If you’re anything like me, collecting has been a lifelong love affair. While my journey didn’t start with one-of-ones, PSA 10s, and superfractors, it did start with dollar packs from my local Blockbuster Video. At that age pulling a name I knew was a miracle, anything shiny was spectacular, and collecting cardboard was a way of life. My situation wasn’t all that uncommon from other new collectors in the 90’s. In my early days, I’m sure I ripped the packs and ended up throwing all the cards in a shoebox I threw high up in a closet. So why don’t you come with me, grab a step ladder, blow the dust off that dirty old shoe box, and peer inside to see what treasures may be awaiting us.
1997 Metal Universe Precious Gems Jerry Rice Green PSA 6
We are starting this list off with one of the hottest sets and one of the biggest athletes of the 1990s. While many new collectors are flooding the hobby every day, many may not be too familiar with this specific card. This Jerry Rice card is truly special because it is just one of the fifteen that were put into packs for lucky collectors to pull. Even though it has a low grade of a PSA 6, it still sold for an astonishing $99,000 almost a year ago. This just goes to show that not all cards in the junk wax era are actually junk.
1997 Metal Universe Precious Gems Brett Favre Green PSA 9
Selling for $78,000 just last year it’s a shock to me that a PSA 9 even exists. If you ever ripped Metal Universe or held any of the cards from its set in your hands, you may understand how fragile these cards can be. The value for this Brett Favre card isn’t based solely on its rarity or its grade, but also the fact that Favre won his sole Super Bowl the year before. Plus, if we are being honest, the color match makes this card even more eye-appealing.
1998 Playoff Contenders Peyton Manning Rookie Ticket Autograph PSA 10
Though his first season included throwing for more interceptions than touchdowns, this quarterback would eventually become a fourteen-time Pro-Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion. While only 200 of these specific rookie cards were printed and autographed, just 6 of them have the perfect PSA 10 grade. With a pop count of just 6, it’s no wonder the last PSA 10 sold for $53,000 back in January of 2020.
1997 Metal Universe Precious Gems Red Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders
While many of this decade’s most valuable cards came out of the Metal universe these are two of the highlights. Numbered to just 135 each, these cards capture two future Hall of Famers in the prime of their careers. Unfortunately, this set is quite difficult to grade as it is known for poor edges that often show whiting. This can be seen in the grades themselves as the highest for a Jerry Rice is a PSA 7 which last sold for $15,600 back in June of 2023. While a PSA 8 of Barry Sanders sold for a little over $19,000 a year earlier.
1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars Peyton Manning Crusade Red PSA 10
One of my personally favorite sets, Rookies and Stars was one of the products I bought a hobby box of when I first started ripping wax. While I never pulled anything highly valuable, this card tells me there’s still a chance. Still showing him in his Tennessee colors, this Peyton Manning rookie is not only known for the player on the card, but its rarity as well. Numbered to just 25, this card in flawless PSA 10 last sold for almost $12,000 back in late 2022. While many may scratch their head and wonder if grading something this rare is worth it, four of these now sit in PSA slabs with Gem Mint ten printed at the top, heavily increasing its value.
1994 Bumblebee Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson PSA 10
While Dwayne Johnson’s card may look like it belongs in a copy of Sports Illustrated for Kids, don’t be fooled, it’s worth more than half the cards on this list. More known for his movies and wrestling career than playing the sport of football, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson adds some color to this list. With many Hurricanes fans not expecting these to be worth anything down the line most of these were probably thrown out. While only 33 PSA 10s are currently in existence, this movie star’s University of Miami rookie would make a great PC card for any wrestling or football fan’s collection. With the last PSA 10 sale being almost two years ago for almost $12,000, one has to wonder if future acting roles may influence the price of this card.
1999 UD Retro Inkredible Walter Payton Autograph BGS 7.5
Coming out the same year as his untimely death, this beautifully simplistic Walter Payton autographed card is numbered to his jersey number. This is the type of card that reminds collectors that chasing the big rookie or flashiest card isn’t always the priority when ripping packs. Rather, pulling an autograph of a player who broke several records and set the NFL on the path it’s on today can hold value in more ways than one. With this Walter Peyton BGS 7.5 selling for $5,700 back in 2022 one can only sit and wonder how much one would go for now.
1998 SP Authentic Die-Cut Randy Moss PSA 10
Record holder of the most touchdowns receptions in a single season and known for his utterly insane stat lines, this Randy Moss rookie card in a perfect 10 is one of the rarest cards on this list. With only ten perfect copies in existence and the last public sale almost five years ago (for $5,000), finding one of these in great condition could seem impossible. Almost as impossible as finding a receiver who could have just three receptions for over a hundred and sixty yards and three touchdowns, but he still managed to do that and in his rookie year no less.
1998 Bowman Certified Autograph Randy Moss Blue #A7 Silver PSA 10
While not many autographs made this list, this one is certainly one that any Randy Moss super collector would have to have. Starting his rookie campaign the same year this product came out, Moss would go on to claim offensive rookie of the year and not look back. The on-card autograph is something sorely missed by many collectors who like the fact that the player touched the card while signing it. Most recently selling for almost $1,900 back in October of 2022, this Randy Moss auto would fit perfectly in any 90’s collection.
1990 Score Supplemental Emmitt Smith PSA 10
While not the rarest or most valuable card in this list (selling most recently for $1,300), this Emmitt Smith rookie once sold for over $6,300 back in 2021. What sets this factory set apart from others is that they only included rookies and players that had recently been traded. An interesting picture, what makes this card all the more alluring is that future Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor can be seen in the background, trying to chase Emmitt down.
Conclusion
While you may not dust off that shoebox and find one of these gems inside, you may still find your love for the hobby again. With so many factors from grading to time of year changing the values of these cards, one thing is for certain, even the junk wax era can have a few hidden gems. From its rookies and rarities to low numbers and Hall of Fame autos, valuable cards can still be found throughout this decade and who knows, maybe in your closet too.
