Thurman Thomas
Date of Birth: 5/16/1966
Rookie Card Year: 1989
Investment Rating: 6.0
Overview
Thurman Thomas was a key member of the Buffalo Bills AFC dynasty in the early 1990s. A powerful and gifted running back, Thomas was equally adept at pass catching and blocking. This made him invaluable to the Bills' patented no-huddle offense. Buffalo may be a smaller NFL market, but the team's fans are passionate. This makes Thurman Thomas cards and autographed memorabilia popular still today.
Thurman Thomas has three rookie cards. They're found in 1989 Pro Set, 1989 Score and 1989 Topps Football. In additon, Thomas has a 1989 Panini Sticker. As is the case with so many great players of his era, the value of Thomas' rookie cards suffer from the sheer amount produced by manufacturers during the period. On the bright side, collectors can find high-grade examples at very affordable prices.
Thomas' first certified autograph card can be found in the 1991 Pro Line Portraits and 1991 Score Dream Team sets. Five years later, Collector's Edge produced Thurman Thomas' first memorabilia card which included a portion of a football used in the Super Bowl. Thomas has been a regular on modern sets, including more autographs and memorabilia cards.
Thomas' autographed Buffalo Bills memorabilia is a consistent seller. Items related to the team's AFC Championship streak, like yearbooks and programs make nice keepsake pieces. The items that sell for top-dollar include signed helmets, jerseys and footballs. Supply has been kept at levels to meet demand and as a result, Thomas' signed memorabilia has maintained its value over the years.
Thurman Thomas Rookie Card Checklist
1989 Pro Set Thurman Thomas RC #32
Popular at the time for their photography and detailed card backs, the Pro Set cards were produced in such quantity that unopened cases can still be found today. They were printed on a thinner card stock that left something to be desired. Today, you can still find raw copies of this card for less than $1.
1989 Score Thurman Thomas RC #211
This is, arguably, Thomas' preferred rookie. The solid red borders make it condition sensitive which gives higher-grade examples a slight value bump despite the quantities produced.
1989 Topps Thurman Thomas RC #45
Helmet or no helmet? That is often a question debated among football card collectors. If you like to be able to see the player's face, Thomas' Topps example is a perfect choice.
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Autograph Guide
Thurman Thomas Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide
Below you will find examples of what an authentic Thurman Thomas autograph looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Some of the trusted sources within the sports memorabilia market include the following companies: PSA, JSA, Steiner, Tristar and Mounted Memories. Click on any of the images below to view full size photos.
Thurman Thomas Cut Signature Exemplar
Thurman Thomas Key Signature Attributes: An authentic Thurman Thomas signature autograph will exhibit several distinguishing characteristics. Regardless of the type of item or when it was signed, look for the following signature features:
- The most predominant letters of the autograph signature are the letter "t's" which resemble over-sized letter "J's" or bow-ties. A large near vertical loop like a lower-case cursive "l" flows back down into a guitar pick/kidney bean shape.
- The letters "h-u-r-m" are very small and barely discernible, the "a-n" are not expressed.
- The "h-o" of the last name are visible but the remaining letters are not present.
Thurman Thomas Signed Football Pricing:
Active Listings for Thurman Thomas Signed Footballs
Thurman Thomas Signed Jersey Pricing:
Active Listings for Thurman Thomas Signed Jerseys
Thurman Thomas Signed Helmet Pricing:
Active Listings for Thurman Thomas Signed Helmets
Thurman Thomas Signed Photograph Pricing:
Active Listings for Thurman Thomas Signed Photographs
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More Info
For general information and player statistics for Thurman Thomas, visit:
J
Why didn’t Thomas’ Score rookie card say 1989 rookie on the card like Aikman or Sanders?
Trey Treutel
Likely because he was drafted in 1988, whereas Sanders and Aikman were drafted in 1989 and actually in their rookie seasons.