It never fails.
No matter how prepared the licensed card companies try to be when it comes to creating rookie cards of potential impact players, there’s always one guy who comes out of nowhere to become a sensation–and has no cards that can be pulled from a pack. Such is the case with the NFL’s family feel good story of 2023. Yes, there are Panini America Tommy Devito rookie cards but only those of the print-on-demand variety. Devito’s earliest autographs? They’re in a product created months ago by SAGE–and have become some of the hottest 2023 football cards around.
You can’t blame Panini for not having any of the New Jersey native’s cards in its 2023 products (not yet, anyway). The quarterback who has ignited hope in New York Giants fans with a rags to riches story this year went undrafted. Signed to the Giants’ practice squad after using up his college eligibility at Illinois, he was rushed into service following injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor.
After getting his feet wet in a couple of games, the 24-year-old DeVito has since reeled off three straight wins in four career starts and has kept the team’s Wild Card playoff hopes alive. He’s the first Giants rookie quarterback to win three straight starts since Phil Simms won four in a row in 1979.
Along the way, fans and media have soaked up his quintessential Italian family from New Jersey, who welcome pregame tailgaters to the parking lot with heaping helpings of mom’s chicken cutlets. A Jersey kid winning games for the Giants while living at home? Fuhgeddaboudit.
The Monday night win over Green Bay took Devito’s cards to another level. In the last month, over $18,000 worth of what few DeVito cards have been produced have sold on eBay alone.
The average sold price for one of his cards during the first week of the NFL regular season was 55 cents. This week, it’s $27.27 as eBay sellers dug through their boxes of SAGE cards and listed them. On Tuesday, a Red autograph parallel from SAGE sold for $324. Most of his other signed cards have climbed to $125 and above this week. Over 20 of his cards have sold for $100 or more since Monday.
DeVito apparently did crank out a ton of autographs for SAGE with his disappointingly simple, but still appropriate “TD” signature on a card that pictures him in his University of Illinois uniform. As an undrafted player with iffy pro prospects, the money probably came in handy.
Even unsigned base cards that were a complete afterthought two months ago are in high demand from the legions of Giants fans on the east coast and elsewhere.
Those SAGE autographs and singles are found in Low Series Football, a product released last spring and boxes can still be had for $19.99.
You can find DeVito cards in a Giants uniform, thanks to Panini’s Instant platform. So far, they’ve created three of his cards following Giants victories. One seller has plowed through about 80 of the one commemorating his first NFL victory. When released, they’re available on Panini’s website for less than $10. Versacolor versions numbered to 5 and 1/1 Black versions are also sold for much higher prices.
The person who ordered the 1/1 DeVito rookie autograph from his second win is asking $2,000.
Will the interest hold? That depends, of course, on whether he’s able to keep winning and playing at a high level. He doesn’t lack for confidence nor does he let the pressure affect him.
“I have a life rule. It’s Rule No. 1: Don’t panic,” DeVito said not long after taking over as the starter. “That is the thing I’ve always leaned on. It’s a game. It’s football. Yeah, there is a lot on the line, but at the end of the day, you play this game because you love it. And I do love this game. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy myself.”
Below is a live list of the most watched Tommy DeVito cards on eBay.
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