The 1990 Score baseball card set was the 21st annual baseball card release from Score Board/Score Trading Card Company. The set consisted of 792 total cards and featured all Major League players as well as manager, rookie, and record breaker highlight cards. The 1990 Score set had another great design that collectors enjoyed and is still considered one of the most sought-after vintage sets from the junk wax era of the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Each card in the 1990 Score set featured a full color action photo of the player along with their name, team, position, and batting or pitching stats from the previous season on the front. The back of each card contained more in-depth stats as well as a short career summary. One of the most notable aspects of the 1990 Score design was the team logo featured in the background of the photo. This really helped the cards to stand out compared to other releases that simply had a plain colored background.
Some of the biggest stars and future Hall of Famers who had showcase cards in the 1990 Score set include Ken Griffey Jr, Roger Clemens, Cal Ripken Jr, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Rickey Henderson, and Nolan Ryan. Rookie cards for future stars like Griffey Jr, Sandy Alomar Jr, and Chuck Knoblauch were also highly sought after by collectors. The set featured highlight cards for career milestones and single season records achieved by stars like Ripken, Henderson, and Carlton Fisk.
The 1990 Score baseball card release was notably the final set produced by the original founders and owners of Score Trading Card Company, Murry Rabb and Ken Kendrick. After 21 successful years of producing annual baseball card sets, Rabb and Kendrick sold Score to Fleer/SkyBox International in 1991. This sale marked the end of an era for the vintage Score brand, as subsequent Score releases in the 1990s had new designs and were produced by the owners of Fleer.
Given that it was the last set under the original Score ownership, the 1990 edition has developed quite a following among collectors over the years. The action photos and team logo backgrounds still hold up very nicely. Rabb and Kendrick also went out on a high note by providing one of the largest sports card releases of the era, with nearly 800 total cards. This volume allowed for thorough coverage of even borderline Major League players and the inclusion of a lengthy highlight and manager section.
Condition and demand have also helped the 1990 Score set maintain strong collector interest and appreciation of its nostalgic design. Because it was mass produced during the peak of the late 80s/early 90s junk wax boom, securing higher grade 1990 Score cards PSA 8 or better can still be had for affordable prices compared to earlier vintage sets from the 1970s. The rookie and star player cards still command strong individual prices. Griffey Jr’s terrific rookie from the set regularly fetches hundreds of dollars when cracked fresh and slabbed in high grades.
The 1990 Score baseball card release was a very memorable and fan-favorite set from the hobby’s junk wax era. It stood out with its colorful photography and team logos integrated perfectly into each card front. The sheer size of the set at nearly 800 total cards also provided excellent coverage of the 1990 MLB season and players. Even after 30 years, the 1990 Score baseball cards remain a nostalgic favorite for collectors looking to build vintage team or player sets from the late 1980s and early 1990s. With a classic design, large volume, and abundance of key rookie cards, the 1990 Score release has cemented its place as one of the most enduring and sought-after sets from the junk wax period.
