Josh Allen Rookie Card Rankings: The Quarterback’s Most Valuable RCs
When it comes to football cards, quarterbacks dominate. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that as the Buffalo Bills emerge as an AFC contender, Josh Allen Rookie Card interest has risen.
Allen is the centerpiece of an explosive and exciting Bills offensive that is racking up points. This means lots of highlights and it’s translating into wins.
The seventh pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Allen was taken after Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. During their rookie season, this meant that Allen’s early cards had a certain level of popularity but lagged behind the top two picks. Then in 2019, Lamar Jackson put together an MVP season in Baltimore. So it wasn’t until 2020 that interest has really picked up.
Collectors have more than 30 Josh Allen Rookie Cards to chase. And that’s just his traditional base RCs. On top of those are lots of parallels, inserts, autographs and memorabilia cards. As one would expect, there’s a range of prices available in the Josh Allen Rookie Card lineup. Some are a few dollars while National Treasures RCs fetch thousands.
Most Valuable Josh Allen Rookie Card Rankings
The following list ranks Josh Allen Rookie Cards based primarily on their value in the Beckett price guide. Only base cards with the RC tag are included here, not inserts or parallels.
1. 2018 Panini National Treasures Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #163 /99
When it comes to modern football cards, National Treasures rules when it comes to a player’s most valuable Rookie Card. The 2018 Panini National Treasures Josh Allen RC is no different. A massive patch and on-card signature are joined by a print run of just 99 copies. However, it’s the brand that adds the real prestige.
Parallels: Holo Silver (/25), Midnight (/20), Green Jersey Number (/17), Stars and Stripes (/15), Holo Gold (/10), Black (/5), Stars and Stripes Premium (/3), Red Brand Logo (/2), Platinum NFL Shield (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Red (1/1), Red Laundry Tag (1/1)
Buy on:
2. 2018 Immaculate Collection Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #104 /99
Immaculate might not be worth as much as National Treasures but the 2018 Immaculate Josh Allen Rookie Card is still one of the kings. Like NT, it has on-card ink and a print run of 99 copies. When you take the parallels into account, this one has fewer total copies. The fact that it’s on acetate stock is another standout feature. While the memorabilia is a premium swatch, it is noticeably smaller than National Treasures and some other sets.
Parallels: Gold (/25), Emerald (/14), NFL Shield (1/1), Platinum (1/1)
Buy on:
3. 2018 Panini Contenders Josh Allen RC Autograph #105
When it comes to strictly autographs, Contenders has one of the biggest followings in football. Part of this is thanks to some of the line’s early sets that had some of the few RC autographs for the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The 2018 Panini Contenders Josh Allen Rookie Card also bucks the serial numbering trend, showing that sometimes other factors are more important.
Parallels: Red Zone, Playoff Ticket (/99), Championship Ticket (/49), Cracked Ice (/24), Ticket Stub (/17), Clear Ticket (/10), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Super Bowl Ticket (1/1)
Buy on:
4. 2018 Panini Contenders Optic Josh Allen RC Autograph #105
2018 marked the second year for Contenders Optic. Basically, it takes the main Contenders line and makes it chromium. This Josh Allen rookie autograph has plenty of pop, particularly given the holo stock. It might not have the same history as Contenders, but the spinoff still has a lot going for it.
Parallels: Red (/99), Purple (/49), Orange (/25), Blue (/15), Gold (/10), Gold Vinyl (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
Buy on:
5. 2018 Panini Impeccable Josh Allen RC Auto Helmet-Patch #119 /75
The 2018 Panini Impeccable Josh Allen Rookie Card has just 75 copies. Factor in the parallels and you’re still only at 116 total copies. The autograph is hard-signed as well. Perhaps the most distinct aspect of the card is its memorabilia. No matter the version, it has two pieces. Other than the one-of-one Dual NFL Logo, one of the pieces is a helmet. The RC also has a patch while parallels have even more premium pieces.
Parallels: Helmet and Nameplate (/25), Helmet and Glove (/15), Dual NFL Logo (1/1)
Buy on:
6. 2018 Panini National Treasures Collegiate Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #103 /99
It might not carry the same prestige (or values) of its NFL counterpart, but the 2018 National Treasures Collegiate Josh Allen still offers a lot of the same features. And at a fraction of the cost, that’s enticing for some.
Parallels: Silver (/25), Gold (/10), Emerald (/5), Black (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
Buy on:
7. 2018 Limited Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #104 /199
If you’re looking for a potential deal on a high-end Josh Allen Rookie Card, 2018 Leaf Limited might be one to take a closer look at. It has the same on-card autograph-patch combination of some of the quarterback’s most valuable rookies but costs significantly less than National Treasures and Immaculate. The print run of 199 copies might be larger than those, but it’s still not a large number.
