The 1992 Score Select baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. While most sets from this time period are not very valuable today due to extreme overproduction, the Score Select set stands out as holding significant collector value even 30 years later. Let’s take a deeper look at what makes 92 Score Select cards special and the factors that determine their worth.
Released in 1992 by Score Board, Inc., the Score Select set was a premium high-end version of the main Score baseball card release for that year. The set featured 264 total cards with photographic images and player bios on the front and back. What set Score Select apart was the extremely high quality production values and rarity compared to the mainstream Score set and other releases of that era.
The cards were printed on ultra-thick 13-point cardboard stock with glossy fronts that gave them a very premium feel compared to the thinner and less vibrant cardboard of typical ’90s cards. The photos were sharp, colorful images that truly captured the players and had a very collectible aesthetic even back at the height of the junk wax era. What really drives Score Select values today is the extreme scarcity resulting from limited distribution.
Only 1,000 cases of the 1992 Score Select set were ever produced by the manufacturer. Each case contained 24 factory sealed wax packs with 8 cards per pack for a total print run of only 192,000 individual cards. To put this in perspective, some individual mainstream ’90s sets had print runs in the billions of cards. This drastic difference in rarity is a major factor in the collectibility and value retention of 92 Score Selects versus most other junk wax era cards.
With such a tiny original print run and demand steadily increasing from collectors over the decades, finding high grade Score Select cards still in their original sealed packs or as gem mint PSA 10 singles has become exceedingly difficult. This scarcity drives values much higher than you would expect from a set released during the overproduction period of the early 1990s. But it’s not just rarity alone – the individual cards that are most valuable are also determined by several other factors:
Player/Card Rarity – Within the set, the hardest cards to find will always command the highest prices. This includes chase cards like the super-short printed Ken Griffey Jr. rookie which is nearly impossible to locate in a high grade. Other rare individual player cards like Frank Thomas, Cal Ripken Jr., or Barry Bonds rookies are also extremely valuable finds.
Hall of Fame Players – Cards featuring players who have gone on to Cooperstown carry significant value. Mint condition cards of inductees like Griffey, Thomas, Ripken, Bonds, etc. can be worth thousands on their own.
Star Power – In addition to HOF players, superstar players from the late ’80s/early ’90s era like Griffey, Bonds, Thomas, Ripken, Tony Gwynn, and others will retain strong collector demand. Their cards are consistently some of the most expensive in the set.
Grading – As with any collectible, condition is key. A PSA 10 Griffey rookie would be worth far more than even a PSA 9 of the same card. Top grades of the top players can sell for over $10,000 individually.
Team Affiliation – Naturally, cards of players from historically successful franchises like the Yankees, Red Sox, and others will outperform those of less popular teams generally. Regional biases also impact values at times.
While most cards from the junk wax era have little value, the 1992 Score Select set stands apart as one of the true gems that withstood the test of time. Factors like the ultra-limited original print run, premium production quality, star players, and third party grading all contribute to 92 Score Selects retaining significant collector demand and price tags that far exceed typical early ’90s cardboard. With demand only growing stronger over the decades, this iconic set remains one of the best long term investments available from that otherwise downtrodden period in the hobby.
