Tom Brady‘s autographed rookie card sold for a jaw-dropping six figures at Sotheby’s x Fanatics Live Auction on Tuesday night … and the lucky buyer was no other than Robert Kraft!
The ‘Holy Grails’ auction featured several near-priceless items, including Brady’s 2000 Playoff rookie card, signed by TB12.
The card was graded mint condition — receiving a 9.5 grade from Beckett Grading Services and a perfect 10 for the autograph — and we’re told only a few cards were printed back in the day due to Brady’s draft position (199th pick in the 6th round).
“It is among the highest condition copies of the card ever certified and, at the time of cataloging, no other example of this card has been graded higher by Beckett,” Sotheby’s said.
Well, Kraft — who took a chance on Brady when he selected the Michigan signal caller in the 2000 Draft — wasn’t going to let the card go home with someone else … the billionaire owner paid $120K!
“He has accomplished everything there is to achieve in this game, and so much more,” Kraft said of Brady when he retired in 2023.
“No player in NFL history has done it as well for as long as Tom Brady. He is the fiercest competitor I have ever known and the ultimate champion.”
And, Kraft’s card wasn’t the only Brady card at the auction. There were three other rookie cards that were auctioned … with all four going for an astounding $813K combined.
The auction also featured a Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Sapphire Superfractor card that sold for $336K, a rare 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card that went for a record $840K, and LeBron James‘ 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection rookie patch sold for $432K after a back-and-forth bidding battle.
Sotheby’s first auction with Fanatics had participants from 20 countries and brought in $7 million in sales!