No Rookie Card? No Problem.

PATRICK MAHOMES ROOKIE CARDS OR KEY AUTOGRAPHS ARE NOT THE ONLY HOT TARGETS FOR COLLECTORS. These five rookie-year inserts and second-year base cards also might be terrific investments right now that are a fraction of the price as his most popular RCs.

2017 Contenders Rookie of the Year Contenders #RY-3

Even if you didn’t pull a Mahomes RC from 2017 Contenders, it’s still a bit of a victory if you pulled the quarterback’s Rookie of the Year Contenders insert. There are #’d parallels, but the base is a great early card of Mahomes that is rising in interest from collectors wanting a card from the now-legendary 2017 Contenders release. While professionally graded Gem Mint copies can approach four figures, ungraded Mint copies can still be found for around $100 or more. There are 30 players on the inserts checklist.

2017 Donruss Optic The Rookies #7

Just because this isn’t a base Rookie Card, don’t expect to pay any less for it than the Optic Rated Rookie. The Rookies is a 40-card insert highlighting the top rookies in the 2017 class. It has a cool design and has become more popular with collectors over the last year. It sells for at least $300. There are five parallel levels: Blue, Green, Red Gold and Gold Vinyl.

2017 Donruss The Elite Series Rookies #7

A design similar to The Rookies insert, this one from 2017 Donruss is less than half the price. The

Elite Series Rookies insert has been around since 2016 when Donruss launched back into football. In 2017, this was a 30-card insert and is not a hot chase element to Donruss. You can find this one for about $100.

2018 Panini Prizm #102

When Rookie Cards reach thousands of dollars, collectors start to focus on second-year cards. Panini Prizm base cards are so similar to the RCs, and this is Mahomes’ 2018 Panini Prizm base card. Raw cards sell for around $40, and Gem Mint grades go for $350-plus. Of course, there are many parallels to collect, if that’s your thing.

2018 Donruss Optic #49

Just like Mahomes’ second-year base Prizm, this 2018 Donruss Optic has drawn a lot of collectors. It’s about a third of the value of the Prizm. You also can find online lots with several copies if you want to buy as an investment or send in for grading. Gem Mint versions are about $125.

2018 Select #66

Mahomes’ 2017 Select Rookie Card has risen to $500 to $800. There’s no autograph or memorabilia, so this second-year Select base card may be an affordable alternative for about $40. There actually are three Select Mahomes base card levels: #66 Concourse Level, #104 Premier Level and #232 Field Level.