Introduction
This article covers the best Peyton Manning rookie cards to collect and invest in; while there are over one hundred Peyton Manning rookie cards, these are my top 30 picks. I only included the more common brands, but you can find plenty of other rarer cards for sale. This list was put together to give new collectors a checklist and veteran collectors a reminder of what Peyton Manning RC cards are. Remember to collect what you like and buy what you can afford.
#30
1998 Score
Peyton Manning RC #233
1998 Score football has a 270-card base set with 15 Off Season cards, 3 checklists, 20 rookies, and 232 veterans. There are three parallel sets: Showcase, Artist’s Proofs, and One-on-One.
The Score brand is a much lower-end sports card brand but still very collectible. You can pick up a Score Peyton Manning rookie in a PSA 10 case for around $50 today.
#29
1998 Leaf R & S
Peyton Manning RC #233
PSA 10 sold for $118
#28
1998 Bowman
Peyton Manning RC #1
Bowman contains 220 cards, including 150 veterans and 70 rookies. The rookie cards were featured on a silver and blue design, while veteran players were shown on a silver and red design. Rookie cards from this set also contain a “Bowman Rookie Card” gold foil stamp on the front. Bowman is an iconic brand in the football card world. Obtaining a Peyton Manning base rookie is a must for any collector.
#27
1998 UD Black Diamond Singles
Peyton Manning RC #91
PSA 10 sold for $162
Upper deck Black Diamond has a distinct foil look and feel. They don’t produce Black Diamond sets anymore, but if you collected them back in the late 90s, you probably remember them. This is an affordable Peyton Manning rookie card option with the word “rookie” on the card.
The parallel Double Black Diamond singles feature red Light F/X technology with rookies numbered out of 2,500. The Triple Black Diamond parallel set has veterans numbered out of 1,500 and rookies out of 1,000.
There is also a Quadruple Black Diamond set with veterans numbered out of 150 and rookies out of 100!
#26
1998 Press Pass
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $215
1998 Press Pass contains 50 cards of 45 players eligible for the 1998 NFL Draft, four coaches, and a checklist card featuring Peyton Manning. The design entails a black strip across the bottom identifying the player, with his position and the Press Pass logo above. Reflectors, Paydirt and Triple Threat are some hot inserts in this set. Peyton Manning getting dogpiled by the UCLA defense makes this an iconic Peyton Manning rookie card to collect.
#25
1998 Pacific Revolution
Peyton Manning RC #58
PSA 10 sold for$255
Pacific Revolution football consists of 150 cards with trippy and vibrant spiral backgrounds. Because of the thick foil on the cards, they are easily damaged around the corners and edges, making high grade examples challenging to find.
#24
1998 Upper Deck
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $375
Upper Deck Series One football consists of a 255-card base set. Base cards have a color photo bordered on three sides with the player’s name, team, and position printed at the bottom. There are 210 regular cards, 42 Star Rookie subsets inserted (1:4), and three checklists.
The set is paralleled in UD Exclusives. There are many inserts, including SuperPowers, Constant Threat, Define the Game, Game Jerseys, and Hobby-Exclusive Game Jerseys.
#23
1998 Pacific Aurora
Peyton Manning RC #71
PSA 10 sold for $384
The Aurora main set highlights 200 of football’s most exciting players of 1998. These cards were printed on 24-point thick stock and have a separate portrait in the top right corner. The Player’s latest stats are displayed on the back of each card, along with a trivia question. Peyton’s question is: “In what season did his father, Archie, lead the NFC in passing yards”?
#22
1998 Fleer Brilliants
Peyton Manning RC #120
PSA 10 sold for $386
#21
1998 Topps
Peyton Manning RC #360
PSA 10 sold for $417
1998 Topps rookie cards are one per three packs and have a gold border around the player’s photo. A Topps gold foil logo in sits in the upper right corner, while the team logo is in the lower right of the card. Peyton’s name scrolls vertically along the border. Backs are displayed in a horizontal format and have another action shot of the players. Statistics and bio information is also displayed on the back of the card.
PSA graded 2,532 of Manning’s Topps rookie card, with 587 grading gem mint 10, 1,231 mint 9, and the remaining PSA 8 or less. With most cards grading mint 9, these are relatively easy to find in mint condition.
#20
1998 Pacific Crown Royale
Peyton Manning RC #54
PSA 10 sold for $476
1998 Crown Royale is a 144-card set featuring players positioned over a die-cut crown. Base cards feature player photos on a crown-shaped die-cut card. There are two parallel sets, the silver and holographic gold foil inserted at 4:25 (four per hobby box) and the silver and holographic blue foil inserted at 1:25 (one per hobby box).
