Joe Montana played for the San Francisco 49ers for fourteen unbelievable seasons, during which he would set numerous records and win countless awards. Throughout his career, Montana would win two MVP awards, four Super Bowls, and finish as one of the greatest players in NFL history. Around the time of Montana’s rookie season, football cards had begun to become moe popular, and, thus, the 1981 Topps set, which his rookie card is a part of, was produced in very large numbers. Although there are many Joe Montana rookie cards in existence, the 1981 Topps Joe Montana rookie card remains one of the better rookie cards of all time.
There have been over 11,000 different 1981 Topps Joe Montana rookie cards graded by the PSA alone. In 2009, one Joe Montana rookie card sold at auction for more than $65,000, the sale was, however, of the only example graded by Beckett at BGS 10, a major reason for the astronomical price. Of the 11,000 graded Joe Montana rookie cards, less than seventy have received the grade of PSA 10, and these cards have sold for upwards of $5,000. There have been, however, more than 1,100 Joe Montana rookie cards graded at PSA 9, so these cards are far less scarce and thus less valuable. These usually sell for around $250. Those graded at PSA 8 are also far less valuable and usually sell in the neighborhood of $100.
Although there is a huge price disparity between those graded at PSA 10 and those just one or two grades below, the highest graded cards are the best potential investments. Although the cards graded at PSA 10 will most likely appreciate the most in the long term and present a massive potential for profit, the high prices they demand are probably not attractive to many collectors. Those graded ‘9’ by PSA or BGS can be purchased for less than $300 will be far more popular with collectors. Most grades, however, will reward investors with profit.
Montana’s status as the top quarterback of the 1980s, when he led the Niners to so much success, makes him popular with those who grew up watching him or those who appreciated his remarkable career as adults. Many believe he’s among the top three or four quarterbacks of all time and some think he’s at the top of the list. High grade Joe Montana rookie cards surely will hold their own over time, despite the large number of available specimens.
