New Record for Mahomes

LJ’s Card Shop in New Albany, Ohio just got themselves a new piece of history for their card collection. According to a recent report by ESPN.com, the company paid $4.3 million in an auction for a 2017 rookie Patrick Mahomes card.

Details

This card was not just any type. It was a very rarely seen card. According to the report that was also featured in the Columbus Dispatch, “The card, a Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini National Treasures 1-of-1 NFL Shield autographed card fetched the largest amount ever paid for a football card and the fourth most of all time. The record was set by LJ’s Card Shop of New Albany, which is planning on opening a physical store ‘in the near future’ after only operating online.”

Mahomes’ card also happened to topple his counterpart in Super Bowl LV, as his amount beat the previous record of $3.1 million set in March for a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket autograph card of Tom Brady, when he was with the Patriots.

NFL’s Take and Clarification

From Nick Shook, his comparison between the two quarterbacks could bring some humor to the matchup. In his article, he wrote, “In head to head matchups, Tom Brady has a slight edge over Patrick Mahomes (3-2), with the difference being the most important win of them all: Super Bowl LV. On the trading card market, however, Mahomes has Brady beat. A Mahomes rookie card recently sold for a new all-time NFL record price of $4.3 million, beating the record of $3.1 million set by a Brady rookie card sold in March.”

The NFL.com article, however, gives a bit more description compared to the Columbus Dispatch. Interestingly, both pieces show the same tweet from Mahomes regarding the price of the card. But for description, here’s what Shook had to say.

“The card, a 1 of 1 National Treasures autographed rookie card, features an image of Mahomes in his first NFL season (which was almost entirely spent on the bench), the quarterback’s signature, and a piece of his jersey collar bearing the rubberized NFL shield logo. The card received an 8.5 grade from Beckett and was sold in a deal brokered by PWCC Marketplace.”

Market Value and Brady-Mahomes

The two quarterbacks already have their own legacies in the NFL. Brady, a legend who will be entering his 22nd season, and Mahomes, already an MVP and a Super Bowl Champion before the age of 25.

For trading cards, this card helps contribute to the continued rise of interest through the COVID pandemic.

“The trading card market is in the midst of a renaissance partially propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced everyone to stay home and led some to discover (or rediscover) a passion for sports collectibles,” Shook said. “The resale/auction market has responded in kind with a boom in transactions, including the sale of these two unique cards. Mahomes and Brady are also sharing another distinction this year: The two are featured in Madden NFL’s first dual-athlete cover in over a decade. When they next meet on the field, they’ll have an extra topic to discuss.”

And all Mahomes could say about this was “My goodness.”

For the comparison, Patrick Mahomes could very well be evolving into a young version of Tom Brady. Mahomes is en route to becoming the premier face of NFL quarterbacks.