In the 1990 set, that RB card celebrated Rickeys 40th career leadoff home run late in 1989, which extended his own record. Prices for 1990 Topps Baseball Cards 1990 Topps card list & price guide. Gwynn won a batting title in 1989, giving him four heading into his 30s and a new decade. However, there are a few rare gems from this period that are exceptions to the rule. Would anyone be interested in buying my Sports Card Collection. These cards often sell for $50 to $75, depending on the popularity of the player. Juan Gonzalez was already a solid prospect heading into the 1989 season, and his 21 home runs with Double-A Tulsa at just 19 years of age put him on the hobby radar. Dimensions: 1-1/2 x 2-5/8. It remains to be seen if Bonds will be inducted into the Hall of Fame but I dont think anyone can argue how talented he was. Due to the availability of baseball cards from 1990 and the crash of the sports cards market in the 1990s, most of the standard cards are worth just a few dollars. Autographed Cards Population Totals. If its something else, it would be interesting to see whats up. Unfortunately, the 1990 season would be Jackson's last full season in baseball as a devastating hip injury during a football game in 1991 prevented him from ever playing at his All-Star level again. A few important parameters for our list before we get started: The No. Prices for 1990 Fleer Baseball Cards 1990 Fleer card list & price guide. The Soaring Stars #6 Ken Griffey, Jr. card is one of the few 1990 baseball cards valued at more than a few hundred dollars. So, just how costly are the most sought-after baseball cards? Due to poor sales of the. Occasionally, hed pop something really gaudy, like that Ty Cobb-esque .363 batting title in 1993. This may very well be the most stylish card on the list. Don Mattingly could flat out playhe could hit for average and a bit of power while at the same time maintaining a solid glove at first base . It perfectly illustrates just what made Bo Jackson so special: (PSA Graded) Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50. The fact is, Belle was one of the most consistently productive hitters of the 1990s as he hit no fewer than 28 home runs and drove in no fewer than 95 runs from 1991 to 1999. The Seattle Mariners outfielder was one of the top players in the game during that decade, and his cards are now highly sought after by collectors. This is one such example of one of the decades rarer cards. By the time collectors started pulling his rookie card, enough of those guys Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Tim Wallach, etc. Still known as David Arias when his rookie cards were printed, it wasn't until he made his MLB debut late in the 1997 season that he informed the Twins that he preferred David Ortiz. Not surprisingly, Thomas 1991 breakout (.318, 32 home runs, 109 RBI, 104 runs) sent us all scrambling to find his 1990 rookie cards, and theyve been hobby royalty ever since. It has seen better times as far as values go but its still universally beloved for those that collected in the 1990s. Add to that the fact that the 20-card "Premiere Prospects" subset that Jeter is included in has a foil design that shows any and all imperfections, and it's virtually impossible to find a gem mint version of the card. The 1997 Bowman set was one of the most popular of the late 1990s. Griffey was one of the most popular players of the era and his cards were always in high demand. Basketball legend Michael Jordans ill-fated attempt to become a baseball star is generally meme-worthy, but his RC from 1991 is still one of the better cards from the decade. Although back problems hampered him during the 1990 season, Jose Canseco still managed to blast home runs at one of the highest rates of his career as he would belt 37 in just 481 at-bats. His first Topps card didn't come until the 1998 flagship set. Dates back to 80s and 90s. You might also enjoy our Ultimate Guide treatment of 1990 Topps baseball cards, right here. had made good, that we were pretty sure Grissom could live up to his advance billing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The normal 1991 Topps is worth a fraction of the price, and youll be able to tell the difference by looking for a see-through gold emblem under the 1st Draft Pick logo on the front of the card. Recently a PSA 10 gem mint condition version of his 1997 card sold at auction for $1,591 making it one of the most valuable cards of the 90's. Adrian Beltre (1997 Bowman Chrome International Refractor #182) Beltre's rookie card from 1997 recently sold at auction for $3,016. Thats a testament to how good he really was. Much of the attention is due to the fact that Jordans basketball RC is extremely valuable, while prices of all MJ cards have increased rapidly following the release of The Last Dance. Of course, it was just the beginning of a Hall of Fame run for Mad Dog, and within a few years, when he was stringing together CYAs for the Braves, we were stockpiling ALL his cards including this nifty color-coordinated Cubbies deal. Their rarity, combined with their quality (PSA 9+) gives them their value. During the 1990s, Griffey Jr. was one of the hottest stars in the sport and seemed destined to break all kinds of records. Now, if that last sentence up there and that Donruss rookie card look a bit. #1: 