Getty Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills scrambles against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Highmark Stadium on January 09, 2022.
The value of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen continues to rise. The chance to play with Allen was a major pull for free agents deciding to sign with the franchise this offseason, and this past weekend, the superstar’s trading card sold for a record-breaking amount.
Goldin Auctions announced on April 9, that Allen’s 2018 Panini National Treasure “Rookie Patch Autographs” No. 163 sold for $312,000 — the highest amount anyone has ever paid for an Allen card.
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The rookie patch is signed by the 25-year-old quarterback and was given a Gem MT grading of 10, which means it’s perfectly authentic and in Gem Mint condition. “This is the lone example of this card graded at its unimprovable tier in the PSA/DNA Certified census reporting,” Goldin wrote in the description.
Final Sale Price: $312,000
An all-time record for any Josh Allen card.
The sale at Goldin Auctions smashed the previous record of $264,000, which was for Allen’s 2018 Panini Prizm Gold Vinyl rookie card, sold by PWCC Marketplace in Oregon in late January, per The Buffalo News.
Final Sale Price: $210,330
An all-time record for any Josh Allen card.
The Bills quarterback’s card has been in high demand for quite some time. In March 2021, Goldin sold Allen’s signed Platinum NFL shield rooking patch autograph for $210,330.
While paying six figures for a rookie card is expensive, the highest amount ever paid for one was an insane $4.3 million back in 2021, per SB Nation, for 2017 Patrick Mahomes’ rookie auto card.
Bills GM Said He’d Trade Himself Before Trading Allen
GettyBrandon Beane, general manager of the Buffalo Bills speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
While Allen’s trading cards continue to go up in value, “trading” is not a word Bills general manager Brandon Beane will ever use when it comes to discussing the Wyoming alum’s status in Buffalo.
During Beane’s appearance on the March 21 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” the show’s host attempted to casually throw out a trade proposal for the $258 million man.
“Off the record, act like nobody’s listening. Nobody. Just between us,” McAfee said. “You send Josh Allen to the Colts … and we’ll give you … whatever you want. We doing that?”
In response, Beane laughed. “I would trade myself before I traded Josh,” he replied.
You send Josh Allen to the Colts & we’ll give you whatever you want.
“I would trade myself before I traded Josh” 😂😂 ~Brandon Beane
Earlier in the episode, Beane discussed how Allen is the centerpiece of the team and how he’s earned the right to have a say in whom the team signs.
McAfee asked specifically about newly-signed Bills tight end O.J. Howard. “You guys brought him in. Incredibly talented tight end. Do you guys have those conversations with [Allen]? Is he too young? Does he not want to be a part of that? How do you balance the entire thing of respecting his opinion but not putting too much on him at this young age in his career?”
Beane said that he sometimes talks to Allen three times a day, so the 25-year-old is very locked in.
“Josh is great. We have conversations … more on offensive players than anything. How he views certain guys, not only as players but in the locker room, what’s their leadership level, what are things that maybe I don’t see from my seat that a player brings intangibly.”
Allen Made Buffalo a Hot Spot in Free Agency
What has Buffalo become? My report on the #Bills and the power of Josh Allen.
For anyone who closely watched the Bills’ performance last season, Buffalo becoming one of the most sought-after teams to sign with comes as no surprise. ESPN’s NFL analyst Greg Cosell predicted this exact scenario before free agency started:
One could argue that Josh’s performance in the divisional playoff game was just unbelievable. People and players understand that this is a quarterback league for the most part and if you don’t have that guy, then too many other things have to go exactly right during the course of the season. Whereas if you have that guy, he can, in any given week or in any given stretch, compensate for and camouflage for any other concerns throughout your team.
USA Today Touchdown Wire writer Mark Schofield added, “Whether it’s young players that want that first shot at a ring or veterans that want that last shot at a ring, a quarterback like Josh Allen is the ultimate draw for talented free agents who want that opportunity.”
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