The hobby was in a different place in 2000. Six manufacturers had an NFL license that year. And while some of them didn’t included Tom Brady in many of their sets (he was an under-the-radar prospect with low expectations), others produced several Rookie Cards of the star. The result? A lot of variety and choices.
Even as we now debate Brady’s place in history either as the best quarterback of all-time or somewhere close to it, there’s still a big difference in the prices some Rookie Cards fetch versus others. Only one thing is for certain, days of cheap Tom Brady Rookie Cards are gone.
- 10. 2000 Private Stock Retail Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
- 9. 2000 Pacific Private Stock Hobby Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
- 8. 2000 E-X Tom Brady Rookie Card #122 (Essential Credentials Future)
- 7. 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars Tom Brady Rookie #134 Longevity
- 6. 2000 Playoff Momentum Tom Brady Rookie #180
- 5. 2000 Pacific Revolution Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
- 4. 2000 Leaf Limited Tom Brady Rookie Refractor Card #378 Limited Edition
- 3. 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Rookie #236 Refractor
- 2. 2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady Rookie #118
- Honorable Mention:2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Rookie #144 Autograph
- 1. 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Refractor Tom Brady Rookie #144 Autograph
10. 2000 Private Stock Retail Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $8,288
The card has often been overlooked, but its rarity alone made it worth adding to our list. While more plentiful than its Hobby counterpart (see below) with a print run of 650, it’s still one of the rarer Brady rookies. While both cards were printed to have a more “canvas style” look, the retail version features a silver foil on the front, as opposed to Hobby which uses gold.
The retail version of this card is slightly ahead of its Hobby counterpart in terms of raw PSA numbers, with over 60 graded and 20 PSA 10’s. Having said that, it the highest price paid (as of writing this article) is $8,288 for a PSA 10.
9. 2000 Pacific Private Stock Hobby Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $7,500
With only 278 copies printed, this card is undoubtedly rare. This Tom Brady rookie can be a hit or miss with many collectors and enthusiasts due to its “photoshoped” appearance. Having said that, a mint condition card can yield a respectable amount if ever found at auction.
A total of 45 cards have been submitted to PSA for grading, 15 of which were PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for a PSA 10 was $7,500 in April, 2020. There is definitely room for the card to go much higher, especially when compared to the spike in value its retail counterpart had in 2021.
8. 2000 E-X Tom Brady Rookie Card #122 (Essential Credentials Future)
PSA 9 Highest price to date: $4,250
Despite not ever reaching mainstream appeal, this card is highly valued by many collectors and enthusiasts, and for good reason. While the 1,500 print run does make this card rare, it is not impossible to find. Having said that, mint condition cards can still yield over$1,000, making it the most valuable Tom Brady rookie within the Fleer product line.
Out of the 13 cards submitted to PSA, none have been given a PSA 10 grading. The highest price paid to date for a Tom Brady rookie from this set is $4,250, and that was for a PSA 9. If you currently own a PSA 10, you might be looking at a pretty hefty sum.
7. 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars Tom Brady Rookie #134 Longevity
PSA 9 Highest price paid to date: $6,900
The 2000 Leaf Rookies and Stars "Longevity" was limited to just 30 copies, making it among the rarest Tom Brady rookie cards ever. With normal Brady rookie cards in the set going for as much as $3,000 (and a production run of 1000) the Longevity version of this card (in mint condition) can be worth a very pretty penny if ever found at auction.
Out of the 30 copies ever printed, only 13 have made it to PSA for grading. 10 were PSA 9’s, but no PSA 10’s have been graded as of yet. The highest price paid for a PSA 8 was $31,200 during the Goldin Auctions record breaking $45.2 million March sale.
Number 6
6. 2000 Playoff Momentum Tom Brady Rookie #180
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $12,000
Simple yet appealing, this card does not only sport a clean and modern design, it’s also quite rare, making it a strong collector’s item. Apart from there only being 750 printed, these Tom Brady rookie cards are also very condition sensitive. The foil tends to show chipping and creasing, so finding a card in mint condition is extremely hard.
