The 1991 Score trading card series was the second installment of Score’s flagship baseball card releases for that year. Series 2 followed the initial Series 1 release in the spring and hit store shelves in July/August 1991. Coming on the heels of Score’s popular and iconic 1990 set, the 1991 offerings sought to build upon the foundation and fanfare established by the prior year.
Some key things to know about the 1991 Score Series 2 baseball cards:
Set Size and Design:
The 1991 Score Series 2 set included 264 total cards. The front of each card featured a modernized “action photo” of the player with their name and team identification below. On the reverse, stats from the 1990 season were provided along with career highlights. The cards had a glossy finish and were of higher photo quality compared to some competitors of the time. The colorful borders and fonts on the front made for an eye-catching and memorable design overall.
Rookies and Notable Rookies:
As with any set from the early 1990s, rookie cards were some of the most sought after. The 1991 Score Series 2 included the rookie cards of future Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as well as Fernando Vina, Bobby Jones, Shawn Hillegas and Chad Curtis. Of those, Bagwell’s is undoubtedly the most valuable today, routinely fetching hundreds of dollars or more in high grade. His success and Houston Astros fandom have boosted interest in his rookie over the years.
Veteran Standouts:
The 1991 Score set provided cards for many established stars of the day, including Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken Jr., Fernando Valenzuela, Paul Molitor, Kevin Mitchell and Roberto Alomar among others. As one of the “Big Three” brands along with Topps and Donruss at the time, Score had photography and licensing rights to include virtually every notable MLB player from the 1990 season.
Variation Cards:
Among the variations and insert cards found in Series 2 were Manager cardbacks (such as Lou Piniella), Team Checklists and Double Exposure parallels which showed two photos on each player’s card. The Manager cards generally carry a slight premium while the Double Exposures provide collectors variety and parallel options within the set.
Production Numbers:
Score printing plates experienced some issues during the Series 2 run, resulting in slightly lower production numbers than their initial Series 1 release earlier in 1991. Most estimates peg the total run between 1-3 million complete sets, compared to 3-5 million for Series 1. This makes high grade examples from Series 2 a bit more challenging to acquire in Near Mint or better condition vs Series 1.
Condition Sensitivities:
As with most early 1990s cardboard, the big condition factors that impact Series 2 cards are centering, corners and edges. Glossy stock surfaces scratch more easily than later issues as well. Though the photos are sharp, off-centers were more common than perfect specimens. As a result, examples grading Gem Mint 10 are quite hard to find for most any card in the set. Near Mint to Excellent cards represent the majority of the surviving population.
Secondary Market Values:
Today, complete 1991 Score Series 2 sets can be found ranging from $50-150 depending on centering and issues. Individual star cards may go for $5-20 each while rookie standouts like Bagwell can reach $100-400+ in top condition. Managers and popular veteran cards may push $10-30 each. The set holds steady collector interest due its star power and place as one of the lead baseball brands of the early 90s trading card boom. Condition is still king when it comes to long-term appreciation potential for individual Series 2 cards.
The 1991 Score Series 2 release came off a successful 1990 campaign and delivered quality photography, designs and the traditional mix of stars, rookies and parallels that collectors loved about Score during the peak of the baseball card craze. While more challenging to acquire in pristine conditon compared to Series 1, its 264 cards from the 1990 MLB season remain an iconic and valued part of card history from the early 1990s collecting landscape. Today it serves as a nostalgia- fueled reminder of the heyday for baseball cards and retains lasting appeal for enthusiasts of all ages.
