The 1990 Topps Kmart Superstars baseball card set was a unique promotional issue released exclusively through Kmart stores. While not part of Topps’ flagship baseball card releases for that year, the Kmart Superstars set showcased certain popular players of the era in a large “superstar” sized card format. The oversized cards had dimensions of approximately 3.5 inches by 5 inches, giving collectors an imposing presence on their shelves or in their collections.
Topps often partnered with major retailers in the late 1980s and early 1990s to produce special baseball card sets exclusive to those stores. Kmart was one of the biggest retailers in the country at the time and had a huge customer base, so Topps saw the Kmart Superstars set as a way to drive people into Kmart stores seeking the cards while also promoting some of baseball’s top stars. The large card size also lent itself well to in-store promotional displays at Kmart to help catch the eyes of potential collectors.
The 1990 Kmart Superstars set consisted of 100 total cards issued in wax packs that could be purchased at Kmart for $1.99 per pack. Unlike a typical baseball card release which included players from all teams, the Kmart Superstars focused only on superstar players from that time period. Some of the biggest names included were Jose Canseco, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr, Mark McGwire, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Ozzie Smith, and Roger Clemens. Each card featured a colorful action photo of the player on the front along with their team name, position, and statistics on the back.
The promotional aspect of the 1990 Kmart Superstars release was apparent with advertisements for Kmart visible on the front and backs of many cards. However, Topps still maintained creative control over the card designs themselves. While simple compared to some modern baseball cards, the large size allowed for vivid color photos and good clarity on player details. This gave the cards more visual appeal than a typical checklist card might have in simply advertising a retailer. Fans enjoyed collecting these stars in an oversized presentation not found anywhere else.
Distribution of the 1990 Kmart Superstars set was handled solely through Kmart stores nationwide for about 6 months. Packs were stocked in the trading card aisles alongside other Topps releases during baseball season. While mass produced, the exclusive retail availability and focus on only superstar players made complete sets somewhat difficult for younger collectors to acquire. Many kids potentially missed out based on proximity to a Kmart or disposable allowance income at the time. This exclusivity adds nostalgic appeal for those who did obtain a majority of the stars from 1990.
Secondary market demand for the 1990 Topps Kmart Superstars emerged in subsequent years as the now adult collectors sought to finish childhood sets. While never as expensive as flagship Topps issues, partial to complete sets online periodically fetch $20-$100 depending on condition and popularity of the players included. Key cards of superstars like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, or Cal Ripken tend to sell for a few dollars each individually. The large size also remains a nostalgia factor appealing to many collectors even decades later.
The promotional model of exclusive baseball card releases through major retailers proved successful enough that Topps continued similar smaller print runs with Kmart well into the 1990s. The 1990 Kmart Superstars set stands out as one of the earliest and most recognizable of these special issues due to the stars it highlighted and large eye-catching card size during baseball’s peak popularity period. While produced with a focus on moving product in Kmart stores, the set endured as a unique piece of collectible cardboard history for fans of the era’s biggest names. After only being available for a single season through a single retailer, the 1990 Topps Kmart Superstars took on greater mystique and remains a nostalgic chase for baseball card collectors today.
