Thanks to the new records he seems to set about every other week, it may seem like he’s been around longer but the truth is he’s only 26. Collectors only have to go back to 2010 to find Rob Gronkowski rookie cards.
One of the NFL’s biggest personalities and most skilled stars, “Gronk” appears on his way to a Hall of Fame career, barring a serious injury.
He has reached 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the third time in his career and scored 10 touchdowns for the fifth time in his career. His five 10-plus touchdown seasons are the most in NFL history by a tight end.
Like most current players, Gronkowski has a lot of different rookie cards. Topps, Panini, Upper Deck and companies that produced annual draft pick sets got him into their products in 2010 but as a second round pick, it wasn’t automatic that he’d have multiple cards in every set. That does narrow the field some.
Exactly which is the best Rob Gronkowski rookie card is really a matter of personal preference. He has plenty of higher-end, low serial numbered cards–autographed and non-autographed that would be considered investment-oriented but there are also some nice standard base cards in several brands that can still be obtained for a dollar or two.
Those who want to go all in will want to look at a Gronkowski autographed rookie card. There are plenty but perhaps his most commonly traded is the 2010 Playoff Contenders rookie auto. There are actually two versions, one showing him in a white jersey and the other in the home blue. Each is numbered to 499. There are other Contenders Gronkowski cards from 2010 with print runs as low as 1/1 and he has several low serial numbered relic autographs in the higher-end 2010 Panini National Treasures.
Gronkowski’s Topps Chrome rookie cards are also popular. A Gold Refractor numbered to 50 sold for $380 recently while a blue, numbered to 25, went for $405. A standard Chrome auto can still be purchased for around $100-125.
Somewhat surprisingly there are still dozens of Gronkowski rookie autographs available for under $75 including several from the pre-draft products that show him in an Arizona Wildcats uniform that are often under $50. Panini Certified, Rookies and Stars and Bowman Sterling seem to provide the best value for the money.
Considering his accomplishments so far and the possibility of even more records to come, it’s not hard to wonder collectors and those with an eye on the future are finding value in the cards of one of the NFL’s best offensive weapons. Check out eBay’s list of the ‘most watched’ Rob Gronkowski rookie cards below.