NFL Cards: Why So Expensive?

A mint condition St. Louis Cardinals NFL Visa, with an expiration date of 05/89, sold for $125.00 in 1990. The previous record price set a few months previously was $75.00. What in the world was going on?

What are NFL credit cards?

National Football League cards have been popular since their inception in the 1980s. All but one team’s card was available from Citibank. Citibank is known for its “relatively easy” credit and generosity with giving out additional cards. Sometimes Citibank is lovingly referred to as “The Big Easy,” which makes it the ideal issuer and the NFL series so popular with collectors.

What makes the St. Louis Cardinals NFL credit card special?

Citibank issued the St. Louis Cardinals NFL Visa for only a few months before the team moved to become the Phoenix Cardinals. No one knows how many credit card collectors got the St. Louis card or how many cards they each got. It appears since the St. Louis card was only issued for a short period, many “old” collectors figured they’d work on getting a set of current cards first and “worry” about the short-lived St. Louis one later. With new collectors entering  the hobby on a regular basis, and their interest also focused on the NFL series, there appeared to be pent-up demand.

Anyone who wants all the teams for the NFL series must have the St. Louis card. Many old collectors appear to have waited until they finished their collections to get it. The new collectors, seeing the price of it, appear to want it at the start of their collections before prices move possibly even higher. Everyone seems to want it at once. But as the price rises, will the demand subside, or will the St. Louis card take-off from this level, to even higher prices, since the demand appears to be strong?

The price could continue up, but a lot of it depends on what collectors think constitutes a complete set. As long as you have the current 28 teams for the NFL, don’t you have a complete set? You might think you do. Based on that, you don’t need a St. Louis credit card.

Different types of NFL credit cards

Another way of looking at it is that NFL Visas are issued with the old large hologram. The new smaller Visa hologram has been in use for a year and the older larger one is being discontinued. 

Because of this, many new collectors will probably start collections with the new smaller hologram cards when they’re released. Many new collectors might want their sets to be composed of cards with the same type of hologram. If new collectors only want small hologram sets, then they won’t be concerned about larger hologram cards. The St. Louis Cardinals is a large hologram. It won’t be needed for a small hologram set.

On the other hand, a different way of looking at it is the St. Louis card is the key to the entire series. Being the key card means if you don’t have it, then you don’t have a complete set. However you want to view the St. Louis card and figure its potential, there’s a lot of guesswork involved. 

Copyright 1990 by Greg Tunks

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society