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle An SGC 9.5 Example Sold in August 2022 for $12,600,000 Dimensions: 2-5/8" x 3-3/4" The most important post-war card in the hobby, price movements of the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card are often seen as an indicator of the health of the sports card market overall. On the card itself, Jordan is pictured during batting practice with the White Sox before a home game in 1990. This card from 1992, showing Piazza in a crowded catchers stance, is worth a fair amount of money within collectors circles, often going between $200 and $300. That decision was one of the worst in baseball history. One of the most important cards of the post-WWII era, ushering in a new, premium brand into the baseball card aisles and leading off that ground-breaking set with the Rookie Card of. He went on to rack up 541 home runs, 1,769 RBI and three World Series rings on his way to first-ballot Hall of Famer status. The hype surrounding Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Travis Lee and Chicago Cubs phenom Kerry Wood helped drive interest initially, but it's Adrian Beltre who wound up having the most valuable rookie card in a set that also contains first-year cards of Roy Halladay, Aramis Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, Eric Chavez, Vernon Wells and many other notable 2000s standouts. This set was a monster and contained a 792 card checklist in total. The initial production run containing the error becomes scarce, driving up its value. Within that OBP stat was the remarkable fact that Henderson either walked or hit safely in 125 of the 136 games he played that season. That got his cards perking again after a bit of a lull during the in-between years. Though the gridiron ultimately proved to be his primary passion and gift (hes in the Pro Football Hall of Fame), Sanders spent enough time on the diamond to rack up plenty of steals and runs over his nine-year career. The green background makes any flaws or cornering issues easier to detect, which is why finding a mint condition copy of this card is difficult. Prices are updated daily based upon 1990 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Recommended Reading: Air Force 1 Baseball Cleats, 2022 BaseballLoveCLub.com If theres a Holy Grail of all 1980s baseball cards, the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. is it. Derek Jeter is one of the most decorated players in the modern era, with 14 All-Star appearances and five World Series wins in a 20-year MLB career spent with the New York Yankees. Mike Trout is a generational talent, and his . Of the six Kevin Maas Rookies, its the 1990 Upper Deck that resonates most. Neon Deion Sanders was a hobby phenom right from the start thanks to his electric talent in both football and baseball. Well, first of all, you might see the card with a Ken Griffey Jr. auto only, or a Mantle auto only, and then of course, the dual auto that is basically the greatest combo dual auto to ever grace a baseball card. Currently, listings on eBay value this card around the $2000 mark but they have been known to fetch more than triple that at auction. This time, the team couldnt overcome the dip in production and fell quickly to the Reds, 4-0. For many in the hobby, we have a shorthand when a young player starts hitting home runs at a rapid rate. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. The most expensive Ken Griffey Jr. card is the Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. Dual Signed Upper Deck UDA Card. It seemed like Rickey Henderson showed up on a Record Breaker card just about every year during the 1980s and 1990s. Still, collectors were excited enough by Joses upside to keep his cards on the hot list (and the Cold List, for veteran Beckett readers). Due to poor sales of the previous Fleer Update sets, the print run was slashed for the 1992 release, making it one of the few hard-to-find sets of the Junk Wax Era. Lower-grade cards can sell for around $1000 whilst a higher-grade edition went for $8,655 in 2018. That 5000th strikeout that Ryan recorded in 1989 did wonders for his hobby profile, beginning right at the front of the 1990 Topps set. However, the following types of cards are likely to hold more value: Error cards are often more valuable when the manufacturer corrects the error. But, hey, if youre going to spray out an iconic error card (that may actually just be a printing flaw), what better way than to target a Hall of Famer? However, things changed in the World Series as they couldnt seem to figure out the Cincinnati Reds pitching and shockingly found themselves on the other end of a sweep. And together with a great action shot of Griffey showing off his sweet swing, that color scheme makes this one of the best-looking cards in the set. With a well-rounded offense led by the heavy-hitting Bash Brothers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the As had no problem putting runs on the board all season long. The 1993 SP Jeter is one of the best cards from the 1990s, produced on a foil background that can be ruined by the faintest touch. Jones had a great career with the Atlanta Braves and was a key figure in their success during the 90s. