A glimpse into the past – how much did NFL credit cards used to sell for? This article is taken from a 1991 Credit Card Collector newsletter.
An “Intermediate Mint” St. Louis Cardinals NFL Visa, with an expiration date of 03/89, has sold for a record $250.00. This is a $50.00 increase over its previous record of $200.00 which was set only last month.
Collectible mint cards
The original owner had acquired four of the St. Louis cards with his $25.00 annual fee. This was the last of the four cards and no other collectors are known to be offering any Mint condition St. Louis cards at this time.
One collector is known to be offering an unused but signed St. Louis Cardinals Visa. This collector is believed to have five in his possession, all signed.
All the known Mint cards now total eight. These eight cards have come from two credit card collectors who each acquired four cards on their individual accounts. Since all eight of these two “hoards” have been sold, the only known Mint St. Louis cards now reside in the collections of secondary owners.
Most of these Mint cards are needed to complete collections of the entire NFL series. It’s doubtful if any will come onto the market again any time soon.
Potential market value
One owner of a Mint St. Louis card was contacted by the newsletter, Credit Card Collector, to get a feel of the card’s market value if any other Mint cards were to enter the market.
This collector said, “I wouldn’t take 10 million dollars for it!” The price is obviously a “little” high, but the collector’s point is well taken. Basically, the way it stands now is if you sell your Mint card, where will you find another one?
The NFL Visa series has been popular with collectors since its inception. Most of the collectors of the series are trying to complete a set of all 28 teams of the NFL.
The cards are issued by Citibank which is known to have “easy” credit and lenient additional cards per account rules. This is one reason for the enthusiasm the series generates with collectors.
The St. Louis Cardinals NFL Visa has a short but dynamic history. The card was only issued for a few months before the team moved to become the Phoenix Cardinals.
Selling prices
It has taken two years for the eight Mint St. Louis cards to sell. So far, they have changed hands for $30.00, $60.00, $75.00, $75.00, $125.00, $150.00, $200.00, and $250.00.
All the cards came from two original cardholders. No other transactions of Mint cards have been known to take place.
Copyright 1991, Greg Tunks
