The 1989 Bowman baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and valuable issues in the modern era. What makes the ’89 Bowman set so special was that it marked the highly anticipated return of Bowman as the main baseball card manufacturer, seven years after Topps had gained the exclusive MLB license in 1981.
Bowman had been one of the original “Big Three” baseball card companies along with Topps and Fleer in the 1950s-1970s era. They helped popularize the modern concept of collecting, trading and building complete sets. In the early 1980s Topps was able to outbid and outmuscle their competitors for sole MLB rights. While Fleer and Donruss tried to stay afloat with independent sets featuring retired players, Bowman was forced to leave the baseball card market altogether between 1982-1988.
Card collectors had been eagerly awaiting Bowman’s return, hoping they might help reinvigorate competition and creativity back into the hobby. When news broke in late 1988 that Bowman had regained an MLB license, beginning with the 1989 season, excitement levels skyrocketed. Hobby shops and enthusiasts wanted to see if Bowman still “had it” after such a long absence. They aimed to make their big comeback set truly memorable and innovative.
To achieve this, Bowman packed the ’89 issue with exciting features and bonuses. There were a whopping 396 total cards in the base set, 96 more than the contemporary Topps flagship set. This included separate subsets for rookie cards, highlight films, leaders and all-stars. The photography and card designs also took a modern, stylish approach with creative color schemes and borders. Perhaps most notably, Bowman included an incredible 33 total rookie cards of future Hall of Famers and MVPs like Ken Griffey Jr, Gary Sheffield, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.
The astronomical rookie class alone made the ’89 Bowman set a legendary collector’s item. But they also upped the bonuses beyond the base checklist. Packs came with sticker cards of more players that could be added to pages in the included album. There were also factory-sealed “cello packs” containing even rarer parallel insert cards in brighter colors and refractors. Overall the robust product and treasure hunt aspects kept kids and investors excitedly ripping packs.
The gamble paid off tremendously for Bowman. Their comeback set was an immediate commercial smash, outselling Topps for the first time. The renewed competition also had positive impact on the growing baseball card market. The nostalgia factor around Bowman’s return made even common cards from the set retain higher value in the secondary market compared to base cards from other contemporary issues. But naturally, the true blue-chip investments centered around the debut rookie cards – especially of future superstars like Griffey and Sheffield who went on to Hall of Fame careers.
Even though three decades have passed, the historic 1989 Bowman baseball card set remains one of the most iconic issues in the entire hobby. Its rookie class legacy alone guaranteed its place in card collecting history and lore. For investors, high-grade Griffey, Maddux or Sheffield rookies from that set can still fetch thousands to even tens of thousands at auction today. The 1989 issue showed that with the right combination of talent, timing, and tremendous bonuses/value – a comeback set could cement its place as arguably the most significant modern-era release. It was Bowman’s grand triumphant return to reclaim their spot among the elite manufacturers of baseball cards.
