CLASSIC CARDBOARD: These coveted classics still capture the attention of vintage football card collectors

Watching Patrick Mahomes play quarterback brings back memories of some of the NFL’s all-time greats.

As he chases his fourth Super Bowl victory, and third in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs star has put himself in the elite company of Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, John Elway and other all-time greats.

But how does he stack up against the stars of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, legends that dominated and the vintage football card market?

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Mahomes scrambles and escapes trouble like Roger Staubach or Fran Tarkenton. He has an elite arm like Terry Bradshaw or Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, the confidence and swagger of Joe Namath, and the overall leadership qualities of Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas, Hall of Famers who also led their teams to multiple championships.

In the modern card market, Mahomes and Brady stand above all the rest, with rookie cards and special parallels that have sold for seven figures. Mahomes holds the football card record at $4.3 million, while Brady’s top cards have topped $3 million. Current stars like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen have seen their modern cards sell for five and six figures.

What will those cards be worth 30 or 40 years from now?

We take a look at 20 of the top vintage cards (pre-1980) in NFL—and AFL—history. And just like today’s cards, they favor quarterbacks, who have always dominated the spotlight and card market.

Our list includes the top vintage cards on the market, according to long-time collectors and experts in the hobby, with some personal preferences thrown in to the mix.

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Namath may not be the best NFL quarterback of all time, but his rookie card is one of the most popular cards across all sports because of the charisma and flamboyance of the New York Jets star and the timing of his rookie card.

Topps lost its license to produce NFL cards in 1965, forcing it to focus on AFL players and teams. It countered with its popular oversized (2-1/2-by-4-11/16 inches) “Tall Boy” cards, with Namath as the headliner of the set.

With no Gem Mint 10 cards known to exist, Namath rookies in grade 9 have sold for more than $250,000, according to PSA.

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From one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time to the player many consider the greatest running back of all time. Brown led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and was an eight-time All-Pro.

His performance, along with his popularity as a civil rights activist, have made Brown’s rookie card one of the most coveted in the hobby. With no grade 10s known to exist, grade-9 copies have sold for more than $300,000.

Like the Namath “Tall Boy,” Johnny U’s rookie card stands out because of its colorful images and unique, horizontal design. His bright smile and flattop hairstyle fit perfectly with his action photo, making his card a good representation of 1950s-60s football.

His rookie card also highlights one of Topps’ most legendary sets, which also features Hall of Famers Bart Starr and Paul Hornung.

Unitas rookie card can range from $10,000 to $90,000 in high grades.

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Starr’s colorful rookie is another gem in the 1957 Topps set and a favorite among collectors, especially Green Bay Packers fans. Starr led the Packers to five NFL championships, including two Super Bowls.

His rookie card in a PSA 9 grade has sold for as much as $288,000.

Nagurski not only had a classic football name, he is the Honus Wagner of football cards, with his 1935 rookie valued at $1.2 million in a PSA 9, making it the most valuable vintage card on the market.

An inaugural member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Nagurski was a bruising fullback for the 1930s Chicago Bears. Though he is shown in his University of Minnesota uniform, he was a two-way star for the Bears and looks like a rugged, old-school player in the National Chicle set.

Even lower grades of the iconic card can command five- and six-figure prices. According to PSA, a PSA 8 is valued at $350,000, and even grades 6 and 7 can command $100,000 or more.

When you visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, one of the most prominent displays in the sacred hall is a statue of Thorpe, one of the most important athletes in sports. A Native American, Thorpe starred for the dominant Canton Bulldogs from 1915 through the mid-1920s and was the first president of the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL.

Voted the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20^th century, Thorpe also was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and played professional baseball and basketball, paving the way for such future multi-sport athletes as Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders.

Thorpe’s football card is one of the top vintage cards of all time and the gem of the 1933 Goudey Sport King set, which features athletes from all sports. A grade-9 copy is valued at more than $100,000 by PSA, with one selling for $138,000 in 2020.

Even this might be too low for one of the greatest running backs of all-time and one of the most popular football cards among collectors. A nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP, “Sweetness” finished his career as the league’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards (now second to Emmitt Smith) and 110 rushing touchdowns.

A PSA 10 of his rookie card is valued at $40,000-$80,000 by PSA, though a PSA 9 drops to $4,000-$5,000.

Owens: Collecting Cowboys, Dolphins and star RBs in 1972 

My favorite player as a kid, Staubach’s rookie card ranks higher on my list than most others. An NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl winner, Staubach helped the Dallas Cowboys become one of the most dominant teams of the ’70s. His running, passing and scrambling made “Roger The Dodger” one of the NFL’s most exciting and popular players.

