The 1989 baseball card season marked one of the most prolific years of baseball card production in the modern era. While certain sets and individual cards from 1989 have appreciated greatly over the past 30+ years, others have not maintained their value as well. Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable sets from that season and analyze which specific 1989 baseball cards continue to hold significant collector value today.
One of the most iconic and valuable sets from 1989 is the iconic Topps flagship release. Featuring incredible artwork from painting legends Dick Perez and Brad Holland on the majority of the 334 total cards, the 1989 Topps set pioneered the transition baseball cards into the modern aesthetic era. Rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Tom Glavine, and Gregg Maddux highlight the set. In top gem mint condition, a 1989 Topps Barry Larkin RC can fetch over $500. A PSA 10 graded Glavine RC has sold for well over $1000. Most common cards from the set in played condition are only worth about $1-2 each today.
Upper Deck broke into the baseball card market in 1989 with their innovative brand new product. While print runs were massive, the 1989 Upper Deck set revolutionized the hobby with its sharp photography and durable plastic coating. RCs of Kenny Lofton, Randy Johnson, and David Justice lead the chase. Lofton and Johnson gems have reached over $2000 in sales. Due to the extremely high initial print run, most common UD cards hold value of $3-5 today. Theinsert parallel photo variations are much tougher pulls and can net $50-200 depending on player and condition.
Donruss released a highly collectible set in 1989 as well. With innovative embossed foil logos and clean modern design conventions, the majority of the 660 card Donruss release holds nostalgic appeal for collectors today. Highlights include Frank Thomas’ rookie card, which has reached up to $4000 in pristine condition. Most run-of-the-mill Donruss cards are worth about $2-5 each today. Insert parallels like Gold Foils and Super Foils featuring star players can fetch $20-100 based on name and condition.
Fleer continued their traditional set in 1989, though it does not carry the same prestige today as releases like Topps or Upper Deck. That said, rookie cards of Barry Larkin, Randy Johnson, and Tom Glavine maintain value between $10-40 each in top-notch condition due to their prominent careers. The bulk of the cards in the 660-card Fleer release are worth about $1-3 depending on player popularity and condition today.
While not sports card releases themselves, two marquee insert sets from 1989 deserve mention due to their significant modern value – OPC and Score. The iconic OPC Black Diamond parallel variation insert cards from 1989 featuring star players like Nolan Ryan, Jose Canseco and Eric Davis sell in the $50-300 range each for name players depending on condition rarity. Score released beautifully designed Traded parallel inserts highlighting inter-league player exchanges, which have appreciated up to $50-150 per card in pristine condition for the biggest stars. Both sets pushed the boundaries of insert set design.
Beyond the flagship brands, various regional and minor league issues also came out in 1989. Specifically, Pacific Baseball Cards released their signature brand with a 500 card checklist focusing on West Coast players. The iconic Denny’s Grand Slam insert parallel run is one of the most coveted subsets from the late 1980s. In gem condition, inserts of Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Kirk Gibson have reached over $4000 each. The standard PBC base cards are worth about $5 or less today on average.
While the massive print runs of the 1980s mean most common 1989 baseball cards hold fairly nominal value today, certain star rookie cards, inserts, and parallel variations from key sets have greatly appreciated due to the accomplishments and renown of featured players. Careful research into specific players, sets, and parallels is important for collectors to ascertain which 1989 cards remain strong long-term investments versus those whose value has plateaued. Overall, 1989 marked one of the greatest years of modern baseball card design and was formative for the industry going forward.
