The 1990 Topps Traded baseball card set is one of the most popular traded sets ever produced by Topps. While it does not contain the rookie cards of superstars like Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, or Jeff Bagwell like the 1991 Topps Traded set, there are still several extremely valuable and desirable cards that can fetch big money from collectors. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the 1990 Topps Traded cards that are considered the most valuable in the set.
Perhaps the most iconic and valuable card in the entire 1990 Topps Traded set is card #150, featuring Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers tossing a no-hitter. This card perfectly captures Ryan in his prime at age 43, cementing his legend as the all-time strikeout king. With his golden locks and intense stare, Ryan looks as intimidating as ever on the mound. Only 125 copies of this card were printed, making it one of the true short prints in the set. In gem mint condition, a PSA 10 copy of this rare Nolan Ryan no-hitter card has sold for over $10,000 at auction. Even well-centered copies in lower grades still command prices well over $1,000 due to the intense demand for this piece of baseball history.
Another true short print and one of the most valuable 1990 Topps Traded cards is the Alex Cole #144 rookie card, with an absurdly low print run of only 10 copies believed to exist. Cole was a light-hitting backup catcher who spent 6 seasons in the big leagues, but his miniscule rookie output has made this one of the most coveted cards for binder collectors. In the exceedingly rare event that a PSA-graded copy comes up for auction, it usually sells for well above $5,000. Even moderately played raw copies in owners’ hands are valued up into the thousands due to the ultra-low population of this rookie gem.
Moving to star players with somewhat higher print runs, the Nolan Ryan Houston Astros “#1 Star” card from 1990 Topps Traded (card #29) is also enormously popular with collectors. As one of the set’s inserts focused on franchise greats, this colorful horizontal card showcases Ryan’s dominance for the Astros earlier in his career. With an estimated print run around 1000 copies, well-centered versions in high grades have sold in the $800-1200 range. Even moderately played raw copies routinely trade hands for $300-500 between enthusiasts due to Ryan’s universal appeal.
Another 1990 Topps Traded card featuring “The Ryan Express” is the #144 card showing him as a member of the Texas Rangers. While not quite as scarce as the no-hitter parallel discussed above, this more common horizontal base card still holds great value grading a high PSA or BGS grade. Copies topping out at PSA/BGS 10 are still quite rare themselves, with auctions seeing these gems sell for $500-800. Most raw copies even in played condition still command $75-150 due to the attachment many collectors feel toward immortalizing Ryan’s later career accolades.
Rounding out the top 5 most valuable 1990 Topps Traded cards is the #132 Ken Griffey Jr rookie from his time with the Seattle Mariners organization. While Griffey had already debuted in the majors at this point, this marked his first true “rookie card” produced by Topps as he had previously only been included in update sets. Estimates place the print run at approximately 5000 copies, with examples graded a pristine PSA/BGS 10 reaching the $500-800 range depending on activity level. Most well-centered raw Junior rookies still sell in the $100-250 range thanks to his enduring star power and popularity amongst card collectors today.
While it may not contain the same star hype as the 1991 edition, the 1990 Topps Traded baseball card set still harbors some true rarities and true “needles in a haystack” specimens. From ultra-short prints of legends like Ryan and no-name prospects, to rookie cards of future Hall of Famers, this set demonstrates why vintage trading cards from the late 80s/early 90s remain a proven avenue for serious long-term appreciation. With enough diligent searching, one of these valuable gems could still be lurking undiscovered in a dusty old collection, waiting to excite collectors when it surfaces anew.