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In 1989, Bo Jackson reached career highs in games played (135), home runs (32), and RBI (105), and he also stole 26 bases for the Kansas City Royals. Clean-looking raw versions regularly sell for over $1,000 on eBay, with buyers hoping to strike gold by getting it graded. The fact that there are only two of them has helped increase demand, with the 1995 Bowman and 1995 Bowman's Best sets containing his only rookies. Like every other Topps Traded set in the 1980s and early 1990s, this one was a special treat to collectors one last shot of new baseball cards for the year as we headed into winter. That means the card needs to be basically flawless. Theres something for every budget, and thats only going to be good news for collectors. He would extend that 0-fer to three years in 1990 before getting off the snide and reigniting his cards in 1991. Bonds card prices, its seems, like his Hall of Fame candidacy, are victims of his PED taint. And for those of us who grew up collecting these as kids, they'll always have a huge nostalgic factor to them despite not having the most monetary value. With *still* less than 300 of these gracing the PSA Population Report as of January 2022, and with Big Hurt firmly enshrined in Cooperstown, its no wonder this card is such a big kahuna among 1990 baseball issues. Sure, the dudes personality rubbed folks like a porcupine-grained sandpaper, and health issues sank his Hall of Fame hopes, but Belle managed to dominate in the batters box long enough to add some forever value to his rookie cards. 1994 ALEX RODRIGUEZ ROOKIE CARD GRADED MINT 10 FLEER WAVE OF THE FUTURE 2. I used to love watching him play--he was a class act. This one features a young Ryan with the New York Mets, where he made a first, brief, and wild stop. I really dont know much about Scores motive for putting him on a baseball card but Im assuming it was some sort of promotional gimmick. His greatness began to show in earnest that summer, though, as he led the Pirates to a division title and won his first National League MVP award. Today, even after the great slugger downfall of the 2010s, Sosas rookie cards maintain enough hobby swagger to appear on lists like this one. Baseball in the 1990s was dominated by two teams. Youre likely to find these cards selling in a large price range depending on quality, but a pristine one might fetch up to $2000. He primarily played for the Dodgers and Mets and was an All-Star 12 times between 1993 and 2005. Things were about the same (or worse) for Iron Cal in 1990, and his critics put the blame firmly on The Streak. This was Henderons first Topps base card after he returned to the As in a midseason trade with the Yankees. 10 most valuable basketball card of the 1990s. Walker's rookie card received quite a boost in price once he finally received the call to the Hall of Fame. Then, at age 29, a blown rotator cuff ended his career. And he also gave us the chance to see him on a Giants card, a reality Topps helped facilitate that fall in their Traded set. A dynamic power-speed threat early in his career, he eventually settled in as more of a middle-of-the-order run producer. He also won ten straight Silver Slugger awards, cementing his status as one of the greatest offensive catchers in the games history. In fact, while fellow White Sox rookies Robin Ventura and Scott Radinsky picked up some votes for Rookie of the Year honors in 1990, Thomas didn't receive any at all. Dont Miss: Baseball Cross Necklace For Men. The card sold for $16,800, featuring Skyboxs iconic layered foil grid backdrop behind Griffey as hes about to transition to a slide. I mean, wow. I especially remember that monstrous 1997 season he had with 49 home runs, 143 runs scored, 130 RBI and a .363 batting average. Griffeys rookie card from 1988 is worth an estimated $2 million, according to Sports Illustrated. 1 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1996 and 1997 seasons, Andruw Jones is one of the most hyped minor leaguers of all time, and homering twice in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series when he was only 19 years old only fueled the fire. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. So, its an exceedingly rare signed parallel from one of the biggest stars in the sport. The company's chairman, Arthur Shorin, even presented some of them in a binder to the former president in 1989. Added to that, there are presidential artifact collectors who also drive up the price for it. Right, but where were his *Detroit* cards? Well, no, actually. If its the former, its a wrong back and might have a small premium over a regular Ripken for collectors of one or both of the players. The . 