The media has a fascination with the Manning family, and understandably so. Father Archie Manning was an All-American and two-time Pro Bowl selection. Meanwhile, two of his sons, Eli and Payton, won multiple Super Bowl rings. So they just have an incredible pedigree. But Peyton was the best player of the three, and we should not forget that. Indeed, Peyton Manning was one of the most outstanding quarterbacks ever to fling a pigskin. And his high media profile since retiring has really helped keep that collecting profile high.
How good was Peyton? Just a few numbers say it all. The man was a 14-time (!!!!) Pro-Bowl selection. Only Tom Brady has more. Manning led the league in passing yards three times and passing touchdowns four times. But perhaps his five MVP awards best reflect Manning's excellence. That is more than any football player and reflects Peyton's outsized importance in turning the Indianapolis Colts from a joke into perennial contenders.
15. 1998 Topps Gold Label (Gold label) Peyton Manning RC #20
A PSA 10 sold for $400
Are you seeing double? No, you are seeing the 1998 Topps Gold Label (Gold label) Peyton Manning RC #20 design, which inexplicably has two quarterbacks awkwardly juxtaposed against each other. Topps Gold was a sort of early version of Panini Select. Cards came in a tier system. You had Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 cards in the set. And, of course, there were three versions of the Manning rookie card, each with a different photograph. Sounds confusing? You ain't heard nothing yet, grasshopper. The cards also had three label colors: Red, Black, and Gold. If you are getting Dungeons & Dragons vibes here, you are not alone. Not sure this uninspiring design is worth learning all these tiers, but it's still a pretty popular card.
14. 1998 Pacific Revolution Peyton Manning RC #58
A PSA 9 sold for $595
We could never neglect this absolute gem of a card. Sure, it's worth much less than most of the other items on this list. And yeah, it features Peyton in his Tennessee Volunteers uniform rather than Colts blue. But the design is so deliciously god-awful that it ends up firmly on the camp side of things. The sparkly foil in the 1998 Pacific Revolution Peyton Manning Rookie Card #58 clashes loudly with the poorly colored swirls. And today, a Peyton card in the University of Tennessee colors is pretty cool. He led the Volunteers to 39 wins in 45 games, a Southeastern Conference (SEC) win record. And he remains the school's all-time passing leader with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns.
13. 1998 Upper Deck Peyton Manning RC #1
A PSA 10 sold for $699
The 1998 Upper Deck Peyton Manning Rookie Card #1 isn't one of those super expensive and scarce cards. Not everything has to be. However, this is one of the most elegant and vital Peyton Manning rookie cards. To me, and many others, this is the best-looking of all his rookies and what we have in mind as the most iconic of all. Upper Deck also had the foresight to number card #1, giving it a well-deserved cache. It was part of the Star Rookie subset in the 1998 Upper Deck, which is why the design is so excellent. Honestly, these Upper Deck Football cards were wonderful and sorely missed.
12. 1998 Bowman Chrome Peyton Manning RC #1
A PSA 10 sold for $736
It's hard to think of Bowman as anything but a baseball card, but Topps was also trying to bring the prospecting brand into football and basketball. The 1998 Chrome Football design had an interesting look with a large border on the left and a far smaller one on the right. The position is particularly prominent. But my favorite thing about the 1998 Bowman Chrome Peyton Manning RC #1 card is that focused look we all remember so well as Manning looks downfield. Every defense in the NFL knew they were about to get split open like a coconut when "The Sheriff" saddled up like that.
11. 1998 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion Peyton Manning RC #201G
A PSA 10 sold for $916
The Gold Medallion variant doesn't quite have the cache of the Platinum Medallion. It doesn't look as fancy (or beautiful), and it features our favorite QB in his college uniform. But the 1998 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion Peyton Manning Rookie Card #201G still gets a reasonably good price. The card is actually quite memorable for a couple of reasons. First, it captures Peyton in a highly comical position. He looks like a child jumping up and down mid-tantrum. But you know, with a helmet. Second, the lettering is absolutely gorgeous, capturing about as good a take on cursive as I have seen on a card. Finally, I do have a soft spot for rookie cards that just flat-out say "rookie." What can I say? I am a simple man.
10: 1998 Topps Finest Peyton Manning RC #121 (Refractor With Coating)
A PSA 10 sold for $1,600
Topps Finest was among the best high-end products of the 90s. It continues to enjoy popularity with baseball card fans and will likely see its way back to football in the near future. The refractors were one of the biggest attractions in these releases, and the 1998 Topps Finest Peyton Manning RC #121 is one of the best. The Topps Finest logo just pops, and in case you missed it, the word "Rookie" is emblazoned behind the confident-looking Peyton.
9: 1998 SPx Finite Peyton Manning RC #181 #/1,998
A PSA 8 sold for $1,800
Another one of those fun old-school SPs with a gazillion copies. But despite the large number, that still means the 1998 SPx Finite Peyton Manning RC #181 #/1,998 wasn't mass printed. So if you get a raw one, grade it ASAP. There isn't a single one with a grade over 8 yet, and you could be in for a phenomenal payday. The foil design works well and is an exceptionally classy example of the late 1990s aesthetic.
