John Elway was one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 1990s. Perhaps the greatest that decade had to offer. Despite being drafted by the unaccomplished (at the time) Denver Broncos, Elway reached five Super Bowls, winning two of them. Ultimately, he put the Broncos on the map. He won the 1997 and 1998 titles with them as a player and was general manager in their third Super Bowl triumph in 2015. Indeed, they only won a championship with him.
His combination of long-term regular season excellence with an uncanny ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage set Elway apart as an all-time time-great.
The quarterback retired with John Elway (at the time) the most victories by any starting quarterback. He remains the only quarterback to score a rushing touchdown in four Super Bowls and one of only two to accomplish that.
It is well worth remembering that Elway came into a train wreck of a team. The Denver Broncos had never been anywhere near contention. Therefore, many of his best years were spent playing for a team that can be charitably described as mediocre. Most notably, his 1987 MVP season may have been his best ever. So, he could have had many more titles if he played for a more accomplished team.
Collecting John Elway Football Cards
Elway only played for the Broncos and was far and away the greatest player they ever had. When a player is that important to a fan base, you can guarantee their cards will always have a strong market.
Another element you can’t ignore is the look. John looked every bit like the cocky star quarterback who dated the head cheerleader and had the best car among the entire senior class. He had the rugged good looks so many quarterbacks seem to have. Also, his body was ideally suited to the game, so Elway looked imposing in his uniform as well. As a result, John Elway cards pop with attitude and are very attractive.
So much for the elements working in favor of John Elway’s cards. But, of course, the timing works against them. His rookie card comes a bit before the peak of the “junk wax” card era. However, it was already a mass-produced time for cards.
Meanwhile, the Broncos legend peaked during that era. Therefore, he has many over-printed but low-value cards.
Luckily, his later years came as the hobby started to take its more modern form. Refractors, autos, and other low-print cards were common by his retirement. Therefore, we have a nice variety of latter-day John Elway cards.
1982 TCMA Oneonta Yankees John Elway #13
A PSA 10 sold for $7,777.
Elway was one of those maddeningly gifted prodigies who was good at every sport. If that wasn’t enough, he was good-looking too. I swear, there is no justice in this world. How good was he in baseball? The Yankees selected him in the second round of the draft, even though they knew it was unlikely the youngster would choose baseball. Hoping to change his mind, the “Bronx Bombers” offered John a $140,000 bonus, more than even the number 1 pick received.
The 1982 TCMA Oneonta Yankees John Elway #13 card is beautiful. The black and white only adds to the “what could have been” mystique of the item. The market is increasingly appreciative of these sorts of oddity cards. And with a population count of only 138, this has much scope to grow in value.
1984 Topps John Elway Rookie Card #63
A PSA 10 sold for $6,700
The 1984 Topps John Elway Rookie Card #63 is one of the most iconic football cards of the decade. It embodies the image of the young and unflappable master quarterback. The wonderful picture here is how John will be remembered in the hobby forever. The design for the 1984 Topps football release is also one of the best conceived, and it works beautifully with the Broncos logo of the time. Not to mention the way the Topps logo pops.
Unfortunately, the population numbers for this baby are significant. There are no less than 23,824 PSA-graded copies of this card. Elway was the #1 draft pick in the NFL (yes, ahead of Dan Marino even), so everyone kept his cards. It was clear from day one that this guy was special. Because the numbers are so large, there is a relatively significant number of PSA 10s on the market as well. There are 187 gem mints. Therefore, the price is actually quite impressive for such a common card.
1984 Topps Stickers John Elway #179
A PSA 10 sold for $300
It is hard to know what to make of these stickers. They are essentially John Elway rookie cards. However, the market certainly doesn’t treat them that way. So even though the population count is far lower than the standard rookie card, the 1984 Topps Stickers John Elway #179 is worth a good deal less.
1985 Topps John Elway #238
A PSA 10 sold for $3,600
The 1985 Topps football design was strange. It seems out of sorts in the 1980s designs, with the almost classy color scheme, horizontal pictures, and prominent last names. It could be more of a 1990s vibe. And the plain lettering for the Topps brand name at the top right corner is beautifully understated. But that makes these cards more memorable. The 1985 Topps John Elway #238 captures him either introspective or disgusted. I can’t really tell which. But this is one of his most beautiful John Elway cards either way. The card has a surprisingly low population count, so it may yet appreciate in value.
1986 Topps John Elway #112
A PSA 10 sold for $1,000
The 1986 Topps football release is one of the most important of the decade, but not because of Elway. That is partially because he was no longer a young up-and-comer. But also because the 1986 Topps John Elway #112 card was among the ugliest in a reasonably unattractive release. Something is really off about John’s face here, and the puke-green design really doesn’t help matters. Still, it's a classic “junk wax” card.
1987 Topps John Elway #31
A PSA 10 sold for $152
In 1987, Elway was the NFL MVP and was at the top of his game. Therefore, the 1987 Topps John Elway #31 card captures a master of his craft in action. But the design for 1987 Topps Football was about as unremarkable as they come. By junk wax era standards, this one doesn’t have a massive population count. It stands at 1,206 overall. Therefore, the values have gone up somewhat over the last two years.
1987 Ace Fat Pack Denver Broncos John Elway
A PSA 10 sold for $75
Don’t let the low prices fool you. The 1987 Ace Fat Pack Denver Broncos John Elway cards are rare, and graded copies haven’t sold for a while. There are only 12 graded copies of this rare release. It is also a nice-looking and very distinctively shaped card. The picture is excellent, and we don't often see the defining stats on the front of the card. The upside for this card is strong.
1988 Topps John Elway #23
A PSA 10 sold for $92
You have to hand it to Topps. Just as the other card companies were coming for them, they defaulted to the most boring possible designs for their football card releases. These conservative white border looks are very sterile for the “junk wax” era. But Elway, as always, looks great in the 1988 Topps John Elway #23 picture. And we do like the color meld at the bottom of the card. But as a common mid-career base card, this will never be worth much.
1991 Upper Deck John Elway #124
A PSA 10 sold for $40
The 1991 Upper Deck John Elway #124 card manages quite the achievement. It makes the graceful athlete we know and love look clumsy, and even kind of tubby. But it does capture Elway rushing, which is something he was very adept at. Especially for the time, when quarterbacks didn’t run as much.
1991 Upper Deck John Elway #75
A PSA 10 sold for $22
Yes, we already had a John Elway Upper Deck card from 1991. But after that ugly one, I couldn’t skip over the beauty that is the 1991 Upper Deck John Elway #75 card. The dual picture design, very common today, had fallen out of favor in those days. So when Upper Deck brought it back to such a strong effect here, it was highly refreshing. This is certainly one of the most attractive John Elway cards. However, it doesn’t garner much value.
1991 Pro Line Portraits Autographs John Elway #68
An authenticated copy sold for $131.
The 1991 Pro Line Portraits Autographs John Elway #68 is an example of a card the market doesn’t quite appreciate yet. But since this is the first auto of the legendary quarterback, its value should be appreciated. And there hasn’t been a sale of a graded version since 2020, so I am sure the value is up. Some skeptics of this card say its price may remain low for portrays a combination of two reasons. First, that weird picture portraying Elway chilling in his workout gear. Second, because the auto is in the back, but that only adds to what makes this card unique. Who needs another action shot with an auto on the front? BORING! There are only 34 graded copies. But strangely, 20 of them are PSA 10s.
1997 Skybox Premium John Elway #98SR (RUBIES)
A PSA 8 sold for $1,726
The best late-career John Elway cards are all from the various Skybox releases. It included so many great low count cards, and all with considerable aesthetic appeal. There are only 10 graded copies of the 1997 Skybox Premium John Elway #98SR (RUBIES) card. Therefore, the one sale on record from 2021 probably seriously undervalues the card. Although the bold colors in the background look somewhat primitive by today's standards, this was a very exciting design at the time.
1998 Skybox EX 2001 Essential Credentials Future John Elway /51
A raw copy sold for $7,500.
John Elway did not come of age in a hobby with low-numbered cards. But by the time he neared retirement, the hobby had completely changed. The 1998 Skybox EX 2001 Essential Credentials Future John Elway /51 sells for very strong prices nowadays. It's easy to see why. It is an imaginative and bold design that fits current-day aesthetic sensibilities. The card is also scarce and low-numbered. The selling price hints at what an Elway RPA might be worth if it existed.
1999 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems John Elway #92
A PSA 9 sold for $15,250.
The Precious Metal Gems series has emerged as the most valuable and beloved of the late 1990s inserts. They are rare and have a unique and striking look, which is unsurprising. The population count is a mere 10, and there are no PSA 10s. The highest sale price is from 2020. But it is worth several times that now.
The Final Word On John Elway Football Cards
The market appreciates Elway because of his quality as a player, his photogenic looks, and the deep love he gets from the Broncos fan base. He is the kind of player they make football cards for. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many cards from early in his career. So, there are slim pickings as far as rookies are concerned.
However, to some extent, the latter years make up for that. The Skybox cards, particularly, are scarce, beautiful, and valuable. Also, because they are late career cards, they are still basically affordable. But at the same time, the rarer cards among them represent an excellent investment. This is a player you can afford to collect. But at the same time, your collection will certainly appreciate over time significantly if you invest in high grade versions of low count items.