Parallels: Silver Spotlight (/75), Gold Spotlight (/50), Ruby Spotlight (/10), Emerald Spotlight (/5), Sapphire Spotlight (1/1)
Buy on:
8. 2018 Panini Encased Josh Allen RC Auto Hat #105 /25
With just 25 copies, 2018 Panini Encased Football has one of the rarest Josh Allen Rookie Cards. That and the hard signature are the big draws. The swatch isn’t your standard jersey piece, either. Instead it comes from a cap worn by Allen.
Parallels: Sapphire (/10), Gold (/5), Emerald (/3), Diamond (1/1)
Buy on:
9. 2018 Certified Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #204 /175
One of the first premium Josh Allen Rookie Cards to come out, 2018 Certified delivers a massive swatch. Although the autograph is on a sticker, it’s still a signature. Certified and its Freshman Fabric subset also benefit from a lengthy history in the hobby.
Parallels: Mirror Orange (/99), Mirror Red (/75), Mirror Blue (/50), Gold Etch (/25), Mirror Gold (/25), Mirror Purple (/10), Purple Etch (/10), Green Etch (/5), Mirror Green (/5), Black Etch (1/1), Mirror Black (1/1)
Buy on:
10. 2018 Panini One Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #1 /199
2018 Panini One Football marked the brand’s debut. It’s a product where every card comes with an on-card signature with lots also having a premium piece of memorabilia as well. This includes Allen’s RC. Similar to Limited, the 199 copies are noticeably higher than some other similar and more valuable cards. One is still a line that’s finding its way and doesn’t have a long history yet, which can also matter. That said, this is still an attractive card with lots of super-premium features going for it.
Parallels: Blue (/99), Bronze (/49), Red (/25), Gold (/10), Platinum (/5), Black (1/1)
Buy on:
11. 2018 Panini XR Josh Allen RC Auto Triple Mem #165 /25
Parallels: Red (/15), Blue (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (/3), Green (/2), Glove (1/1), Hat (1/1), Jacket (1/1), Laundry Tag NFL Shield (1/1), Laundry Tag NFLPA (1/1), Laundry Tag Nike Swoosh (1/1), Prime Football (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Super Prime (1/1)
Buy on:
12. 2018 Panini Origins Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #104
Parallels: Red (/75), Blue (/49), Turquoise (/25), Gold (/10), Green (/5), Black (1/1)
Buy on:
13. 2018 Absolute Josh Allen RC Auto Triple Mem #154 /365
Parallels: Spectrum (/99), Quad (/25), Quad Spectrum (/10), Five (/5), Five Spectrum (1/1)
Buy on:
14. 2018 Panini Illusions Josh Allen RC Auto Jersey #119 /199
Parallels: Blue (/100), Red (/50), Green (/25), Purple (1/1)
Buy on:
15. 2018 Panini Prizm Josh Allen Rookie Card #205
Parallels: Prizms, Blue Prizms, Disco Prizms, Green Prizms, Lazer Prizms, Neon Green Pulsar Prizms, Pink Prizms, Red Prizms, Red/White/Blue Prizms, White Sparkle Prizms, Hyper Prizms (/275), Orange Prizms (/249), Light Blue Prizms (/199), Red Wave Prizms (/149), Blue Scope Prizms (/99), Green Crystal Prizms (/75), Purple Power Prizms (/49), Camo Prizms (/25), Gold Prizms (/10), Blue Shimmer Prizms (/9), Gold Vinyl Prizms (/5), Black Finite Prizms (1/1)
Buy on:
16. 2018 Panini Plates & Patches Josh Allen RC Auto Patch #233 /99
Parallels: Blue (/50), Green (/25), Gold (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
Buy on:
17. 2018 Panini Gold Standard Josh Allen RC Auto Jersey #205 /99
Parallels: Prime (/25), Prime Tag (1/1)
Buy on:
18. 2018 Panini Elements Josh Allen RC Autograph #75 /99
Parallels: Gold (/25), Platinum (1/1)
Buy on:
19. 2018 Panini Spectra Josh Allen Rookie Card #125 /99
Parallels: Neon Blue (/75), Neon Blue Die-Cut (/35), Neon Green (/30), Neon Green Die-Cut (/25), Neon Pink (/20), Neon Pink Die-Cut (/15), Neon Orange (/10), Neon Orange Die-Cut (/5), Neon Marble (/4), Nebula (/2), Gold (1/1)
Buy on:
20. 2018 Panini Phoenix Josh Allen Rookie Card #105
Parallels: Color Burst, Red (/299), Pink (/199), Purple (/149), Orange (/99), Yellow (/75), Green (/25), Black (/10), Blue (1/1), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1)
Buy on:
21. 2018 Select Josh Allen Rookie Card #24
