Autographed Tom Brady cards are prized treasures in the sports memorabilia world today. With seven Super Bowl rings and a virtually undisputed GOAT status, any card bearing Brady’s signature, especially those with limited print runs, can go for a ton of money. For serious collectors, these aren’t just keepsakes; they’re investments.
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Case in point: The 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket sold for a mind-boggling $3.1 million, and a pristine SP Authentic rookie card fetched $312,000. So, the New England Patriots legend remains an MVP in the memorabilia market.
Unfortunately for Giants rookie Cam Skattebo, knowing just how valuable Brady memorabilia is makes his tryst with one that much more painful. The running back recalled the moment he let go of one. The moment that lives in his mind rent-free since then.
“I was actually at a card show a couple [of] months ago,” he recalled. “And I pulled a one-of-five Tom Brady auto. And there’s only one of five, so… and there’s only been two pulled ever. So I pulled the third one.”
It was the first pack Skattebo had ever opened, and the RB managed to land the big fish instantly — an autographed Brady card of which only five exist in the world. Beginner’s luck? Maybe.
But what followed was the kind of gut-check moment collectors dread in hindsight. “This dude offered me $3,500 cash to hand it to him — ungraded, everything,” recalled Skattebo.
“My stupid a** just gave… took the $3,500. Like, I’m not going to do anything. This was before I got into cards,” added Skattebo. That cash may have felt good at the moment, but with Brady cards breaking auction records, and the more the Giants RB got into cards and trading, it quickly turned into regret for him.
The worst part? Skattebo believes his card will now be sold for nearly double the buying price. “He’s probably going to sell it for five to six grand,” he estimated.
And if it gets graded — especially with a high score — the value could spike even further. “You can get a nine, 10… a 10 flat. The better the shape, the more it’s worth,” added Skattebo.
But how high can that value go? While the Giants’ fourth-round pick didn’t have a clear answer to this question, he did reveal what he had learnt recently about another card. He was talking about an NBA triple auto card featuring LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan that sold for a whopping $6.2 million.
So, simply put, the key to ace trading cards is all about having a thorough understanding of scarcity, condition, and whose signature is on it. And as we know, few names in the hobby world carry as much weight as Brady when it comes to these factors, which makes Skattebo’s decision look even worse in hindsight.
Came gave up a 1-of-5 Tom Brady autograph card, one of only a handful ever pulled, for just a couple thousand dollars in quick cash.
But as every collector learns sooner or later, this hobby is a long game. You win some and you lose some. But what’s paramount is to remember the losses, especially when you accidentally hand away a potential six-figure card for a quick hit of paper money.
