The 1990 Topps baseball card set was the 69th year of production for Topps and featured cards of players from the 1989 MLB season. Some key things to know about the 1990 Topps set include:
Set Details:
The 1990 Topps set included 792 total cards
The cards were issued in wax packs, boxes, and factory sets
The design featured a white border around each photo with team logo and player stats below
The back of each card included the player’s bio and career stats
Rookies of Note: Some of the top rookie cards in the 1990 Topps set included Kirby Puckett, Frank Thomas, Gregg Jefferies, and Sandy Alomar Jr. Puckett and Thomas would go on to have Hall of Fame careers while Jefferies and Alomar had solid MLB careers as well. These rookie cards are still highly sought after by collectors.
Star Players: Perhaps the biggest star featured on 1990 Topps cards was Nolan Ryan, who was still in the prime of his career pitching for the Texas Rangers. Other superstar players included Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, and Roger Clemens. Collectors love chasing these star player cards for their Hall of Fame pedigree.
Design and Photography: The photography and design of the 1990 Topps set was fairly basic and traditional for the era. While not the most exciting design, the photos provided a good look at each player. The black and white team logo at the bottom also helped identify what uniform the player was wearing in their photo.
Variation Cards: Like most Topps sets, there were some variations that make certain 1990 cards more valuable. The most notable are the Andy Van Slyke (#479) and Bip Roberts (#480) cards, which were accidentally switched, making the variations quite rare. Other variations include photo croppings, missing signatures, and printing errors.
Chase Cards: Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking 300th career victory card (#431) is one of the most sought-after cards in the set. Others include the Kirby Puckett (#660), Frank Thomas (#671), and Sandy Alomar Jr. (#692) rookie cards. The Ken Griffey Jr. (#692) rookie card is also highly valuable despite being from his time in the minors in 1990.
Secondary Market Prices: Prices for 1990 Topps cards vary widely based on the player, condition, and specific variations. Common cards can be found for under $1 but star rookies and chase cards command thousands. A PSA 10 graded Frank Thomas rookie just sold for over $30,000. Even a basic Nolan Ryan is worth $50-100 in good condition. The set as a whole can be completed in the $300-500 range.
While not the most visually exciting design, the 1990 Topps set remains very popular with collectors due to star players, valuable rookies, and fun chase cards like error variations. Prices have steadily increased over the decades as the players from this set enter the Hall of Fame or are further removed from their playing days. The 1990 Topps cards provide a fun look at the players and teams from 30 years ago.
