right when this card came out. Unfortunately though, Tom Brady wasn’t included in the group of players that had an auto and a jersey on the card, because he wasn’t seen as the brightest prospect in that draft group.
Imagine the price if he was…
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Other Key Tom Brady Rookie Cards
The cards we mentioned above are the main players in Brady rookies – however, there’s plenty more that collectors can get their hands on.
6. 2000 Pacific Revolution Tom Brady RC #128
The 2000 Pacific Revolution card was one of the least well-known cards in this premium bracket. One thing I like the most with this card is its design.
It’s definitely something different.
It just looks nice with the golden background and the overall layout of the card, which seems to suit the player quite nicely.
These cards also had only 300 prints, so it’s the second-rarest card on this list.
Many of these cards were not kept very well and they don’t tend to age gracefully. From what I saw on eBay, most of these cards were rated between 6 and 8, and I only managed to find one PSA 10. Although, a lot of the gold cards do have printing issues, so that probably added to the low 10 population.
7. 2000 Leaf Limited Tom Brady RC #378
The Leaf Limited is one of the most popular Tom Brady cards for collectors because of its attractive foil and it only has 300 copies to its name. This is the right recipe for a high price.
There is the base card of Leaf Limited along with an additional Limited Edition (yes, Leaf Limited Limited Edition – weird).
The limited edition only has 50 copies, which means it will be even more expensive than the base card.
For the limited edition, you’d have to have a decent budget. Easily over $150,000.
Overall, this is one of his rarest rookie cards that will be near the top of pricing charts when it comes to Tom Brady rookie cards. It also has an attractive design and an action photo of Tom Brady, which is because it was released in the latter part of 2000.
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8. 2000 Ultra Platinum Medallion Die-Cut Tom Brady
All this cast for the NFL rookie card of a Michigan backup QB – pretty crazy.
Seriously though, this card has Brady in his college gear. The card has a nice look to it with a curved top.
This card was limited to 25 with it’s initial release and pretty much every copy is tucked away in some expensive collection somewhere. But, if you can find one of these on the market, you’d be looking to pay a good price.
There’s only six of these cards registered with PSA too, so they don’t come up every day.
I’d say this card is more of an addition to an established collection rather than a signature piece of a collection. Still, a beautiful card – and it’ll go up in value over time too.
9. 2000 Donruss Elite Aspirations Tom Brady RC #183
Donruss Elite is already an established brand and with the Aspirations parallel, you’re looking at paying a decent price.
As you’ve probably picked up – all Tom Brady rookie cards are on the expensive side.
These cards were also limited to only 90 copies, which will of course increase the price of the card even further.
It’s yet another card with Tom Brady in his college apparel so some people might not even consider this card to be a rookie card (some collectors avoid college gear on cards), but it is officially branded as one. But it doesn’t really matter which you prefer to believe, this card is one of his most popular and valuable cards.
If you want something that will cost a bit less, you can also consider the base Donruss Elite card which doesn’t have the die-cut finish and isn’t as rare, but it is more affordable for the average collector and still a cool card to have in your collection.
We’ll go over some of the best budget Tom Brady rookie cards later on.
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10. 2000 Fleer Showcase Tom Brady RC #136
The Fleer Showcase card was one of the earliest Tom Brady cards which means it is also one of the more popular cards and it will consequently reach higher values. Add to that the fact that there are only 2000 copies of this, and you get a good recipe for a high price.
This was a relatively low number back in 2000, especially compared to today’s. In top grades, this card will reach admirable prices.
However, some people will be on the fence about the eyes in the background…
It’s a real opinion-splitter and if you do like this type of design, then go for it. If not, there are better alternatives at this price point.
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11. 2000 Playoff Momentum Tom Brady RC #180
The Playoff Momentum card belongs to the category of rare and scarce Tom Brady rookie cards. It was limited to 750 copies which was not a lot back in 2000, and paired with the fact that the card is made by Playoff, it has the potential to reach dizzying prices.
That’s why the PSA 10 will cost as much as it does. In lower conditions, the card will not be nearly as expensive as that – potentially in the five-figure territory, more likely.
Again, this card has an action image on it which was the go-to card for many collectors, while other preferred static images. Whatever your preference is, don’t expect this card to come around cheap.
12. 2000 Playoff Contenders #RN11 Tom Brady & Marc Bulger RC
This card is yet another testament of the career that Tom Brady was able to achieve despite the fact that he was not particularly highly rated when he was drafted. I mean, he didn’t even get his own card, as he had to share one with Marc Bulger initially.
If only we would be able to go back in time and predict the future…
Look, if you don’t like the fact that there’s also Marc Bulger on this card, then you’d be better off considering other cards on this list. However, Marc Bulger had an admirable career himself and wasn’t a bad player, it’s just that some collectors prefer Tom Brady alone.
And the fact that both were drafted in the sixth round speaks volume of the underestimation that both of them went through, especially Tom. That’s why there’s the number six on the background.
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13. 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars Tom Brady RC #134
The 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars base card was one of the scarcest cards around with only 1000 copies to its name. And Leaf was one of the staples of football cards, which is why this card can still be worth quite a lot.
