Pro football trading cards have long served as a way for Americans to remember, idolize, and some would say, worship their favorite players new and old.  Millions of people collect cards hoping that one day they will be worth loads of money, and also to remember all of the wonderful times they had watching games with friends and family long ago.  The first football cards were sold in the 1890’s as promotional tools for tobacco companies, as they were included with a pack of cigarettes.  There was no NFL at the time, so the first cards, produced by a company called P.H. Mayo, consisted of the top 35 players from the powerhouse college teams of the time including Yale, Harvard, and Princeton.

Pro football cards are similar to those of other sports in that the player’s picture, usually in an action symbolic of his position, is on the front, with the back including their statistics and career achievements.  Several factors contribute to the determination of a card’s value, the biggest factor being a player’s popularity and success, followed by its condition.  If a player wins the Super Bowl, plays in the Pro Bowl, is in his rookie season (later to become largely successful) the card may become significantly more valuable.

Unlike with baseball cards, pro football trading cards are not as popular among NFL fans nor are they collected at as early an age.  Accordingly, people are more likely to possess, buy, sell, and trade the cards in vicinities adjacent to cities where pro football teams play.  Most individuals do not worry about amassing huge, incredibly valuable collections of cards, but rather focus on obtaining a few of their favorite teams and players, especially during years of unusual or consistent success.

Because card printing technology was not as technologically advanced before 1980, cards produced before that year are significantly more valuable than those made after that date.  Since a card’s condition contributes heavily to its value, collectors often use card protectors and binders, ranging from 3 x 3 plastic sheets to single holders for the more rare and valuable cards.  Most traders feel that due to football cards lack of popularity among fans, and football’s greater popularity than baseball, pro football trading cards have the potential to become more valuable in the grand scheme of things.  However, because pro football cards show players wearing helmets obscuring view of player’s faces, it is more difficult to recognize those who aren’t superstars and thus prevents the cards from becoming incredibly valuable.