2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor Tom Brady ROOKIE AUTO #236 BAS BGS 9.5 GEM MINT

While any BGS 9.5 example of Tom Brady's famous 2000 Bowman Chrome rookie Refractor is worthy of attention, the addition of the all-time great's signature elevates this offering to another level of intrigue. Featuring a TRISTAR Productions certification sticker on the reverse side, TB12 autographed this example of his iconic RC at a private signing in Houston, Texas, according to the service. BAS has also deemed the autograph authentic, with the slab label denoting its 10 grade alongside the BGS 9.5 technical grade. Only one BGS-assessed example has a higher mark than this 9.5. This now-iconic issue is considered by many to be not only one of the best rookie cards of all time, not only one of the best football cards of all time, but one of the best sports cards ever printed, period. Topps produced more than 300 Brady Refractors in Topps Chrome, Finest, and Bowman Chrome products from 2002 until 2015, but the first one sets the standard among Brady collectors. Topps produced 12 sets in 2000 but only included Brady in Bowman and Bowman Chrome—meaning he has only a single rookie Refractor. Among the 105 rookies on the Bowman Chrome checklist, Topps serial-numbered base cards of 20 top prospects to /99. That left Brady and 84 other draftees as unnumbered short prints, whose Refractors fell 1:281 packs. It took an average of nearly 24,000 packs to uncover a Brady, leaving this card as one of his toughest unnumbered rookie cards to pull. The photo used on the card and the detailed write-up on the reverse also receive attention from collectors. Of Brady’s 23 rookie cards that depict him with the Patriots, only eight show him in full uniform instead of at practice. Most of those issues show Brady casually warming up for a preseason game, but the Bowman card shows him rolling out of the pocket. On the back, Brady’s “Bowman Briefing” expounds on his baseball pedigree, big-game accomplishments, and the on-field skills that eventually defined his career. Considering Refractors have helped define the trading card industry since 1993, the shine from this issue makes it many collectors' choice to sit atop the list of Tom Brady's best cards. The addition of his autograph only enhances the appeal of this famous printing. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 04/11/2025.