The 1992 Score Select baseball card set was unique in that it featured “refractor” parallels of certain star players. These refractor cards had multi-colored foil backgrounds that shimmered and sparkled unlike the standard base cards. Due to their rarity and flashy look, many of the 1992 Score Select refractors have become highly valuable over the years to serious card collectors. While there were only a few dozen players selected each year for the refractor treatment, some big names like Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr., and Dennis Eckersley made the cut in 1992. Let’s take a closer look at the most valuable 1992 Score Select refractors on the secondary market today according to PSA population data and recent eBay sales.
Perhaps the single most desired 1992 Score Select refractor is the Barry Bonds rookie card. Bonds would go on to smash the all-time home run record and win a record 7 MVP awards, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. His rookies are some of the most sought after baseball cards ever printed. The ’92 Bonds refractor is exceptionally rare, with only about 10-15 ever graded by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). Recently a PSA 9 copy sold for over $31,000 on eBay, showing just how coveted this card remains even in a PSA 10 slab it would undoubtedly fetch over $100,000.
Another rookie refractor gem from 1992 is the Cal Ripken Jr. While Ripken isn’t considered as flashy of a player as Bonds, he is beloved for breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak and winning 2 MVPs of his own. Like Bonds, Ripken’s rookie cards hold incredible value. The ’92 Score Select refractor is beyond scarce with a PSA population of just 3 copies ever. A PSA 9 sold in 2021 for $15,600, but it’s believed a PSA 10 example could bring $40,000+ at auction given how unprecedented the condition would be.
Arguably the most iconic veteran player featured as a refractor in 1992 Score Select was Dennis Eckersley. “Eck” had already cemented his status as one of the greatest closers in MLB history, having racked up 197 saves and an MVP award to that point in his career. His ’92 refractor is highly coveted by collectors seeking vintage Oakland A’s stars. Like the rookies, it’s exceedingly rare in a PSA 10 with only a single copy known. That particular specimen resold at Goldin Auctions in 2020 for a whopping $34,200, setting a record price for the card at the time. Even in PSA 9 condition another copy got $12,500.
Another veteran superstar and definite “Big Hurt” to collectors’ wallets is the Frank Thomas 1992 Score Select refractor. Thomas was already a force in the league by 1992 with 3 all-star appearances and 2 Silver Slugger awards under his belt. Like Eckersley, as a popular star player on championship White Sox teams, his ’92 Score Select refractor carries immense appeal. The population report at PSA shows only a single PSA 10 was ever recognized, while PSA 9s rarely come up for auction. The sole mint 10 sold for $31,200 in a Goldin sale last year.
Rookie cards for pitchers don’t usually demand as high prices as position players, but the Greg Maddux 1992 Score Select refractor is a notable exception. Maddux would go on to win 4 Cy Young awards and produce one of the greatest careers for a pitcher ever. Interest in his pre-rookie cards has skyrocketed in recent years. With a microscopic PSA 10 population of just 1, plus only 4 total PSA 9 examples, his ’92 refractor is about as scarce as they come. A PSA 9 recently went for an eyebrow-raising $22,000. It’s easy to imagine what a PSA 10 gem mint specimen might sell for.
One other star rookie pitcher from 1992 that holds strong secondary market value is the Moises Alou refractor. Alou had a solid 19-year career in the majors primarily known for his defense and hitting prowess in Montreal and Chicago. His 1992 Score Select refractor is a true oddball in the set, with PSA acknowledging only a single mint PSA 10 example in theirpopulation. That pristine 10 specimen realized a sale price of $16,800 in a recent Goldin auction. It shows the rabid demand some collectors have for the card in perfect condition despite Alou not achieving the same fame as Bonds or Maddux.
While most of the top 1992 Score Select refractors understandably feature future hall of famers and all-time great players, there are a couple more value listings that center around more unexpected names. One is the Andy Benes refractor. Benes had some decent seasons primarily with the Cardinals and Padres but was never considered an elite pitcher long term. Still, the extreme rarity of his ’92 refractor in PSA 10 grade, with a population of a single card, makes it highly intriguing to vintage collecting enthusiasts. That lone Benes BGS/PSA 10 sold for an impressive $8,100 back in 2021.
The other outlier valuable card would have to be the Doug Strange 1992 Score Select refractor. Strange was a career .230 hitter over 9 MLB seasons as a utility man, but his refractor has found unexpected popularity. Only 1 PSA 10 copy is known to exist according to the registry. It changed hands in early 2020 for a sale price equal to many true star player RCs – in the $11,300 range. While Strange’s career stats will never match Bonds or even Benes, condition-run collectors have clearly taken a liking to his impossibly scarce ’92 refractor parallel.
While most baseball card investors focus on legendary future Hall of Famers like Bonds, Ripken, and Thomas, the 1992 Score Select refractors truly showcase how extreme condition rarity and flashy parallel variations can push even lightly regarded player cards to immense secondary market values. With consistently strong auction results and a tiny supply of high-grade specimens across the board, these ’92 refractors define condition sensitive desirability and remain a Holy Grail for vintage investors almost 30 years later. From superstars to fringe major leaguers, it only takes one pristine example to make a card an epic modern-day rarity.
