This week’s top 10 fastest-growing sports cards feature a mix of modern and vintage cards across football, baseball, and soccer. The sports card market saw a big explosion in prices and activity in early 2021, but many of those valuations have dropped noticeably throughout the year.
Despite these dips, there are still cards that grow in value over the short term. This top 10 list looks at graded cards with a minimum value of $250 and how much their value has increased in the past 7 days.
Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are fresh off of a win over the San Francisco 49ers, but sit dead last in their division with a record of 4–8.
Although Wilson is a 1-time Super Bowl Champion, 8x Pro Bowler, and Walter Payton Man of the Year (2020), he’s struggled this season. There’s also been a lot of chatter that this could be his last season in Seattle.
Despite this, his Rookie Prizm base (Towel Down Variation) PSA 9 with a total population of 356, last sold for $349.95 on 12/6:
The card, which once sold for $949.99 in September of 2020, is up from a low of $143.50 since 11/30. In spite of Wilson and the Seahawk’s struggles, it’s the fastest-growing sports card this week. Perhaps some see this as a good time to buy his Prizm base rookie card at a better price and the prospect of him starting fresh with a new team next season may create demand for the card in 2022.
The Dallas Cowboys are 8–4 and are eyeing a playoff run, but their star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb has been out after suffering a concussion. He’s in just his second NFL season, coming off of a 74 reception, 935-yard season with 5 touchdowns. Despite missing time this season, he currently has 57 receptions for 829 yards and 6 touchdowns.
His Prizm base PSA 10 has a population of 93 and last sold for $275 on 12/6, a record price for the card:
In the past year, the card has sold 39 times at an average price of $170.32. Lamb has put up good numbers in his sophomore season and is on a contending Dallas Cowboys football team, which might help explain the record sale.
The card sold for just $43 on 11/19.
The card sold for nearly $1,000 last November and has been sold 144 times in the past 12 months at an average price of $432.72.
The latest sale is below the average but is up from a recent low of $134.87.
The baseball season is over, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was recently named the top Canadian player for the 2021 MLB season after hitting 48 Home Runs and leading the Toronto Blue Jays in multiple offensive stat categories this past season.
Guererro's Topps Chrome Pink Refractor PSA 10 (population 678) last sold for $499 nearing its all-time high price of $529.98:
In the past 12 months, the card has been sold 228 times at an average price of $279.65. The card last sold for $285 before jumping up to $499.
There are just 125 copies of Jackie Robinson’s 1952 Topps in a PSA 6. Robinson had a storied career, breaking the color barrier, winning rookie of the year, an MVP award, 6 league championships, and 1 World Series.
On December 5th, this card sold for $34,800 up from its previous sale of $21,220 just one day earlier:
In the past year, the card has sold 8 times at an average price of $23,630, hitting a high of $40,300 in March of this year.
Tom Brady continues to defy his age as the reigning Super Bowl champion has taken his team to a 9–3 start. The Buccaneers still have the best odds to win it all again this season.
While Brady is pictured in his college uniform and shares this rookie card with Giovanni Carmazzi, the population 1,046 PSA 9 last sold on 12/6 for $275:
Over the past year, this card has sold 297 times at an average price of $183.53 and sold for as low as $47 in January of 2020. Brady’s rookie cards have seen serious gains over the past year, but love him or hate him, it’s hard to ignore the combination of his dominant career performance and the prospect of another Super Bowl run.
Walter Payton was a Hall of Fame running back during a 13-year career with the Chicago Bears, winning an MVP award in 1977 and a Super Bowl that same season.
There are 1,215 copies of his 1976 Topps rookie card in a PSA 5 grade and the card last sold on 12/6 for $400:
In the past year, the card has sold 190 times at an average price of $331.62 with a high price of $745 in February of this year.
While this isn’t a Willie Mays rookie card, it’s a nice alternative for collectors who want a Mays card from his playing card. The Hall of Famer was elected to a record 24 All-Star games, won 12 gold gloves, and a World Series Championship.
There are 1,293 copies of this card in a PSA 6 and one last sold on 12/4 for $255:
Over the past year, the card has sold 64 times (despite a relatively high population) at an average price of $187.51 and a high price of $336.
Nolan Ryan is a Hall of Famer who played in the MLB for 27 years, had a record 7 no-hitter games, was an 8-time All-Star, and is a 1x World Series Champion. Pitchers aren’t as highly collected as power-hitters but Nolan Ryan’s cards command value in the market.
A PSA 5 copy of his 1968 Topps rookie card with a population of 2,053 sold for $1,476.88 on 12/5:
The card has been sold 175 times in the past year at an average price of $1,144.45 and hit a high of $2,400 this past February.
Jim Brown played running back for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 through 1965 and is recognized as one of the best running backs in NFL history. He rushed for over 104 yards per game. No other running back in the history of the sport has maintained a 100 rushing yards per game average.
Given Brown’s legacy in the sport, his 1958 Topps Rookie cards aren’t cheap, with a population of 222 PSA 2 copy selling for $1,500 on 12/6:
For reference, a PSA 9 copy of Brown’s 1958 Topps sold for $336,000 in February of 2017 and its predicted value is $1.23 million dollars.
