NFL Football cards · Most popular
Joe Montana Rookie Card Value & Most Valuable Cards
As of October 29, 2026, the most popular Joe Montana card is the 1981 Topps, last sold for $93.
Updated
The ranking
- 1981 Topps
Base Card
Card #216His one and only true rookie card and the crown jewel of any Montana collection. Vintage cards were unnumbered; value is driven by condition, with PSA 10s selling into the tens of thousands.
last sold $93 from $275Recent salesSee all 19 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 25 Raw $61 Oct 25 Raw $130 Oct 23 PSA 8 $666.51 Oct 22 BGS 8 $340 Oct 21 Raw $95 Oct 18 PSA 6 $152.50 Oct 16 PSA 6 $155.50 Oct 13 Raw $93 Oct 13 Raw $77 Oct 10 Raw $77.76 Oct 10 Raw $172.50 Oct 9 BGS 7.5 $250 Oct 9 Raw $121 Oct 8 PSA 6 $128.50 Oct 8 PSA 7 $234.50 Oct 7 BGS 9 $1,936 Oct 7 Raw $100 Oct 4 Raw $112.50 Oct 4 PSA 6 $142.50 - 1982 Topps
In Action
Card #489His popular second-year In Action card, a favorite vintage follow-up to the rookie. Unnumbered; value is condition-driven.
from $12.99 - 1982 Topps
Base Card
Card #488His 1982 Topps base card — a key early-career vintage issue. Unnumbered; value is condition-driven.
from $45Recent salesSee all 5 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 17 PSA 5 $9.50 Oct 16 Raw $8.59 Oct 16 Raw $12.50 Oct 14 PSA 8 $33.99 Oct 7 Raw $4.99
Fun fact
Montana won four Super Bowls and never threw an interception in any of them — 11 touchdowns, zero picks — and was named Super Bowl MVP three times.
- 1984 Topps
Base Card
Card #358A mid-1980s Topps issue from Montana's championship prime. Unnumbered; value is condition-driven.
from $22.96Recent salesSee all 5 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 25 Raw $1.25 Oct 18 Raw $1 Oct 10 Raw $1.80 Oct 7 Raw $2.99 Oct 5 Raw $6.50 - 1985 Topps
Base Card
Card #157A recognizable 1985 Topps issue in Montana's Super Bowl era. Unnumbered; value is condition-driven.
from $18Recent salesSee all 4 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 16 Raw $27 Oct 10 Raw $6.50 Oct 8 PSA 7 $13 Oct 6 Raw $2.25
- 1986 Topps
Base Card
Card #156His 1986 Topps card — from the same iconic set as the Jerry Rice rookie. Unnumbered; value is condition-driven.
from $48Recent salesSee all 4 sales
Date Grade Sold for Oct 25 Raw $5.50 Oct 22 Raw $1.75 Oct 10 Raw $2.36 Oct 5 Raw $2.76
Joe Montana has just one true rookie card, the 1981 Topps (#216), and it tops this list as the crown jewel of any Montana collection. The rest of the list ranks the vintage Topps cards that follow through his championship prime by grail status and collector demand, with prices that update daily.
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Frequently asked
What is Joe Montana's most valuable card?
His 1981 Topps #216 rookie card in top grade. A perfect PSA 10 has sold in the tens of thousands of dollars, and it is the single most sought-after card in his collection.
What are Joe Montana's rookie cards?
He has just one recognized rookie card: the 1981 Topps (#216). Every other Montana card, including his popular 1982 Topps cards (#488 and In Action #489), is a later-year issue, an insert, or a modern autograph.
How much is a Joe Montana rookie card worth?
It ranges widely by grade. Raw copies of the 1981 Topps (#216) start around $150, PSA 9 copies have recently sold for about $2,000, and PSA 10s have sold for about $50,000 to $55,000 in 2026, with the top recorded sale near $85,000. Condition is everything on this card. Check the live price on the card above for today's market.
What's the most affordable Joe Montana card to start with?
His later-year vintage Topps base cards (from the mid-1980s) and lower-grade copies of the 1981 rookie are the accessible entry points into a Montana collection.
Which Joe Montana card is best to get graded?
The 1981 Topps rookie is the one that rewards grading most, because its value climbs sharply with condition. Centering and sharp corners make a big difference — compare recent graded sales before paying to grade.
Are Joe Montana cards a good investment?
Sports cards are collectibles, not guaranteed investments — values move with hobby demand and can fall as fast as they rise. This page is for research and enjoyment, not financial advice; buy what you love and do your own homework.
What's a fun fact about Joe Montana?
Montana won four Super Bowls and never threw an interception in any of them — 11 touchdowns, zero picks — and was named Super Bowl MVP three times.
What's the most expensive Joe Montana card for sale?
As of October 29, 2026, the most expensive Joe Montana card on our list that's for sale is the 1981 Topps (#1), last sold for $93. Prices update daily.
What's the best Joe Montana card under $100?
As of October 29, 2026, it's the 1981 Topps — #1 on our list of the 6 most popular Joe Montana cards — last sold for $93. Prices update daily.
Where this comes from
How we rank these cards
We rank by popularity — how coveted a card is — not by price alone. A card rises on its iconic standing (flagship rookies, on-card autographs, and marquee inserts), its scarcity (low serial numbers and true one-of-ones), and collector demand, with market value as a strong signal. The most expensive card isn't always the most popular.
Every list is checked against several sources before it goes live. The facts — how rare a card is, what it sells for, which versions exist — come only from card checklists, price trackers, and real sold listings.
What the community is chasing shapes how we order the list, but it never counts as a fact on its own. It tells us about demand, not whether a card truly belongs at the top.
We only call a card's rarity confirmed when the maker officially publishes the number. Otherwise we label it an estimate — and we never make a number up.
Each card photo comes from the eBay listing its button points to, so you're always seeing a real card that's actually for sale — credited to that listing, never taken from the card maker.
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