News
Brock Purdy drawing big interest on card market; Jerry Rice rookie a bargain
Don’t look now, but there’s a young quarterback edging his way toward the upper echelon of current NFL passers. Second-year man Brock Purdy, after leading the San Francisco 49ers to an impressive 42-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 8, was suddenly 10-0 as a starter. He was 5-0 in 2022, his rookie season, before starting 2023 5-0.
He’s was perfect in another way to start this season: no interceptions. Through five games, Purdy has nine TD passes and 1,271 yards — and no picks.
Purdy is a great story, because he was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. But he’s hardly been “Mr. Irrelevant,” as football fans call the guy at the tail end of every draft.
Collectors are quick to pick up on a rising star like this — especially if he’s a quarterback on the franchise that gave us Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Consider these recent prices paid on eBay:
• $15,101 on 76 bids for an ungraded 2022 Panini National Treasures Purdy Stars and Stripes card. The autographed patch card is marked #12/25.
• $15,100 on 71 bids for a signed 2022 Panini White Sparkle Prizm card. Marked #1/1, the card had a grade of PSA 8, with a 10 autograph.
• $14,900 on 44 bids for a signed 2022 Panini Flawless Gold #13/25, also ungraded.
• $13,046 on 49 bids for an autographed 2022 Panini Gold Prizm graded PSA 10.
By the way, don’t be fooled by the #14 jersey you see on Purdy’s first cards. That’s the number he wore as a rookie before switching to No. 13 in 2023. As the story goes, he idolized Dan Marino as a kid, so he opted to adopt his uniform number this season.
WHO’S BETTER THAN …
Another 49ers star, Jerry Rice? The Hall of Famer set the bar for wide receivers during his long and productive 20-year career. From 1985 through 2004, he rewrote the NFL record book for receiving, establishing still-standing marks in every significant category. Receptions: 1,549. Receiving yards: 22,895. Most seasons with 1,000 receiving yards: 14. Plus, he owns the NFL records for combined net yards (23,546) and total touchdowns (208!).
We’re reminded of Rice because of the sale on eBay of a 2016 Panini Flawless Greats autographed patch card. It brought $30,000 on 29 bids. A 1/1 card, it’s ungraded but looks from the listing’s photographs to be in near-perfect condition.
Interestingly, a Rice rookie graded SGC 9.5 recently sold for the bargain price of $7,445 on 18 bids. We say “bargain” because Rice rookies in Gem-Mint 10 condition brought prices of $121,200 at Goldin Auctions in 2022 and $93,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2021. Both cards had PSA 10 grades.
Other recent prices paid on eBay for Rice treasures:
• $4,088 on 42 bids for a 1997 Fleer EX-2000 Essential Credentials insert card marked #68/100 and graded BGS 9.5.
• $3,700 on 29 bids for a 1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified Platinum Gold insert card marked #16/30 and graded BGS 9.
• $2,825 on 72 bids for a 1996 Pinnacle Select Certified Edition Mirror Gold insert. It’s unmarked but known to be one of only 35 made. Grade: BGS 8.5.
• $2,600 on 28 bids for a PSA 9 example of his 1986 Topps rookie. Two other Rice rookies graded PSA 9 sold for prices of $2,251 on 39 bids and $2,148 on 44 bids.
TOP 10 CHART
(Through 10/6/2023)
1. $31,887 on 46 bids: 2000 Upper Deck Black Diamond Tom Brady Gold, #483/500 (BGS 10)
2. $30,700 on 64 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)
3. $30,000 on 29 bids: 2016 Panini Flawless Greats Jerry Rice, #1/1, auto patch (ungraded)
4. $29,988 on 98 bids: 1998-99 Upper Deck SP Authentic Michael Jordan Gold Sign of the Times, auto (PSA 8)
5. $29,500 on 1 bid: 1987-88 Fleer Basketball sealed wax box (BBCE)
6. $28,999 on 88 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (BGS 8.5)
7. $27,211 on 59 bids: 2018 Panini National Treasures Josh Allen, #45/99, auto patch (BGS 9.5)
8. $26,911 on 63 bids: 2018 Panini Treasures Josh Allen, #4/25, auto patch (PSA 10)
9. $26,300 on 82 bids: 2019-20 Panini National Treasures Ja Morant, #/99, auto patch (PSA 9, auto 10)
10. $24,255 on 60 bids: 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Refractor (BGS 9)
