​The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the United States. It's the most-watched event in any category, with 19 of the top 20 most-watched US TV programs being Super Bowls. Super Bowl LIX broke all previous ratings records in 2025, drawing an average audience of 127.7 million for Fox. Unfortunately for fans of competition, the game held little intrigue and was all but over before the halftime whistle. As a silver lining, Kansas City's late-game 16-6 fourth quarter prevented the team from suffering one of the biggest defeats in Super Bowl history.

The least competitive Super Bowl in NFL history took place in 1990. The 14-2 San Francisco 49ers entered Super Bowl XXIV as defending champions, facing the 11-5 Denver Broncos. After a competitive first quarter that ended 13-3, San Francisco dominated the rest of the game. The 49ers outscored Denver 14-0 in both the second and fourth quarters, finishing with a 55-10 victory—the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.

San Francisco's win eclipsed the Chicago Bears' record for the most dominant Super Bowl victory ever, which the Bears had set just four years earlier. The two games followed a similar pattern, with the 15-1 Bears winning a 13-3 opening quarter against the 11-5 Patriots before a 10-0 second quarter blew the game open for Chicago. Unlike the Broncos, the Patriots did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, cutting Chicago's lead to 34 points. Chicago closed the game out with a safety for a final score of 46-10.

Three years after San Francisco's record beatdown of the Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys flirted with history. The 15-3 Cowboys would win three of four Super Bowl games between 1992 and 1995, and the 14-5 Buffalo Bills were their first victims. The opening half was somewhat competitive, with Dallas taking a 28-10 lead into halftime. Buffalo managed to cut the deficit to 14 points after three quarters, but a Troy Aikman pass and an Emmitt Smith rush put the Cowboys up 45-17. Ken Norton, Jr., capped off the historic win by running a fumble return back nine yards for the final score of the game, which ended 52-17.

The Seattle Seahawks tied the Cowboy's 35-point margin of victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks defense suffocated quarterback Peyton Manning, who only managed one score in the final seconds of the third quarter. Seattle won the game 43-8 for the third-largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. Unlike most Super Bowls on this list, Seattle and Denver entered the game with identical 13-3 records.

Denver has the unfortunate luck of featuring in three of the five most lopsided Super Bowl games, with the Washington football team defeating the Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. Denver led the game 10-0 after the first quarter, but Washington responded with a dominant 35-0 score in the second quarter.

While no team has ever been shutout in a Super Bowl game, two teams have been held to just a single field goal. The Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in the sixth Super Bowl, while the New England Patriots won a low-scoring 13-3 game over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

​Investing in sports cards is a strong investment for those who have a keen interest in sports or for individuals who have unique sports cards or vintage sports collectibles and intend to make a profit from them. Sports cards are also important because they allow sports fans to reconnect with the old American tradition of keeping sports memorabilia.

Creating a reasonable budget is one of the first steps to maximizing your returns on sports cards. A reasonable budget involves not spending more than you can afford on sports cards. This means that you should not spend money that you do not have while trying to purchase sports cards. It's crucial to stay within your budget.

Also, to maximize your sports card investment, you need to know when to buy and when to sell. Determining when to buy and sell will depend on your investment goal or objective. Do you have long-term intentions with your sports cards such that their value is significantly appreciated, or do you want specific short-term gains? You can also confer with experienced market analysts to advise when and when not to sell your cards.

You also need to be cautious of fads. From an investment perspective, a fad is any trend that goes beyond logical reasoning. So, you should be cautious of sports card investing trends that do not align with the basic principles of investing.

​A 2022 MagnifyMoney survey found that around 61 percent of Americans view themselves as a collector of some kind. About 9 percent of respondents enjoy collecting sports memorabilia, with an additional 12 percent collecting various trading cards. Sports memorabilia enthusiasts often seek out rare trading cards from the four major leagues in North America.