Parallels: Prizm Silver, Prizm Zebra, Prizm Tri Color (/199), Prizm Blue (/175), Prizm Maroon (/99), Prizm White (/75), Prizm Orange (/49), Prizm Tie-Dye (/25), Prizm Gold (/10), Prizm Neon Orange Pulsar (/9), Prizm Green (/5), Prizm Black (1/1)
Buy on:
22. 2018 Donruss Optic Josh Allen Rookie Card #154
Parallels: Bronze, Green Velocity, Holo, Pink, Red and Yellow, Teal Velocity, White Sparkle, Aqua (/299), Orange (/199), Blue (/149), Red (/99), Purple (/50), Black Velocity (/25), Purple Stars (/25), Gold (/10), Green (/5), Gold Vinyl (1/1)
Buy on:
23. 2018 Panini Obsidian Josh Allen Rookie Card #104 /100
Parallels: Electric Etch Purple (/75), Electric Etch Orange (/50), Electric Etch Green (/25), Electric Etch Yellow (/10), Electric Etch Red (/5), Electric Etch White (1/1)
Buy on:
24. 2018 Donruss Josh Allen Rookie Card #304
Parallels: Aqueous Test, Press Proof Blue, Press Proof Bronze, Press Proof Green, Press Proof Red, Press Proof Silver (/100), Season Stat Line (/99), Press Proof Silver Die-Cut (/75), Press Proof Gold (/50), Press Proof Gold Die-Cut (/25), Jersey Number (/17), Press Proof Black (/10), Press Proof Black Die-Cut (1/1)
Buy on:
25. 2018 Panini Playbook Josh Allen Rookie Card #124
Parallels: Bronze, Orange, Purple, Platinum (/49), Green (/25), Gold (/10), Red (1/1)
Buy on:
26. 2018 Elite Josh Allen Rookie Card #154 /399
Parallels: Green, Pink, Red (/199), Purple (/99), Aspirations (/83), Orange (/25), Aspirations Die-Cut (/24), Status Die-Cut (/24), Status (/17), Blue (/10), Gold (/5), Black (1/1)
Buy on:
27. 2018 Panini Unparalleled Josh Allen Rookie Card #207
Parallels: Flight, Galactic, Shine, Astral (/200), Superplaid (/150), Whirl (/100), Impact (/75), Hyper (/25), Fireworks (/5), Burst (1/1)
Buy on:
28. 2018 Panini Luminance Josh Allen Rookie Card #149
Parallels: Gold, Orange (/225), Blue (/99), Platinum Blue (/25), Red (/10), Pink (/5), Gun Metal (1/1)
Buy on:
29. 2018 Elite Draft Picks Josh Allen Rookie Card #103
Parallels: Aspirations Orange, Status Die-Cut Orange, Aspirations Purple (/99), Status Die-Cut Purple (/99), Aspirations Red (/49), Status Die-Cut Red (/49), Aspirations Blue (/25), Status Die-Cut Blue (/25), Aspirations Gold (/10), Status Die-Cut Gold (/10), Aspirations Emerald (/5), Status Die-Cut Emerald (/5), Aspirations Teal (1/1), Status Die-Cut Teal (1/1)
Buy on:
30. 2018 Playoff Josh Allen Rookie Card #205
Parallels: Goal Line, Kickoff, Red Zone, 1st Down (/99), 2nd Down (/49), 3rd Down (/25), 4th Down (/10), Touchdown (1/1)
Buy on:
31. 2018 Rookies & Stars Josh Allen Rookie Card #105
Parallels: Green, Purple, Red, Longevity (/75), True Blue (/49), Red and Blue (/25), Gold (/10), Black and Blue (/5), Platinum (1/1)
Buy on:
32. 2018 Classics Josh Allen Rookie Card #207
Parallels: Premium Edition, Red Back (/299), Blue Back (/175), Premium Edition Red Back (/175), Timeless Tributes Gold (/99), Timeless Tributes Premium Edition Gold (/65), Blank Back (/50), Green Back (/40), Premium Edition Blank Back (/35), Timeless Tributes Orange (/25), Timeless Tributes Premium Edition Orange (/15), No Name (/10), Timeless Tributes Blue (/10), Full Name (/5), Premium Edition No Name (/5), Timeless Tributes Premium Edition Blue (/5), Premium Edition Full Name (1/1), Timeless Tributes Black (1/1), Timless Tributes Premium Edition Black (1/1)
Buy on:
33. 2018 Prestige Josh Allen Rookie Card #234
Parallels: Xtra Points Blue, Xtra Points Green, Xtra Points Purple, Xtra Points Red
Buy on:
34. 2018 Panini Josh Allen Rookie Card #307
Parallels: Blue Knight, Bronze Knight, Silver Knight (/50), Gold Knight (/20), Black Knight (1/1)
Buy on:
35. 2018 Score Josh Allen Rookie Card #350
Parallels: Black, Gold, Green, Purple, Red, Scorecard, Showcase (/99), Gold Zone (/50), Artist’s Proof (/35), Red Zone (/20), First Down (/10), End Zone (/6), Gem Masters (1/1)
Buy on:
Can I have someone who speaks excellent English call me tomorrow. The knowledge of football and rookie cards
ls important. Otherwise, refund my money back.
Alan
@Alan – You will need to contact customer service at customerservice@beckett.com. This is the editorial side and we do not have access to any customer information.