The 1991 Topps baseball card set is highly collectible due to several rare and valuable short print and parallel card variations. While the base rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Jim Abbott, Gregg Maddux, and John Smoltz are plentiful, avid collectors seek out the harder to find parallel and short print card variations that make up the true gems of the set.
One of the most notable parallel inserts in the 1991 Topps set is the gold foil parallel subset. Featuring a gold foil treatment instead of the standard paper stock, the gold parallel cards were inserted much less frequently than the base cards, with estimates placing the odds of finding one around 1 in 10 packs. Some of the most valuable gold parallels include #1 Ken Griffey Jr., #29 Nolan Ryan, and #334 Cal Ripken Jr.. In mint condition, elite examples of these parallels can fetch several thousands of dollars due to their rarity and prestigious players featured.
Another highly sought after parallel subset are the black foil parallel cards. Like the gold parallels, they feature black foil treatment on the borders instead of the standard gray-colored paper stock. Even rarer than the gold parallels, estimates put the odds of finding a black foil card around 1 in 50 packs. The black foil parallels of superstar players like #1 Ken Griffey Jr. and #29 Nolan Ryan are the crown jewels of the set. In flawless mint condition, a black foil Griffey or Ryan could sell for well over $10,000 due to their extremely limited print runs.
Aside from parallel inserts, the 1991 Topps set also featured short print variations that were printed in far fewer numbers than the standard issue base cards. The most notable short prints include #177 Milt Thompson, #288 Ruben Sierra, and #334 Cal Ripken Jr.. Due to being much harder to obtain in packs than regular base cards, examples of these short prints in high grades can sell for hundreds or even thousands. The true “big three” most valuable short prints are #344 Bobby Thigpen, #350 Gregg Jefferies, and #354 Mark McGwire.
#344 Bobby Thigpen had one of the greatest relief pitcher seasons of all time in 1990, saving 57 games for the Chicago White Sox and winning the AL Cy Young and Reliever of the Year awards. Due to his dominance on the mound that year, his rookie card was one of the most sought after in the set. Unfortunately for collectors, Topps severely undershipped his cards, making #344 Bobby Thigpen one of the most identifiable short prints from 1991. A PSA 9 copy recently sold for over $6000.
#350 Gregg Jefferies was the 5th overall pick in 1987 and considered a true “five tool prospect”. His prospect status and anticipation of a long career made #350 highly popular. However, Topps printed far fewer than the standard issues. A flawless PSA 10 copy recently broke the $30,000 sale price barrier, showcasing its rarity.
The true “crown jewel” short print of the 1991 Topps set is arguably #354 Mark McGwire. Already a 2x All Star and coming off seasons of 37 and 33 home runs, McGwire was ascending as one of the game’s premier power hitters. Due to his immense popularity, #354 McGwire was a must own card for collectors that year. However, Topps greatly shorted production, making it one of the most storied and valuable short prints ever. A PSA 10 sold at auction in 2005 for over $23,000 and prices have climbed significantly since the 1990s home run chasing era and McGwire’s subsequent admission of steroid use.
While the 1991 Topps set featured many notable future Hall of Fame rookie cards that are plentiful in the marketplace, it is the parallel insert subsets and exceedingly scarce short print variations that make it such an elite chase for advanced collectors. Finding high grade specimens of the Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Bobby Thigpen, Gregg Jefferies, and Mark McGwire variations can prove a long and difficult quest, but uncovering one of these true gems brings the collector great satisfaction and financial reward for obtaining a true piece of sports memorabilia history. The1991 Topps set set the standard for what modern parallel and short print inserts would become and offers one of the most intriguing card collecting pursuits in the hobby.