Die-cut cards are generally tough to get high grades in. There are currently only 58 PSA Gem Mint 10’s in this rookie card. 264 total cards have been submitted.
#19
1998 Playoff Momentum Red
Peyton Manning RC #98
PSA 10 sold for $669
1998 Playoff Momentum
Peyton Manning RC #98
PSA 10 sold for $182
#18
1998 Stadium Club 1st Day Issue
Peyton Manning RC #195
PSA 10 sold for $937
1998 Stadium Club football cards consist of 195 cards and came in a single series. All cards feature borderless, full-bleed photographs on 20-pt cardstock. Moreover, Rookie cards are one per every two packs.
Stadium Club is one of Peyton’s few rookie cards of him in his Baltimore Colts uniform. A significant parallel card is the 1st Day issue cards, randomly inserted in hobby boxes. They have gold foil stamps on the front and sell for much more than base set cards.
#17
1998 Playoff Prestige Red
Peyton Manning RC #165
PSA 10 sold for $900
Prestige was a 200-card set with two different looks between the retail and hobby versions. Retail versions are printed on thinner stock, with a foil strip on the bottom. Hobby versions are thicker card stock printed on 30-point etched silver foil stock.
Hobby cards are paralleled in red and gold versions, and retail has a green and red foil.
1998 Playoff Prestige Hobby
Peyton Manning RC #165
PSA 10 sold for $200
#16
1998 Fleer Tradition Heritage Collection
Peyton Manning RC #235H
PSA 10 sold for $1,225
1998 Fleer Tradition football cards feature 250 full-bleed, borderless photographs with a glossy coating. In ’98, Fleer made a parallel set called Heritage Collection, sequentially numbered out of 125 with green foil ink and a logo on the front, allowing them to be easily identifiable.
1998 Fleer Tradition
Peyton Manning RC #235
PSA 10 sold for $275
#15
1998 Finest Refractor
Peyton Manning RC #121
PSA 10 sold for $1,425
What is the value of Peyton Manning’s 1998 Topps Finest refractor?
Peyton Manning’s Topps Finest refractor rookie card is among his most affordable rookie refractors cards to collect. PSA 10s sell between $900-$1,400, while PSA 9s sell for $300 on average. There are examples with the protected coating still intact; however, they do not appear to sell for more.
1998 Finest
Peyton Manning RC #121
PSA 10 sold for $117
How much is Peyton Manning’s 1998 Finest rookie card worth?
Peyton Manning’s 1998 Finest rookie card is one of his more affordable rookie cards from a set that uses a chromium finish. PSA 10 examples sell for $100 on average, while PSA 9s sell between $50-$80.
#14
1998 Skybox Thunder Rave
Peyton Manning RC #239
PSA 10 sold for $1,601
1998 Skybox Thunder Rave parallels.
Skybox Thunder parallels are sequentially numbered out of 150 and have a diamond foil finish over Mannin’s last name and Skybox Thunder logo. Because these have such a low supply, the price of owning a high-grade example can get high. The last PSA 10 example was sold at auction in March 2021 for $1,601, while a PSA 9 sold for $315 in December 2020.
1998 Skybox Premium
Peyton Manning RC #231
PSA 10 sold for $183
#13
1998 Skybox Premium Star Rubies
Peyton Manning RC #231
PSA 9 sold for $10,000
1998 Skybox Premium Star Rubies parallels.
Peyton Manning’s Star Rubie’s parallel is one of his rarest and most valuable football cards. Star Rubie’s cards are sequentially numbered out of 50 and have a red Skybox Premium logo and font. Additionally, the background features a colorful pattern that refracts when held in the light.
PSA graded four of Manning’s Star Rubies, with none grading gem mint 10, two grading mint 9, one grading PSA 8, and one grading PSA 5. With such a low PSA population, the evidence is clear; these are highly elusive.
1998 Skybox Premium
Peyton Manning RC #231
PSA 10 sold for $372
#12
1998 Bowman Chrome refractor
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $3,007
1998 Bowman Chrome football card refractors.
Bowman chrome rookie refractors are highly collectible and a must-have for any football card collector. 1998 Bowman Chrome rookie refractors are in 1:12 packs, so the odds were challenging but not too bad. Pulling Peyton Manning would have been exciting then and even today. PSA graded 384 Peyton Manning refractor rookies, 46 grading gem mint 10, 283 mint 9, and the remaining PSA 8 less.
