Top 5 Most Valuable Arizona Cardinals Football Cards of All Time

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the oldest continuously operating professional American football franchises, originally founded in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago. Over the decades, Cardinals players have been featured on countless football trading cards that are highly sought after by collectors today. Let's take a look at 5 of the rarest and most expensive Cardinals cards ever produced.

1. 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski Rookie Card

Estimated Value: $350,000+

Arguably the most valuable Cardinals card out there is Bronko Nagurski's 1935 National Chicle rookie. Nagurski played for the Chicago Cardinals from 1930-1937 and was one of the most dominating runners and tacklers of his era. With only 10 PSA 10 gems known to exist, Nagurski's '35 National Chicle rookie can easily fetch north of $350k at auction. One of the cards even sold for an astonishing $432,000 in 2016 - the highest price ever paid for a Cardinals card. This legendary Nagurski remains the holy grail for vintage Cardinals collectors.

2. 1958 Topps Frank Gifford Rookie Card

Estimated Value: $125,000+

Alright, you might be thinking, "Why is a Frank Gifford rookie card on this list?" Well, before becoming a New York Giants legend, Gifford actually played one season for the Cardinals in 1952. His stunning 1958 Topps rookie features a photo of him during his short Cardinals tenure. Only three PSA 10 copies of this iconic card are known to exist, and they have sold for as much as $125,000 at auction. For Cardinals collectors, Gifford's rookie is an important and extremely rare piece of franchise history.

3. 1922 Hamid Mogul Larry Doyle

Estimated Value: $75,000+

Next up is an ultra-rare issue known as the 1922 Hamid Mogul set. These cards were produced by a sporting goods company owned by Hamid Mogul and could only be obtained by purchasing items from his catalog. The Larry Doyle Cardinals card is hands down the most prized card in the scarce set. With a PSA grade of EX 5 being the highest found, Hall of Famer Doyle's Hamid Mogul card is a six-figure rarity.

4. 1923 Exhibit Lou Ryan

Estimated Value: $55,000+

Exhibit cards were a unique novelty issue that featured baseball players on photos that were cut out and die-cut into the shape of their team's logo or a novelty shape. Lou Ryan's 1923 Exhibit Cardinals card, which shows him following through on a swing cut into the shape of a baseball bat, is the most valuable Cardinals issue from the set. Only two examples have been graded by PSA, with the highest a Vg-Ex 4 that sold for $55,625 in 2021. Cardinals Exhibit cards are some of the most imaginative cards ever produced.

5. 1933 Tattoo Orval Overall

Estimated Value: $50,000

Last but not least is one of the most visually striking cards on this list - Orval Overall's 1933 Tattoo Orbit card. Tattoo Orbit was a set of card posters that were stapled into bread loaves and handed out by sympathetic bakery owners during the heart of the Great Depression. The stunning colorized images were modeled after the artistic exhibit cards. Overall's Tattoo Orbit depicts him winding up in vibrant colors and a Cardinals logo made out of a stitch pattern - true cardboard artwork. High-grade Tattoo Orbits like this one can trade hands for as much as $50k.

Well, there you have it - the current top 5 most valuable Cardinals football cards out there! From Bronko Nagurski's legendary 1935 rookie to Orval Overall's shining 1933 Tattoo Orbit issue, these rare gems represent the elite of Cardinals collecting. Vintage cards of HOFers and short term Cardinals players from the franchise's early Chicago era make up most of the list. As more cards are uncovered from the past and new superstar rookies emerge, this list will certainly change and evolve over time. That's part of what makes Cardinals cards and collecting as a whole so intriguing. You just never know when the next holy grail rarity might emerge from an attic or estate sale, leading Cardinals fans on the chase of a lifetime!