The Super Bowl by the eBay Stats

2011 NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images); 2011 AFC Championship: Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Green Bay Packers won the first one in 1967. This Sunday, they go after number 45 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, over those four and a half decades, the Super Bowl has become an unmatched spectacle, pulling in more viewers every year than any other TV program. As the contest has grown into the largest sporting event in the free world, so has the desire for Super Bowl memorabilia.

Not all Super Bowl merchandise is created equal. Sometimes the historical importance of a particular Super Bowl makes pieces from that game more valuable, and thus alluring to collectors. This is certainly the case with that first championship meeting between the NFL and AFL; the game itself was a blow-out, but Super Bowl memorabilia from that game are very much in demand.

Super Bowl collectibles are also judged by other criteria. Often, people will pay more for items from a Super Bowl that has had staying power in the public’s imagination than one that’s easily forgotten.

More people—a record 105,000—are expected to attend Cowboys Stadium this Sunday than the entire population of Green Bay. What did you expect? This is Texas, where big is good and bigger is better.

With that said, Jerry Jones can host the most jaw-dropping spectacle in the annals of sports in his billion-dollar pigskin Taj Mahal, but it’s the Super Bowl players on the field who will determine if this year’s championship will be in the memorable or forgettable category.

It will be up to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to light up the sky over Arlington, giving Green Bay fans the conquering heroes they’ve been craving ever since #4 split town in his Wrangler jeans. It will be up to big, bad Ben Roethlisberger, out to capture his third Super Bowl ring, to put up numbers against a hard-nosed defense that sacked him five times in ’09. It will be up to rookie running back James Sparks, a sixth-rounder who’s emerged out of nowhere this post-season, to bust through an imposing Steel Curtain defense, that stingiest in the league this year against the run. It will be up to All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, shrugging off a strained Achilles, to slip on his cape and make some super human play at the critical moment.

It will be up to both teams to exhibit tenacity and aggression, as well as the poise that secured them a spot in the Big Game. If the Steelers and Packers do that, than the first Super Bowl in the Dallas-Fort Worth area won’t just be bigger; it will also be better.

Of course, they’d have to play a game for the ages to be considered in the same class as these five classic Super Bowls. To find out which of these memorable NFL title games rate highest in the world of sports memorabilia, we compared their sale numbers on eBay over the past three months (10/28/10-1/25/11). Here’s what we found, ranked by average price. 

Super Bowl III, 1969: New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

Average Price: $68.45, Listings: 176

Super Bowl III has a special place in American sports lore. As you might expect, Super Bowl collectibles associated with this game are most prized with an impressive $68.45 average price on eBay. Now, everybody loves talking about Joe Namath and his bold prediction that the Jets of the “inferior” AFL were going beat the mighty NFL champion Baltimore Colts. But the game should also be remembered for the brilliant strategy employed by the huge underdogs to shock the Colt—and the world. For one, Joe Namath used the deep threat of Don Maynard to spook the Baltimore defense, then proceeded to wear them down with a running attack led by bruising fullback Matt Snell. “I didn’t mind,” said Don Maynard, an affable Texan, whose recent autobiography, “You Can’t Catch Sunshine”, I had the pleasure of co-writing. “I had the best seat in the house.”

Roll over items for details

1969 Super Bowl III Pin Jets Vs. Colts

(buy it now price, $1.99)

Super Bowl III Program

(buy it now price, $650)

Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17 

Average Price: $37.19, Listings: 102

This game marked the beginning of the New England Patriots dynasty, as Belichick’s boys would go onto capture three Lombardi trophies over the next four years. It also marked the first time a Super Bowl was won on the final play, courtesy of Adam Vinateri’s clutch 48-yard field goal as time expired. Tom Brady earned MVP honors as his team pulled off the stunning upset over “The Greatest Show On Turf.” Interestingly, the average price of Super Bowl memorabilia for this game is a whopping 60% more than another vintage Patriots championship game three years later, also won with a dramatic Adam Vinateri field goal with seconds left in the game (Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004: Patriots 32, Panthers 29; Average Price: $14.79, Listings: 66). Possibly Super Bowl items from the New England Patriots' victory over the St. Louis Rams are more coveted because it was the first for New England. Or maybe people just like Tom Brady’s hairstyle from that season.

