The 1990 baseball card season marked the end of an era for the hobby. The junk wax era was coming to a close after several years of overproduction led to sharply declining card values throughout the late 1980s. However, 1990 did see the release of several highly sought after rookie cards that have since become extremely valuable in the decades since. While not as valuable as the iconic rookie cards of the 1950s and 1960s, some 1990 cards featuring future Hall of Famers have appreciated greatly in value as interest in vintage cards has surged in recent years.
Perhaps the most well known and valuable card from 1990 is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Widely considered one of the best players of his generation, Griffey was already generating huge hype leading up to his first MLB season in 1989. His rookie card was released by Upper Deck in 1990 and quickly became one of the most sought after cards on the hobby. While prints runs were large during the junk wax era, Griffey’s card stood out and has maintained strong collector demand. In near mint to mint condition, examples of his rookie card in a PSA 10 gem mint grade have sold at auction for over $10,000 in recent years. Even well-centered copies in PSA 9 excellent condition can fetch $1,000-$2,000 making it one of the most valuable modern era cards.
Another huge star from the 1990s who had his rookie card released that year was Frank Thomas. Like Griffey, “The Big Hurt” went on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career and his rookie is one of the standouts from 1990. Thomas’ rookie was issued by Fleer and Donruss that year. High grade PSA 10 copies have sold for $3,000-$5,000 in recent auction sales. Even in PSA 9 condition, Thomas rookies can sell for $500-$1,000 showing the strong collector demand for one of the premier power hitters of the 1990s.
While Griffey and Thomas went on to have the most success individually, another trio of young stars from 1990 had huge careers as well. The rookie cards of Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Nomar Garciaparra were all released in 1990 as well. As the core of powerful Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox teams respectively throughout the 1990s, these players developed huge fan bases. In PSA 10 condition, Chipper Jones’ rookie has sold for over $1,000. PSA 9 copies typically sell in the $200-500 range. Jim Thome rookies have reached $500 for PSA 10s and $100-250 for PSA 9s. Nomar Garciaparra’s rookie in a PSA 10 has sold for over $800 with PSA 9s bringing $150-300 showing the strong, continuing demand for stars of that era.
While players were the main draw for collectors, 1990 also saw the release of some highly sought after parallel and insert card sets. One of the most famous parallel sets was the 1990 Topps Traded set. Featuring traded players and managers from the 1989 season in their new uniforms, the Traded set included huge stars like Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, and Roger Clemens. The design featured a traded sticker on the front and the cards had intricate blue and white borders. In high grades, complete factory sets have sold for over $5,000 showing the strong nostalgia many collectors have for this unique parallel set from the 1990 Topps flagship release.
Another very popular insert set released in 1990 was the Score Summitt set. Featuring 60 cards depicting famous baseball stadiums and ballparks, the Summitt cards had intricately designed borders and decorative flourishes unique to each stadium featured. Highlights included Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, and Yankee Stadium. Complete near mint to mint factory sets in a display box have sold for over $2,000 showing the strong demand collectors have for these iconic baseball venue cards over 30 years later.
While the junk wax era glut severely hurt values of most modern era cards in the short term, strong nostalgia and collector demand has led to greatly increased values for the best rookie cards and inserts from 1990 in recent decades. As interest in vintage cards continues to surge, key cards from stars of that era like Griffey, Thomas, Jones, Thome and Garciaparra have held up extremely well. Parallel sets like Topps Traded and inserts highlighting classic ballparks like Score Summitt have also become highly sought after pieces from the waning days of the junk wax era. With Hall of Fame worthy talents and fun parallel and insert sets, 1990 remains one of the most collected modern vintage years in the hobby. Values are likely to remain strong or continue appreciating for the premier cards that captured our attention during a transitional year for the baseball card industry.
