The 1991 Impel baseball card set is one of the more obscure sets from the early 1990s. Impel was a Japanese trading card company that produced cards for both American and Japanese sports leagues. Their 1991 baseball card set focused entirely on Major League Baseball players and managers. While not as widely collected as sets from Topps, Fleer, or Donruss, the 1991 Impel set can contain some valuable and desirable cards for collectors.
One of the top cards from the 1991 Impel set is the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card. Griffey was already establishing himself as a superstar outfielder in his early years with the Seattle Mariners. His rookie card from Impel is quite scarce and in high demand from Griffey collectors. A PSA 10 Gem Mint Griffey rookie in pristine condition could fetch over $5,000. Even well-centered near mint copies in PSA 8 or 9 condition sell for $300-500. Griffey rookie cards were not included in the main Topps or Fleer sets that year, making his Impel card the true rookie.
Other star players from the early 1990s with valuable Impel rookie cards include Chuck Knoblauch, Jeff Bagwell, and Frank Thomas. Knoblauch was coming off an AL Rookie of the Year award with the Twins in 1991 and his Impel rookie has maintained strong collector interest. A PSA 10 Knoblauch rookie could bring in over $1,000, with PSA 8s reaching $200-300. Bagwell’s star power rose quickly with the Astros and his scarce Impel rookie from the team’s 1991 return to respectability is highly sought after. Pristine PSA 10 Bagwell rookies sell for $800-1,000, with mint PSA 9s going for around $350. Frank Thomas debuted with the White Sox in 1990 but his Impel rookie from 1991 is the true first card appearance. A perfect gem quality PSA 10 Thomas rookie would sell for at least $750-1,000.
While rookie cards tend to drive the high values from the 1991 Impel set, some star veteran cards can also hold substantial collector value. A near mint condition Kirby Puckett who was in his prime with the Twins in 1991 usually sells for $100-150. The impressive mustached brothers of Oakland, slugger Jose Canseco and pitcher Dennis Eckersley, normally fetch $75-100 each in PSA 8-9 condition. Nolan Ryan, even at age 44 during his final season with the Rangers in 1991, maintains strong demand and his Impel can sell for $50-75 graded PSA 8. More accomplished veterans like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Roger Clemens range from $40-60 a piece in top graded gem mint condition.
Aside from star players, the 1991 Impel set also contains a few desirable manager and team checklist cards that collectors seek out. The Atlanta Braves were coming off a surprise NL West division title in 1991 led by manager Bobby Cox in his first full season. His Impel manager card rarely surfaces on the secondary market and could command $150-250 in mint condition to the right Braves collector. The set also features team cards for all 26 MLB franchises at the time. The Blue Jays, Twins, and Braves team cards tend to be the most expensive at $75-100 each graded PSA/BGS 9-10 due to the popularity and success of those franchises in the early 1990s.
While the 1991 Impel set lacks the distribution and mainstream recognition of the major American trading card producers, it can still contain some valuable and hard-to-find gems for baseball collectors almost 30 years later. With stars like Griffey, Knoblauch, Bagwell, and Thomas appearing in their true rookie card forms mixed amongst accomplished veterans, the set holds plenty of desirability. With scarce population reports from grading services and fewer unopened Impel packs surviving to this day, mint condition graded examples command strong secondary market prices. For dedicated baseball card collectors seeking out obscure early 90s rookies and stars, the 1991 Impel set deserves a closer look.
