The 1990 Upper Deck baseball card set was truly unique and launched the brand to legendary status in the hobby. While not the first premium baseball card issue, 1990 Upper Deck took the industry by storm with its innovative design, sharp photography, and excellent quality control. Beyond just being a milestone set historically, it also featured several extremely rare and valuable short prints that have become among the most sought after cards for collectors.
At the time of its release, the base 1990 Upper Deck set totaled 792 cards and had a distinctive squared off design with a blue border and white front. It departed drastically from the traditional gum-backed cardboard that had been the standard for decades prior. Upper Deck’s state-of-the-art foil stamping, higher grade paper stock, and focus on photographic innovation blew everything else out of the water. With images that popped much more than competitors, collectors were awestruck and sales skyrocketed.
Buried within the massive issue were 21 cards that were dramatically underproduced in comparison to the rest. Known as short prints, these scarce variants have the “SP” moniker appended to the base card number. Only a small quantity were inserted into packs, making them immensely difficult to pull from packs when the set first debuted. This artificial scarcity has driven values for the 1990 Upper Deck SPs into the stratosphere for the highest graded examples.
Considered the key short print of the set is the Ken Griffey Jr. SP (#1). Widely considered one of the most visually appealing rookie cards ever crafted, estimates put the print run around 100 copies. As one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and perhaps the most Iconic MLB player of the past few decades, this card holds incredible significance. In gem mint PSA 10 condition, it has exceeded $100,000 at auction. Even poorly graded copies still command thousands due to the extreme rarity.
Another super short print is the Nolan Ryan (#57) which is thought to have approximately 150 copies in existence. As one of the most dominant pitchers who played prior to the 1990s, his SP captures him in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career with the Texas Rangers. High grades have sold for well over $10,000 each for this elusive piece of cardboard history.
Jose Canseco’s rookie card SP (#419) and Ken Griffey Sr. SP (#420) are notably as well. Thought to have around 200 copies each, they have sold for amounts ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000+. They hold high value because of the rookie status and family connection of their subjects. Other cards like the Frank Thomas SP (#522), Gregg Jefferies SP (#666), and Ozzie Smith SP (#772) round out the short prints that often net five figures in top condition.
Beyond just the short prints though, there are a few other key cards that stand out as especially rare within the 1990 Upper Deck issue. For example, the Nolan Ryan error card (#102) which has “Topps” mistakenly etched into the image instead of “Upper Deck” is one of the most famous engraving mistakes ever. Only a handful are known to exist and it has sold for over $20,000 in the past.
The Cal Ripken Jr. yellow error (#581) where the player’s name is misspelled as “Calvin Ripken Jr.” is also exceedingly uncommon based on estimates of under 10 surviving copies. Graded examples have reached the $35,000 range before. These types of mistakes that alter the images or text make the cards true one-of-a-kinds within an already limited print run set.
The 1990 Upper Deck set revolutionized the baseball card industry and hobby. Its immense popularity, cutting edge design, and a small selection of hugely rare short prints and errors have made it one of the landmark issues that hardcore collectors strive to fully complete. Even incomplete commonexamples in average condition can sell for hundreds due to the massive demand. And as the years march on, mint examples of the short prints continue their relentless rise at auction. For enthusiasts of the era or investors, 1990 Upper Deck cards represent both a collectible slice of history as well as fantastic long term store of value appreciation potentials.
