I may very well have thrown away a Tom Brady rookie card or two at one point...
Why would I do such a thing?
Growing up in central Indiana, my grandparents took me to tons of Purdue football games.
And while Michigan used to (and still does) routinely pound on Purdue, I don't even remember much about Tom Brady's days at Michigan.
That's all because I was hyper-aware of who Drew Brees was around that same time since he was leading Purdue to many NCAA records and lots of rare Purdue football wins.
And then we all know the story of Brady being a sixth-round pick and becoming Drew Bledsoe's back-up until Mo Lewis's monster hit on Bledsoe made Brady the starter.
Long story short, like many at the time, I just had no idea who Tom Brady would one day become.
But, because of his legacy and all those championships, Tom Brady's rookie cards are some of the most expensive in the hobby.
And in this guide, we look at his 12 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
2000 Playoff Contenders #144 Autograph Tom Brady Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $350,000
If you can't afford one of the Championship Ticket parallels that can sell for millions of dollars, you're in luck, because the base version carries only a six-figure price tag in PSA 10 condition.
Sarcasm aside, this is Brady's desirable rookie card and a dream for many football card collectors.
This set was a breakthrough product in the football card community when it was first released and its reputation has obviously held up well over time.
Although Brady had other autographed cards that were released in 2000, they were all either inserts or parallels.
So, many consider this to be Brady's only autographed "true" rookie card and that's one of the major reasons it is so expensive.
There are some of these where both the card and the autograph have received the PSA 10 grade that sold for well over $2 million back in the summer of 2021.
The market isn't as hot anymore but these cards are still extremely valuable.
2000 SP Authentic #118 Tom Brady Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $55,000
When SP Authentic was released, it was marketed as a premium product with high-quality design elements.
And this particular Brady card was numbered to just 1,250 copies.
By today's standards, you'd likely need an autograph on the card and a far more limited print run to be considered a truly premium brand or product.
But as you can see, SP Authentic's place in the hobby has held up well over time and collectors still go wild over this particular card.
2000 Fleer Showcase #136
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30,000
It's hard to complain about any early Brady card but I do think this one in particular would be better served without the image of his eyes in the background.
The image of him passing is fantastic but the eyes in the background just seem out of place.
Collectors don't seem to mind as much as I do and that's just fine.
These holographic foil cards were limited to just 2,000 copies total and sell in the five-figure range in top grade.
And even though that number doesn't seem all that scarce by today's standards, consider who we're talking about here and you can understand how demand can still quickly outpace supply with this guy.
There is a "Legacy" parallel of this card numbered to just 20 examples and a 1 of 1 "Masterpiece" parallel that are even more expensive.
The "Masterpiece" in a Beckett 8.5 holder sold for nearly $400,000 in May, 2022.
2000 Leaf Limited #378
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30,000
2000 E-X #122
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $17,500
2000 Pacific Revolution #128
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20,000
2000 Playoff Momentum #180
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $15,000
Numbered to just 750 in total, these foil cards can be extremely condition sensitive due to the propensity of chipping and dings on the foil.
The design of the card is one of my favorites on this list as it features great modern design elements without being too over-the-top.
The large image of Brady dropping back to pass makes for a card with strong eye appeal that many collectors strive to add to their collections.
2000 Upper Deck Gold Reserve #215
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $13,000
2000 SPx #130
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $12,000
2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars #134
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $11,000
One of the scarcest of all Tom Brady rookies, the 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars "Longevity" issue was limited to just 30 copies in total.
The regular Leaf Rookies and Stars Brady rookie is no slouch in its own right as it can be worth around $3,000 in PSA 10 condition.
But there were 1,000 of those produced versus 30 of the "Longevity".
With such a low production run, you rarely see these surface for sale or auction.
And what a great name for a Tom Brady card that truly speaks to his legacy as one of the game's biggest winners of all-time: "Longevity".
2000 Donruss #230
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $9,500
2000 Donruss Elite #183
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $9,000
Many in the hobby would not consider this to be a rookie card at all given the fact that Brady is pictured wearing his Michigan Wolverines jersey.
But, it does say "Rookie" right on the bottom of the card.
Regardless of which side of the rookie card fence your'e on, this particular die-cut Brady card numbered to just 10 copies total is easily one of his most valuable.
The imagery is fantastic and the red background really makes Brady stand out in his Wolverines uniform.
2000 Pacific Prism Prospects #156
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $8,500
2000 Playoff Absolute #195
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $7,500
2000 Bowman Chrome #236
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $7,000
2000 Leaf Certified #207
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $7,000
2000 Pacific Omega #191
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $7,000
2000 Pacific Vanguard #139
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $6,500
2000 Collector's Edge Supreme #176
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $6,000
2000 Quantum Leaf #343
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,500
2000 Upper Deck Graded #104
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,500
2000 Bowman #236
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,000
2000 Fleer Mystique #103
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,000
2000 Pacific Private Stock #128
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,000
2000 Pacific Private Stock Retail #128
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,000
2000 Upper Deck Ultimate Victory #146
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,000
2000 Metal #267
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $4,000
2000 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects #124
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $4,000
2000 Pacific Omega #238
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $3,500
2000 Upper Deck Encore #254
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $3,500
2000 Score #316
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,750
2000 Upper Deck #254
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,500
2000 Upper Deck Black Diamond #126
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,300
2000 Upper Deck Ionix #77
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,250
2000 Upper Deck Victory #326
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000
2000 Fleer Ultra #234
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,750
2000 Pacific Crown Royale #110
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,750
2000 Pacific Crown Royale Retail #110
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,750
2000 Pacific #403
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,000
2000 Skybox Impact #27
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $900
2000 Pacific Paramount #138
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $800
2000 Playoff Prestige #286
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $800
2000 Fleer Tradition #352
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $700
2000 Pacific Aurora #84
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $550
2000 Skybox Dominion #234
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $225
Tom Brady's Legacy
The only thing more impressive than Tom Brady's legacy is likely that it's still being written.
You'd think a guy with six Super Bowl rings in his early 40's would have achieved enough to be convinced to finally hang up his cleats.
But, not Tom Brady...
He's still competing at a high-level and his Patriots are seemingly always Playoff and Super Bowl contenders.
That said, some of the things that the beloved NFL legend has achieved to date are:
- 14x Pro Bowl
- 7x Super Bowl Champion
- 3x NFL MVP
- 3x NFL All-Pro
Those are only a few of his many accomplishments, none of which anyone saw coming early on in his career.
Love him or hate him, at this point it's tough not to admire the guy and all he has done for the NFL, the Patriots organization, and fans everywhere.
His legacy as one of the NFL's greatest players of all-time and extreme popularity will keep his rookie cards in high demand for a long, long time.