His rookie card is valued at $25,000 in a PSA 10, but a PSA 9 can be had for about half that.

For me, Bradshaw was the arch-enemy, leading the hated Steelers over my beloved Cowboys twice in the Super Bowl. A four-time Super Bowl winner, Bradshaw was one of the top passers in league history, throwing for 27,989 passing yards and 212 touchdowns before becoming a popular TV football analyst.

There are only three PSA 10 copies of Bradshaw’s rookie, and one of them sold for $430,500 at Goldin in 2021. A PSA 9 also has strong value at around $25,000.

An NFL pioneer and one of the most popular athletes of his time, Grange has one of the best looking cards in the classic Sport Kings set. The leather helmet and striped jersey make “The Galloping Ghost” look a bit like one of George Clooney’s cohorts in the classic football movie “Leatherheads.”

With no PSA 10s known to exist, PSA values a grade-9 at $50,000, though one copy sold for $81,000 at Heritage in 2020.

One of the league’s top quarterbacks during his 15-year pro career, Layne’s colorful rookie card came in two variations—a yellow pants version, and one with red pants. It features his nickname, “Blond Bomber,” but his first name is misspelled (Bobbie), making it a popular error card.

Prices for the rare card are all over the place, with a PSA 8 selling for $35,951 in 2010, a PSA 7 going for $4,276 in 2020, and a PSA 6 ranging from $500-$1,000.

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Another one of the top quarterbacks of the era, Graham’s unique rookie is the prize of the popular 1950 Bowman set. The two-time NFL MVP led the Cleveland Browns to three championships, passing for 23,584 yards.

The iconic card is valued at more than $20,000 in a PSA 9.

The only defensive player on the list, Butkus was one of the toughest players in the history of the game, and the image on his classic rookie card illustrates his rugged intensity.

There is only one PSA 10 known to exist and it has never come to auction. PSA values a PSA 9 at $15,000, though one sold for twice that in 2018.

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This is another one of my favorites—both for the sharp, colorful artwork, and the classy gentleman depicted on the card. A star defensive back before becoming the legendary coach of the Cowboys, Landry was one of the most respected men in the game.

I had so much respect for the fedora-wearing, Super Bowl-winning head coach that when owner Jerry Jones fired him in 1989, I was done as a Cowboys fan.

The beautiful card is valued at $10,000-$13,000 in a PSA 9 or 10.

One of the game’s first great passers, Baugh was featured in both the Leaf and Bowman sets of 1948, but the colorful Leaf card features his “Slingin’ Sammy” nickname.

There are no grade 9 or 10s known to exist and only two PSA 8s. The most recent one to hit the market sold for $8,299.

Before the arrival of Walter Payton, Sayers was arguably the most exciting player in Chicago Bears history and one of the most dazzling runners in the NFL. His classic rookie card shows him striking the Heisman pose, though the two-time All-American surprisingly never won the coveted honor at Kansas.

PSA values a PSA 9 at $12,500, but one sold for $58,800 in 2022.

Like the 1957 Topps Unitas card, the horizontal Hornung rookie is one of the most coveted vintage cards on the market, valued at around $25,000 in a PSA 9.

A worthy price for one of the most versatile players in the game and one of the few to win both the Heisman and an NFL MVP, along with four NFL championships.

Also See: 1950 Bowman Football cards tell stories of unique players in special era

Another one of the most versatile, multi-dimensional players in the history of the game, Gifford has one of the most beautiful cards on the market. The colorful artwork shows the grit and intensity of the Giants’ two-way star.

His popularity as the longtime voice of “Monday Night Football” adds value to Gifford’s rookie, which is valued at almost $50,000 in a PSA 9.

Though I was a Staubach fan, few quarterbacks were more fun to watch than “The Scrambler,” Francis Asbury Tarkenton.

A dynamic passer and runner, Tarkenton led the Vikings to three Super Bowls, all losses.

His rookie card is unique with a three-panel design, but it is also an error card with the small action photo showing Eagles quarterback Sonny Jergensen instead of Tarkenton. It’s valued at $12,500 in a PSA 9.

Also See: Behind legendary coach Tom Landry, Cowboys captivated fans of 1960, ’70s

There are a host of other vintage cards I could highlight for my final selection—Sid Luckman, Len Dawson, Ray Nitschke, Mike Ditka—but I’m going with another all-time favorite.

Don Meredith was Dallas’ first quarterback and appears on the 1961 Fleer card in the original Cowboys uniform. As a kid, I had a signed photo of “Dandy Don” on my bedroom wall.

Like Gifford, he later became a star in his second career as a popular announcer on “Monday Night Football.” Mid-grade cards are available on eBay for a few hundred dollars, while higher grades push $1,000.