2002 Super Bowl XXXVI Pin New England Patriots vs. Rams

(buy it now price, $4.99)

Super Bowl XXXVI Duffel Bags & Lanyard

(starting bid, $9.99)

Super Bowl XXXIV, 2000: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

Average Price: $37.07, Listings: 70

This Super Bowl game is remembered for “The Greatest Show on Turf” team, St. Louis, making their first appearance ever in the NFL championship, defeating the Tennessee Titans—by a yard. Seven ticks left on the clock. Titans down by seven. Kevin Dyson catches a Steve McNair pass at the three-yard line. But St. Louis Rams linebacker Mike Jones makes the ultimate tackle in championship history, stopping the out-stretched Titans receiver 12 inches short of glory. Neither St. Louis or Tennessee are what you would call an NFL marquee team, yet Super Bowl XXXIV collectibles averaged a solid $37.07—41% better than the iconic Super Bowl XL between the New York Giants and New England Patriots in 2008. With all due respect to Kurt Warner, is there any doubt that the reason this game is on the radar of sports collectors is that it provided the most epically tragic ending of any Super Bowl that didn’t involve Scott Norwood?

St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXIV Bronze Medallion

(buy it now price, $8.99)

Super Bowl XXXIV Media Bag

(buy it now price, $249.95)

Super Bowl XLII, 2008: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

Average Price: $21.91, Listings: 118

The best Super Bowls defy expectations and certainly this was the case on February 3rd, 2008, when the 12-point underdog New York Giants triumphed over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. For a game that many people consider the greatest upset in football history, you might assume that this Super Bowl memorabilia would be in high demand. Yet, the average worth of items on eBay is not as high as those you find from other memorable Super Bowls. At the same time, it’s similar to the $20.28 average price of items from Super Bowl XLIII, a very memorable title pitting the Steelers and the Cardinals in 2009. Perhaps collectibles from these all-time great championship battles don’t rate higher because they lack the vintage cache that can only come with age. After all, when it comes to sports memorabilia, the epic-ness of the game plays an important role, but nothing trumps rarity. So even if the Packers put on the greatest show in Super Bowl history, don’t run out and trade your Bart Starr-signed Super Bowl I football for a football autographed by Aaron Rodgers. Of course, if Aaron Rodgers plays like Joe Montana against the Steelers defense, you’re free to consider that same trade with a Brett Favre autographed football.

NY Giants Super Bowl XLII Bobble Head Set

(buy it now price, $385)

2008 SuperBowl XLII Collectable Package Ticket Cushion

(buy it now price, $150)

 Super Bowl XXIII, 1989: San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16 

 Average Price: $12.50, Listings: 146

Above all, this game is remembered for Joe Montana, the most unflappable signal-caller in history, engineering a magical 92-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to give the San Francisco 49ers a comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. When Joe Montana hit John Taylor for the winning touchdown, it secured Joe Cool’s place on the Mount Rushmore of QBs while giving the “team of the ‘80s” its signature victory. Surprisingly, Super Bowl memorabilia from this heart-stopping Super Bowl do not command the prices of other notable title games. In fact, the average price of SBXXIII items on eBay is a woeful $12.50. Could it be that San Francisco 49ers fans aren’t as rabid as those of Dallas, Pittsburgh and Green Bay? Say it ain’t so, Joe.

Joe Montana Super Bowl XX111 Plate

(buy it now price, $15)

Super Bowl XX111 Clipboard, Flip Chart & Summary

(buy it now price, $75)

Finally, though it's too early to put Super Bowl XLV merchandise into these rankings, just for fun, we pitted Sports Memorabilia for the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers against one another on eBay. Turns out that in the last three months, the average price of eBay auction items was about the same for both teams (approx. $21), though the Pittsburgh Steelers boasted 35 percent more listings and 58% more in sales. What does this actually say about the eventual winner of the game? We'll have to wait until Sunday to find out.