1998 Bowman Chrome
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $227
1998 Bowman Chrome football card set.
Bowman Chrome football is a 220-card base set with 150 veterans and 70 rookies. Rookie cards are designated with a silver and blue logo design, while the veteran cards are shown with a silver and red design. Base rookie cards are not rare; however, in gem mint condition, they are relatively scarce. PSA graded 5,129 of Mannings base Bowman Chrome rookie cards. Of those examples, 1,060 were in PSA 10 condition and 3,496 in mint 9.
#11
1998 SPX Finite
Peyton Manning RC #181
PSA 10 sold for $3,995
#10
1998 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection
Peyton Manning Row 3 RC #3
PSA 10 sold for $6,150
Flair Showcase Legacy Collection parallel cards.
Legacy Collection parallels are distinguishable by the Legacy Collection stamp on the front, blue foil ink, and serial numbers out of 100 on the back. They are some of the more collected and valuable parallels across all sports cards.
1998 Flair Showcase Row 3
Peyton Manning RC #3
PSA 10 sold for $237
1998 Flair Showcase football cards.
The 1998 Flair Showcase football card set has four tiers with different rarities, including Row 0, Row 1, Row 2, and Row 3, with Row 0 being the rarest. Row 3 is Peyton’s proper rookie card to hobby purists because it belongs in the base set. All other Rows are technically parallels; however, they sell for more due to being rarer.
#9
1998 Bowman’s Best Atomic refractor
Peyton Manning RC #112
PSA 10 sold for $5,306
1998 Bowman’s Best football cards.
This super-premium set has a 125-card base set that is made up of 100 veterans and 25 rookies. Base set veteran cards have a gold design, while rookies have silver. Moreover, each card has a refractor sequentially numbered out of 400 and found in 1:25 packs. Even rarer are Atomic Refractors, sequentially numbered out of 100 and inserted in 1:103 packs.
1998 Bowman’s Best refractor
Peyton Manning RC #112
PSA 10 sold for $2,829
1998 Bowman’s Best
Peyton Manning RC #112
PSA 10 sold for $125
#8
1998 Leaf R & S Crusade Red
Peyton Manning RC #66
PSA 10 sold for $5,500
How much is Peyton Mannin’s Leaf Crusade rookie card worth?
1998 Leaf Crusade Red parallels are sequentially numbered out of 25 and are ultra rare. There are three total parallels: Green/250, Purple /100, and Red /25. All colors are valuable; however, Red is considerably more valuable because of the few available. A PSA 10 example was sold at the best offer on eBay in September 2020 for $5,500. PSA graded six Red Peyton Manning rookies, with four grading gem mint 10 and two grading mint 9.
#7
1998 Topps Gold Label (Red label)
Peyton Manning RC #20
PSA 10 sold for $6,150
1998 Topps Gold football cards.
Topps Gold football cards consist of a three-tier system, including Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 cards. Each class has a different photo of Manning and has different rarities, with Class 3 being the rarest. Moreover, there are different color labels, including Red, Black, and Gold. Red label cards are sequentially numbered out of /25 (Class 3), /50 (Class 2), and /100 (Class 1). Black labels are short prints, and Gold labels are part of the base set.
1998 Topps Gold Label (Black label)
Peyton Manning RC #20
PSA 10 sold for $350
1998 Topps Gold Label (Gold label)
Peyton Manning RC #20
PSA 10 sold for $272
#6
1998 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion
Peyton Manning RC #201P
PSA 10 sold for $7,380
1998 Fleer Ultra Platinum Medallion parallels.
Peyton Manning’s Platinum Medallion parallels are sequentially numbered out of 66 and are one of his rarest rookie cards to collect. With a sepia-tone finish, platinum foil texture over Peyton’s name, and the Fleer Ultra logo, these are easily distinguishable from the other cards in this set. All cards come with a number stamp out of 66 on the back. The most recent PSA 10 example was sold at auction in April 2021 for $7,380, while a PSA 9 sold for $909 in 2017.
1998 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion
Peyton Manning RC #201G
PSA 10 sold for $800
1998 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion parallels.
Gold Medallion parallels are like Platinum Medallions except for Peyton’s University of Tennessee colors showing, and the name and logo have a bevel gold finish. Gold Medallion cards are some of Peyton’s more affordable parallels to collect and are an excellent long-term option.
1998 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion
Peyton Manning RC #201G
PSA 10 sold for $272
1998 Fleer Ultra football cards.
1998 Fleer Ultra football contains 425 cards split into two series. Serie one has 197 veterans, three checklists, and 25 rookie cards. Series two has 132 cards with twenty-five ’98 Greats, three checklists, and forty rookie cards. Peyton’s card features a full-color photo with his name embossed in foil positioned over him. Each card has four versions: the base card, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, and Masterpiece one-of-ones.
