
Burgess Owens
1981 • Topps
#429

The 1981 Topps Rod Martin #487 captures the Oakland Raiders linebacker during a pivotal era in NFL history. A vintage football card from one of Topps' most collected years.
1981 • Topps
NFL • Oakland Raiders
Near Mint
487
New
Shipping calculated at checkout
Create a listing from this sports-card catalog entry and use the same product details as a starting point.
See how many public collections currently include this card.
0 collectors have this card
The catalog profile below summarizes the card identity, featured subject, and notable collectible traits.
The player, team, league, and sport context tied to this card.
Production details and format-specific attributes.
Material
Card Stock
Language
English
Rod Martin's 1981 Topps card sits in the lower-to-mid tier of his overall cardboard footprint, consistent with base issues from this era that lack the premium pull of rookie cards or autographed parallels. As a key defensive contributor for the Oakland Raiders — famously intercepting three passes in Super Bowl XV — Martin carries legitimate historical significance that gives this card more collector appeal than a typical base-set linebacker of the period. With only one active listing currently available, the market is thin, which can create artificial scarcity in the short term and complicate accurate price benchmarking.
This is a standard base card from the 1981 Topps Football set, carrying no serial numbering, parallel designation, or short-print distinction — meaning raw copies are broadly accessible across the hobby market. Population reports for graded examples of this card remain modest, as high-grade submissions of non-star players from early 1980s Topps sets are relatively uncommon due to the era's notoriously inconsistent centering and print quality. A PSA or BGS 8 or higher would represent a meaningful upgrade over typical raw copies and would command a relative premium within this niche.
Martin is not a Hall of Famer, which caps the long-term ceiling on this card compared to contemporaries like Lester Hayes or Ted Hendricks from the same Raiders dynasty. However, his Super Bowl XV performance remains a historically notable achievement that sustains periodic collector interest, particularly around Super Bowl season and Raiders nostalgia cycles. Grading submission trends for early 1980s Topps football have grown modestly as vintage football gains broader collector attention, but this specific card is unlikely to see dramatic market momentum without a significant cultural catalyst.

1981 • Topps
#429

1981 • Topps
#161

1981 • Topps
#427

1981 • Topps
#424

1981 • Topps
#485