The 1989 Topps baseball card set was released at the tail end of the 1980s baseball card boom. In 1989, the sports card market was starting to cool off from its peak in the mid-1980s. The 1989 Topps set remains a highly collectible vintage issue for several reasons.
The 1989 Topps set contains 792 total cards including player cards, manager/coach cards, team cards, and rookie cards. Some of the top rookies featured that year included Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas. Larkin, Maddux, and Thomas would all go on to have Hall of Fame careers and their rookie cards from the 1989 Topps set are still highly sought after by collectors today.
Another reason the 1989 Topps set holds value is because it features future Hall of Famers and all-time greats who were still active players at that time. Stars like Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Kirby Puckett had some of their best seasons in 1989. Their cards from that year are desirable because they capture those players in their primes.
Beyond the star power and rookie cards, the 1989 Topps set is also notable because it was the last year Topps held the exclusive MLB license before competition from other card companies like Fleer and Score entered the market in 1990. As the sole major baseball card producer in 1989, Topps was able to secure photos and signatures of almost every player which adds to the set’s completeness and appeal to collectors.
The 1980s were the peak years of the baseball card speculative bubble. In the late 80s, the market was starting to see warning signs of an impending crash. The overproduction of cards in the mid-80s led to a boom in supply that couldn’t be sustained. As the bubble popped in the early 90s, the prices and demand for modern cards plummeted. Vintage sets from the late 80s like the 1989 Topps maintained more of their value relative to later issues.
Now in the modern collecting era, the 1989 Topps set retains significance. The high-quality player photography and statistical information make the cards a nostalgic centerpiece for collectors. The inclusion of so many future Hall of Famers also gives the set historical relevance. Graded gems of stars like Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Nolan Ryan and Kirby Puckett routinely sell for hundreds of dollars online. Even common versions of these stars can fetch $10-20.
Rookie cards are always highly sought, and the top prospects from the 1989 set like Larkin, Maddux and Thomas command the highest prices. A PSA 10 graded Larkin rookie recently sold for over $2,000. But there are also bargains to be had in the set for collectors on a budget. Less heralded but still notable rookies from 1989 like Randy Johnson, Jeff Bagwell, and Kenny Lofton can often be acquired in raw form for $20-50.
Beyond the star rookies and veterans, the 1989 Topps set also provides value for team and parallel card collectors. Each team is represented with photo cards that baseball fans enjoy displaying in their collections. The set also included “Traded” parallel cards showing players in the uniforms of their new teams. These parallels add to the card count and provide another layer of player/team combinations for collectors to pursue.
While the late 80s baseball card market was beginning to cool off, the 1989 Topps set remains a highly collectible issue due to its historical significance. Featuring future Hall of Famers and all-time greats in their primes, noteworthy rookies, quality production standards, and nostalgia factor, the 1989 Topps cards retain relevance and value with collectors over 30 years later. For these reasons, the set will likely continue appreciating over the long run as one of the most classic vintage issues in the modern collecting era.