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. One of the rarest cards in NFL history is the 1935 Chicle Bronko Nagurski rookie card from National. The fact that Nagurski’s rookie card is nearly 100 years old is enough to make it a collector’s item, not to mention the fact that the mass production of trading cards was rare at the time, further contributing to scarcity. Most importantly, the Canadian fullback enjoyed a Hall of Fame career, winning two championships.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the second most popular sports league in the US. The league’s rare cards have characteristics similar to National’s Bronko Nagurski. The 1948 George Mikan rookie card from Bowman, for example, is over 75 years old, and only a handful are believed to exist. Mikan not only enjoyed a Hall of Fame career but became one of the sport’s first true superstars, driving mainstream popularity of the game in the 1940s and 1950s.

Major League Baseball (MLB) ranks third of America’s four major pro leagues. That said, it is a sport many collectors associate with trading cards, partly because baseball produced cards before the other major sports. There are numerous candidates for the single rarest baseball card, but the title usually goes to the 1909-1911 Honus Wagner T206. No more than 50 copies exist, each with an estimated value of over $3 million.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is America’s fourth most popular pro league. Several Wayne Gretzky cards are highly valued by collectors, including the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Base Wayne Gretzky No. 18, which has sold for $3.75 million at auction.

​Wayne Gretzky stands as the undisputed greatest of all-time player in hockey. Due to the unparalleled respect for the Great One, sports cards featuring Gretzky command the most value in hockey cards, becoming a prized highlight in any collector's assortment.

Gretzky rookie cards are available in Topps and O-Pee-Chee card versions. O-Pee-Chee, a Canadian company, collaborated with Topps, an American company, to release sports cards specifically in Canada. The front side of the 1979-80 Gretzky card, identical in both versions, displays Gretzky in his Edmonton Oilers uniform, denoting him as the team’s center while on the ice. Due to lower-quality card stock and print standards, O-Pee-Chee cards are notably more challenging to find in superior condition than their Topps equivalents.

Estimated to be worth $465,000 US in PSA 10 gem mint condition, the 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card is one of history's most valuable hockey cards. The 1979 Topps #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card also commands a high price of approximately $200,000 US in PSA 10 gem mint condition.

​A family-operated sports memorabilia and sports trading card company, Triple SSS Sports Cards preserves and authenticates items from 1975 and earlier. By focusing on items from this time, Triple SSS Sports Cards helps fans appreciate their popularization, especially in the United States.

Tobacco companies initially packaged baseball cards with cigarettes to stiffen the packaging. The first cards, manufactured by Yum Yum and Goodwin & Co. in 1865, depicted members of the Brooklyn Atlantics amateur club, with their image on one side and a brief biography and statistics summary on the reverse side. Companies for other products soon followed suit, using trading cards to advertise themselves and increase sales. This rise in trading cards' prevalence also coincided with the popularization of color printing.

Bowman began selling baseball cards by themselves in 1927 and expanded its lineup to NBA cards in 1948. Competing firm Topps paired six-packs of cards with bubble gum and expanded the types of subjects on its cards, from TV and film stars to baseball players, in 1952. Collecting trading cards didn't explode in popularity until the 1980s when fans invested increasing effort to preserve their collections in the hopes they would appreciate in value.

​Triple SSS Sports Cards is a Detroit company that inventories sought-after issues of top names in sports history. Triple SSS Sports Cards sells PSA-graded examples of San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Joe Montana. The hall-of-fame legend was known for his ability to bring his team back from near-certain defeat and propelled the ‘Niners to four Super Bowl victories over the 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite being drafted two years earlier, Joe Montana’s rookie card came in the 1981 Topps set. This reflected the competent leadership of Steve Deberg, as Montana sat on the bench observing and gaining skills that would serve him well. While the 1981 Topps card was mass-produced and has no rare parallel variations, the cards are extremely condition sensitive.

The production technology of the time was not advanced, and the vast majority were off-center. Out of over 36,000 total graded copies, less than 250 have received a 10 gem mint grade from any grading company. When listed for sale, they are valued comfortably in the six figures. As of early 2023, in PSA 8, the 1981 Topps Montana typically sells for between $300 and $400. Just a single grade higher, much rarer PSA 9-mint copies sell in the $2,500 to $4,000 range.

​Triple SSS Sports Cards is a sports memorabilia company based in Shelby Township, Michigan, engaging in the retail of pre-1975 collectible cards. Since commencing operations in 2000, the company has furnished collectors of varying experience levels with grounded and efficient customer service. The Triple SSS Sports Cards inventory comprises baseball, football, hockey, and basketball cards.