1993 Derek Jeter Classic Best Gold Greensboro Hornets #115 Gem Mint 10 Rookie. Olerud took awhile to build a resume that would land him on lists like this, putting up solid, semistar-to-star-level performances year after year. That earned Bo his first (and only) All-Star appearance and even some down-ballot MVP votes. After all, the Orioles had selected the big righthander with the first overall pick in the 1989 Draft, then brought him up after just two games in the minors. In 2015, a PSA 10 copy would sell for roughly $30,000. ). To other top rated players. Baseball cards were mass-produced in high volumes during the 90s so values of cards from this period tend not to peak too high. And, even among the overproduced cards from the first year in a decade noted for, well, overproduction, 1990 Fleer baseball cards seem especially plentiful. Willie Mays Rookie Card. Is this the error card worth so much? The following season, though, Thomas broke out in a big way as he finished third in MVP voting and picked up his first of four career Silver Sluggers. But, the Toronto Blue Jays did let him tryout and I guess that was good enough for Score to put him in their Traded series. Coming in the number 1 spot for the most Valuable 1990s basketball cards is the Kobe Bryant Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems card. Maddux turned in his second big season for the Cubs in 1989, with his 19-12, 2.95 ERA helping the northsiders to a division title. The No. Despite such controversy, the 90s produced some fantastic highs and quality players which would affect the baseball card market in the long term. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values Baseball cards / By Matt Johnson #25 1986 Donruss Highlights "Highlights in White." Bo Jackson rookie card #43 PSA 10 sold for $360 Shop the 1986 Donruss Bo Jackson rookie card on eBay 1986 Donruss Highlights cards have two versions printed. 1990 Frank Thomas Topps NAME ON FRONT ROOKIE RC #414 White Sox PSA 8 NM/MINT. As an All-Star card, the back of this one shows his AS stats: But some of the cards printed in early runs purported to show his recent major league performance: Its scarce enough, at least in Junk Wax terms, to land a pretty cherry spot on this list. The next couple seasons were lean, though, as Sammy struggled for playing time, especially after a 1992 trade to the Cubs. Despite being a first-round pick in '95, he did not appear on his first MLB licensed card until 1997 when he was included in the Bowman, Bowman Chrome and Bowman's Best sets. By 1990, Cal Ripken Jr. was starting to take flak for continuing The Streak in spite of slipping performance at the plate. Disclaimer: Please note none this is meant as investment advice purely for entertainment and informational purposes only. This time hes on his own, but its still a great option even without the help of Mickey Mantle. In spite of the steroid allegations, Rodriguezs RC was always going to be high on any list of the most valuable 90s cards. GoldCardAuctions is a high-end investment-caliber trading card company and is the definitive source of sports card investing news and analysis. There are clues that will help you tell which was an original dual and which was signed by Griffey after the fact, so be sure to check it out. Jeters 1993 SP Foil is arguably the pick of the bunch and the most expensive and has also seen a notable uptick in recent years. In addition to anointing him with the first card in their new set to celebrate that unheard-of milestone, Topps also ran the Ryan Express through the next four numbers on their checklist, offering a unique career retrospective. It turns out there was. And at the end of his career, he was just a notch or two below Cooperstown levels, but still plenty decorated enough to make his rookie card a solid hobby star all these year later. Rickey led the AL in four major statistical categories beginning with runs scored (119), stolen bases (65), OPS (1.016), and OBP (.439). The checklist includes rookies of Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, David Justice and John Olerud, along with a second-year card of Ken Griffey Jr., but the most sought-after card in the set without question is the Frank Thomas rookie card. All baseball fans are familiar with the exploits of Derek Jeter hes a legend of the game, but what makes this card so special? Jeters card is white with silver trim and features an action shot of the player in his Yankees uniform. In truth, MJ wasnt particularly good at baseball, but his RC is still worth adding to your personal collection if and when prices begin to slow down. Trae Young is currently in 2021 leading the 2018 class with most career points at 3,549, right above Luka Doncic and Colin Sexton. Topps cards were relatively error-free throughout the 1980s, so its a bit surprising in retrospect that they uncorked such a doozy to lead off the new decade. However, cards from Sandbergs first run with the Chicago Cubs are also quite. Both players are shown side by side, wearing caps that help to denote the team they play for. $39.20. This mint-condition autographed card is selling for $3,500, making it one of the most valuable baseball cards from the '90s. This card is a 1994 insert card or chase card released by Upper Deck in limited editions of 1,000 cards. Only two have achieved a BGS 9.5 grade, and it thoroughly deserves a place among the most valuable 90s options. Even cards in less-than-perfect condition can go for hundreds, maybe even thousands, and a professionally-rated card is darn-near mythical. Are you ready for a stat thatll probably make you sick to your stomach? But as his career progressed and the home runs kept piling up, he turned into one of the most popular players in the league. McDonald logged ten more minor league appearances in 1990 before going 8-5 with a stingy 2.43 ERA with the big club to finish third in AL Rookie of the Year balloting. It amounted to a hobby fire that still burns brightly today. With Walter Johnson years in his rearview, Nolan Ryan sailed past 5000 strikeouts in 1989, on his way to baseball immortality. In the end, Walker had the last guffaw, elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020. After four promising seasons, Barry Bonds career began to skyrocket in 1990. 