2000 Leaf Rookies & Stars Tom Brady #134

How I Arrived at the Hobby Score

The 2000 Leaf Rookies & Stars Tom Brady #134 is one of the rarest Brady rookies, with only 1,000 copies printed. Leaf Rookies & Stars was part of Donruss/Playoff’s lineup, running from the late 1990s through the 2000s. The set was not considered high-end at release—packs were affordable, and boxes were widely available at hobby shops and retail stores. Each pack typically contained five cards, and the checklist focused on first-year players and established stars.

At the time, most collectors were chasing bigger names from the draft class, and Brady’s cards flew under the radar. The limited print run makes this card much harder to find than most of his other rookies. For collectors, it’s a reminder that some of the most valuable cards today started out as just another option on the shelf, overlooked by nearly everyone except the most dedicated fans.