Basketball cards are collectible pieces that help endear fans to their favorite players. Depending on the player involved, basketball cards have the potential to yield a considerable amount of money over time. This is largely the case for older cards, given their scarce nature.

In recent years, basketball cards have generally proven to be worthwhile investments. However, one must exercise caution before committing to the investment. This is owing to the lingering unpredictable nature of investments and the impact of damage on the value of basketball cards. Prospective investors should also know that there is minimal difficulty in selling basketball cards. The market for basketball cards is more global, offering less experienced collectors a wider list of potential buyers.

Furthermore, prospective investors must understand that basketball cards are rare and can give more bargaining power.

​With its extensive knowledge of the trading card market, Triple SSS Sports Cards has established a reputation for excellence. Mike and Mark Skerbe, who possess over thirty years of experience in the card trading industry, lead the Triple SSS Sports Cards team; they both understand the different factors that can influence the demand and supply of sports cards. Particularly, they have identified that sports commentary networks, including Fox Sports, play a significant role in the trading card industry.

Fox Sports commentators are considered to be particularly influential within the trading card industry because they have a large and dedicated following of fans who trust their opinions and analysis of athletes and teams. This means that when a commentator speaks positively about a particular athlete or team, it can significantly impact the demand and value of trading cards featuring those athletes or teams.

Additionally, Fox Sports has a history of broadcasting high-profile sporting events, which can further increase the exposure of certain athletes and drive demand for their trading cards. Triple SSS Sports Card’s latest products are on its eBay store, triplesssinc-store.

​Triple SSS Sports Cards is one of the top dealers of vintage sports cards in the United States. With a reputation for having in-depth market knowledge, Triple SSS Sports Cards primarily trades in inventory graded by Sportscard Guaranty (SGC) and Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). Their collection includes baseball, basketball, hockey, football cards, and pre-1970 sports cards such as Super Bowl trading cards.

Super Bowl trading cards have been a popular part of the sports memorabilia industry since the first Super Bowl game in 1967. These cards, which feature photos of the players and stats from the game, have evolved significantly over the years, reflecting changes in the sports industry and technological advances.

Trading cards were relatively simple in the early years of the Super Bowl. They featured black-and-white photos of the players and basic statistics, such as their height, weight, and years of experience. These cards were typically sold in packs of 10 or 12, and they were relatively cheap, with prices ranging from a few cents to a few dollars.

By the 1980s, trading cards had become more elaborate, with full-color photos and detailed statistics. The cards also began to feature special subsets, such as all-star teams, rookie cards, and championship cards. In the 1990s, Super Bowl trading cards began to feature holograms, autographs, and even pieces of game-used equipment, such as jerseys and footballs. These relic cards, as they came to be known, became highly sought after by collectors, driving up prices and creating a new market for sports memorabilia.

Over time, Super Bowl trading cards became more interactive, with fans able to scan cards with their smartphones to access exclusive content or participate in online contests. Currently, Super Bowl trading cards are more advanced than ever before, with cutting-edge technologies. Digital collectibles, such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), have also become popular, offering a new way for fans to own and trade unique Super Bowl memorabilia.

​Triple SSS Sports Cards is a Detroit company that offers a full range of cards of top stars of MLB, the NFL, NBA, and NHL. The Triple SSS Sports Cards team has an in-depth knowledge of iconic inserts such as Upper Deck Young Guns, which began in 1990-91 as a subset and included rookies such as Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov.

The insert set was not immediately popular, and did not reappear until 1995-96 Collector's Choice. After two years the set vanished again, and it was brought back for good only with 1999-00 Upper Deck Hockey. Since that time, the card has earned status as one of the most sought-after rookie cards that does not contain an autograph. In addition, in recent years, serial-numbered parallels of the rare card have been created, adding additional levels of value.

Examples of high profile sales in early 2023 include a PSA 10 2021 UD Cole Caufield Young Guns Clear Cut UD Exclusives for $9,100. A PSA 10 specimen of the 2005-06 UD Young Guns Alexander Ovechkin sold at auction for $6,450, while a A PSA 10 2015-16 Upper Deck Young Guns Connor McDavid brought $4,750.