There is one sentence you expect to read in any article about Dan Marino. Dan is the greatest quarterback who never won a Super Bowl. Happy now? But it's a cliche for a reason. It's true. The accolades and awards this phenomenal player won are mind-boggling. No less than 9 pro-bowl appearances and three pro-bowl first-team selections. A five-time NFL passing yards leader and three-time NFL passing touchdowns leader. Marino has also won the NFL MVP, the Offensive Player of the Year award, the Comeback Player of the Year award, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Marino was a special player with an arm like a cannon coupled with an incredibly quick release. That combo meant that when the Dolphins icon retired, he was the all-time NFL leader in just about every quarterback category that mattered. He had the most passing attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and yards in a season and was the first ever to reach 400 career touchdown passes.
Since then, folks like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning have broken most of his records. But remember, Marino did it when football players still ate cheeseburgers and drank beer between games. With today's scientific breakthroughs, the Pittsburgh native would have had even better numbers.
So, who needs a Super Bowl victory? Dan proved his greatness without one. He was selected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and has been consistently ranked as one of the top QBs ever. CBS Sports ranks him as the #12 player, and the Athletic ranks him at #18.
Collecting Dan Marino Football Cards
For most players, not winning a ring is a drawback for their collectibility. But somehow, in Dan Marino’s case, it has added to the mystique. The quarterback was charismatic and an absolute joy to watch. Dan is also basically a demigod in Florida. He played every snap of his career for the Dolphins and has worked for the team since 2014. As probably the most popular professional athlete ever in one of the most populous states in the union, there is an excellent market for Dan Marino football cards.
Of course, the usual caveats for football stars from the mid-1980s apply here. When Dan Marino came into the game, there were very few options for football cards. There were Topps base cards, and that was about it. However, Dan had a very long career. Seventeen years of excellence, to be precise. That means that all sorts of cool cards were available by the end of his career.
With an icon like Dan and his unique market, the good cards are always a worthwhile investment. Which ones are those? That is why you clicked on this article.
1984 Topps Dan Marino Rookie Card #123
A PSA 10 sold for $4,450
Well, where did you want me to start? Of course, the most important card in the catalog is the 1984 Topps Dan Marino Rookie Card #123. Does he look like a potato in this picture? Of course, he does. Nonetheless, this is the only official Dan Marino rookie card. We also love the 1984 Topps Football design, which is one of the best of the decade. The faux off-center lines make for a very interesting visual effect that gets more impressive the more you look at it.
It's fantastic that this card sells for as much as it does. Not that $4,000 is a fortune for an iconic rookie in PSA 10 form. But considering how ridiculously common this card is, that is a strong price. There are 27,353 (!!!!!!) graded copies of this Dan Marino rookie card. No less than 410 of these are PSA 10s. Of course, everyone bought the 1984 Topps cards, looking for the Marino and John Elway cards, and put them away neatly for safekeeping. Therefore, it's not surprising that so many survived in good condition.
1984 Topps Dan Marino #124
A PSA 10 sold for $45
There is another Dan Marino card in the 1984 Topps release. It was in that year's throwaway “action shot” insert called Instant Replay. The 1984 Topps Dan Marino #124 gives you a great picture of the rookie ready to launch a rocket. And trust me, he will do so long before Jack Reynolds of the Niners gets there. I vastly prefer this card over the classic Dan Marino rookie. But I don’t determine the markets. This beauty gets no respect.
1985 Topps Dan Marino #314
A PSA 10 sold for $2,100
In 1985, Topps took a chance and made a completely unique football flagship product. The results were rare at the time. However, this set has aged well. It doesn’t look like anything else in the decade and has a timeless quality. The 1985 Topps Dan Marino #314 looks particularly badass. Marino almost looks menacing here.
The market for the 1985 Topps Dan Marino #314 card is heating up. It went for $600 in 2019, $1,288 in 2022, and the last sale in 2022 was $2,100. If only all cards were appreciated like that. The market improved as population counts became more critical. After all, there is a fraction of the number of these items on the market compared to the Dan Marino rookie card. There are only 4,569 graded (still a lot, but compare that to 27,353) and 43 PSA 10s.
1985 Topps Passing Leaders Joe Montana / Dan Marino #192
A PSA 10 sold for $2,575
The stat leader cards from the 1980s aren’t usually worth that much. But in the case of 1985 Topps #192 Dan Marino / Joe Montana, we have the two greatest quarterbacks of the 1980s, with Dan very early in his development. All this with the ultra-sleek design of 1985 Topps Football. Yes, please! Also, people did not keep these cards in the best shape because they weren’t considered serious cards. Therefore, you will only find 25 PSA 10s.