Out of the 750 printed, just over 40 have been graded by PSA, and only 9 have been given a PSA 10 grading. The highest price paid for this Tom Brady rookie was $12,000.
5. 2000 Pacific Revolution Tom Brady Rookie Card #128
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $10,000
This Tom Brady rookie card has a lot going on, but in a good way. The design is unique to the 2000 Pacific Revolution and as seen in the image below, the combination of colors, background logos, and etched out player name make this a great collector’s piece.
Looks aside this Tom Brady rookie card is also extremely valuable for another reason, its rarity. There are only 300 copies ever printed, making this the player’s rarest rookie card ever.
If we could find something to criticize about the card, it would be that Brady is not wearing his iconic New England Patriots attire, everything else just screams greatness.
A total of 39 cards has been graded by the PSA, with only 10 cards being PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for a Brady rookie from this set was $10,000 in April of 2020.
4. 2000 Leaf Limited Tom Brady Rookie Refractor Card #378 Limited Edition
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $17,550
This is one of the rarest Tom Brady rookie cards, with only 350 copies ever printed. The card also sports an in-action photo of the player, something rare among his rookie cards. This is probably due to the fact that it was one of the final release of the year.
Out of the 350 cards printed, only 15 have been graded by the PSA, and only 3 have ever been given a PSA 10 grading. The highest price ever paid for a PSA 10 was $17,550 back in 2018.
3. 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Rookie #236 Refractor
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $45,000
For some this might be a controversial pick for the number 3 spot on our list, but no one can deny that a mint 10 condition of this Tom Brady Rookie card can yield very high prices. The 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor #236 is among the few Tom Brady rookie cards sporting an action shot of the player, and when combined with the publisher’s brand authority, it makes it one of the best non-numbered rookie refractor cards.
Out of the 120 cards graded by the PSA, only 7 have ever received a PSA 10 grading. The highest price paid for a PSA 10 was set 3 years ago, in 2017 for $45,000.
2. 2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady Rookie #118
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $21,989
A truly great card, and a tough decision to be ranked 3 or 2 on our list. This Tom Brady rookie has a fairly large print run (when compared to others of its kind) of /1,250, and no autograph. So what makes this card so valuable? Simply put, its pedigree.
SP Authentic was initially considered a premium brand, before game-used and autographed cards started coming out. This meant that SP Authentic rookies were highly sought after during the early 2000’s. If the card’s history is not appealing to you, its design certainly would be, sporting one of the cleanest and nicest designs among all Tom Brady rookie cards.
Over 550 cards have been graded by the PSA, but only 98 were considered to be PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for a PSA 10 Brady rookie from this set was $181,200 during Goldin Auctions record breaking $45.2 million dollar March 2021 sale.
Honorable mention for Number 2
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Rookie #144 Autograph
PSA 10 Highest price to date: $555,988
Considered by most to be the “true” Tom Brady rookie card this card could easily be considered number 1 on our list, but the truth of the matter is, despite its value, demand, and all around great look, it is simply overshadowed by its refractor…
Out of the 166 cards submitted to PSA for grading only 13 have ever been PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for this rookie card was a whopping $555,988 in January of 2021.
1. 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Refractor Tom Brady Rookie #144 Autograph
PSA 9 Mint Estimated Value: $1,500,000
One of the few modern football cards to yield such high demand, the 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Tom Brady Rookie Ticket Refractor can truly be considered the Holy Grail of Tom Brady rookie cards. As a parallel to his base 2000 Playoff Contenders card, these were limited to a run of just 100 copies making them extremely scarce in any grade.
In addition to its scarcity, demand and value also spiked due to its design. Not only is the base and parallel among the only autographed Tom Brady rookie card, the 2000 Playoff Contenders comes with a distinct Rookie Ticket theme, further boosting collector and enthusiast interest.
Only 14 have ever been submitted for PSA grading, and there have been no PSA 10’s. A PSA 8 sold for $20,400 back in 2017, and an “Authentic” graded card was sold for $54,000 in 2019. A PSA 10 graded Brady rookie from this set could probably exceed half a million dollars. Judging by its counterpart card reaching over$550,000, we are likely being too modest.
Want to continue reading? Here are a few posts you might find interesting:
