Demand for Tom Brady memorabilia sky rockets by over 300% following QB's retirement

Quarterback Tom Brady's memorabilia has seen quite the jump since the NFL legend officially announced his retirement after 22 seasons in the league. Since speculation began that Brady might retire, searches for his collectibles have jumped by over 328% on eBay.

From Jan 24-29, trending memorabilia on the marketplace included his rookie cards (searches up 476%) and jerseys (searches up 273%).

His most in-demand rookie card sold for $2.3 million through Probstein Auctions by way of eBay on February 1st. It's an autographed 2000 Contenders Rookie Championship Ticket, numbered out of 100. It also features a Beckett Grading Services grade of 8.5 and a perfect 10 signature.

It's the third-most-expensive football card ever, trailing just Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' 2017 Panini National Treasures 1-of-1 rookie card, which sold for $4.3 million in June 2021.

The card is a higher-graded version of the same 2000 Contenders Rookie Championship Ticket autographed by Brady, which sold for $3.1 million in July 2021. The collectible is also the largest transaction for a trading card in eBay's history.

Brady and his Value

Super Bowl LV

Brady owns the record for the highest-priced game-used NFL jersey of all-time. It's a signed jersey from the final week of the 2020 regular season, when Brady was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The jersey was sold through Goldin auction house for a total of $480,000.

In that regular season finale, the Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 44-27. Brady went 26 of 41 for 399 passing yards with four touchdowns in that game.

The 44-year-old played 20 of his 22 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowls and spent his remaining two years in Tampa Bay, where he won his seventh and final Super Bowl in the 2020 season.

NFL fans' passion doesn’t stop at jerseys and cards though, extending to anything the quarterback has used throughout his extensive career. There is a flourishing market for pieces of memorabilia from Brady's noteworthy NFL career which will live on through these precious objects.