Tom Brady Rookie Card Breaks Record After Selling for $3.1 Million

Now might be a good time to see if you've got any old Tom Brady collectables lying around... In record-breaking news, a rookie card from the seven-time Super Bowl champ's early years sold for over $3.1 million.

A @TomBrady rookie card sold for $3.1 million last night, making it the eighth most expensive card of all time https://t.co/z9ylkaYDl6 pic.twitter.com/wwMgIjSLW0

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 5, 2021

The sale came earlier in June, just a couple of months since the record was last broke, also by the prized Tom Brady card, which sold for $2.25 million. Both items auctioned off were the same item: a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket from Brady's freshman year with the Patriots. So what made this recent card worth the jump in price? Well, according to Beckett Grading Services, the $3.1 million value came down to its "Mint 9" standing. USA Today reported that only seven cards of that stature exist, making this one prized collectible.

Adding to the value was Tom Brady's signature, kept pristine over the 20-plus years. This card marked the beginning of a long and successful career for the California-born NFL legend. Brady carried the New England Patriots through six league championships over his nearly two-decade-long stint in the Gillette Stadium. And since moving on to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots' paraphernalia has seemingly skyrocketed in sentimental value. At the same Lelands Mid-Spring Classic Auction was another Brady item: the football from his earliest touchdown throw. The ball sold for $428,841.60, after the opening bid was set at $75,000. Need a refresher? This iconic 21-yard pass happened during a Patriots vs. Chargers game back in the fall of 2001, and resulted in a 29-26 win against the San Diego team.

With over twenty years on the field behind him, Tom Brady's celebrated career has essentially made everything he touches turn to gold. And that gold apparently costs over $3 million. Hopeful auction-goers and fans around the world were shocked to see the item go for over $2 million more than the opening price, which was set at a mere $750,000. But many can agree, with Tom well-into his new chapter with the Buccaneers, these Patriots items are relics of history worth having.

With Brady and Tampa Bay off to a strong start with last year's Super Bowl LV win, we'd keep an eye out for Buccaneers' collectibles if we were you...