The 1990 Topps baseball card set was a significant release that came during a transitional period for the baseball card industry. At the time, the industry was beginning to shift away from the height of the speculative boom of the late 1980s as the market began to cool off. However, 1990 Topps cards still featured some of the game’s biggest stars and rookie cards that have held significant value over the long term.
Released in the spring of 1990, the set featured 660 total cards including 598 regular issue cards, 60 traded issue cards featuring players who were traded during the 1989 season, and 2 manager cards. Some of the stars featured prominently in the set included Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith. The rookie class also featured players like Gregg Jefferies, Derek Bell, and Billy Ripken.
While not as coveted and speculatively priced as late 1980s sets at the time of release, 1990 Topps cards still represented an affordable way for collectors to acquire current MLB players and prospects. The set retailed for around $1 per pack and the cards sold well on shelves at drugstores, supermarkets, and hobby shops. Signs were emerging that the frenetic speculative boom times were ending as resellers began unloading excess inventory.
Over the ensuing decades since its original release, certain 1990 Topps cards have emerged as some of the most iconic and valuable from that time period. Perhaps most notably, Ken Griffey Jr’s rookie card from the set is one of the most sought-after and expensive modern rookie cards ever released. Graded examples often sell for well over $10,000 ungraded examples still command prices of $1,000 or more due to Griffey’s legendary career and popularity among fans and collectors.
Other stars from the set whose rookie or early career cards hold significant value include Billy Ripken’s infamous “F*** Face” error card (graded examples $3,000+), Derek Jeter’supdate rookie which has increased steadily in value in recent years to $500-1,000, and Frank Thomas’ rookie which has also grown in the $400-800 range in high grades. Roger Clemens’ card, capturing him in a Boston Red Sox uniform before jumping to the Blue Jays, is also highly sought after in the $200-400 range.
Beyond the star rookie cards, complete sets themselves have become increasingly collectible and expensive to acquire in high grades over the past decade. PSA/BGS 10 examples of the entire 660 card set if they come on the market often sell for $15,000 or more. Even incomplete sets in high grades still command thousands due to the challenge in locating and acquiring the condition sensitive 1960s/1970s era stars mixed in with the modern players.
Individual vintage stars mixed throughout the set like Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, and others in high grades also retain collector demand and value due to their Hall of Fame careers or mystique. Prices in the $50-150 range are common depending on the individual player and exact card/condition. The set also featured the final Topps card issued of recently retired stars like Carlton Fisk and Steve Carlton whose final card appeals to collectors.
While the speculative boom was winding down in 1990, the set still featured many of the players who would go on to have huge impacts on the game in subsequent years. Cards like Griffey, Jeter, Thomas, and others have proven to be sound long term investments for collectors who acquired and conserved them after original issue. Sets remain challenging to complete in top condition decades later as well due to the mixing of vintage and modern stars. The intriguing mix of rookie stars, veterans, and retired greats in the 1990 Topps set ensures it will remain a popular and historically significant release for baseball card collectors. Graded examples of star cards and complete sets continue increasing in value as the set celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2020.
