02/05/2022
The Impact of Brady’s Retirement on Trading Card Markets
Tom Brady solidified himself as the quarterback GOAT the last few years (if any doubt truly remained), winning his sixth and seventh Super Bowl titles in two of the final four seasons of his career. His card prices increased as a result; before the 2020 NFL season, you were able to get a 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Rookie PSA 10 for a couple thousand dollars.
After defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV one year ago, this card ballooned to almost $30,000. After TB12’s retirement announcement, the price stayed around $20,000.
Tom Brady’s 2000 Bowman Chrome rookie card in PSA 10 gem mint condition
Tom Brady is an interesting case going into retirement compared to previous GOAT-level retirements. Unlike Michael Jordan and Upper Deck, Tom Brady doesn’t have an exclusive agreement with any of the major trading card companies as of this time. Because of this, we can expect Panini and Tom Brady to continue to have cards printed with Brady’s likeness and autographs.
In the meantime, the apex of Brady cards remains the 2000 Playoff Contenders “Championship Ticket” autograph card, which had already produced multiple seven-figure sales. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, a BGS 8.5 (Autograph 10) edition of the card went for an incredible $2.3 million on eBay.
In regards to Brady’s retirement, it’s safe to bet that there will be some sort of “retirement set” dedicated to the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB. In the past, we saw retirement sets from Upper Deck and Panini dedicated to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, respectively. The set can contain memorable moments from Tom’s career, from his many Super Bowl victories to his performances that torched the record books.
Tom Brady has the highest-selling card in eBay history. This 2000 Contenders Rookie Championship Ticket card sold for $2.3 million.
Jesse Craig, Director of Business Development at PWCC, had this to say about Brady’s retirement:
“The interest in Tom Brady trading cards will be very high as a result of his retirement but it’s the totality of his legacy that is going to drive the final price of sales. There’s so much you can point to that shows Brady assets will have desirability among collectors for the long-term. The most Super Bowl wins, the most Super Bowl MVPs, the most career wins by a QB, the most passing completions, yards, and touchdowns. He’s unquestionably the greatest football player of all time, and his prices will continue to reflect that.”
In addition, Craig added there have been a number of rare Tom Brady cards to pop up in the market that will catch the eye of any collector.
“There’s a number of very intriguing Tom Brady offerings on the market in the wake of his retirement. The 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Rookie Autograph card, which is numbered to 100, is always at the top of the list for desirability among collectors and investors. The Contenders Championship Ticket is the only NFL-licensed and numbered rookie card of Tom Brady’s that has his autograph. In all others, he is in a Michigan uniform, and the desirability of those, while still high, is much less than wearing a Patriots jersey. That said, there are several unique cards on offer right now, including highly graded chrome refractors and 1-of-1 offerings. These will absolutely be of interest to collectors and investors. Brady’s ‘second act’ cards in his Tampa Bay jersey will also be desirable, with cards such as the 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold Tom Brady numbered to 10 being of high interest.”
