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Dick Butkus cards, memorabilia on the rise since passing of Bears legend
Anyone who grew up watching NFL games or highlight clips in the 1960s and ’70s saw plenty of Dick Butkus.
The prototypical middle linebacker, he combined size (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) with incredible instincts and brute force to demolish offensive linemen, running backs, receivers and quarterbacks during his all-too-short nine seasons on the pro gridiron.
The Chicago Bears legend totaled 1,020 tackles, recovered 27 fumbles and picked off 22 passes. Butkus even played on special teams and is credited with 12 kickoff returns (on short kicks, of course) for 120 yards.
The sports world was saddened to hear of Butkus’ passing on Oct. 5. It’s another of these sports-hero losses that makes many of us want to add some related memorabilia to our stashes.
Indeed, just after Butkus’s passing, a 1966 rookie card issued by the Philadelphia company sold for $3,353 on 35 bids at eBay. That card was graded PSA 8. In the weeks prior to his death, we spotted another PSA 8 specimen of his rookie that sold for just $1,027 on 34 bids. Multiple examples graded PSA 6 sold for $400 to $600. Clearly, the bad news inspired more fervent bidding.
If you’re looking to add some Butkus memorabilia, prices will stabilize quickly, based on hobby history. Recent sales prior to his passing show the range of prices and items:
• $865 on 31 bids for an ungraded 2006 Playoff National Treasures Playoff patch card bearing a piece of a game-worn jersey.
• $735 on 24 bids for a 1970 Kellogg’s card graded PSA 10.
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• $545 on 31 bids for a 2019 Panini Flawless Penmanship Platinum “One-of-One” card graded PSA 10.
• $395 on 2 bids for an ungraded but top-condition copy of the Sept. 21, 1970 issue of Sports Illustrated. It features a high-impact “quarterback’s-eye” view of Butkus in his middle linebacker position in a game vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Recent prices realized on eBay for cards issued in widely distributed sets during Butkus’s playing days include:
• $365 on 18 bids for a 1967 Philadelphia card graded PSA 8.
• $323 on 15 bids for a 1969 Topps Butkus card graded PSA 8.
• $322 on 18 bids for a 1970 Topps card graded PSA 9.
An especially enticing item is Panini’s 2015 Immaculate Gold triple-autographed card featuring Butkus along with two other defensive legends: Mean Joe Greene and Lawrence Taylor. An ungraded example of this card, marked #7/10, sold for $686 in late September.
Along the same lines is a 2018 Panini 1/1 autographed patch card featuring Butkus along with two other Chicago Bears middle linebacker greats: Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher. The ungraded card sold for $510 on 50 bids.