However, it’s the Longevity parallel that will be much more expensive than the base card. That particular parallel only had 30 copies, which meant that it was incredibly tough to get. And even today, you might not find many listings for it.
The main difference between the two was the quality of the stock, although there were not that many differences between the two, except for the fact that the Longevity version had “Longevity” written above the image.
And that’s a nice word to describe Tom Brady’s career.
14. 2000 Upper Deck Pros and Prospects Tom Brady RC #124
Upper Deck was well-known already back in 2000, and the design of the card is instantly recognizable. It has lines going up and horizontally, as well as a nice image of Tom Brady right in the middle.
While this might not be the most elegant card of Tom Brady, it is still an admirable card for collectors since it was limited to 1000 copies only.
This means that today, this card will be sold for at least $10.000 in the best conditions, but potentially less if you can find one that’s still decently kept.
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On a Budget? These are the Top 3 Tom Brady Cards to Invest In
If paying thousands of dollars for a card doesn’t float your boat, there are some other ways you can get in on Tom Brady rookie cards at a lower price point.
Now, obviously, these cards won’t jump to $400,000 prices anytime soon – trust me, if they did I’d probably buy them for myself if I could guarantee that.
However, here are a few cards that you could invest in at a lower price and you could double your money (or more) in a few years.
When looking at investment cards, I like to only look at graded cards. Sure, you can buy ungraded cards for less, but I don’t really like investing in ungraded cards (unless they’re dirt cheap).
Basically, graded cards give the buyer more security – buyers know a PSA 10 is a top quality card. This makes it easier to sell down the track.
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1. 2000 Victory Tom Brady RC Patriots #326
While this might not be the most attractive card in the world (who thought track pants was the best idea?), it’s still one of the easiest to obtain.
However, let’s be honest… with the prices of other Tom Brady cards continuing to increase, I don’t see a reason why this card won’t increase in value over time and bring you a nice profit on your investment.
One thing that this card has going for itself is scarcity, because there are only around 200 PSA 10 rated cards, so they might not be the easiest to get. But lower graded, or raw cards also have the potential to bring you a return on your investment.
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2. 2000 Bowman Tom Brady RC #236
The Bowman Chrome refractor is one of the most expensive cards we’ve talked about earlier, but the base card that you can see here is quite easily obtainable. You might only have to pay up to $3000 to get it, even PSA 9 or PSA 10 cards.
But inevitably, as the prices of the refractors keep on increasing, so will the price of this base card, so it’s just a matter of time when it will start going up.
There’s still some time for you to invest in this card if you want to still catch the slightly lower prices.
3. 2000 Fleer Skybox Impact Tom Brady RC #27
The last of the budget cards is the Fleer Skybox Impact rookie card, which is a great shout if you are prepared to invest a few thousand for this card. You’ll find many of these cards selling, particularly in the PSA 9 or PSA 10 conditions.
You’ll find Tom Brady still in his college gear on the card, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
But this card looks like a good deal if you’re willing to hold onto it and wait for a few years or even months for it to gain more value.
FAQ
What Is Tom Brady’s Rookie Card Worth?
The value of the Tom Brady rookie card will vary wildly; the most expensive rookie card will cost well into six figures, while the more budget options will cost over a thousand dollars once graded.
One thing’s for certain: Tom Brady rookie cards are among the most valuable and sought-after cards not just in the football card collecting world, but among all card collectors in general, which is why prices will always be this high.
What Is the Most Valuable Tom Brady Rookie Card?
The 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady rookie card is his most expensive rookie card, as it will cost up to $500.000 and potentially even more. The most expensive card of this type was sold for $1.32 million, but that number is likely to go even higher.
Are Tom Brady Rookie Cards a Good Investment?
In short, yes. Tom Brady rookie cards will always have value. Brady is one of the best Quarterbacks of all time – if not the best of all time.
In fact, I can’t think of any recent player that will have the longevity and impact that Brady will have for cards. Don’t get me wrong, there are some new guys coming through who are good, but Brady’s career is the all-time best.
And no matter how many years of Brady cards there end up being, there will only be one rookie year. With that, his card price is likely to stay stable at the very least. The only reason his cards would drop in price is if there’s an industry-wide market correction.
When Is Tom Brady’s Rookie Year?
2000 is Tom Brady’s rookie year when he got picked as the 199th overall pick in the draft by the New England Patriots. Initially, he was brought in as a backup QB and he only managed to make one appearance in his first season.
Who’d have thought he’d go on to become one of the biggest legends in football ever…
How Much Does a Tom Brady Card Cost?
Tom Brady’s rookie cards are his most expensive cards, which will cost between $2000 and $500,000… The top cards will sell for over a million dollars.
His newer cards won’t be as expensive though, although some of them will reach prices of up to $50,000 and potentially even more depending on the type of card it is.
What’s the Most Expensive Football Card in the World?
Tom Brady’s Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket card is the most expensive football card in the world at the moment, as it was sold for $1.32 million. However, that number is likely to go up in the future.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for the Tom Brady rookie card value, there’s a lot of cards to check out. You can buy the very top cards for up to and over $500,000, but there’s some value at the lower-end that you can hop on for investments.
