1989 TOPPS FULL SET BASEBALL CARDS VALUE

The 1989 Topps full baseball card set was produced at the height of the junk wax era and as a result, individual cards from the base set generally do not hold tremendous value. For collectors looking to finish the full 660 card set including all variations, it can still represent a fun and moderately challenging project.

The 1989 Topps set featured photos of all major league players on the front with just their name and team printed underneath. The backs provided basic stats from the previous season. Design-wise, it followed the basic Topps template established in the prior decades without much innovation. Overall card quality was also relatively low compared to earlier years as production volume was massively increased to meet speculative demand.

In terms of the base cards that make up the bulk of the set, most commons in near mint to mint condition grade will only fetch around 50 cents to $1 each. This includes even stars of the day like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Kirby Puckett. The exceptions would be the very tippy top stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Roger Clemens that might get $2-3 in graded gem mint condition. Most examples available on the secondary market now are well played at best after heavy childhood use.

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Where some value can be found in finishing out the full 1989 Topps set is in the short print and serially numbered parallel subsets. These were inserted much more sparsely throughout packs to add to the allure of the chase for the dedicated collector. Some that hold modest value today include:

SP cards numbered to 399 or less: These serially numbered short prints scattered throughout the base set in place of typical commons might fetch $5-10 each depending on specific player and condition.

Topps All-Star cards: This subset honored the 1988 All-Star teams with photos from the game. They run $2-5 each on average.

Turn Back The Clock cards: Featuring older retired players in period uniforms, these remain quite affordable at under $5 a card even for the bigger names.

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Team leaders cards: Honoring individual statistical categories leaders, decent players here sell for $3-8 each.

Call-Up cards: Rookie/prospect cards not really “rookie cards”, these parallel versions featuring players’ first Topps issue have found some modest collector interest at $3-10 range.

Clear parallel subset: This short printed subset swapping out the typical photo for a clear embedded imagefetch higher prices, running $10-40 depending on stone and condition.

While not truly “valuable” in an investment sense, one area where finishing out a 1989 Topps set can provide enjoyment is chasing and acquiring the elusive serially numbered “black border” parallel subset. Inserted at an extremely sparse estimated 1:25,000 packs or less, people on trading card forums report spending thousands trying to track down a full set. Individual examples might sell for $100-300 when available given the extreme rarity.

Completing a full 1989 Topps set is also aided by the fact that affordable factory sealed unopened wax packs from that era remain surprisingly easy to find online for $5-10 each. While the economic odds are you won’t hit any big short prints or numbered parallels, it’s fun to rip packs you remember from childhood. And the leftovers beef up the common binder cards.

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Additional variation subsets like gold borders, 3-D cards, black gold parallel also exist but are practically impossible to obtain in a full matched rainbow run without spending many thousands given the extremely limited initial print runs and multiple decades of wear since. Even single examples change hands rarely.

In the end, while individual 1989 Topps base cards themselves carry little dollar value, there is still enjoyment to be had piecing together this massive 660+ card set from the height of the “junk wax” era. Chasing the scarcer short prints and parallels brings extra challenge without breaking the bank. And opening old wax packs is pure nostalgia. For those reasons, it represents a fun and moderately challenging collecting project at largely affordable levels today considering the huge initial print runs from the late 1980s baseball card boom.

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