The 1990s were a special time for baseball cards. New stars were emerging while living legends were in their primes. Sets from the early 90s like Upper Deck, Stadium Club, and Score are considered classics by collectors today. While it may have seemed like just pieces of cardboard at the time, many 90s cards have skyrocketed in value in recent years. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable baseball cards from the 1990s.

1992 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card: Widely considered the most iconic rookie card of the 90s, Griffey’s Upper Deck debut is one of the most coveted modern cards. With its premium ultra modern design and Griffey’s young smiling face, this card captured the excitement of “Junior” arriving. In top PSA 10 gem mint condition, examples have sold for over $100,000. Even well-centered raw copies can fetch thousands.

1994 SP Authentic Ken Griffey Jr. Precious Metal Gems Gold #9: Upper Deck’s partnership with Griffey expired after 1992, so rival SP Authentic swooped in for 1993-94. Their insert set featured cards coated entirely in colored precious metals. The gold version of Griffey’s card, with an edition size under 100, has sold for well over $50,000 in high grades.

1994 SP Authentic Frank Thomas #1: Like Griffey, Thomas erupted onto the scene in the early 90s. This is the equivalent of his rookie card issued by SP Authentic during their short run. High graded PSA/BGS copies have reached $25,000 due to the insert design, low print run, and Thomas’ Hall of Fame career.

1997 Bowman’s Best Refractor Chipper Jones #123: Jones made his MLB debut in 1995 and quickly established himself as one of the sport’s brightest young stars. This ultra short print refractor from his third Topps base card licensed set captures him in his athletic Braves batting stance. Just 10 were inserted in packs, making this one of the truest vintage rarities worth over $150,000 PSA 10.

1996 SPx Mike Piazza Authentic Autographs #30: Piazza was a offensive dynamo for the Dodgers and Mets in the 90s. This SPx parallel autographed card features stunning on-card autograph in blue ink. High grades have exceeded $40,000 due to the elite-level combo of a Hall of Famer, autograph, and low print run parallel insert design.

1991 Upper Deck Ben McDonald Rookie #1: While not as heralded long term as Griffey or Thomas, McDonald was baseball’s top-rated pitching prospect before debuting in 1991. This iconic card popularized the now-standard rookie card #1 position. Higher grades have reached $10,000+ for collectors seeking a prominent and historic piece from the early 90s Upper Deck era.

1996 Finest Refractor Pedro Martinez #121: Martinez emerged as one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers during his decade-long run with the Expos and Red Sox from 1991-2004. This ultra-short print refractor from the height of his success captures him in a Boston uniform. High graded PSA/BGS specimens have brought $20,000+.

1997 Bowman’s Best Refractors Mike Piazza #65 and #B1: Piazza had back-to-back monster offensive seasons in 1996-97 leading the NL in home runs both years. These rare refractor parallels from his 1997 Bowman’s Best set, one a standard refractor and the other a blurry black-border refractor, have realized $25,000 each in pristine condition.

1998 Bowman Chrome Edgar Martinez #BC-4 and #BC-EM: Martinez was one of baseball’s most consistent designated hitters through the 1990s and early 2000s for Seattle. This raw rookie material pair captures him early in his career. The standard #BC-4 refractor and rarer Emerald #BC-EM parallel from the legendary set’s inception could fetch $15,000+ apiece graded mint.

1999 Upper Deck SP Authentic Jordan Diamond Collection #50: While not a true “baseball” card, this insert of Michael Jordan in a Diamondbacks uniform was immensely popular upon release due to his post-retirement baseball stint in 1994. PSA/BGS 10 specimens have eclipsed $10,000 with strongJordan and 90s collecting crossover appeal.

While players like Barry Bonds, Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera saw massive increases as well, the careers and elite cards highlighted here help tell the story of the most significant stars, rookies, and inserts from the 1990s baseball card boom. Graded mint examples remain out of reach treasures for most collectors today. But for those who grew up with these cards, they conjure nostalgia for a bygone era of the national pastime during its peak popularity in the 90s.