Essential Peyton Manning Football Cards
There are very few athletes who can make the transition from being a star on the field to a star on the screen. Sure, it's been attempted by many, but not with the success that Peyton Manning has enjoyed. His career in the NFL was stellar; two Super Bowl wins and a record five MVPs speak for themselves. Fans of Manning also remember his almost legendary appearance on Saturday Night Live and his popular weekly "Manning Cast" with brother Eli on Monday nights is a hit. Manning's football cards have been hot since day one back in 1998. The good news is, essential cards can be had at every budget level.
TOPPS CERTIFIED AUTO BRONZE 1998 PEYTON MANNING
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There are several products from way back in 1998 that include rookie autographs of Manning. Many collectors prefer the Playoff Contender autographed Rookie Ticket, but that release has seen several instances of faded autographs and is much tougher to find as well as much more expensive. The 1998 Topps card showing off a proud Manning on draft day looks great, plus it sports a nice looking autograph.
UPPER DECK SP AUTHENTIC 1998 PEYTON MANNING
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The 1998 SP Authentic rookie card is especially revered by collectors and is considered by many to be his best card. A locked in, confident Manning looks ahead to a career that turned out to be legendary. The card is serially numbered to 2,000 and is notorious for its corner and edge wear - those black and blue borders are tough! A copy in gem-mint condition is very hard to locate and will be quite expensive.
PLAYOFF CONTENDERS ROOKIE TICKET AUTOGRAPH 1998 PEYTON MANNING
The Playoff Contenders rookie ticket release deserves to be included here simply because of its iconic status for Manning collectors. 1998 was the debut year for this product and happened to coincide with Manning's rookie year. Yes, some of the autographs are fading a bit over 25 years later, but besides being the only signed true Manning rookie card, it's limited to just 200.
BOWMAN CHROME REFRACTOR 1998 PEYTON MANNING
Bowman has a rich legacy with collectors and the 1998 edition was no exception, with its rookie class rich in future stars. Manning's card captures him mid drop-back and looks great. There are several parallels here to chase with the standard refractor being the most attainable.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.