Why did someone spend $12,000 on a Jay Cutler football card?
On Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, a Jay Cutler football card sold in an eBay auction for $12,107, a record sale for one of his cards. Not only was it a record, but it more than doubled the previous record for a Cutler card which had stood since June 2007, ahead of his first full season in the NFL. From there Cutler went on to make the Pro Bowl in 2008 and have a 12-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Miami Dolphins, but the question remains … why is one of his cards selling for $12,107 after attracting 44 bids from 19 bidders in the year 2025?
Well, the first piece of the puzzle is the specific card that sold: his 2012 Panini Prizm Black Finite card, the rarest parallel of his base card from that set. Only one was produced and though it’s not a rookie card (it’s from his seventh NFL season), it is from Panini’s very first Prizm Football set, which over the years has become one of the most popular annual sets in the sports card industry. As a result, many cards in that inaugural 2012 edition have taken on added value since it was the first one. In 2023, Adrian Peterson’s 2012 Prizm Black Finite card sold for just under $9,000 (a record for one of his cards). Last year, Clay Matthews’ 2012 Prizm Black Finite card sold for $3,000 (a record for one of his cards). In January, Philip Rivers’ sold for $2,500 (not a record for one of his cards, but still one of his highest priced).
The most coveted Black Finite card from the 2012 Prizm set, Tom Brady’s, has never publicly surfaced, though. It could be inside an unopened box or tucked away in a private collection somewhere. If it ever does hit the market, it would command a large sum. In 2023, two of his 2012 Prizm Gold cards, of which only 10 were produced, went to auction — one sold for $132,000 and the other sold a month later for $156,000.
Michael Vick’s 2012 Prizm Black Finite card is currently listed on eBay for $200,000 (or best offer). In June, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris bought Jayden Daniels’ 2024 Prizm Black Finite rookie card for $500,000 with the intention of displaying it at Northwest Stadium.
So that’s why this specific Cutler card is more valuable than other cards of his. But why $12,107?
UPDATE: After publication, the buyer of the Cutler card got in touch to explain the situation.
“I’m a huge Bears fan and Cutler collector,” said John “Pack Nicholson” Walaszek. “These 2012 Finites are nearly impossible to find, so when this popped up I had to win by any means necessary. It involved using a funding service in which I’ll be selling other cards I’ve collected over the years to pay for it.”
The auction came close to the upper limit Walaszek was looking to spend, though.
“I was expecting it to land around 10K. My max was $12,600,” he said. “I know 12K sounds insane for people unfamiliar with the set and parallel, but I think in a few years it will be impossible to get one of any player, let alone a player I collect.”
Walaszek discussed the details of the purchase and scrutiny of it on his appropriately named podcast, The Football Card Podcast.
“Trust me, I didn’t want to pay this much money for it. I don’t want to spend $12,107 on a Jay Cutler card,” Walaszek said on the show. “I wish it was 100 bucks. I wish I found it in a box at Goodwill along with the rest of the complete set. But that didn’t happen. What happened was this card showed up at auction and some other idiots also bid $12,000, so this is the price I’m obligated to pay. And I wish it wasn’t. I don’t want to do any of this. I don’t want to be a fan of a team that doesn’t win Super Bowls and has never had a great quarterback, but I’m a fan of the Chicago Bears. And how I express that fandom is collecting players who played for the Chicago Bears, and sadly Jay Cutler is the best QB I’ve watched play for the Chicago Bears. So this card is a necessary piece for what I’m building.”
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