Cards
Jonathan Taylor running wild and so are his NFL cards
Looking for a sound investment in the football card universe? How about Jonathan Taylor, the Indianapolis Colts’ explosive running back?
He’s only 26, but thanks to his bone-bruising (and speedy) impact on NFL defenses, he’s become arguably the best running back in the game today.
Taylor was absolute fire in his first two NFL seasons, rushing for 1,168 and 11 TDs in 2020 and 1,811 yards and 18 TDs in 2021, when he became the youngest player in NFL history to record 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 scrimmage touchdowns in a single season. He was also a rising hobby star, but, alas, injury-shortened campaigns in 2022 and 2023 deflated his stock.
Related Content:
Healthy again in 2024, Taylor burst back into the spotlight, rushing for 1,431 yards and 11 TDs. This season, with four regular-season games to go, he had already rushed for 1,282 yards and 15 touchdowns, catching two more TDs for good measure.
By the time he finishes his sixth pro season, he will have surpassed 7,500 career rushing yards, 1,500 receiving yards and 75 touchdowns.
Yet Taylor’s highest-selling items on eBay are nowhere near the prices paid for the Josh Allens and Patrick Mahomes of the world. Granted, he’s a running back, not a quarterback, but still … he’s the best RB in the game. His high-end cards shouldn’t be drawing just a fraction of the prices commanded by Allen and Mahomes.
Take advantage of it while you can. Before we know it, Taylor will be joining the 10,000-yard club and demand for his cream-of-the-crop collectibles could spiral.
Let’s take a peek at what collectors are paying on eBay. These are the 12 biggest auction prices (excluding Buy It Now deals) paid for Taylor treasures over the past three months:
• $5,277 on 31 bids for a 2020 Panini Donruss Optic Gold Vinyl card, a #1/1 gem graded 9.5 by HGA.
• $3,800 on 45 bids for an ungraded 2025 Panini Absolute Kaboom! horizontal card marked #5/10.
• $3,600 on 14 bids for another ungraded 2025 Panini Absolute Kaboom!—this one marked #10/10.
• $3,442 on 35 bids for a 2022 Absolute Kaboom! vertical Gold (#6/10).
• $3,200 on 46 bids for a 2020 Panini Flawless (NFL) Shield auto graded BGS 8.5 and marked #1/1.
• $2,275 on 58 bids for a 2020 Panini Prizm True Gold auto marked #2/10 and graded PSA 9.
• $1,625 on 63 bids for a #1/1 signed 2020 Panini Gold Standard bearing a Nike swoosh patch.
• $1,528 on 23 bids for an autographed 2020 Panini National Treasures Black patch card marked #4/5 and graded BGS 9.5.
• $1,481 on 21 bids for an ungraded 2022 Panini Prizm Donruss Optic Downtown marked #21/25.
• $1,350 on 70 bids for a 2020 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket auto marked #42/49 and graded PSA 10.
• $1,250 on 1 bid for a 2020 Panini Prizm No Huddle Gold graded PSA 9, one of 10.
• $1,202 on 31 bids for a 2020 Panini Select Black Prizm marked #1/1 and graded PSA 9.
Our monthly Online Auctioneer Top 10 Chart features more hot NFL cards, including two Tom Brady gems.
TOP 10 ONLINE AUCTIONS
Through Nov. 30
1. $62,500 on 84 bids: 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Refractor (PSA 9)
2. $50,100 on 123 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani (batting), auto (PSA 10)
3. $49,801 on 72 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
4. $47,6000 on 44 bids: 1998-99 Upper Deck SP Authentic Michael Jordan Sign of the Times Gold, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
5. $45,055 on 71 bids: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (SGC 2)
6. $43,100 on 37 bids: 1999 Donruss Elite Walter Payton/Barry Sanders Passing the Torch, #6/1500, autos (PSA 10)
7. $41,651 on 96 bids: 1976 Topps Walter Payton with secondary-market autograph (PSA 3, auto PSA/DNA 7)
8. $38,201 on 55 bids: 2023-24 Panini Crown Royale Yao Ming Kaboom! Green (PSA 8)
9. $37,100 on 81 bids: 2004-05 Panini La Liga Mega Cracks Lionel Messi (PSA 8)
10. $36,400 on 70 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani Blue Refractor (batting), #23/150 (PSA 10)
