Justin Herbert's Platinum NFL Shield Card Sold for $1.8 Million; What's it Worth Now?

Justin Herbert's latest loss in the playoffs has put a renewed focus on his card market from 2022. Herbert's card market was on fire, but a look back shows what hype and market exuberance can do to inflate card prices.

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Denico Autry (96) during the third quarter in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It's a beautiful card, it's a gorgeous card, it's a $1.8 million card. It's one of the highest-selling football cards ever - a 2020 National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield rookie card of Justin Herbert. It sold for $1.8 million in 2022 on Goldin Auctions and remains the third-most expensive version of a football card sold.

Buyer Beware: Not All Graded Cards Are Covered by eBay Authenticity Program

A few versions of Tom Brady's 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket have sold for more.

Sold for $1.8 million on Sept. 11, 2022 / Image Courtesy of Goldin Auctions

Michael Jordan's Most Graded Cards and Their Prices

At the time, the sale price made headlines, but so did the sales of a lot of cards. A Steph Curry National Treasures Logoman sold for $5.9 million, a Luka Doncic National Treasures Logoman sold for $5.1 million, and a Tom Brady Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket Autograph sold for $3.1 million - all in 2021.

Reid's Rips: 2024 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Blaster

At the time of Herbert's rookie card sale, he was just the third football player to have a card sell for more than $1 million, joining Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Image Courtesy of Goldin Auctions

After a dreadful 32-12 playoff loss to the Houston Texans this weekend, in which Herbert threw four interceptions, it's astounding to see what this card once sold for. His 2020 Prizm Black Finite 1/1 in BGS 9 also sold for $1.1 million two days before on Goldin.

This card sold for $162,000 in 2023. Herbert's NFL Shield card would sell for more, but how much more? / Image Courtesy of Fanatics Collect

What's It Worth Now?

It's not a knock on Herbert, a very good young quarterback. But he's made one Pro Bowl in five seasons and has yet to win a playoff game. Which begs the question, what's it worth now? There's no way to answer that, but seeing Herbert's 2020 Panini Prizm Black Finite can provide some answers.

Herbert's Prizm Black Finite 1/1, which sold for $1.1 million in 2021, had an autographed version of the card sell for $162,000 in February 2023. The sale represents about an 85% drop in price when comparing the two cards, though one is autographed.

The most expensive football card ever sold is Patrick Mahomes' 2017 Panini National Treasures 1-of-1 NFL Shield. / Image Courtesy of PWCC Marketplace

If we take the same approach to the Platinum NFL Shield card, we estimate the card would now be worth no more than $270,000. Considering Herbert has yet to win a playoff game, it's likely to sell for less than $270,000, and a reasonable range for the card now would be $200,000 - $250,000. Some people think it wouldn't sell for more than $50,000.

Herbert's record sales in 2021 should serve as a guide, an oracle from the past - the next time the sports card market reaches this type of exuberance. Sure, someone made a great deal of money on the sale, but now, more than two years later, it's safe to say that it came at someone else's expense.