1990 Classic card list & price guide. Though Bernie seldom truly wowed fans, he was always there at the end of the year with 20-30 home runs, 90-100 RBI, solid glove work in center, and, overall, another All-Star-level performance under his belt. Griffey Jr. can be found on hundreds of different cards, but few can match his 97 Skybox price-wise. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. His other high . Technological advancements were on the rise but the world was yet to be completely changed by increased connectivity. Another rare card with two of the best players to grace the field, this 1994 Upper Deck release features both Ken Griffey Jr. & Mickey Mantle. Joe Jackson is one of the renowned names. Entering 1990, Barry Bonds was still mostly potential, flashing consistent tools across the board but never completely wowing in any one area of the game. Because of his accomplishment the year before of eclipsing the 5,000 strikeout mark, Topps placed him as the first card in their 1990 set. For his efforts, Canseco earned a trip to his fourth All-Star game and picked up the second Silver Slugger of his career at that point. Table of Contents. Back from a starring role in Japan, Fielder had us all shaking our heads as he crushed 51 home runs for the Detroit Tigers, the first 50-homer season in the bigs since George Foster went deep 52 times for the Reds in 1977. It was graded NM 7 by the PSA, which is not as impressive as later cards on this list but still high. He was playing against the Cleveland Naps after the Philadelphia Athletics made an exchange in 1910. The Most Valuable 1990s Baseball Cards: Summary, As well as rarity due to the small release, (estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,500), the majority had to get to an active war zone and back before being encased by the likes of, (Okay, we said that you wont find any of these cards hidden down the back of the couch, but this is the exception!). And while were very bullish on the longterm of baseball card valuations you should never invest more than youre willing to lose on anything. But rather than the couple of frames a Sportflics card gives. On the baseball field, Jackson had a cannon for an arm and a compact, powerful swing, which is on full display on this card. And, even though Juan Gone will never make the Hall of Fame, hell also never completely lose his collector base. The internet was still in its infancy and not as widely used or trusted as it is today. The New York Yankees signed 20-year-old Mariano Rivera out of Panama on Feb. 17, 1990, and he allowed just 17 hits and one earned run with 58 strikeouts in 52 innings in his pro debut at the rookie ball level later that year. However, injuries would catch up to him, and even though he still had a top-notch glove on defense and could still hit for average, his power wasnt nearly what it used to be. This card and others like it are what make it seem like the whole blackless or NNOF phenomenon might just be a printing problem and not an actual design/release error . 1 1992 Bowman Trevor Hoffman #11 Trevor Hoffman isn't as well-known as the other players on this list, but his #11 Bowman card is still worth a decent bit of money. 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $175 Check prices on: Amazon Now, this is what Thomas's rookie card is supposed to look like when his full name appears at the bottom of the card. Its another reason why its so valuable in comparison to every other card in the set. There is also more demand for rookie cards due to the perceived value. Not surprisingly, Henderson picked up the AL MVP award that year. His standard rookie (which we'll get to later) is the key rookie card in this set, but the version without his name on the front is an incredibly rare error and collectors are willing to pay up big time for it. In 2020 a PSA 10 edition of this card sold for an astonishing $180,000. Very few of them exist with both athletes signatures and even fewer in this condition, making this card almost certainly a one-of-a-kind treasure. His other rookie cards are in the 1997 Bowman and 1997 Bowman's Best sets, while his first Topps card was in the 1998 flagship set where he's pictured alongside fellow third base prospect Aaron Boone. The blue and yellow borders on this card matched up perfectly with the Mariners uniforms back then. Alex Rodriguez is a 14-time All-Star, and one of the greatest of all time when youre looking at stats alone. He had surpassed Bobby Bonds (35) that April. Unfortunately, it didnt quite work out and it wasnt long before he was back crushing the NBA. But, while Ripken enjoyed a hobby resurgence in 1991 on the back of maybe his greatest season ever, this particular card lands on our list because its an error . And, although Murphy struggled in Philly and Colorado before retiring in 1993, hes still a hobby heavyweight all these years later, and this card reflects a solid hunk of 1980s baseball history just as an era was about to end. As shocking as it may seem, yes, this version of the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas rookie card can be worth some serious money.