The 1989 Score brand baseball trading card set holds a special place in the hearts of many collectors. The set was released at the height of baseball card mania in the late 1980s before the infamous junk wax era took hold. Finding an unopened factory sealed box of these cards today is like discovering a time capsule that transports collectors back to a more innocent time.
The 1989 Score set followed the successful 1988 flagship Score issue and marked the company’s 10th year producing MLB licensed cards. The set contains 388 regular player and manager cards along with 13 traded player variations. Some key facts collectors should know about the 1989 Score baseball card set include:
Design – The cards featured a clean white border around a color action photo with the team logo prominently displayed at the top. Simple black text listed the player stats and career highlights. The border color matched the team colors which gave each card a unique look on the rack packs.
Rarity – With over 10,000 cards produced for each player, the 1989 Score set is considered common in the overall landscape of baseball cards. Finding high grade gems of star rookies and veterans from factory sealed boxes only increases their cachet among collectors today.
Rookies – Major rookies in the set included Sandy Alomar Jr., Gary Sheffield, Gregg Jefferies, and Tom Glavine. While common, their rookie cards remain a highlight for team and player collectors from that era. Other notable rookie cards include Chuck Knoblauch, Eric Davis, and Orel Hershiser.
Veterans – The set featured the likes of Nolan Ryan, George Brett, Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Rickey Henderson during their playing primes. For team collectors, finding a high grade card of a local star remains a thrill. With over production, mint examples surface infrequently today.
Parallels – No official parallel variations exist for the base 1989 Score issue. Error cards featuring switched player photos do pop up on occasion. The 1989 Score Traded set contained variations swapping the team on qualifying players traded during the season.
Checklists – The base set checklist ran #1 through #388 for players and managers. Rated rookies were denoted by a diamond symbol. Traded player variations contained the same base card numbers with suffixes denoting the new team (EX: #25T).
Packaging – Factory sealed wax box contained 18 packs with 8 cards apiece for a total of 144 cards. Wax packs featured colorful baseball scenes and photos while prominently displaying the Score brand. Boxes protected the precious wax packs and housed the coveted unopened collectible cache.
Finding one of these sealed 24-year old wax boxes today in pristine condition is a true rarity. Most have succumbed to the ravages of time in attics and basements over the decades. Those few specimens that have miraculously remained factory fresh capture the nostalgia and thrill of the late 1980s sportscard boom in a tangible way.
When initially released in 1989, these Score baseball cards retailed for around $1 per pack. Today, a factory sealed, unwaxed box in top-notch condition can command thousands of dollars from devoted set collectors and astute vintage investors. The desire to crack open some three decade old wax and relive childhood memories provides part of the intrinsic value and allure.
The cards themselves remain the true prize should collectors rip into one of these time capsules. With nearly a quarter century of built-up static, carefully cutting open each wax pack poses its own adrenaline rush. The anticipation of discovering a well-centered star player or a sought-after rookie in mint condition adds extra thrill. Pulling any card in pristine shape after 24 years encapsulated brings a sense of accomplishment.
Potential pitfalls exist, for those cracking one of these vintage wax boxes after two decades dormant. Delamination or sticking can damage cards. Some plastic may have become brittle with age and flake off. But for anyone who enjoys the visceral experience of opening packs, the rewards could include unearthing potential gold mine hits. Even for astute grading services, discerning authentic ungraded vintage gems from potential repacks grows more difficult over time.
No risk exists in maintaining one of these 1989 Score baseball wax boxes factory sealed. The encapsulation preserves the authentic contents and nostalgia intact. Such collectibles often appreciate in value at a greater rate than their contents. But for intrepid collectors seeking that rush, it remains one of the hobby’s Holy Grails to unwrap one of these unseen time capsules after 24 years and view the contents within for the first time. Every 1989 Score card found in mint condition ensconced within adds to the discovery magic.