#5
1998 Topps Chrome refractor
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $10,850
1998 Topps Chrome football card refractors.
Due to their popularity, Topps Chrome refractors are some of the best rookie cards to collect and invest in for the long term. PSA graded 411 of Mannin’s refractor rookies, with 43 grading gem mint 10, 242 mint 9, and the remaining PSA 8 or less. 1998 was the third year of the Topps refractors, and is much harder to find because Topps made them more elusive.
1998 Topps Chrome
Peyton Manning RC #1
PSA 10 sold for $670
#4
1998 SP Authentic
Peyton Manning RC #14
PSA 10 sold for $11,100
1998 SP Authentic football card set.
The 126-card standard set features top-notch photography of the league’s best players and Future Watch and Time Warp subsets. The 30-card Future Watch set comprises the top rookies from 1998, and each player is sequentially numbered to 2,000. This is one of Manning’s most sought-after rookies and has stood the test of time.
#3
1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems
Peyton Manning RC #189
PSA 10 sold for $30,100
Peyton Manning’s Precious Metal Gems rookie card.
Precious Metal Gems are among the more popular, exciting, and rare parallels in all sports cards. The first year of PMGs was 1997, with much higher print runs of 150 per player; however, in 1998, Fleer only made 50 cards for each player. PSA graded six of Manning’s Precious Metal Gem rookie cards, with two grading gem mint 10, one mint 9, and three grading PSA 6. A PSA 10 Manning rookie sold at auction in February 2021 for $30,100.
1998 Metal Universe
Peyton Manning RC #189
PSA 10 sold for $248
Peyton Manning’s Metal Universe rookie card.
PSA graded 708 of Manning’s Metal Universe base rookie card with 89 grading gem mint 10 and 320 mint 9. Metal Universe cards are challenging to grade due to the foil material used on the front being susceptible to damage.
#2
1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future
Peyton Manning RC #54
PSA 9 sold for $51,660
1998 Essential Credentials Future parallels.
The 1998 Skybox E-X Essential Credentials Future parallels are one of Peyton Manning’s rarest parallel rookie cards. Only seven of these are made, and they are easily identifiable by the pink background colors. The last PSA-graded example sold at auction in May 2021 by Goldin Auctions for $51,660.
1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now
Peyton Manning RC #54
PSA 10 sold for $34,150
1998 Essential Credentials Now parallels.
Essential Credentials Now parallels are Manning’s second-rarest parallel with a print run of 54. Similar to the Future set, cards have a transparent material; however, the Now has a green background. A PSA 10 sold at auction by PWCC Auctions in January 2021 for $34,150.
1998 Skybox E-X2001
Peyton Manning RC #54
PSA 10 sold for $253
1998 Skybox E-X2001 Peyton Manning base rookie card.
PSA graded 1,993 of Manning’s 1998 E-X2001 base set rookie cards, with 224 grading gem mint 10, 1,243 mint 9, and the remaining grading PSA 8 or less. With such a high PSA 9 population, these have proven reasonably simple to find in mint conditions. However, gem mint condition examples are much rarer, with only 224, which is 11% of the supply.
#1. 1998 Playoff Contenders Peyton Manning RC Autograph
- Year: 1998
- Set: Playoff Contenders
- Player: Peyton Manning
- Parallel: Rookie Ticket Autograph
- Card Number: #87
- Grade: PSA 9
- Sold Date: October 2023
- Auction House: Goldin Auctions
- Price: $37,820
➡️ 1998 Playoff Contenders Peyton Manning Rookie Ticket Autograph on eBay
The Holy Grail of Peyton Manning rookie cards is his 1998 Playoff Contenders rookie ticket autograph. Rookie Ticket autographs are collectible for a few reasons:
- They feature on-card signatures, which is unheard of in modern products.
- They were some of the earliest pack-pulled autographed cards.
- Playoff Contenders was a premium set in the late 90s, and collectors have always battled over acquiring the finest examples.
- There are numerous Hall of Famer players with rookie ticket autographs, such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Kurt Warner, and many more, which increases their collectability.
1998 is the first year of the rookie ticket auto and has held the number one spot for most valuable rookie cards since. THE most recently sold Peyton Manning example
From a young age, Matt dove deep into sports card valuation, turning to esteemed price guides like Beckett and Tuff Stuff. Eventually he extended to Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. With a vision to sustain and nurture the hobby he loved, Matt established the ‘Graded Card Investor’ YouTube channel and website. He aims to foster a healthy community and offer invaluable insights to those entering the world of sports cards and TCGs. His depth of understanding, from the card market’s 2020 pinnacle to its 1990s valleys, is consistently fortified by meticulous research.