8: 1998 Bowman's Best Refractor Peyton Manning RC #112
A PSA 10 sold for $2,109
The Bowman's Best is a strong candidate for the best Peyton Manning rookie refractor card. It has a familiar gold background, but the designers added a gold-tinged purple bottom for the sake of variety. And Topps did a great job selecting the best action photo for the 1998 Bowman's Best Refractor Peyton Manning RC #112. The Manning base card in Bowman's Best is also a fine card.
7: 1998 Leaf R & S Crusade Red Peyton Manning RC #66
A PSA 10 sold for $5,500
The 1998 Leaf R & S Crusade Red Peyton Manning Rookie Card #66 came out before 9/11 and the Iraq War. So, it was still considered cool to call a card Crusade. And I guess the Middle East isn't that big a marketplace for football cards, so Leaf wasn't too concerned. But, Geopolitics aside, this insert series's dragons on foil design was pretty sweet. And the Peyton Manning rookie is the cream of the crop. It came in several parallels: Green/250, Purple /100, and Red /25. But we are snobs, so we only care about the most valuable ones.
6: 1998 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion Peyton Manning RC #201P
A PSA 10 sold for $7,380
Any of the Peyton Manning cards from this release are worth having. But the 1998 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion Peyton Manning Rookie Card #201P is particularly awesome. They are numbered 66, and a mere 8 PSA 10s exist. Just as significantly, this one jumps out the most out of all three versions (base, gold, and platinum). Don't you hate it when the most expensive parallel is also the ugliest? Well, in this case, they really nailed the scarce card. Thanks, Fleer!
5: 1998 SP Authentic Peyton Manning RC #14 #/2,000
A PSA 10 sold for $11,500
I find these late 1990s "short print" cards highly amusing. A mere 2,000 cards! Get them while they last. But since we are talking about a Peyton Manning rookie here, the 1998 SP Authentic Peyton Manning RC #14 #/2,000 card commands strong value, despite the suspect claim to limited printing. But let's give this rookie card the props it deserves. The SP brand was a great one among the elite offerings of the era. In addition, this is a beautiful photo with a real classic feel. And am I the only one who thinks he looks a bit like baby brother Eli here?
4: 1998 Topps Chrome Peyton Manning Rookie Refractor #165
A PSA 10 sold for $22,581
In 1998 you only had one refractor in your favorite Chrome release, which was the one for Peyton. Sure, the refracting color is not very inspiring. It's basically neon beige with a slather of waiting room green. But the (clearly staged) photo has a cool energy to it. And everyone loves these 90s Topps Chrome releases, so the long-term popularity of the 1998 Topps Chrome Peyton Manning Rookie Refractor #165 card is assured. Also, it was the third year Topps produced refractors and the first where they realized scarcity was good. So, the pop numbers are low, and the value is correspondingly high.
3: 1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Peyton Manning RC #189
A PSA 10 sold for $30,100
Fleer cards usually don't break the bank. But this one is a different kettle of fish to use a boomer idiom. Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems cards were well ahead of their time. The designs look like they could easily have been made in the 2010s. But the real clincher is, as always, the rarity. There are only 50 of each of these inserts, including the 1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Peyton Manning RC #189. And they are each worth well over their weight in gold. I mean precious metal gems.
2: 1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future Peyton Manning RC #54
A PSA 9 sold for $51,660
Is this a beautiful card or a butt-ugly one? You know what they say; hideousness is in the eye of the beholder. There is a lot going on in this card. Probably a bit too much. The clear acetate and rainbow foil are distinctive but somewhat poorly color-coordinated. And as some sharp-eyed observers have noted, Peyton is wearing his practice uniform here. But none of that has stopped this Payton Manning rookie card from fetching primo bucks. The scarcity is doing the talking here, as there are only 4 PSA-graded versions of this card. The way the value of the 1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future Peyton Manning RC #54 has skyrocketed reflects the changes in the hobby in recent years. In 2017, a PSA 9 sold for $6,375. In 2021 it sold for about 9 times that amount: $51,660.
1: 1998 Playoff Contenders Ticket Peyton Manning Auto #87
A PSA 10 sold for $71,988
The 1998 Playoff Contenders Ticket Peyton Manning Auto #87 is, without a doubt, the king of all Peyton Manning cards. Today, we consider these tickets among the most recognizable rookie cards on the market. But back in 1998, they hadn't taken it yet, and this rare rookie auto of the star young QB put the format over the top. It was a high-end release back in those days and one of the first to feature pack-ready autos. But the appeal of this card is more specific. If you want to understand the magic of this card, a quick one is all you need. That brash on the card signature, taking up the bottom half of the card, is just bursting with energy.
Final Word Of The Top 15 Most Expensive Peyton Manning Rookie Cards
Manning came into the NFL at an excellent time for football cards. There were still quite a few card producers on the market, like Leaf, Upper Deck, and Topps. But they had already discovered the importance of scarce cards, refractors, and autos. So, we have a wide variety of well-designed and innovative rookie cards for Peyton "The Sheriff" Manning.
