Alright, let’s dive into my recent deep dive – trying to figure out the whole “Tom Brady cards price” thing. It’s a wild world, man.
First off, I started like anyone else: Google. I punched in “Tom Brady rookie card value” and BOOM – a million results. It was instantly overwhelming. I saw prices ranging from a few bucks to, like, houses. Houses! So, I knew I had to narrow my focus.
Next, I tried to figure out what cards are actually worth anything. I stumbled upon some checklists and articles mentioning serial-numbered cards and autograph cards. Apparently, those are the big boys. I even saw something about 26 out of 44 rookie cards being serial-numbered. That seemed like a good place to start digging.
Then, I went to eBay. I figured I’d see what people were actually paying for these cards. Not just what they were listed for, but what they sold for. That’s key. I filtered my search to “sold items” and started looking at completed auctions. I focused on the serial-numbered rookies, because those seemed more realistic than chasing a super rare autograph right away.
I saw a bunch of different brands and years. Topps, Upper Deck, Playoff Contenders… it was a mess. But I started noticing a pattern. Cards in better condition (graded by professional companies like PSA or BGS) fetched WAY more money. Like, exponentially more. A card graded a “10” could be worth ten times what an ungraded card went for.
So, I started researching grading. PSA and BGS seemed to be the big players. I learned about the grading scale, the different factors they consider (centering, edges, corners, surface), and the cost of getting a card graded. It’s not cheap, FYI. It can easily cost you $20-$50 per card, and sometimes even more if it’s a super valuable card.
After all that research, I decided to try and find a cheap, ungraded rookie card. Something I could potentially get graded and maybe flip for a small profit. I found a decent-looking 2000 Bowman Chrome card on eBay for around $30. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked like it had a chance to get a decent grade.
I bought it! Then, I nervously waited for it to arrive. When it finally came, I carefully examined it under a bright light. Centering was okay, edges were pretty good, corners were mostly sharp. The surface had a few minor scratches, but nothing too major.
I decided to send it to PSA. It was a gamble. Grading costs money, and there was no guarantee it would get a high grade. But I figured it was worth a shot. I packaged it up carefully and sent it off.
The waiting game began. PSA takes weeks, sometimes months, to grade cards. It was excruciating. I checked their website every day, hoping for an update.
Finally, the results came in! My card got a PSA 8. Not a 10, not even a 9, but an 8. I was a little disappointed, but honestly, I was just relieved it wasn’t lower.
So, what happened next? I listed the graded card on eBay. I started the auction a bit higher than what similar PSA 8 cards were selling for, hoping someone would bite. And they did! After a week-long auction, the card sold for $150.
Profit! I made a decent profit after subtracting the cost of the card, grading, and eBay fees. Not enough to retire on, but it was a fun experiment, and I learned a ton about the Tom Brady card market. Now I need to find the next project!