1986 Topps Dan Marino #45
A PSA 10 sold for $1,376
The 1986 Topps Football design is very polarizing. You love it or hate it, and I fall firmly into the latter camp. Of course, the most famous card from this release is the Jerry Rice, but Marino is still fresh enough to be a key card in this release. We are also happy to report that Dan Marino looks less like a potato in this card than he did in some of the earlier ones. So that is definitely a plus for the 1986 Topps Dan Marino #45 card.
The prices are strong for a third-year card. There are many graded copies of the 1986 Topps, with 3,594 in the record. But only 72 are PSA 10s. The relative scarcity has increased prices significantly over the last few years.
1986 Topps Dan Marino Dolphins Team #44
A PSA 10 sold for $610
The Marino action shots always look better than his close-ups. He was just so incredibly graceful on the gridiron. In the pic on the 1986 Topps Dan Marino Dolphins Team #44, you can sense the power and tension in that shotgun of a right arm that is about to devastate and destroy. The yellow borders and lettering are also classy. Far beating the main 1986 Topps Football design. These cards are generally affordable.
1987 Topps Dan Marino #233
A PSA 10 sold for $247
The classic-looking design of the 1987 Topps Football release seems more 1970s than 1980s, but it works either way. Here, we see Dan Marino preparing to make a shorter and softer throw than his usual. Of course, Marino excelled at that as well. The dirty jersey is my favorite part of the 1987 Topps Dan Marino #233 card. A reminder of how hard this legend played. Also, notice how the crowd and background are blurred in an almost psychedelic way.
1988 Topps Dan Marino #190
A PSA 10 sold for $53
Should I say it? I will say it. This is one of the least attractive Dan Marino cards. And he looks like a potato. Look, Marino is a good-looking guy with great curly hair. But somehow, the helmet makes him look weird. Don’t shoot the messenger, ok? The 1988 Topps Dan Marino #190 card has already started moving into his veteran days and, therefore, has little value. Also, the card seems to grade very well. That is probably because of those tough white borders that don’t show any flaws. Therefore, there are 521 PSA 10s currently on the books.
1994 Finest Refractor Dan Marino #142
A PSA 10 sold for $1,444
Dan enters the modern card era with the 1994 Finest Refractor Dan Marino #142. The early and primitive refractors are a sight to behold with those tacky colors and bad reflections. But aren’t these humble beginnings great fun? Perhaps the coolest yet dumbest part of this card is how Topps removed the actual football from Dan’s hand and replaced it with the Topps logo.
Only recently has the market understood the importance of these cards. You could get a PSA 10 1994 Refractor for $300 in 2018. Now they are selling for almost five times that. With only 5 PSA 10s and 146 graded copies, that may soon look like a bargain. Remember, these early refractors are also historically important, aside from being rare.
1996 Upper Deck Game Jerseys Dan Marino #GJ7
A PSA 7 sold for $141
The first jersey cards featuring Dan Marino come from the 1996 release of the Upper Deck Game Jerseys. It was way ahead of its time and played a massive role in popularizing memorabilia cards. What is great about the 1996 Upper Deck Game Jerseys Dan Marino #GJ7 card is the dolphins' colors, which run throughout the top of the card towards the bottom. That is contrasted by a classy black border running through most of the card (the bottom and most of the left and right).
The price for these cards may look low to you. And you are correct. There hasn’t been a sale since 2019, and there would be far more appreciation for this card now. The population count is also low, with only 20, and none above a PSA 9.
1997 Skybox Premium Autographics Dan Marino #41
A PSA 10 sold for $450
These early Dan Marino autographs may not be the most attractive cards ever, but they matter. It took a while for the industry to fully understand the potential of signed cards, and that is why there aren’t too many from Marino’s active career. But we have this late example.
2012 Topps Five Star Dan Marino 3 Color Patch Jersey Auto #/75
A PSA 10 sold for $700
We had to wait almost three decades to get our first Dan Marino patch auto. Was it worth it? You betcha. The 2012 Topps Five Star Dan Marino 3 Color Patch Jersey Auto #/75 is a raving beauty. Sure, Dan looks 80 years old here, but whatever. The patch is beautiful, the design wonderful, and Marino has a stunning signature. It's a real shame we don’t have auto cards from his peak, considering the quality of that John Hancock.
Final Word On Dan Marino Football Cards
The many records that Marino held are broken now. But his place in the football pantheon is as strong as ever. Looking at the prices of his cards, I am amazed at how much they have jumped in the last few years. There is a mystique and nostalgia around him that does not surround many other players. And, of course, Florida is a vast market, pumping up the value of Marino cards.
Your best bet in terms of value is latter-year refractors and autos. Many of them are undervalued even now. But the market is starting to catch on. Get them now, before that happens.
